Tacoma is a dog, should I think twice before adding FWC?

[frstnflt]

Hey all,
I have a new 2017 Tacoma DCSB 6MT. I traded down from a Ram 1500 because it is nimble, more fun to drive(and park), I rarely haul anything and have a short commute, but mostly because it is a MANUAL. I am new to this. This will be a weekend warrior rig.
The plan is to add a FWC Swift next month, inch or 2 lift, slight increase in tire size
Some questions for the experienced:
It is great to drive but the torque is disappointing. It seems to have no balls under 3400 rpm. Is that normal? Will this rig be able to get out of its own way? Will it even be able to pass someone on a 2 lane road? Should I regear this thing or do some other performance mods?
Fuel mileage is not a huge concern, but why is it so mediocre for a compact truck? An F-150 ecoboost 3.5 can easy manage low 20s MPG
Will a lift/level kit and airbags be adequate? It will only see gentle off road conditions.

 

[phsycle]

You’ll want to find another truck to stick that Swift on. Just installing the camper eats up all payload. That’s before taking driver/passenger and other cargo into account.

 

[robert]

There are a lot of things I like about my Tacoma but the fuel economy absolutely sucks, especially when full sized trucks are getting much better mileage with more room, weight, hp and torque. Add in the low payload and all of the issues Toyota has had with their American made models (includes the Tacoma) and I'd probably look at a larger truck for hauling even a lightweight camper. Today's Toyotas just aren't the same as the Japanese built models of yesterday or today.

 

[MattF350]

Had same issue with my Dakota. Those trucks are good for 4wd, but not a whole lot else.
I stepped up to an F350 and wont look back. MPG is less but more capable of doing pretty much everything else.

 

[Adventurous]

If you intend to add a camper, doing a gear swap is a good way to help offset some of that weight. It should bring some of the pep back to the truck.

Of course the 16+ Tacomas were spec'd with engines that start to get into their power band at higher RPMs. It was one of the biggest complaints when they introduced that new engine, there's not a whole lot of low end grunt like one might expect from a truck.

You'll definitely need the airbags. The OEM springs are definitely not up to carrying that sorta weight all the time. Might need to think about doing rear shocks and front coilovers as well to provide a better ride with the camper on.

 

[rruff]

Fuel mileage is not a huge concern, but why is it so mediocre for a compact truck? An F-150 ecoboost 3.5 can easy manage low 20s MPG

Check Fuelly for real world.

Tacoma: ~18.6 mpg http://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/tacoma
F150 3.5L EB: ~16.0 mpg http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-150?engineconfig_id=102&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

There are no compact trucks anymore.... my '86 with a 2.4l is compact.

 

[robert]

I wish my Tacoma got 18mpg, I seem to run about 14.5- 15mpg but lately it's dropped to around 12 for some reason. It's not throwing any codes, and nothing's changed about the truck. It's fair to say I've been less than thrilled with this Tacoma and don't see me buying another despite having always had Toyotas.

 

[rruff]

I wish my Tacoma got 18mpg, I seem to run about 14.5- 15mpg but lately it's dropped to around 12 for some reason.

I get 17+mpg in my Tundra. Never had a tank that was <15. If I drove around town all the time it would be worse.

Just a note from Fuelly, the new Tacoma gets better MPG than the 2.7L F150, so it isn't terrible, relatively. http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-150?engineconfig_id=49&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

The Colorado V6 is over 19 mpg, so a little better than the Tacoma. http://www.fuelly.com/car/chevrolet/colorado?engineconfig_id=219&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

 

[phsycle]

We've discussed this before, but to everyone else, please take those fuelly numbers with a grain of salt.

 

[rruff]

We've discussed this before, but to everyone else, please take those fuelly numbers with a grain of salt.

Can't think of a better comparison, can you? Yes, YMMV. Mine certainly does.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Fuelly is the best resource in my mind. What's better?

 

[RGRMIKE]

Hey all,
I have a new 2017 Tacoma DCSB 6MT. I traded down from a Ram 1500 because it is nimble, more fun to drive(and park), I rarely haul anything and have a short commute, but mostly because it is a MANUAL. I am new to this. This will be a weekend warrior rig.
The plan is to add a FWC Swift next month, inch or 2 lift, slight increase in tire size
Some questions for the experienced:
It is great to drive but the torque is disappointing. It seems to have no balls under 3400 rpm. Is that normal? Will this rig be able to get out of its own way? Will it even be able to pass someone on a 2 lane road? Should I regear this thing or do some other performance mods?
Fuel mileage is not a huge concern, but why is it so mediocre for a compact truck? An F-150 ecoboost 3.5 can easy manage low 20s MPG
Will a lift/level kit and airbags be adequate? It will only see gentle off road conditions.

I'm a Toyota guy and I've heard the complaints about the new Tacomas. My buddy was in the market and ended up with a 2015 instead of a 2018 because he hated the new motor. I've thought about getting a new truck for a while but honestly nothing really appeals to me. The compacts don't get any better mileage than some full size trucks. I really think Toyota should come back with a beefed up Gen 1 style Tundra. I have an 05 DC and it's a great size for many applications. I really like the V8 and can't wrap my head around going back to a V6 when many V8's get similar mileage.

If I were in your shoes I'd sell the truck. Tacomas hold their value very well so cut your losses and get what you want. A 5.5' bed 1/2 ton isn't that much bigger than a Tacoma and you can get a V8, better payload, and similar mileage or better.

When Toyota makes a Tundra with a more fuel efficient V8, 6.5' bed, Crew Cab, and factory lockers I'll be in the market. Until then I'll keep putting mileage on this old Gen 1.

 

[downhill]

Toyota went from a 4.0L to a 3.4 L engine in the Tacoma in 2016, and took a marginal truck down for good in my opinion. The original "gen 2", which was the gen 1 Tundra with the 4.7L engine was the one to get.

No Tacoma can carry any hard sided camper currently offered without exceeding it's GVWR. People do it anyway. Camper companies promote it. FWC lists their smallest empty shell, the Raven at a "light weight" 975 pounds dry. You could do it, .... maybe,... if you make no bumper /winch / armor upgrades, and travel with a 90 pound girl friend and a chihuahua.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'm a Toyota guy and I've heard the complaints about the new Tacomas. My buddy was in the market and ended up with a 2015 instead of a 2018 because he hated the new motor.

I tend to think we hear complaints about the 3rd gens mainly because we're Toyota people and follow them in places like ExPo and Tacoma World. But I think we get a skewed view. Toyota sells a ton of Tacomas with the new V6 for some reason.

But I happen to 100% agree, the 1GR-FE is a better motor for a truck. It feels more sluggish on the highway and I'm sure that's part of the reason the Tacoma got a new engine. I think worldwide more trucks would get a diesel when they are worked. I read Toyota stopped selling a 1GR Hilux in Australia because they only sold a few hundred annually.

To the OP, I think this question is subjective. I feel my Tacoma is a rocket ship compared to other Toyotas I've owned. My $0.02 is this falls into the "You're driving a truck not a sports car." category. I think Toyota has always been a conservative company so they build engines that leave power on the table for the sake of reliability. I personally happily have a truck that runs relatively underpowered but so for 250,000 miles without drama.

 

[downhill]

I tend to think we hear complaints about the 3rd gens mainly because we're Toyota people and follow them in places like ExPo and Tacoma World. But I think we get a skewed view. Toyota sells a ton of Tacomas with the new V6 for some reason.

But I happen to 100% agree, the 1GR-FE is a better motor for a truck. It feels more sluggish on the highway and I'm sure that's part of the reason the Tacoma got a new engine. I think worldwide more trucks would get a diesel when they are worked. I read Toyota stopped selling a 1GR Hilux in Australia because they only sold a few hundred annually.

To the OP, I think this question is subjective. I feel my Tacoma is a rocket ship compared to other Toyotas I've owned. My $0.02 is this falls into the "You're driving a truck not a sports car." category. I think Toyota has always been a conservative company so they build engines that leave power on the table for the sake of reliability. I personally happily have a truck that runs relatively underpowered but so for 250,000 miles without drama.

Agreed. That is why we buy them. I just wish they had kept the Gen 1 with the 3.4 and the early Tundra with the 4.7. Both were great trucks with well matched engines. Nothing they make today interests me in the least, even with the great reliability. Enough is enough. I could be wrong, but I believe the "new" 3.4 is just a 1GR-FE that has been de-stroked and retuned.