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.
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Originally Posted by Thumper
