For a few grand more I can sell you a fullsize real truck capable of real work... Its only 2 or 3 MPG less... THINK about it... Do you want a "truck" that does U turns and is about looking good or one that can actually haul/tow/has room for the family/stuff... If your money.

@Clint With that mentality, you can spend a few more grand and get an actual truck that can tow an haul in the form of a Dually 1 ton..... Do you want a full sized wannabe half ton truck or a real man dual rear wheel truck?

Tacoma's still outselling the GM twins. Whats that tell ya?

This was a pretty boring article to read. Imagine owning one would feel the same.

So nobody else makes boring trucks, just Toyota?

They didn't give a reason for the price increase. So they just raised the base model $460 just because they wanted to? I'm not getting anything more for almost $500? Well then you won't be getting a sale. I don't buy overpriced crap with a weak V6 and transmission troubles.

Tacoma's still outselling the GM twins. Whats that tell ya?

Posted by: dale milner | Sep 8, 2016 8:41:36 AM

They could now that AM has took over van productions look at the numbers. Toyota will be in trouble unless they cut a lot of Tundra production since both are made on the same line.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2016/09/chevrolet-sales-numbers-figures-results-august-2016/

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/11/25/gm-outsource-van-production-am-general/

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2016/09/best-selling-pickup-trucks-august-2016.html

Toyota need a new plant or some other changes fast.

Relax, Robert. The smaller increases look like a pretty basic 2% to cover inflation. The exception is the SR5 Double cab- They must have changed content a little bit, like standard alloy wheels.
That manual transmission... very model specific availability.

saying that the Tacoma was the sales champ in smaller trucks for "decades" seems to forget that the Ford Ranger was the leader in that regard up to about 2005 or so. Right?

@ clint, the F-150 2.7 4X4 matches the fuel economy of the tacoma

There just a little bigger in size

4x4 crew f-150 2.7 6500 GVWR LBS 1630 LBS payload

4x4 tacoma crew 3.6 5600 GVWR LLBS 1175~1420 LBS payload

Wondering what the difference is between the off-road and Pro? One set up to go off-roading, rock crawling and other as a pre-runner type like the Raptor, high speed running trails?

I do believe pickups in relation to pricing is becoming more like the car and CUV.

Believe it or not there are cars that are small and cost more than cars that are large.

To me, buying the biggest size vehicle for you dollar is quite lame, especially if you don't really need the additional hassles of owning a larger vehicle.

The Tacoma is a nice pickup, it does have its shortcomings like the F-150, Ram or S twins. But it also has its strong points.

One of the strong points is it uses less fuel than a 2.7 Eco ...... in real life. EPA figures are just that, FE testing done in a controlled environment to give the manufacturer the best possible FE and not reflect day to day driving.

Its simple physics, accelerating mass uses energy. The Taco is smaller hence it takes less energy to move it along.

You may not need a full size today, but may in the future so get the full size for the same price and much more capability. Suppose you want a boat or camper later???

The GM twins are better trucks in every way. With a more powerful V6 and 8spd automatic, even more so. Toyota: Forget about the TuRD Pro. Start first with the basics. How about some rear disk brakes?

I would have gone with the Colorado since I liked it more than the Tacoma. At the end of the day projected resale value swayed my decision. I'll never be upside down during loan period with the Tacoma which can't be said for either the Canyon or Colorado.

@ Larry Selna,

GM twins are not better in every way against a Tacoma, unless you seek street queens?

My 2016 Tacoma will out-last the GM's with car engines in them and have higher re-sale value!

Keep the GM twins on the pavement, they do not belong off-road!

My 2016 SR 4x4 Tacoma has 12,000 miles on it and still running strong, no issues!

My 2010 SR5 4x4 Tacoma built for expedition style off-roading with a payload of 2,200 lbs. has yet to have anything unscheduled in terms of repairs!

Both of my Tacoma's are official Colorado Rescue Vehicles!

Tacoma's still outselling the GM twins. Whats that tell ya?
Posted by: dale milner | Sep 8, 2016 8:41:36 AM
____________________________

Well, since I read the news, it tells me GM can't make the Colorado and Canyon fast enough.

"The St. Louis-area plant, which has about 3,700 workers, has been running three shifts a day plus weekend overtime to squeeze out more pickups and commercial vans (the factory also produces the Chevy Express and GMC Savana full-size cargo vans). Production of the pickups began in the summer of 2014."

http://www.autonews.com/article/20160209/OEM01/160209816/gm-mobilizes-to-build-more-small-pickups
--

and recently shifted some Savanna production to other plants to allow more Colorado/Canyon production capacity at the Wentzville plant...

--
"GM’s plans said the move will enable the Wentzville plant to build roughly 40,000 additional Colorados and Canyons in 2017."
"The trucks sold 114,507 units combined last year, vs. forecasts from four outside research firms that had ranged from 73,000 to 99,000."

http://www.autonews.com/article/20160609/OEM01/160609814/gm-deal-with-navistar-paves-the-way-for-more-midsize-pickups

Between the news reports above and the upcoming 8 speed for 2017, there's no doubt GM has forced Toyota to take them seriously in the midsize segment. Toyota can't afford to let the Tacoma sit stagnant like it has the last several years. A quick look at the miserable sales numbers for the Tundra shows what happens when a truck becomes outdated and uncompetitive.

"I regret buying this truck... there are no real improvements in this truck compared to my 2005 Taco. I bought it on a whim. The cabin materials keep getting cheaper in quality. The steering will fatigue you after a while. It still has the drum brakes on back. The engine is now a 3.5 ltr vs a 4.0 from previous years therefore the engine revs higher to make power. Getting my old truck back."

"Transmission and Engine combo feels very weak. It shifts erratically. It will downshift when coasting through the neighborhood at random. It will not hold 6th gear with even the slightest hill or head wind. The transmission will shift flare from 2nd to 3rd gear often when cold. The transmission also has a slipping sensation from time to time. The engine feels weak with this transmission. You have to floor it to get power out of it. The fuel economy is about the same as previous generation Tacomas at about 18.9 MPG....really not a major improvement when considering the step down in performance with this new trans and motor. The rear leaf springs squeak like crazy at only 10,000 miles and have been to the dealer three times for it. I also have a case with Toyota Corporate they are saying there is no fix for it and to live with it. It is embarrassing to drive through a parking lot and people look at your brand new nearly $40K truck because it squeaks like a rusty box-spring mattress. There is a noticeable vibration at highway speeds felt in the Steering wheel and in the gas pedal, if you let off the gas it goes away but if you apply gas it vibrates/buzzes. It is very annoying and almost makes my hands numb while driving. The rumor is that this is a Design oversight/glitch that Toyota dropped the ball on. I drove another brand new 2016 Tacoma and it exhibited the same traits. Finally the rear differential was making a howling noise at 50 to 60 mph if you are feathering the throttle or lightly applying throttle on a downhill stretch of freeway. I took it to the dealer and they said it was not normal so they kept my truck for 3 days and replaced the entire rear differential already, with less than 12K miles on it. I couldn't believe it. Now not even 300 miles later I hear the noise coming back again in the rear differential. I would have a hard time recommending the 2016 Tacoma to anyone. It seems like Toyota Quality Assurance has really dropped the ball and Corporate is slow to release any information or resolutions for these issues. Driveline vibration has been an issues for years past on previous generation Tacomas as well so this is very troubling."

"We paid upfront hard earned cash for this truck, my husband's dream truck. We put 1600 miles on it and absolutely hate it. The transmission is terrible. The way the truck drives constantly feels like we are pulling a boat. You have to push hard on the gas to get any power and driving on hills is the absolute worst. You can't see the screen due to a constant glare which is terrible because we paid extra for the technology package. We have owned this truck for 3 months, put 1600 miles on it, put 12k down for a 34k truck and our buy out is 29k. Piece of junk lost so much value when I thought these trucks were known to keep their value. So for 3 months and to drive 1600 miles it will cost us 5k. We are so sick about it. Stay clear of this piece of garbage. When you test drive it, go up hills and try to go fast. You will see what we are talking about."

Just like I said in a previous post, Yoda is coasting, phoned it in, they make a better truck for the non us market but we dont get it, yet we are the biggest truck market in the world by far.

Drum brakes, bad seats, Atkison cycle crap 3.5, transmissions still have wonky programming from previous gen, cheaped the interior, raised the price, the Frontier is a better truck and its not even refreshed, better powertrain, much more money off sticker.

Canyon and Colorado are far better in everyway except maybe rear seat.

@ GM_Man; the non-US Yoda truck you referred too I guess was the HILUX - it's popularity is on the decline (except with ISIS) & the global Ranger is on the rise - even with an old 5-6 yr platform/power plants - it still outperformed all latest offerings from VW, Mishibitshi, Nissan, ISUZU/GM etc (check-out truck mags for comparison tests in NZ/AU)
Another complaint I have with Tacomas is their seats; I invite anyone to try it next opportunity; either they made it too low to the floor or maybe by design for the Asian market. But it creates a weird uncomfortable position & definitely no fun for longer road trips. It's the same problem with all HILUXs including the latest new model that came out late last yr.

@ GM_Man,

Your opinion but not customers out there that continue to buy more Tacoma's than the GM's...

What dos that tell you?

pete: "I'll never be upside down during loan period with the Tacoma which can't be said for either the Canyon or Colorado."

It's really all about how much you put down. I bought a GMC 1500, but after towing my airstream around really wanted diesel for the range, so I moved up to a ¾ ton all within a matter of 15 months. Generally you would be upside down in this situation, even with a Toyota, however because we put 10K down on the GMC when we bought it, we had plenty of equity in the truck.

What you are highlighting is that people are buying vehicles without having enough money to really buy that vehicle. Ford, and GM both are starting to see more defaults on their financing arms because of this. Not sure what the real answer is... but it's not resale value.

Yoda is lazy, they could have easily made a seat that could adjust to fix this common complaint thats followed from the previous gen, the transmission shifting is poor, regardless of what the midsizer shootout says.

The sheepal buy Yodas for perceived reliability and resale value, mcdonalds sells the most burgers, are they the best?

The only Yoda's worth the bucks are the offroad nitch models.

Its a shame, if they could have got an 8 speed, offered a diesel, a better v6, fixed the interior and seats, the Taco would be class leading, the ridgeline is the best non truck truck and easily worth a look.

somebody at Toyota marketing had a sense of humor because this Tacoma has not aged well and the very idea that it is sufficiently updated to be called a NEW model is a joke.

The 3.5 with the ability to switch between Otto and Atkinson is interesting as a concept but everybody who's driven one told me that the 3.5 feels sluggish.

Not a good idea.

@ GM_Man,

Stop making the Tacoma to be inferior because GM offers a 8-speed, etc...

Tacoma still outsells GM, that says quite a bit about what customers want, and that is more Toyota's than GM's!

@ papa jim,

Have you ever driven a 2nd generation Tacoma for at least 5 years to qualify to even comment about the differences?

I own a 2010 and a 2016, I know their are major differences from the two generations and Toyota has done a superb job with their new model, hence the sales continuing to be strong!

Have you ever driven a 2nd generation Tacoma for at least 5 years to qualify to even comment about the differences?

@Oxi

Help me understand.

Surely you aren't saying that only people who have a minimum "five years" experience are qualified to have an opinion on this forum--are you?

Sure sounds like it.

Have you even owned a Toyota Tacoma for many years?

If not and you bash the Tacoma, that shows ignorance and intent to discredit not even knowing or owning their products!

That alone proves your view and comments will not be respected as factual.
Posted by: oxi | Sep 10, 2016 4:02:02 AM

You constantly trash vehicles made by GM and Ford. Have you owned those vehicles for many years? All you talk about is that rusty old Tacoma with it's BS 2200lb payload rating and your new 2016 Taco lemon.

somebody at Toyota marketing had a sense of humor because this Tacoma has not aged well and the very idea that it is sufficiently updated to be called a NEW model is a joke.

The 3.5 with the ability to switch between Otto and Atkinson is interesting as a concept but everybody who's driven one told me that the 3.5 feels sluggish.

Not a good idea.
Posted by: papa jim | Sep 9, 2016 12:22:39 PM
--------

Thanks you! You took the words right out of my mouth.

The new Tacoma is nothing more than a rehash of the 2nd gen truck. Once you start to look past it's new body panels, you start to see they did almost nothing to address the important parts of the truck, like the chassis, suspension, brakes, etc. It's outdated in it's 2nd year and the engine line-up feels more like a downgrade.

oxi-
The new 3.5 is a massive disappointment in terms of power (which it lacks), fuel efficiency (that's barely improved), and in terms of refinement. After hearing a 3.5 idling, I thought for sure it had something wrong with it. It rattled and ticked like a sewing machine, and on a test drive, it buzzed and vibrated so bad I could feel it through the steering wheel, gas pedal and even the rock hard (sad excuse of a) seat. It's a strange world when the GM V6 feels smoother and better engineered than a Toyota V6.

@ Gregory,

Nice fabricated story coming from a hater of Toyota!

Anybody can make shyt up!
Posted by: oxi | Sep 9, 2016 3:11:04 AM

You're the only one making things up. I copied those reviews directly from Edmunds. The complaints made in the reviews correlate with complaints by long term members at multiple Tacoma/Toyota forums that traded their old Taco's for a 2016 truck. I can find some more review websites if you think all the edmunds reviews are fake.

Just checked NHTSA's website. 41 complaints and counting. Verified complaints, filed with the VIN number to NHTSA. Are you saying that they're all making it up too? Is the internet teaming up to pick on you?

this is my 3rd taco I had a 09, 13 and now a 17 and I have to say I like my 13 the best . the new 3.5 is constantly shifting which really annoys me I have an extended warranty and glad cause I feel that the transmission and engine will not last

Just bought a 2017 Tacoma Off Road 6 weeks ago and regret it now with 1200 miles on the truck. The transmission really sucks, shifts down to 4th on the slightest hills and slow to shift back to 6. The truck is also noisy and the gas mileage is below average. Had a so-called technical upgrade done this morning at Toyota - absolutely no improvement. After complaining, went back to the dealer this afternoon where their mechanic and I took it for a test drive. "That's the way they all are" he said, so now I'm stuck with this real disappointment. I've had 2 8-cyl Tundras and 3 Tacomas (plus 2 Corollas and 2 Camrys). This company is actually going backwards. My Tundras and my last 2011 Tacoma had more power, better transmission and better gas mileage than this lemon. If you are thinking of a 2017, test drive it VERY CAREFULLY before you make the mistake I did.

2016 Tacoma come out I knew I had to have it owned two TRDs in the past my current is a 2014 TRD. I thought they would have improved the brakes but no still drum in the rear I thought they would improve the transmission but no the reviews are horrible the only things valuable are the looks and the rear sonar and the Locking tailgate combo with tonneau cover all extras all payable basic safety features.
Bottom line, until Toyota improves the braking system and transmission steering and engine for that matter as well as safety features and security I won't be buying any new Tacomas thank you very little.

I bought a 2016 Colorado v6 nice truck plenty of power the problem it has had at least 2015 is the my-link electrical problems. And no they have no idea how to fix it be careful you will need to understand the lemon law with this vehicle. I wanted a new diesel because they told me the my-link and electrical problems were fixed after a month of research same problems and the colorado diesel engine has a TIMING BELT as well they say it will go 120 thousand reality 60 thousand. So I bought the 2017 tacoma T R D off road v6 4x4 your right it needs a manual transmission to be right I sold a 2005 Dodge dually 4x4 cummins 6 speed manual 200k miles no problems to buy first the colorado with the unfixable electrical problems I to relied on toyotas old reliability toyota tacoma 2017 6 speed automatic needs a fix but what will it take to get toyota to do it software might fix the problem but will toyota do that or fix it I doubt it disappointed you bet seems like both brands best days are in the rear view mirror

Actually you cannot get a manual transmission with a V6 in any body configuration in 2017 and you can only get a manual transmission with a 4 cyl unless you get the 4-door model. I hate to see them dropping the manual tranny. I have a 2008 access cab, 4 cyl with manual tranny and that combination is no longer available.

@Spydie I got a TRD sport access cab with a v6 Manual. Had to drive about 2 hours to get it though.