2020 Toyota Tacoma

I don't suggest I represent anyone but myself. When it came down to me choosing my next new vehicle I had a Toyota Tacoma as one of the finalists among the other trucks I was considering, the lack of comparable mechanical features knocked them out of the running. So ultimately I guess my reply is a complaint or statement rather than a question. As much as I would love to purchase a Toyota again, if their not offering the same features that other automakers are for the same price points, then their going to lose out. Going back to what the OP said, I have to agree that it feels like Toyota is omitting features for some of their trim lines when compared to their competitors.

Agreed 100%.

And that’s how I ended up buying a new Jeep JL Rubicon. Hard pill to swallow for a life long Toyota guy but yeah, Toyota had nothing that could compete. Dual lockers, 4:1 t-case, I could go on.

Here’s to hoping Toyota is watching, and that they do what they’ve always done. Take the competitions ideas and made them better and over engineered the shit out of them. Then I might be selling the Jeep.

:clang
 
ATrac is fine for most, but no locker option (all or front depending on vehicle) is a noticeable absence even if they are never needed. I don’t really care about the interior bells and whistles beyond plug and play relay/switch locations for umpteen light bars.
 
Intermittent wipers are way down at on the list of priorities for Toyota IMHO, especially for the Tacoma.

How about giving that truck a truck-like engine (read more low-end torque). That 3.5l v6 w/ part-time atkinson cycle is a good engine, it just doesn't belong in a truck. A nice torquey diesel. A turbo inline 4 gasoline. Heck even an updated 4.0l v6 with direct + port injection would have been a better choice than what Toyota ended up putting into the Tacoma.

Front and rear lockers. Bigger suspension lift. Bigger tires. The TRD Pro's certainly look cool, but the actual mechanical advantages they provide over a base Off Road are a joke compared to what the ZR2 offers over the base Colorado.

Better payload. Beefed up frame. Rear disk brakes. There are a whole bunch of things that Toyota needs to address with the Tacoma. Lack of tech features isn't one of them. And in fact the newer Toyota's have comparable tech to what the other trucks have. Maybe the nav/infotainment system isn't as refined, but I think the car journos make a bigger deal of that than the average consumer...those built-in systems become outdated after only a few years and most owners end up using their mobile devices for navigation and music.

For all of its shortcomings, I do think the Toyota Tacoma is still a solid option in the midsized market. Even if the domestic brands have gotten better in recent years, the perception still exists that Toyota has better reliability....that perception, right or wrong, will translate into higher resale values. And the Tacoma is ultimately the value offering in Toyota's 4x4 lineup. The Tundra, 4runner, LC 200 are definitely somewhat better optioned and, honestly, somewhat better built compared to the Tacoma. Now the latter 3 are also severely in need of an update, but they are still very well-built 4x4's and 2 of them (4runner and LC) are honestly without rivals in the 4x4 midsized segement, unless you want to cross-shop them with a Jeep.

Toyota's greatest vehicular strength is its reliability and over-built nature, which is largely derived from a very gradual, almost painfully so, rate of change.
Toyota's greatest vehicular weakness is its gradual, almost painfully so, rate of change.
 
Intermittent wipers are way down at on the list of priorities for Toyota IMHO, especially for the Tacoma.

How about giving that truck a truck-like engine (read more low-end torque). That 3.5l v6 w/ part-time atkinson cycle is a good engine, it just doesn't belong in a truck. A nice torquey diesel. A turbo inline 4 gasoline. Heck even an updated 4.0l v6 with direct + port injection would have been a better choice than what Toyota ended up putting into the Tacoma.

Front and rear lockers. Bigger suspension lift. Bigger tires. The TRD Pro's certainly look cool, but the actual mechanical advantages they provide over a base Off Road are a joke compared to what the ZR2 offers over the base Colorado.

Better payload. Beefed up frame. Rear disk brakes. There are a whole bunch of things that Toyota needs to address with the Tacoma. Lack of tech features isn't one of them. And in fact the newer Toyota's have comparable tech to what the other trucks have. Maybe the nav/infotainment system isn't as refined, but I think the car journos make a bigger deal of that than the average consumer...those built-in systems become outdated after only a few years and most owners end up using their mobile devices for navigation and music.

For all of its shortcomings, I do think the Toyota Tacoma is still a solid option in the midsized market. Even if the domestic brands have gotten better in recent years, the perception still exists that Toyota has better reliability....that perception, right or wrong, will translate into higher resale values. And the Tacoma is ultimately the value offering in Toyota's 4x4 lineup. The Tundra, 4runner, LC 200 are definitely somewhat better optioned and, honestly, somewhat better built compared to the Tacoma. Now the latter 3 are also severely in need of an update, but they are still very well-built 4x4's and 2 of them (4runner and LC) are honestly without rivals in the 4x4 midsized segement, unless you want to cross-shop them with a Jeep.

Toyota's greatest vehicular strength is its reliability and over-built nature, which is largely derived from a very gradual, almost painfully so, rate of change.
Toyota's greatest vehicular weakness is its gradual, almost painfully so, rate of change.

After researching Toyota's page and I wasn't able to find any validity to the intermittent wiper not being a part of standard equipment on all trim levels. I think we can safely call that #fakenews from that article. Personally I think the escalation of everyone's need for more power is bordering on the same comic levels of Tim "the tool man" Taylor. But then again, I do drive around a Tacoma with 150 HP and a Land Cruiser with 130 HP, so maybe I just need to see my doctor about being treated for low testosterone. :D Also, I think the infotainment is more important than others here. I'm in the middle of upgrading our Xterra right now with an Android Auto/Apple Carplay unit that will simplify and remove current distractions (ram mount that takes a bit of skill to get the phone setup and in place) from our regular travel. Not everyone enjoys mounting phones or tablets with various contraptions in their vehicle. It sure is handy to jump in, have your phone connect and provide GPS, real time traffic, weather updates, etc without having to appear like Dr. Emmitt Brown went nuts on your interior.

I don't disagree with your assessment on the TRD Pro package though... it doesn't measure up to the competition. Toyota could and should lead the way with it. Dual lockers, better suspension, and rear discs (on all trims) should take priority on an offroad focused package.
 
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Just put a damn v8 in the truck, seriously. That would make me much more interested in the taco. I have a v6 4th gen 4r (4.0L) and really wish I had gotten the v8....

Thats one of the reasons the new 4runner is not interesting to me.....
 
After researching Toyota's page and I wasn't able to find any validity to the intermittent wiper not being a part of standard equipment on all trim levels. I think we can safely call that #fakenews from that article. Personally I think the escalation of everyone's need for more power is bordering on the same comic levels of Tim "the tool man" Taylor. But then again, I do drive around a Tacoma with 150 HP and a Land Cruiser with 130 HP, so maybe I just need to see my doctor about being treated for low testosterone. :D Also, I think the infotainment is more important than others here. I'm in the middle of upgrading our Xterra right now with an Android Auto/Apple Carplay unit that will simplify and remove current distractions (ram mount that takes a bit of skill to get the phone setup and in place) from our regular travel. Not everyone enjoys mounting phones or tablets with various contraptions in their vehicle. It sure is handy to jump in, have your phone connect and provide GPS, real time traffic, weather updates, etc without having to appear like Dr. Emmitt Brown went nuts on your interior.

Apple car play could and should eventually be integrated into Toyota's vehicles. With that said, the lack of that feature certainly isn't a dealbreaker for me, and I suspect most owners have that ranked low on their list of priorities, despite the big deal that so many automotive journalists make of it.

I have an iphone with bluetooth connectivity for music, google maps instructions and phone calls...that's really everything that a person truly needs from the infotainment system. The truth of the matter is that if you intend to go off the beaten path with your vehicle, you will need to use external nav and communications devices in your vehicle (phone, tablet, gps). The vehicle's built-in nav doesn't meet the mark and all those systems become less and less relevant the older the vehicle gets. In some cases, high-tech features become a liability in the longterm. Jeep's keyless start is a good example. Stop-start technology, which seems increasingly common on newer vehicles, is a poor attempt at remedying subpar mpg's and has the potential for longterm durability issues. Toyota has been very slow to add the same amount of tech that is found in other brands, and I am somewhat thankful for their caution in that regard.

WRT to the Tacoma's engine, power isn't the issue. It's the low-end torque delivery, or lack thereof, that makes that 3.5l v6 less than ideal for truck applications.
 
Apple car play could and should eventually be integrated into Toyota's vehicles. With that said, the lack of that feature certainly isn't a dealbreaker for me, and I suspect most owners have that ranked low on their list of priorities, despite the big deal that so many automotive journalists make of it.

I have an iphone with bluetooth connectivity for music, google maps instructions and phone calls...that's really everything that a person truly needs from the infotainment system. The truth of the matter is that if you intend to go off the beaten path with your vehicle, you will need to use external nav and communications devices in your vehicle (phone, tablet, gps). The vehicle's built-in nav doesn't meet the mark and all those systems become less and less relevant the older the vehicle gets. In some cases, high-tech features become a liability in the longterm. Jeep's keyless start is a good example. Stop-start technology, which seems increasingly common on newer vehicles, is a poor attempt at remedying subpar mpg's and has the potential for longterm durability issues. Toyota has been very slow to add the same amount of tech that is found in other brands, and I am somewhat thankful for their caution in that regard.

WRT to the Tacoma's engine, power isn't the issue. It's the low-end torque delivery, or lack thereof, that makes that 3.5l v6 less than ideal for truck applications.

Automotive journalists make a big deal about it because they pay attention to market research... as have most car manufactures. For some buyers, it's not a priority (and that's fine, just forgo that option at the dealer), but the surveys don't support your suspicions. Also, don't forget... either way, all new vehicles since 2018 were required by government mandate to have a back-up camera. Seems to make sense that a manufacture would try to make that display a better integrated component of that vehicle. Infotainment is expected to be a $35B industry by next year. Development of apps like Gaia and Backcountry Navigator for Android Auto are strong possibilities and they are consistently being updated. Topo maps available right on factory integrated equipment... That's something worth being ready to employ. And, while I agree the 3.5L is not an ideal selection for this truck (once again most of the blame can be put on the feds for that) ... In its application the 3.5 is probably only twice as capable as my current truck motor.
 
Automotive journalists make a big deal about it because they pay attention to market research... as have most car manufactures. For some buyers, it's not a priority (and that's fine, just forgo that option at the dealer), but the surveys don't support your suspicions. Also, don't forget... either way, all new vehicles since 2018 were required by government mandate to have a back-up camera. Seems to make sense that a manufacture would try to make that display a better integrated component of that vehicle. Infotainment is expected to be a $35B industry by next year. Development of apps like Gaia and Backcountry Navigator for Android Auto are strong possibilities and they are consistently being updated. Topo maps available right on factory integrated equipment... That's something worth being ready to employ. And, while I agree the 3.5L is not an ideal selection for this truck (once again most of the blame can be put on the feds for that) ... In its application the 3.5 is probably only twice as capable as my current truck motor.

I think some car journalists fancy themselves more knowledgeable than they really are. And I think that many self-proclaimed "car journalists" have little to no experience driving/using a truck (outside of press drives) and impose values and judgements that are more appropriate for cars than they are trucks.

Bluetooth, backup camera, and maybe a few other technologies can be considered essential. A lot of other technologies range from 'nice to have' to 'that's going to be an expensive fix when that breaks.' Toyota has what I would consider essential technologies in their vehicles (bluetooth, backup cameras, some form of digital interface with basic drive metrics and functions). Toyota also offers some technologies that I would consider superfluous (lane departure, pedestrian safety sense). But by and large Toyota is slower to add complicated and advanced technologies compared to other OEM's, and that's likely a major factor in why their vehicles are consistently ranked so high for reliability.

The infotainment systems only need to be good enough, especially in the utilitarian 4x4 market. Those systems will eventually break or glitch out in the longterm; so long as 2nd and 3rd hand owners can mount mobile devices and the vehicle still drives and works mechanically, most people won't care.

Its quite obvious that Toyota's slow and steady approach with infotainment and other tech hasn't hurt their sales, especially WRT the Tacoma.

It's also quite obvious that some companies have pushed far too quickly into the tech integration for vehicles, which is why you have examples of peoples' cars getting hacked while driving or owners getting stranded because of poorly-designed keyless start systems.

A lot of people keep stating that Toyota's tech, specifically its infotainment, is woefully outdated. Except for the lack of Apple Car play (and comparable software for other phone types), I don't see what they're getting at. There is enough "tech" there for someone to function in the modern world, and I am actually glad that Toyota hasn't been subject to the same tech-related flaws/reliability issues that other brands have experienced.
 
I think some car journalists fancy themselves more knowledgeable than they really are. And I think that many self-proclaimed "car journalists" have little to no experience driving/using a truck (outside of press drives) and impose values and judgements that are more appropriate for cars than they are trucks.

I think we can agree here that they are plenty of automotive journalist that are just writers that found work in the automotive segment. But, I do not think the surveys are inaccurate about the importance the majority of the market sees in it. And, I also don't think anyone really "needs" any of this tech, but if it's going to be in the vehicle regardless, it should be executed well. Meanwhile Toyota is using systems that are already appearing outdated... As you rightfully pointed out before, these systems fall off quickly. Personally, I think all manufactures should stick to traditional double-DIN size/shaped units to prevent users from being stuck without a way to retrofit upgraded units. I have no doubt that we will look at these modern systems a decade from now the same way we view red velour interiors of the 80's. Probably all part of the plan --mechanically many vehicles are lightyears ahead of the cars of the 90's-- how else will they get people to continually buy new?
 
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:D
2019-03-03 09.13.13.jpg
 
Looks like they are trying to 1-up the Jeep's trail camera with a new 8" infotainment system.

"High-tech trail assistance comes to the fore with the new Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) + Multi Terrain Monitor (MTM). The driver can select front, side, or rear views for improved visibility. When the going really gets rough, under vehicle terrain view can help the driver avoid potential unseen obstacles. "
TAC_MY20_0015_V001.jpg


https://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota...ment+leadership+with+host+of+new+upgrades.htm
 
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I think what we are seeing is the over utilization of technology because it is cheap (inexpensive).

Keeping up with the Jones' - if one manufacturer does it, the others will follow suit.
 
Looks like they are trying to 1-up the Jeep's trail camera with a new 8" infotainment system.

"High-tech trail assistance comes to the fore with the new Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) + Multi Terrain Monitor (MTM). The driver can select front, side, or rear views for improved visibility. When the going really gets rough, under vehicle terrain view can help the driver avoid potential unseen obstacles. "
View attachment 43947

https://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota...ment+leadership+with+host+of+new+upgrades.htm

This is great :cool:
 
Isn't not doing that the essence of the complaint about Toyota?

They all do it - so, yes, it is a complaint about all of them.

I wonder how many of the new "features" the customers really want - and want to pay for...
 
I like the physical buttons for the different menu items on that unit. I think those camera systems could prove pretty handy in a situation you don't have a spotter available.

Edit: I just noticed that they mention the addition of intermittent wipers to the SR grade in that article as well. I bet it's straight from Toyota's press release, but I'm once again confused. :confused:

Either way, some nice updates.
 
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