Toyota Tacoma Advantages

[roosiebull]

Have been running a 2011 Tacoma double cab long bed 4X4 since 2013. I tow a light trailer with all my camping gear each year to my hunting site. I have replaced my universal joints with aftermarket products that have a grease zert. Gear space is limited for my hunting buddy and I while making the 1100-1500 mile trips to the SW for our coveted archery hunts. I often wish we had a SXS to limit the abuse to the truck. The idea that I must make a return trip of such a distance prays on my mind while I'm pushing the limit of what my Taco can do or should do. A recent rifle hunt in WY Big Horn's ended with a snow event that convinced me to stay off the FS roads and 2-tracks that I negotiated for the 1st 7 days. In this situation a SXS would have been very useful. I noticed that many locals had tracks on their ATV's. Probably a game changer in 14" of wet snow. Never got a shot on this hunt that took 9 preference points, 4500 miles of driving, 3 motels going and 2 on the return, expensive tag, and accommodations. Ouch!

My truck is well scarred with Rocky Mountain Pinstripes from the Oak Brush on the (often narrow) New Mexico NF service roads. Got stuck once in the caleche dust that turns to Owl skat after a significant rain. Fortunately, a passing hounds man winched me out. The last 2 days of my archery tag overlapped with the opening of Bear season. While hunting there, the bed of my truck catches a volume of dust in spite of being covered. It enters in the gap of the tail gate and can be a pain. Can only imagine that it would be an issue on a SXS as well. Generally, I worry I might damage the truck causing a huge problem with getting home timely or need rescue & repair ($) before leaving. A short bed/extra cab might prove to be tighter turning. Can't remember having a problem to date with the length of this truck. IMHO, a short bed model would suffer a rougher HWY ride along with the limited capacity. Hauling a side by side the long distance, the initial expense, added fuel costs while towing, registration costs, and possible theft while sleeping in motel going and coming, should be considered. Now in my late 60's the idea of being able to (more easily) recover an animal (especially an elk) gives me pause that a SXS IS my future.

I hope this info helps someone.
LaGriz

SxS kinda suck in the snow unless you have tracks, I much prefer a chained up pickup for that. It doesn’t take much snow to shut down a side by side. Even patchy drifts in the spring, they are pretty useless without tracks

 

[KurtR]

SxS kinda suck in the snow unless you have tracks, I much prefer a chained up pickup for that. It doesn’t take much snow to shut down a side by side. Even patchy drifts in the spring, they are pretty useless without tracks

While tracks are a game changer been ice fishing out here a bunch pushing snow over the hood of the ranger.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

While tracks are a game changer been ice fishing out here a bunch pushing snow over the hood of the ranger.

Meaning Polaris....not Ford, yea?

 

[KurtR]

Meaning Polaris....not Ford, yea?

Yep. Might see a honda sxs here and there but the polaris is the most used out here by a wide margin.

 

[Thinkingman]

Tacomas need suspension upgrades right out of the box and you will always have a flimsy C-section frame that adds 2" of suspension travel.
You own a real truck, don't downgrade to an imposter.
Keep the sxs.

 

[Coldtrail]

I'm well aware that I'm not nearly as hardcore as some on this site, but I figure if the Tacoma is good enough to be the primary truck used by rebel forces overseas to haul men, guns, and rocket launchers that it should be adequate for a middle aged guy with a rifle, backpack, and action packer headed into the national forest for a few days.

 

[BLJ]

I'm well aware that I'm not nearly as hardcore as some on this site, but I figure if the Tacoma is good enough to be the primary truck used by rebel forces overseas to haul men, guns, and rocket launchers that it should be adequate for a middle aged guy with a rifle, backpack, and action packer headed into the national forest for a few days.

I would like permission to use this quote multiple times on multiple platforms. If you have no objection. Thanks.

 

[striped1]

I guess I'm in the minority .I bought a TRD Pro Tacoma 3 months ago and hate the thing. No power,road noise,transmission can't decide which gear its in.My own fault.Bought into the hype and now I'm kind of stuck with it or take a huge hit by trading.

Have you had it tuned? The OTT or the KD MAX tunes will both make huge improvements

 

[Thinkingman]

I'm well aware that I'm not nearly as hardcore as some on this site, but I figure if the Tacoma is good enough to be the primary truck used by rebel forces overseas to haul men, guns, and rocket launchers that it should be adequate for a middle aged guy with a rifle, backpack, and action packer headed into the national forest for a few days.

It's not.
That's what Toyota and the fanbois would like you to believe.
A HiLux is a completely different animal than a Tacoma.
It's not even close.

 

[Thinkingman]

I would like permission to use this quote multiple times on multiple platforms. If you have no objection. Thanks.

Where would you like to show that you don't know the difference between a HiLux and a Tacoma?
Asking for a friend....

 

[Thinkingman]

I guess I'm in the minority .I bought a TRD Pro Tacoma 3 months ago and hate the thing. No power,road noise,transmission can't decide which gear its in.My own fault.Bought into the hype and now I'm kind of stuck with it or take a huge hit by trading.

That Camry engine is just unsuited for a tall, heavy Subaru with a live axle and oversize wheels and tires.
The 4.0l that used to be in the Tacoma was a torque engine and, while primitive, rough and uneconomical, it had a torque curve more suited to the vehicle.

 

[Thinkingman]

You won’t take a huge hit, that’s one benefit of a Tacoma, they have excellent resale. My last one I traded in for more than I owed on it, and that’s probably more true right now.

It does seem the computer will adapt some to your driving style, but yeah, how and when they shift is odd, I assume they did that for fuel efficiency. Pretty much have to floor it to get it to go, but it was annoying off road, with little perceived torque. I wouldn’t say no power, but you have to be forceful to access it. I liked the 4.0 from the previous gen better.

When I first got my 18’ taco, I was impressed with the change in ride quality, but the stock tires didn’t last me 5k until I got a rock gash in one, then put real tires on and it felt like a Tacoma again

I would like to drive a built taco from someone who really knew what they were doing, if I could get the ride quality off-road similar to my zr2, I could handle the quirks of the new tacos, I just wonder how much it would cost to get there.

I did a lot of necessary suspension work on my 2006 TeRD.
The OME Dakar leaf packs with the 3rd leaf removed were a great match to the Bilstein 5100 shocks in rear.
The OME 883 front coil matched well with the Bilstein 5100 in front but never use a shock with adjustable perches to change ride height....They're not coilovers.
Chevy has spend the money to engineer excellent shock absorbers.
I doubt you're going to get similar ride quality.
High-profile tires aired down will help.

 

[Coldtrail]

It's not.
That's what Toyota and the fanbois would like you to believe.
A HiLux is a completely different animal than a Tacoma.
It's not even close.

I guess you showed me.............................

 

[BLJ]

Where would you like to show that you don't know the difference between a HiLux and a Tacoma?
Asking for a friend....

Tell your friend I was going to quote @Coldtrail on a HiLux forum so everyone there would know that I don’t know the difference. Then a Tacoma forum after that. So everyone would know. I would like everyone to know that I don’t know the difference.
I just want to make absolutely sure that everyone knows that I don’t know the difference. Especially your friend.

 

[roosiebull]

I did a lot of necessary suspension work on my 2006 TeRD.
The OME Dakar leaf packs with the 3rd leaf removed were a great match to the Bilstein 5100 shocks in rear.
The OME 883 front coil matched well with the Bilstein 5100 in front but never use a shock with adjustable perches to change ride height....They're not coilovers.
Chevy has spend the money to engineer excellent shock absorbers.
I doubt you're going to get similar ride quality.
High-profile tires aired down will help.

I assume you’re right, going in that direction would be an encouraging move for Toyota, give me a similar ride, similar steering and similar power and I would probably come back full circle. The zr2 is catching on, I would like to see that put some pressure on Toyota.

 

[BLJ]

I did a lot of necessary suspension work on my 2006 TeRD.
The OME Dakar leaf packs with the 3rd leaf removed were a great match to the Bilstein 5100 shocks in rear.
The OME 883 front coil matched well with the Bilstein 5100 in front but never use a shock with adjustable perches to change ride height....They're not coilovers.
Chevy has spend the money to engineer excellent shock absorbers.
I doubt you're going to get similar ride quality.
High-profile tires aired down will help.

What were the specs on your truck? My 09 E cab, 2.7, 5 speed is going to need some work soon. Did you have any constant weight in the bed? Front bumper or winch? Thanks.

 

[2531usmc]

Tell your friend I was going to quote @Coldtrail on a HiLux forum so everyone there would know that I don’t know the difference. Then a Tacoma forum after that. So everyone would know. I would like everyone to know that I don’t know the difference.
I just want to make absolutely sure that everyone knows that I don’t know the difference. Especially your friend.

OK, I’ll bite

Tacoma owner here (2012 and 2020 Off Roads). What is the difference between a Tacoma and a HiLux?

 

[CorbLand]

OK, I’ll bite

Tacoma owner here (2012 and 2020 Off Roads). What is the difference between a Tacoma and a HiLux?

Tacoma’s don’t come with a machine gun mount in the bed from the factory.

 

[Thinkingman]

What were the specs on your truck? My 09 E cab, 2.7, 5 speed is going to need some work soon. Did you have any constant weight in the bed? Front bumper or winch? Thanks.

I had a 2006 DoubleCab.
6sp manual.
It had a Leer canopy on it.
Not much weight in the bed.
I think static weight on the scale was about 4600.
Nothing on the front.
Those bumpers can be heavy...so is a winch.
I would hesitate to increase the front weight bias on a truck.
Talk to OME (Old Man Emu) about spring rates.
Their leaf packs had three codes for each part number based on their QC for the rear of the Tacoma.
I don't know if Eibach makes Tacoma applications but my experience with them for other vehicles has been great.

 

[Thinkingman]

OK, I’ll bite

Tacoma owner here (2012 and 2020 Off Roads). What is the difference between a Tacoma and a HiLux?

You can do the Google search yourself but for starters, the HiLux has over 35% more payload capacity than a Tacoma.
HiLux are rugged work trucks...Tacomas are for hanging amber fogs and cruising the mall parking lot.