2018 Revisions

It is not terrible, but it is not my favorite TRD Pro color.

 

Took Delivery at LaGrange Toyota on Saturday, great group of guys to work with.

 

When they showed off the TRD Sports models today, they had also stated the Tacoma will get powertrain changes ( possible a hybrid), all body on frame vehicles are being updated and the tundra will follow soon behind them. So maybe 2019 4runner marks a new 4runner maybe with a powertrain change with the taco. Maybe both will get a diffrent engine they can share that is not junk hopefully.

 

Wow! ...Are you saying that Toyota produces engines that are 'junk' ? I hope that you are not talking about the present 3.5 that I have in my Tacoma. If so, I certainly don't feel that way...Perhaps because I understand it's power curve and my manual transmission lets me manage the process very nicely. I have to wonder if Toyota will (finally) jump on the same bandwagon as many others have and opt for smaller displacement engines with turbo-chargers. Ford has clearly demonstrated that displacement is not the only answer. A hybrid 4R would be a possibility. Interestingly Toyota, somewhat, rejected this with the new Camry opting to stay with a conventional V6. Clay

 

I wish they would have kept the 4.0 in the taco. Just a reliable proven engine, not bashing the 3.5 but not a fan. The one thing i want changed is the awful automatic transsmission. I think toyota knows this and is going change it, and i think the hybrid engine is going to be inplemnted into the tundra first. Me honestly i think the bigger the better on the engine, not a huge fan of what Ford has done, especially to the raptor.

 

I really wanted to like the 3rd gen Taco. I tested both AT and MT off-road versions. It's a beautiful truck but the drivetrain wasn't really a step up from my 07 DCLB Sport. I bought a T4R because I didn't want any mid-size truck other than the Taco. 15 months later and I'm still very happy with the T4R.

 

I suspect that many of today's automotive engineers do not agree with you. The old saying 'there is not replacement for displacement' is clearly not being followed today. Just look at any of the major automotive magazines and what new vehicles are using for engines. Who would have thought that you'd find a 2.0L -4-banger under the hood of a 3500-4000 lb vehicle? Once turbo-chargers became more reliable displacements have come way down. We old-timers (Yes I am one of them) need to 'adjust' our thinking so as to not be so much out of tune with what's going on. Even the diesel engine is coming under a lot of pressure, for those that love low-end torque, they would be better off looking to hybrids with their electrics to fill the gap. I feel the same way about Manual Transmissions - (I've never owned an AT vehicle in over 55 years of driving) my new 4R will be a first. I had to swallow hard!

 

After 35,00+ happy miles with my Taco Sport with an MT a couple of comments - 1) If you want performance from the 3.5 - Understand it's power curve and use the Tach....Much like driving a big truck with a diesel. 2) The tach is not a decoration but a tool that's necessary to maximize the yield from the power plant. It's not that different than driving a vehicle with a turbo and experiencing what's called 'turbo-lag'.

 

ok but here's the thing, when I drive it I don't want to have to manage the power like that. I just want to drive, if I wanna manage RPM and staying in the sweet spot I'll bust out my 2-stroke dirt bike, also one of the reasons I moved to 4-stroke dirt bikes to get away from that shit. I think the 3.5 can be just fine in the Tacoma if it is paired with a better transmission and shift logic. I also think the 3.5 (please god with a turbo) could be ok in a 4runner as long as there is significant weight reduction done to it first. I love my 4runner but she's a big girl.

 

I dont mind smaller engines with turbos, just not in trucks! In a sedan or fake suv a turbo engine is fun to get around traffic. But when you need to haul or do anything truck related turbos are horrible. I know the general manager at hennesy ford in atl. Ask him or any mechanic they say stay away from eco boost. Yes they are fast and poweful. But those turbos are not meant for towing. Same goes with any truck if the taco or 4runner had a smaller engine with a turbo, these overlanders would be pitching more than a tent, when all that weight puts stress on those turbos, and have to replace them every so often.

 

You just named one of the big reasons for NOT having an AT. In doing so you have accepted the 'shift logic' of the computer that controls all that. To me, controlling all that - manually- IS - part of driving

 

Welcome to the world of - minority thinking - There are an increasing number of people that view manual transmissions the same way - old technology for old folks. Just look at what the folks in California are facing :-(

 

and I think Toyota missed the mark horribly with the 3.5 auto combination on the taco, I think the auto can be fine but it needs to be programmed to shift in a way that better matches the output of that motor.

 

I know i am a minority when thinking that, especially of my generation, the same who bash a manual but dont know how to drive one. I love MT but for me it would be dumb to have one, when my commute is 2 hour round trip through downtown Miami. Sitting in traffic with a manual would not be ideal for me.

 

A couple of things - 1) Toyota is aware of the issues and have issued TSB's. 2) We need to remember that the 'computer' is looking for the best ratio for the best mileage. 3) Not everyone is un-happy with the combination. 4) The AT Taco is outselling everything else out there by a huge margin.

 

I fully understand that one - You ought to be negotiating the hills in Downtown Seattle !!!. Thankfully, most of my travel is highway sprinkled with a couple of days a week going up a logging road to a mountain top. - Clay

 

What I do know is the 4.0 in the taco and the 4runner with this tranny is butter smooth to drive, and that's what I like. I like a little torque from a dead stop and just letting the engine and tranny do their thing without a thought from me. This have been the first auto vehicles I have purchased and I have been super pleased. I drove the auto 3rd gen taco and just didn't feel right to me, I might have fallen in love with it eventually but I knew I loved the 4.0 and the 4runner had it. I was also a little scared off the manual in the Tacoma because of the creaking clutch pedal I had in my original one, my dads' also creaked and drove me crazy.

 

There is a fix for the clutch squeak - I had it in my 2010. Not much to that mechanism.

 

I had mine fixed as well and it just eventually came back

 

3) Plenty of us owned the Taco with the new drive-train and dumped it already. I did with less than 10k on the hunk of carp. Totally un-drivable with an automatic transmission and nobody wants to drive a manual in traffic if your not in a sports car.

I really appreciate the 4Runner that I traded it for.

 

Me too! 2016 TRD Sport. Worst vehicle I've ever owned, and I've owned lots.

 

Same as I had - 2016 TRD Sport in Barcelona Red. I've had close to 40 different cars and trucks and the Tacoma was the second worst for me, as the '71 Gremlin I had holds that spot. Sure not saying much for the $40k Tacoma...

 

Shameful to have a modern truck in the same grouping as a Gremlin. lol

 

Looks like I need to add some balance to this ...I now have over 37,000 Miles on my 2016, Barcelona Red, Tacoma Sport and I love it! Yes it is a manual transmission! If you are looking at the picture, the hood is from a 2017 Off Road (I did not like the scoop). As for driving an manual in traffic - It all depends on what you are used to. I've been driving for close to 60 years (perhaps more that some that read this?) and have never owned an automatic. To me operating an MT - IS automatic! I never give the shifting any thought, it's in the same category as breathing (don't think about that much either) I was advised that my new T4R is due to arrive in Portland on the 16th. Very much looking forward it to (despite being an automatic) I will be my wife's ride - I will continue to drive my Tacoma....Which, BTW, is my 5th Toyota Pickup and clearly the best of the bunch. - Clay

 

No engine change for 2018. . . . Authenticated

Ordered barcelona red off-road premier on 10-11, arriving 10-30.

4.0 liter is listed on the transit paperwork. If not, I will get a refund and get a 17 while there are some around. That Atkinson mill in the taco sounds like it is sucko!

Got the KDSS, moonroof, and a couple other goodies.

Congratulate me!!! Hahahahaha!!!

 

The Atkinson mill is sweet - Toyota just put an AT behind it and a computer in control of it that caused the stink. There has been a bit of work on re-programming that has yielded some impressive results - (See the Tacoma Forum). Then again Toyota already has a TSB that has (according to a friend that has one) greatly improved things. I wished I could give you a ride in mine with the MT !

 

Clay.

Thanks for the note on your satisfaction with the 3.5. Maybe it gets bad word either due to the computer, or top people who just think bigger engine must be better. Still the Atkinson cycle is designed for higher fuel efficiency V.S. acceleration or grunt.

Your experience?

 

The big issue here appears to be the differences between the 4.0 and 3.5's power and torque curves. I wished I could overlay the two for you here (I've seen this done on the Tacoma Forum). When you say 'grunt' I take that to mean low-RPM torque. It's likely that a higher displacement and/or longer stroke engine will have this. If 'grunt' is what you are looking for - A diesel is your friend. There are a number of factors here that are hard to swallow for many. There are likely more drivers for higher mileage than for more 'grunt'. Today we see the automotive world moving to smaller displacement engines that develop their power at higher RPM's as well as a large move to turbocharging. Today's technology is moving solidly in that direction. In the near future your desired 'grunt' will likely come from electric motors that have tons of torque available at start up - Being paired with a small displacement turbocharged 4 banger. The old saying there is no replacement for displacement may be true, but it's not the way things are going. If this is your firm belief, you should be driving a 'big-block' something older and not wishing that your new Toyota was built that way.

Fuel efficiency is likely the driver behind Toyotas computer controlled transmission and engine in the Gen 3 Tacoma's. The technology to factor in such things as fuel-flow was not deployed in earlier models.

Another factor is what people are used to. The power curve of the 3.5 I liken to a Hockey-Stick. This engine has two modes, above and below 3500 RPM. I reminds me of driving a turbo charged vehicle with classic 'turbo-lag'. Get it above 3500 and it takes off like a rocket!.

Remember that most drivers who choose an Automatic have elected to hand-over the management of engine speed vs. transmission ratio vs. the need at the moment to a computer. Just like driving a diesel (with an MT) requires watching the tach, so is driving this machine if you want the maximum out of it. Frankly a tach in a vehicle with an AT can be viewed as a decoration.

Another factor is that many drivers shift based on engine sound (Not using the tach to tell them where the engine is at the moment on its power curve) A high winding engine sound is foreign to many and they end up shifting prematurely and then blame the machine.

I will grant you that this is, perhaps, an unusual engine for a truck ...However once you understand what it will do - and (Manually) select the correct ratio, It will hold its own. I have had great fun with other makes of pickup's proving my point.

 

Clay, thank you for all your input. I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said. I think it is often a case of different tastes & trade offs. Also, it can be maddening to not have manufacturers even give you the option of the combo you want.

I love MTs but living in Seattle I’ve found it really can become tiring in twice daily hour long stop & gos in town, not to mention on I-5 both in town & invariably on the road to & from PDX (I’m guessing you live near Vancouver, WA).

Nevertheless I wanted an MT on my Infiniti G37 but couldn’t get it with the AWD that I’ve found to be essential on our wet, slick & literally growing roads.

I would also have liked the option of AWD for everyday driving in my 2018 T4R but to get that I can’t get the TRD Off-Road (really wish they’d stick with “Trail”-I could do without the additional marketing as well) and it’s great e-locker, etc. plus I’d have to rip all that body work & chrome off a Limited. I recognize the NW has unique driving conditions & I wouldn’t even notice these issues if I still lived in PHX-but that doesn’t mean it isn’t frustrating.

Finally, while I totally get the market forces driving the engine & transmission changes, my truck is for the mountains & I want to keep it a long time. Again, not the goal of the majority of drivers. I have a 2002 Pathfinder (R50) with AWD+4Hi & 4Lo (&2WD) plus the really nice 3.5VQ engine. It’s bombproof & it’s not even a Toyota-which I would agree has always been a more reliable manufacturer (especially compared to Nissan/Infiniti these days). I bought the 2018 T4R because I expect 20 years & 200-250K out of it & the current engine trends do lead to more torque with better fuel efficiency (both of which I love), but I believe it will ultimately be at the cost of reliability (with turbos & electric motors) or at least significant maintenance.

All that said, I agree you solved the Taco engine problem with an MT. #1, it’s great Toyota allowed you that option & #2, your fortunate an MT works for you in your daily world (Boy, how I miss mine after nearly 30 years of driving one).

Again, I wouldn’t disagree with anything you pointed out & appreciate your contribution as I think you hit the nail on the head as to both reality of the automotive world & the real world advantages of the changes & ways to mitigate the disadvantages. Cheers to you!

 

Hey RainGoat - We are NEIGHBORS ! I live in Auburn. My Dealer is Doxon where I will take delivery of our 2010 Camry (with an MT) replacement in the form of a 2018 4R SR5 Premium before the end of the month. The picture of my Taco was taken at the Auburn Golf Course.