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Wish list for Next Gen Tacoma - what would you improve



  • koko164koko164 Posts: 29
    They need to raise the seats off the floor a bit more than they are.
  • jchan2jchan2 Posts: 4,956
    Although I don't own a Tacoma,I have been in one and rented one and came away with very poor impressions. The whole clock is dumb. Wanna see the time? Fire up the widshield wipers! A few things I would like to see on the next Tacoma:
    1. A full time 4WD system like Chevy Silverado
    2. A column mounted gear shift lever
    3. A bigger engine, possibly a smaller version of the iForce V8 in Tundra
    4. Leather Seats
    5. 5 speed automatic
    6. Get rid of the jumpseats and put a small set of bucket seats or a really small bench seat for carrying 4 or 5 people in a pinch
    7. Get rid of the floor mounted 4WD lever and engineer the whole darn 4WD system into the dashboard.
    8. An AWD version for the S-Runner
    9. Maybe a crew cab version of the S-Runner too?
    10. update the 4 cylinder engine to Camry's 2.4 or RAV4's 2.0L.
    11. Audjustable ride suspension
    12. new clock design
    13. Power rear roll down window (eg. Ford Explorer Sport Trac)
    14. A center console and a HomeLink system.
  • dakar232dakar232 Posts: 12

    some thoughts and comments.

    <1. A full time 4WD system like Chevy Silverado>

    Do you really need full time 4WD? Won't that make the gas milage suck?

    <2. A column mounted gear shift lever>
    <5. 5 speed automatic>

    If it floats your boat then what the heck. I personally don't mind the floor mounted shifter with buckets seats. I do however wish that the Double Cab had the option of a stick shift instead of an automatic.

    <3. A bigger engine, possibly a smaller version of the iForce V8 in Tundra>

    The Tacoma is a compact pickup. When does the quest for more HP become too much? My 2002 DC has the 190 HP V-6 and I find it is more than adequate. IF you want a V-8, do you really want a compact pickup?

    <4. Leather Seats>

    Right on... I would love to have had the option to get leather seat. (along with the choice of a leather wrapped steering wheel without getting the more expensive option package)


    The Double cab sits 4 comfortably and 5 in a pinch. For the extended cabs, in order to do this you would probably have to increase the cab to just about the dimensions of the DC. They probably won't do this as you could get the DC.

    <12. new clock design>

    I agree - what the hell were they thinking of. If they stuck it where the airbag off swich is, it would have made a lot more sense.

  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Posts: 897
    To each their own.
    Personally, I hate column-mounted shifters. I'm very happy with my manual tranny Taco.
    1. Don't need an all-time 4WD. You can switch into 4Hi on the fly, that's pretty good.
    2. Yuck, but that's my preference.
    3. 2004 Tacoma will get a new 3.7L V6 (230hp/tq or so) or 4.7L iForce as an option.
    4. It's a truck. Would you like a DVD player, Xbox and a high-end stereo system with a full bar while you are at it?
    5. 5spd auto would be nice. Or a V6 in the reg cab. Or a manual in a DC.
    6. I don't know.....I guess you're talking about the Xtracab..I rather doubt there's any space in there for anything, unless I want to drive like a grandma glued to the windshield and moving the seat all the way up. I don't think I could fit anyone in the back of my Xtracab, only coolers and some trip stuff.
    7. looks fine as it is.
    8. AWD S-Runner? Doesn't sound too bad.
    9. DoubleCab S-Runner? Umm...why? S-Runner weights like 3000 lbs, and adding a DC to it will make it a 3500lbs vehicle. Not-so-S-Runner. It's supposed to be a sports truck, not a van.
    10. People swear by their 2.7L I4s. The 2.4L I4...maybe. But that's an engine for 2WD models only, so.
    11. TRD is fine and good for those who want it. Stock is soft enough for those who don't want it.
    12. Yeah, definitely. Although some tall people don't have any problems, but that's a rarity.
    13. Maybe....I can always open the window with my right hand.
    14. Maybe.

    So essentially you are trying to make this wonderful potent truck into a
    Leather seats? Softer ride? If you want all that, get a van. This is a truck (and a pretty good one, at that). There'll certainly be posers who will want a truck to show off to their friends (like the Prerunner DC I saw the other day: dealer-warrantied 3" susp lift with 265x75x16 (33s) tires: an ultimate pooser vehicle, because it can never go offroad due to rubbing), but can we please just leave this truck the way it is? There's already enough people buying up TRD and the only offroading they do is when they accidentally drive off the driveway onto the lawn. Just my opinion.
  • jackkajackka Posts: 25
    I'd like a rear door on the x-cab like Ranger and S-10 have.
    I'd also like a standard radio that I can replace at any car stereo store when it fails.
  • superglidesuperglide Posts: 65
    I've had 50 vehicles (including 8 Corvettes, 6 El Caminos, and 8 Toyota pickups)... and love a sporty small truck. Current ride is a 2001 V6 Prerunner XtraCab TRD. I love the truck, but it's a compromise like everything else I've owned or that's on the market. Toyota has the best quality and resale, so that's why I keep coming back. At one point I thought I wanted a BIG truck again so I bought a new 97 GMC Z71 Extended Cab and after 2 years decided I was tired of taking 3 trys to get into any parking space and the mediocre performance wasn't worth the extra cost of gas, then it started falling apart. So I went to the other extreme... 99 Tacoma XtraCab 2WD 4cyl 5 speed. It got 20-21mpg/city and 25-28mpg/hwy, but was boring to look at and drive. I love the 4X4 look, but never use it, so the Prerunner fits me well. But I remember the good things about old 64-72 ElCaminos... lots of power, comfortable car ride, and good gas mileage. I rarely haul more than a motorcycle in the back and would buy an Australian Holden Sport Ute if they imported them here. A friend has a 1999 Lexus LS400 with a 4.0 V8 that gets 30-35 MPG (yes I've driven it and checked it myself to make sure). I'm convinced that if they put this engine in the Tacoma we could get lots more power and better economy. The Tundra is too big for me... too clumsy like the GMC Z71 I had, and gets the same bad gas mileage as the GMC. Seems like all manufacturers focus their efforts on the BIG trucks, most likely because that's where they make the most profit, and those of us that like comfort, manageable size and performance are stuck to settle for what we can get. I recently saw a concept truck vehicle from BMW based on the X5 platform... looks like that's as close as I'm going to get in the future. Though I love electronic gimmicks (self leveling ride height, shift on the fly, AWD, traction control, climate control, etc.), I'll be satisfied to keep things simple, because I learned a long time ago that these gimmicks all stop working in 5-10 years, and that's what makes the vehicle worthless.
  • hounddog69hounddog69 Posts: 34
    a 5-speed manual in the Pre-Runner
  • djtibbdjtibb Posts: 2
    I surely can't afford a DC right now but it seems like a great compromise for someone that doesn't need a huge truck and also wants to haul people around often. I've got a regular cab Nissan 4WD right now but when my daughter gets a little older I'll probably need something with a backseat (a la DC).

    I like everything about the DC except the fact that you can't get a 5spd with the V6 and 4WD. Don't the SRunners come with a 5spd and V6 and 2WD? Why can't a TRD 4WD DC come this way? That would be an irresistable truck to me.
  • tacotextacotex Posts: 2
    I saw the post about the new 3.7L engines for the Tacoma. Is this accurate? The new v6 in the 2004 4-runner is supposed to get about 245hp 285ft-lbs. Will the Tacoma engine better those numbers?

    I do think a v8 in a Tacoma in it's current size would be overkill. If they make it bigger even slightly, say to the size of a Dakota, it might be a good option.
  • saddaddysaddaddy Posts: 566
    I am almost sure, though, that the 4Runner is getting a V8 for the 2003 models. So, a similar engine in a slightly bigger Tacoma is about what everyone is expecting. These changes might come as soon as 2004.
  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Posts: 897
    The speculation is this:
    There's a 3.7L V6 in the works that'll give 245/285 output. If that's a 4Runner specs, then it's almost guaranteed that Tacoma will have higher output due to less-restricted exaust.
    That new engine is rumoured to be the standard engine for 4Runner, with the current Tundra iForce V8 to be an optional one.
    The risk is that since 4Runner shared drivetrain with Tacoma, and Toyota is set out to make 4Runner a "mallrunner", 3rd gen Tacoma might suffer from that. We'll see. It might be ok.
  • tacotextacotex Posts: 2

    I hope that the Tacoma doesn't get emasculated with this new change. But the new V6 sounds awesome. Imagine 260hp 300ft-lbs! Even if it gets the same engine as the 4runner it will be tough for any other compact truck to compete.
  • saddaddysaddaddy Posts: 566
    That any Toyota tacoma will be tough for ANY manufacturer to compete with.
  • Still have the '98 TRD Tacoma 3.4L 4x4 5 speed with 152K on it now. I like the looks of this grille a whole lot better than the newer ones. I would've liked to have the option of a 5-speed in the Pre-Runner, as I DO go off road a bit, but not anyplace to where I'd worry about not having 4WD if I had the higher suspension of the Pre and maybe a locking rear end. 190 hp is plenty for me. I don't hammer it that much, but I do tow a trailer every so often. More tie downs in the bed would be nice. My bucket seats are fine (6'2"", 200#), but I would've liked a bucket type on my side with a bench type on the passenger side, so I could haul all the rugrats more easily. The back seat is getting a bit small. I will eventually get a DC or a Tundra 4 door, but I am way too cheap to pay dealer new, just ask my wife. I'll wait till you guys put some whacking on them, then pick them up cheap. After all, it is a truck. One last item: somebody needs to market a way to have a truckbox in the bed that doesn't sit on the floor, but does not extend higher than the top of the bed. The ones that sit on the rail obstruct my vision, and the ones that just sit in the floor disallow you to shove stuff up under them during transport. Maybe put a dent in the middle so a dirt bike tire could be wedged in there, and some tie downs on the corners. Just an old TN boy's opinion.
  • I don't understand what all the fuss is on engine size. If you want a V8, just get the Tundra. I think the V6 is more than adequate, but I also think the 4 cyl is a mistake. Just my 2 cents worth.

    I am looking into getting and '03 next year (on clearance hopefully)
  • Folks,

    Anyone that has the double cab please sound off and let me know what you think of it!

    I am seriously considering one next year, and I would love to hear your experiences!

    Also if you have the cap for the back what do you think of that too would help.

    Here's something I noticed at the dealer - they had a nice double-cab with a cap on it, but I noticed that the bedliner was under the rail, and I'd really only want one with an over the rail bedliner. So my real question is:

    Does anyone also have a cap with an above the rail bedliner? The dealer said it may make some noise when your driving because the seal isn't that tight, but I don't believe him. Anyone have this setup? Thanks!

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