Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - F-this snow. I want to buy a truck!

Sliver · 12-04-2013, 10:27 AM

With the Tacoma, I think 4x4 (the poster; not the feature in the truck) was smarter than me by replacing the stock tires (on the standard truck; not sure how they are on the TRD). That would have solved my ride and traction issues, I'm sure.

As for it not being fun to drive, it probably comes down to expectations more than anything. Compared to every other truck, it drives more car like. The Tacoma has a comfortable ride, and that can be appealing. I know I liked it a lot better compared to the Frontier when I test drove them back to back.

Striving for a car-like ride in a truck is a difficult thing for a manufacturer to pull off. If you succeed, you may have a nice-riding truck relative to other trucks, but if you compare it to the ride in cars you're trying to emulate, you end up with the worst-driving car known to man. So with the Tacoma you end up with a vehicle that drives like a Tauras in the straights, feels like an Accord when you slow down, has the exhaust note of an Altima, but handles like a Bronco II in the corners. It just kills the fun for me. Which probably takes us back to the crappy tires that come standard on the vehicle.

As for my opinion that it is slow. An '11 Tacoma's 0-60 is 7.3 seconds and an '11 F-150 ecoboost is 6.1 seconds. Because the Tacoma feels so car like in the straights, that 7.3 feels extra slow (and it kind of is, TBH). The F-150, conversely, feels like a rocket. It's a big, high truck and 6.1 seconds feels awesome in it.

Bang for buck, though, F-150 annihilates the Tacoma. I leased both mine for ~$30K. The F-150 came with a tow package, sync (bluetooth, aux, ipod, satellite, voice control, etc.), traction control, stability control, and an actual usable backseat (the backseat in the extended cab Tacoma isn't usable for anybody). Tacoma didn't have any of the above (although hopefully that would be different on a '14 because not having traction and stability control is inexcusable on a modern $30,000 vehicle).

As others have said, though, Chev and Dodge are great trucks, too. Just watch the value on the Tacoma...it's really not there, man.

12-04-2013, 10:27 AM	#70
Sliver evil of fart Join Date: Sep 2009 Exp:	With the Tacoma, I think 4x4 (the poster; not the feature in the truck) was smarter than me by replacing the stock tires (on the standard truck; not sure how they are on the TRD). That would have solved my ride and traction issues, I'm sure. As for it not being fun to drive, it probably comes down to expectations more than anything. Compared to every other truck, it drives more car like. The Tacoma has a comfortable ride, and that can be appealing. I know I liked it a lot better compared to the Frontier when I test drove them back to back. Striving for a car-like ride in a truck is a difficult thing for a manufacturer to pull off. If you succeed, you may have a nice-riding truck relative to other trucks, but if you compare it to the ride in cars you're trying to emulate, you end up with the worst-driving car known to man. So with the Tacoma you end up with a vehicle that drives like a Tauras in the straights, feels like an Accord when you slow down, has the exhaust note of an Altima, but handles like a Bronco II in the corners. It just kills the fun for me. Which probably takes us back to the crappy tires that come standard on the vehicle. As for my opinion that it is slow. An '11 Tacoma's 0-60 is 7.3 seconds and an '11 F-150 ecoboost is 6.1 seconds. Because the Tacoma feels so car like in the straights, that 7.3 feels extra slow (and it kind of is, TBH). The F-150, conversely, feels like a rocket. It's a big, high truck and 6.1 seconds feels awesome in it. Bang for buck, though, F-150 annihilates the Tacoma. I leased both mine for ~$30K. The F-150 came with a tow package, sync (bluetooth, aux, ipod, satellite, voice control, etc.), traction control, stability control, and an actual usable backseat (the backseat in the extended cab Tacoma isn't usable for anybody). Tacoma didn't have any of the above (although hopefully that would be different on a '14 because not having traction and stability control is inexcusable on a modern $30,000 vehicle). As others have said, though, Chev and Dodge are great trucks, too. Just watch the value on the Tacoma...it's really not there, man.