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Went to the dark side yesterday and traded the F350 for a 2020 Tacoma (4x4, SB, auto, TRD Off Rd). Love Big Red (a beautiful truck!) but I really didn't need a 1 ton diesel as a daily driver. Like maneuvering the Queen Mary in mall parking lots but at least people got out of your road. Anyway, picking up the new one tomorrow so we'll see how it goes. We were not real happy with Toyota after the RAV but this is a different dealer so maybe less crap.
You da man, JBoy !!!!.....nothing like the smell of a new ride !!!
You’ll like the chassis and suspension much better on this Tacoma much better than you did on your RAV. The difference is night and day. I never have been a fan of Toyota’s hybrid SUVs like the RAV and Hilander. When we bought the wife’s 4Runner I had the dealer park it and the Hilander side by side. Its then you really see the difference.
Congrats on the new paint smell!That’s a big change from a Superduty to a midsize. You won’t know what do do with yourself when you park it.
BKB
It's more like welcome to the light. The RAV and the Tacoma only share the name of Toyota, pretty much everything else is different especially with that TRD Off Road package. You now own the toughest truck you can buy. They just don't die and can go anywhere a factory 4x4 pick up truck can go and a whole lot of places a full sized pick up can't. The only thing they aren't real good in is the snow because they have such a light back end. In the winter put some heavy sand bags or something to add weight to the back of your truck and it will solve that problem.
Congrats Johnboy! Unless you're just the unluckiest guy in the world, you shouldn't have ANY problems with it and you'll love it. I bought my first Toyota pick-up in 1981 and it's the only thing I've driven since! In fact, I had 5 of them on the road when I had my business and even my employees (who could easily destroy a frigging anvil!) couldn't break 'em. Everyone asks me why I don't drive a Tundra and the honest answer is I just don't "need" it. The Tacoma fits the total bill for me plus I save quite a bit of coinage staying with the mid-size.
As for the Rav4 ... naaa, never could see it. I always drive a Tacoma, but I bounce around on Lynn's cars. For a while, she also drove a Tacoma (I charged it to the company as she was "my secretary" as far as Uncle Sam was concerned). ;)
She's also had 3 or 4 Avalons (can't remember now), a Sequoia (too frigging big) and is now in a fully loaded Highlander. I have to admit, I love the Highlander, especially on road trips, but the Avalon has always been her favorite and she wants another one next time around.
Funny you should mention the sandbags B/S! When a hurricane was headed this way a couple years ago, I went down to pick up some sandbags as we sometimes get water under one of our patio doors if the wind is blowing the right direction. The storm turned and never hit here, so I was left with a truckload of sandbags and had no use for them. They stayed in the back of my Tacoma for a frigging year! I was finally shamed by Lynn to get rid of them. Granted, I didn't have to worry about snow and ice, but I kind of enjoyed the smooth ride with the added weight back there. :thumbsup
You can tell by the dirt, leaves and debris that they'd been back there for quite a while when this pic was taken.
Attachment 11247
I checked all of the small pickmeups and gotta say that the Tac was the best of the bunch. Ford Ranger only comes with a turbo 4, Nissan Frontier is a between-changes truck (old body but new engine and trans - who knows how that will work) and the GM Colorado/Canyon has horrible reliability stats so didn't want any of them. So Toyota it is. Does look pretty and drive nice. I'll post a pic or two tomorrow, if I can remember how.
Anxiously awaiting the pics Johnboy! You said it's a short bed, so I assume you got the double cab? I have no use for 4 doors and always get the access cab with the long bed, but I usually order the persact truck I want because it's so hard to find a non-double cab on the lot these days. (I tend to buck trends I guess) I figure, if I need to haul more than one passenger, we can use Lynn's car. I'll admit, the back "seats" in an access cab are pretty much useless (unless you have a couple kids) so it's simply extra cargo space for me.
My problem is, the one I'm driving now is a 2016 model (only has 13,000 miles on it) and I've had the "itch" for about a year now. I'm avoiding the dealer like the plague lately because I have a goal to be totally debt free by the end of this year (we've been paying off old medical bills for what seems like a bazillion years now). I paid off the mortgage last August. BUT ... I'm a total sucker for that "new car smell" and my salesman knows me too well (he's been suckering me in for over 30 years now). I can sometimes go in for service and he'll throw me a set of keys to a new truck on the lot and tell me to go to lunch instead of hanging around the dealership waiting. One year, he dropped by the house, I answered the door and he dropped a set of keys in my hand, then told me the shiny new truck in the driveway was "mine for the weekend"! He's slick as goose snot! But seriously, I really like him and we've actually become personal friends over the years. In fact, one of my trade-ins went to his nephew as a h/s graduation gift years ago.
You mentioned problems with your dealer previously. That can really suck and be a turn-off. It's times like that, I get the factory reps involved. Dealers depend on CSI and Toyota keeps a close eye on that sort of thing. I know everyone in the dealership from the GM on down. I've met the owner a few times, but he has about 30 dealerships and wouldn't know me from Adam. Years ago, I had Lynn's car in for an oil change and the owner drove into the lot in a 2-year old Corvette (I figured it was his personal car). I walked out as he parked it and asked him why he was driving "my" car. He told me it had just been traded in late the previous evening and he simply decided to drive it home that night. A woman had just gone through a divorce and that car was one of her ex-husband's prize possessions, so she traded it on a Land Cruiser! He threw me the keys, I took it for a spin, returned to the dealer and ended up owning that Corvette! (Like I said, I have "sucker" written across my forehead) ;)
Here's a couple pics. Snapped quick between rain showers. Jim, I need a crew so I can fit the mutt in the back seat. Still gonna be tight.
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Nice ride John!
BKb
Thanks Barry. I haven't fallen in love with it yet - still missing Big Red. First impressions: it sure is small and way down on power (gonna have to work on that) than the big diesel but I think I'm gonna like it just fine.
Beautiful! Man I love a new ride! Yeah, dropping from a 1-ton diesel to a mid-sized 6-banger is quite a step. It’ll grow on you.
John do you pull your boat much? will this truck handle it okay?
BKb
Believe it or not, I hauled a 28’ Stamis cuddly cabin with 350 cid Chevy and Volvo out-drive for 350 miles, but Florida is flat. Climbing grades might have been an adventure, but it did much better than I expected. The Tacoma has a little bitty 3.5 liter V-6 but that little sucker cranks out 278 hp and 265 lb/ft of torque. Mine has the 6-speed auto, but a stick probably would have worked better. Johnboy’s is heavier and I’d think the 4wd would put even more strain on things, but it’s a surprisingly peppy little motor for its size. It sho’ ain’t gonna pull like that big ol’ diesel, but I don’t think a smaller boat will be too tough, especially since I don’t think the island has the greatest elevation changes to fight.
Hey Barry, Sold the boat a few years ago and the rv last year so don't need a heavy hauler anymore. Been slowly downsizing my "stuff" to things I actually use.
Jim, Vancouver Island is pretty much a mountain chain sticking out of the water so lots of up and downs.
i think my boat and trailer is at around 3000 loaded out. I was torn between the Tacoma and Tundra and it was wheelbase that was the decider not the weight. Shorter wheelbase vehicles seem to just get you yanked around by the trailer too much.
BKB
Shows what I know Johnboy. I’ve been to Vancouver (city area) a bazillion times, but never to the island. I think mine has a towing capacity of 6800 lbs. which is surprising for that little motor, but I’d still think hauling that kind of weight with a long trip of constant grades would be a pita, but I’ve never tried it personally. It would be interesting to know how the Taco handles those situations, but my downsizing also excluded owning any kind of boat. I’ve got a 10’ utility trailer that I’ve hauled some pretty heavy loads with and could hardly tell it was behind me.
You can never go wrong with a heavier, longer truck when it comes to towing. I'm convinced that had we had a lighter 1/2 ton type truck instead of a heavy 3/4t 4x4 when we had the trailer accident a few years ago, we would have rolled over and gotten hurt or killed. It pains me to see what some people tow with light weight trucks.
Good looking pick-up johnboy!
Been driving the Tacoma for a while now and a few 'notices'. It seems to be a solid truck as I expected. Good fit and finish etc. Only real niggle is that the engine and transmission are not well matched. The transmission/rear end gearing (especially the top two overdrive gears) is too tall for the output of the engine and it just can't pull it without straining. All in an effort to squeeze a little more fuel mileage, as the EPA mandated, I'm sure. Big change from the effortless grunt of the diesel in the SD. Takes a lot more right foot and downshifting to maintain a decent cruise than I'm used to. Just gonna drive it like I stole it and see how it goes but Toyota screwed up on this.
I’d imagine that’s a 6 speed tranny? Does it hunt for gears or balk?
BKB
Yeah, a six speed. Most noticeable on the freeway. Has trouble holding speed in 6th if there is any impediment like headwind or slight rise. Just too tall gearing. Revs at speed are too low and engine dogs and downshifts constantly. Not comfortable to drive. Too busy.
I’d mention that to the dealer if I were you. It shouldn’t do that. My wife’s 4Runner is the same setup as the Tacoma and its peppy as hell. Toyota has had an issue with their 6sp setups and they actually had a service bulletin out on that exact issue a few year ago but it didn’t involve either of our vehicles. Might be worth checking out. The symptoms were exactly what you described.
BKB
Hmmm, I don’t notice anything like that, but I do realize you stepped down from a Mack Truck to a go-kart, so I would imagine there’s a learning curve. I’ve been driving the “small” Taco truck for 40 years now (since 1981), so I probably wouldn’t notice it anyway. One thing I will point out, there’s a button on the dash marked “ECT PWR". I think it means Electronically Controlled Transmission (Power). It’s used for pulling a trailer, hauling heavy loads or possibly hilly/mountain driving. What it does is raise the shift point of the transmission. Under normal driving, it will make the tranny more sensitive to throttle position or grade changes, etc. and make the tranny feel like it’s searching for gears. I always keep it turned off as it’s just not necessary with normal driving and can be a bit irritating if used with no real need. I have a feeling your “sluggishness” is the fact you’re accustomed to a bazillion tons of torque with no need for gear changes. Like P-hole, I think mine is extremely "peppy" and have no clue how they get so much power from such a small package these days. A small engine will get some of its “power” from gears. I really think it’s just a matter of getting used to the idiosyncrasies of a small displacement motor after the major step-down you just completed. 'Course, yours is a bit heavier than what I'm used to with 4-doors and 4WD, but that shouldn't be a major factor. It’s like Bucky’s major complaint about the Taco, “The seats are too small!” Ya’ can’t compare apples and oranges. I really do hope you learn to like it. I couldn’t imagine buying a new vehicle and end up hating it. I haven't done that since I bought a new 1998 Chevy, only because I had two buddies working at the local Chevy dealer (GM & Sales Manager). They actually shamed me into it. I hated that pos truck so much, I traded it after about 15 months and took a bath financially.
That said, if you end up not liking the Taco, I seriously doubt you’d be happy with ANY mid-sized pick’em-up out there. 'Course, you ARE gettin' a little long in the tooth and there could be a bit of the old curmudgeon factor at work here. :D
Yup, know about the ECT switch and the different shift points do let the engine get into and stay in it's powerband a bit better. I use it frequently. As for 'peppy', no this truck is not peppy. The wife has a 2018 Kia Sorento 3.3l V6 AWD and it will run rings around this Taco. Like I said, just gonna drive it hard and hope it learns. Gotta stop comparing to the big diesel. You know, I was never a diesel fan and towed for many years with a big block gasser (496ci) and loved it. Went to the diesel and loved every minute of driving that thing. If you've ever driven or towed with a modern diesel you will understand. But like you said - apples and oranges. And yes, I am a curmudgeon. :oldfart
I pulled my Champion to SW Ontario with a friend’s Ford Superduty. He’s added a chip to boost the performance even more. It was nothing to hit an entrance ramp and be at 75 by the end of it, pulling a damn boat!
It liked its gas too, but I lnow what you mean about diesels.
BKB
I’m surprised you don’t know more about this....Quote:
Originally Posted by Thumper
Lynn said you’ve had a small package for a lot longer than 40 years!
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Same deal, a LOT of power comes from that package! ;)
Reminds me of a Thump story. I had a buddy with a hunting camp up in Georgia and I'd run up there with him occasionally. One year, three of us traveled together (my buddy, his friend and myself) and we hauled a pretty large trailer up with our three 4-wheelers, coolers, tree stands, etc. We were in a big Ford F350 diesel dually crew cab and when we were ready to head home. my buddy asked his friend if he could drive as he'd never driven a diesel. (He had a Chevy Silverado) Anyway, we headed home early on a Sunday morning and cruising right along with no problems, in fact, my buddy has always been a lead foot and speed limits are pretty much meaningless to him, so we were moving at a good clip the whole trip. Then we came to some small little podunk town and caught a stoplight or two. My buddy mentioned that diesel was a beast, but acceleration from a dead stop was a bit sluggish with that trailer back there. The owner who was in the passenger seat, looked in the mirror and hollered WTF?? Only then did we realize we'd lost a wheel on the SINGLE axle trailer! We looked back up the highway behind us and there was a deep gouge in the pavement for as far as we could see! WTF??? Well, now we're in a pickle, it's early Sunday morning in a little one-horse town and we have a fully loaded trailer with ONE wheel! We asked a local if he had any clue where we might find someplace open that could repair something like that and he directed us to a guy at the edge of town (where we'd already come through) and said he has a shop behind his house where he does repairs on farm equipment, etc. He said we MIGHT find him there, otherwise, we're pretty much fubar!
So, we pulled a u-turn and DRAGGED that trailer back through town to this guy's house. When we pulled up, he was sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair. We told him of our plight and he said he already knew about it. He said he and the family had just walked out the front door, headed to church, when we passed by dragging that one-wheeled trailer! (prolly thinking dumb-assed city folks) He said he sent his family on to church, went inside and took off his suit, put on his coveralls, then sat in his rocker as he knew we'd be coming back sooner or later!
He asked where we'd lost the wheel and we told him we had no clue. He looked at the trailer and we'd been dragging it on the hub so long it was destroyed, but luckily the spindle was still in good shape. He told us he thinks he has a hub that will fit, but doesn't have a wheel and tire, so he suggested we unhook the trailer and he'll work on it while we go try to find the wheel. We just followed the groove cut in the road about 10 miles up the highway until it stopped. Ok, this is obviously where we lost the wheel, but where the "f" is it? There was nothing but cotton fields on both sides of the highway. It's then I spotted a place on the edge of the ditch where it looked like the tire hit and bounced. We headed that direction and followed the trail the wheel cut through the cotton patch for about 50 frigging yards and finally found it! It looked like we'd lost a few lug nuts then the last couple studs broke off, but the wheel and tire looked to be in good shape!
We hauled it back to the old farmer and he already had the new hub and bearings mounted on the spindle awaiting our return with the wheel. He mounted it up for us with new, PROPERLY torqued lug nuts and sent us on our way. I don't even remember what he charged us, but I do remember it was minimal considering the circumstances.
Most vehicles these days need less gears and more engine. That's a sad fact.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
Course some of them have the ability to turn off some of those useless OD gears that only get used in, say, Kansas with a tailwind.
Will
Ha ha ha! I was sitting here thinking I'd told that diesel story before and decided to use the search option to see if I could find it. Cool, it was way back in 2015 on one of Bwana's posts.
It pretty well matches, so I guess my old timer's disease hasn't progressed too much. I do notice in the original story, I said we found the wheel in a peanut field and above I said a cotton field. Heck, it was in Georgia so it could be either one, but I'll rely on my memory being a bit sharper 5 years ago. ;)
http://www.goodhunting.info/showthre...+trailer+wheel
Trailer stories! Every outdoorsman has one, or two or twenty! In a lifetime of pulling trailers I’ve been lucky to onlybeen on the side of the road a few times. But they were memorable!
BKB
Spinning a 28' trailer attached to a 22' truck through a 180 (was going north and wound up pointing south) on a narrow , busy 2 lane roadway and not dying was/is pretty memorable. Somebody or something was watching out for us that day!
I remember Archer (ha!) telling us one time about his boat passing him on the highway.
BKB
The more I drive this little truck, the more I like it. Except for the trans gearing and shift mapping, that is. It's a good truck and if Toyota had been more interested in programming for driveability instead of mpg, it would be a great truck. The engine has lots of power once you get it up into its powerband but you gotta work it to get it there. A manual trans would be interesting. Oh well, can't have everything.
I sometimes yearn for a five speed manual. Had one in a 1990 Chevy truck and it was awesome.
And then I don’t.
BKB
Yeah, a stick is fun until you get stuck in stop and go traffic for a few miles. My creaky old knees won't do it no more.
I still can't help but think that's most of your problem Johnboy ... the "I use it frequently" part. I could probably tape over the switch on mine as I've really had no need for it other than when I pulled a heavy-assed trailer. When utilizing the ECT, it downshifts when encountering the least amount of resistance .. that's what it's for ... it "thinks" you're pulling a load. But with normal driving, it just isn't needed IMHO and does nothing but throw the tranny into "search mode" with any minor strain it encounters while it wonders WTF the driver wants it to do ... and why? Turn it off and forget it's there for a while. Just give it some throttle if you need to and drive it like you stole it. You're accustomed to gobs of torque powering you through ... you got's ta' learn a bit of finesse and forget that "bull in a china shop" you've been used to driving. Once you come down from the "torque of a locomotive cloud" and become a bit more "sophisticated", it'll grow on you. :pokeQuote:
Originally Posted by johnboy