How are those newer Tacos working out?

[phsycle]

To an extent. SXS's are fuel injected, CVT trannies, a lot with nav systems. No air bags...but I see it coming when people get tired of eating each other's dust and they all go to climate controlled enclosed cabs.

You can even get a fuel injected electric start 2-Stroke dirt bike now. No longer have to mix fuel or jet carburetors. Even my Beta is oil injection, and it is great! I don't mind mixing fuel, but not having to...isn't all that bad, actually quite nice. Bike runs cleaner and uses less premix too.

https://www.betausa.com/content/300-rr-2-stroke-1

Next bike will be full on injected, they weren't out yet when I bought the Beta.

https://www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/enduro/2-stroke/te-300i/

New ones are getting pretty elaborate for sure. They seem pretty reliable, though.

I still have an old '02 Arctic Cat ATV with 5-sp manual, high, low and super low transfer case. Love the thing.

 

[toylandcruiser]

Go drive one, and decide for yourself. As much as I like the old stuff...the new stuff is niiiiiiice. As much as a curmudgeon I am....don't mind the new trucks. Some of the new safety stuff is welcomed. Back up cameras are great for hooking up a trailer and parallel parking. Or not running over some kid backing out of the driveway. Seems like no matter how many times I check or double/triple check. Someone always sneaks into my blind spot.

They do things a little differently...but I don't find them overly nannying. That or I am getting really soft as I age...



Did Toyota ever put a truck engine in these trucks?

1GR...peak torque at 4000 rpm. Not a truck engine.

The 1gr is an undersquare engine. That’s more truck like than anything put in by any other manufacturer. It also makes 220 ftlbs at 1000

 

[tacollie]

"Truck like" is a funny phrase. My little brother always asks me when I'm going to get a real truck. I remind him that his "real truck" has built in massagers.

 

[Watt maker]

LOL, about bikes. I saw that Kawasaki finally axed the KLR for 2019. Long live the carb.

That sucks. I like those bikes. They are OK at everything and excellent at nothing but a lot of fun to ride and tinker with. Had a 2006 for a number of years and rode the hell out of that bike. It had a very "truck like" engine, lol. I had very few little issues with that bike as well.

 

[DaveInDenver]

That sucks. I like those bikes. They are OK at everything and excellent at nothing but a lot of fun to ride and tinker with. Had a 2006 for a number of years and rode the hell out of that bike. It had a very "truck like" engine, lol. I had very few little issues with that bike as well.

I miss mine for the back routes. Don't miss the clueless, inattentive cagers out to kill me, though.

 

[02tacotoy]

I have a 2003 Taco that I dearly love everything works I put in a new OME suspension, have a more powerful alternator. I like that I can toss off my seatbelt when on rough roads and it doesn't scream at me. Air down without alerts. Oversize tire no complaints. I like the smaller size, shorter wheelbase. I know eventually good things must come to an end. I have 151k on it. How are those newer computers working, are the computers working well with modifications? Oversize tires, air downed tires, other changes. I've been a bit leery of the fancier computers, so feedback?

I sold my 2002 after clocking 183k and hated to see it go but couldn't refuse the deal. I currently have a double cab offroad edition 2017 w/60k on it and have had no issues and really enjoy the increased power and mpg. Big improvement from 1st gen to 3rd despite all the composites and computers.

 

[roving1]

I've done it both ways and I must say, it's really nice having a vehicle that does everything you need a vehicle to do, always works, never costs you unexpected money or time and never means you skip a trip you were really pumped for. It depends on your life really, I work a ton and like to enjoy my time off. When I had less time tied up with work, less money to spend on a vehicle and more time to tinker a fleet of older cars was great. Now, I sometimes have an entire month where I simply don't have more than 3 hours at any given point to turn wrenches unless I skip the trips I'm into this stuff for. It's hard to make new/newer cars make sense from a purely financial standpoint, but if you take time value into consideration they sometimes make a ton of sense.

I missed wrenching so I bought an old Land Rover. It's fun when I get to take it on trips, and when it breaks I can spend a bit of time every night and the odd open Saturday or Sunday to work on it. I must say, wrenching is way more fun when it's not 2 AM and I need to get to work tomorrow. It's also nice that if I decide I'm done with it, I can sell it and my life goes on as normal.



Like what?? My 2018 Tacoma has easily defeatable traction control, everything else just kind of works like every other car I've ever owned. Even the active safety systems, I was worried about them nannying too much but honestly over 30,000 miles of driving over the past 8 months I've been beeped at maybe 5 times total when someone in front of me slammed on their brakes and I don't think it's even once applied the brakes for me.

Toyota trucks are kind of behind in this stuff kind of thankfully honestly. Active lane guidance, automatic cruise control, accident avoidence braking, go notifiers (things that actually beep to let you know traffic has taken off in front of you while you are not paying attention), auto stop start parking proximity sensors, easy exit seat presets that move when you open the door. I could go on and on.

My personal problem is I don't like the size or power trains of newer Tacos, and everything else is just a non starter. Even given free money I wouldn't know what to buy new that I would actually like. Which makes me sad.

Without those issues I can see buying newer being attractive

 

[Clutch]

"Truck like" is a funny phrase. My little brother always asks me when I'm going to get a real truck. I remind him that his "real truck" has built in massagers.

Does it give happy endings?

The 1gr is an undersquare engine. That’s more truck like than anything put in by any other manufacturer. It also makes 220 ftlbs at 1000

Is anyone even putting out a "real" truck anymore? All I see are glorified station wagons with open air trunks. When was the last time you saw a pickup with a load of gravel in it? ?

LOL, about bikes. I saw that Kawasaki finally axed the KLR for 2019. Long live the carb.

With the oil injection on the Beta....jetting is a lot less fussy. We have big temperature swings and elevation changes...and all in one ride. Doesn't even phase it, all I have had to do is adjust the air screw. So full on fuel injection may not even be needed. Pretty happy the way it is now. Really impressed with how little oil it uses too.

Don't miss the clueless, inattentive cagers out to kill me, though.

Why I only ride dirt...and even then!

 

[Clutch]

New ones are getting pretty elaborate for sure. They seem pretty reliable, though.

Oh gawd no. Have a lot of dirt bike buddies who have converted...they are constantly complaining that they are breaking. Engines are good...but seems like everything that surrounds it tends to fail.

I still have an old '02 Arctic Cat ATV with 5-sp manual, high, low and super low transfer case. Love the thing.

Those are good!

 

[jasmtis]

Toyota trucks are kind of behind in this stuff kind of thankfully honestly. Active lane guidance, automatic cruise control, accident avoidence braking, go notifiers (things that actually beep to let you know traffic has taken off in front of you while you are not paying attention), auto stop start parking proximity sensors, easy exit seat presets that move when you open the door. I could go on and on.

It's got a lot of that stuff and my point is it just isn't nearly as bad as you're imagining(and I'd imagine the same is true for other cars). It has lane departure warnings but it remembers and stays off if you shut it off, it has automatic cruise control but you can also just use regular cruise control if you like, it has accident avoidance braking but the sensitivity is so low it's beeped at me a handful of times in panic stop situations and I don't think it's ever applied the brakes for me in 30,000 miles.

My personal problem is I don't like the size or power trains of newer Tacos, and everything else is just a non starter. Even given free money I wouldn't know what to buy new that I would actually like. Which makes me sad.

Without those issues I can see buying newer being attractive

I do wish it were smaller, but I needed something to really rack up miles and at times be an only vehicle. If you want a new or newish compact(ish) 4x4 with a manual transmission you don't have many options. I'm pretty ambivalent about the powertrain, I agree with the criticisms but think it's blown a bit out of proportion, (you have to rev it a little, big whoop) but it replaced a 3VZ powered 4Runner and shares the garage with a Rover V8 so take that as you will haha.

 

[Clutch]

Toyota trucks are kind of behind in this stuff kind of thankfully honestly. Active lane guidance, automatic cruise control, accident avoidence braking, go notifiers (things that actually beep to let you know traffic has taken off in front of you while you are not paying attention), auto stop start parking proximity sensors, easy exit seat presets that move when you open the door. I could go on and on.

My personal problem is I don't like the size or power trains of newer Tacos, and everything else is just a non starter. Even given free money I wouldn't know what to buy new that I would actually like. Which makes me sad.

Without those issues I can see buying newer being attractive

I used to think that....nothing on the market appeals to me. Which if you decode that...I am unwilling to pay the price of what they want for new trucks on the market.

Because the new stuff is awfully nice....I surely wouldn't mind a diesel F350 or Ram 3500 with a flatbed Alaskan on the back of it...but you're talking an easy $100K....yeowsers! And you haven't even put any fuel in the tank yet...

I'll keep my old crap running than you very much...and constantly make excuses for it, just for the sake of being cheap.

I do wish it were smaller, but I needed something to really rack up miles and at times be an only vehicle. If you want a new or newish compact(ish) 4x4 with a manual transmission you don't have many options. I'm pretty ambivalent about the powertrain, I agree with the criticisms but think it's blown a bit out of proportion, (you have to rev it a little, big whoop) but it replaced a 3VZ powered 4Runner and shares the garage with a Rover V8 so take that as you will haha.

While I think the new 3.5 V6 is a little soft on the bottom. It fits the truck just fine. Even the lowly 2.7 4 Banger is more than enough for the majority of users...myself included. Really...that is all you "need". Yet we live in the bigger is better age. A midsize truck must get 350 ft lbs of torque, have a 3000 lbs payload....and get 30 mpg on top of it...all to haul around some bicycles, maybe a kayak, and some camping gear.

Shame Toyota mostly killed the manual trans, but I don't mind the auto. Lets you be lazy when you want to be.

 

[phsycle]

I quite like the size of the Tacoma's. Actually, I wish the rear seats had about 4-5" more leg room. Even at the expense of some bed space. The rear seats are just a little tight for tall passengers.

One can always get a Jeep JK/JL 2-door if they want a small trail rig with a manual transmission.

 

[phsycle]

...Shame Toyota mostly killed the manual trans, but I don't mind the auto. Lets you be lazy when you want to be.

I have to say, the manual is pretty fun to drive. I am quite infatuated with it now. Auto was ok as well. Just some finicky issues that wasn't a major concern, but an annoyance.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I quite like the size of the Tacoma's. Actually, I wish the rear seats had about 4-5" more leg room. Even at the expense of some bed space. The rear seats are just a little tight for tall passengers.

I figure it's a trade-off. Make the cab too big and you might as well just get a 4Runner, if passenger comfort takes priority. The truck is supposed to be about carrying stuff and getting places. Adding even more wheelbase and/or shrinking the bed is the antithesis of that. It's already grown over the generations from a light cruiser (literally the 1st gen Hilux since it shared Land Cruiser parts) to a cruiser to a battleship. Gets any longer or bigger it's gonna be a full carrier!

I have to say, the manual is pretty fun to drive. I am quite infatuated with it now. Auto was ok as well. Just some finicky issues that wasn't a major concern, but an annoyance.

I think that most every time I drive my truck, how I just can't imagine not having a manual. Creature of habit for sure and I don't regularly drive anything with an automatic. In the past year it's only been UHauls and rental trucks, which is probably not a fair comparison. Although the Isuzu NPR with the big V8 and 6 speed auto really wasn't bad. TONS of power even in a 16' box van and the transmission was very distinct about shifts and gears. Most that I've driven over the years seem to want to get into O/D as fast as possible but the Isuzu being a utility truck held gears more or less like I was shifting it myself, both up and down. It didn't take wide open throttle to get it to kick down.

Yeah, I could live with it in short. Yuck. But it felt to me like a 1990s Toyota inside and out. Very purposeful, no fluff.

 

[phsycle]

...Most that I've driven over the years seem to want to get into O/D as fast as possible but the Isuzu being a utility truck held gears more or less like I was shifting it myself, both up and down. It didn't take wide open throttle to get it to kick down.

Yeah, I could live with it in short. Yuck. But it felt to me like a 1990s Toyota inside and out. Very purposeful, no fluff.

That was my main point of aggravation. Any time the road pointed up, it was a constant ping-ponging of 4th and 5/6th gears. Literally, every 8 seconds. The engine was saying, give me lower gears to maintain speed and the transmission was saying let's go into Eco mode.