[onewhippedpuppy]

I would have previously classified myself as a huge Tacoma fan. I’ve driven more Toyota compact trucks than I can count, owned a Land Cruiser and 4Runner, and came close on several occasions to buying a Taco. So with the Emerald Club lane sadly empty at SeaTac I grabbed a 4k mile 2018 Tacoma crew cab 4x4 base model. I have to say, it sucks in nearly every way compared to the old trucks.

The interior is mostly cheap hard plastic and already showing scratches. Panel grains don’t match and the fit isn’t great. It doesn’t have keyless entry (WTF?) but has adaptive cruise and lane departure warning. The engine is thrashy, rough, and feels seriously winded, and the transmission is dimwitted and slow to downshift. Despite my 2013 F150 being lifted on AT tires with the HD max tow suspension, somehow this thing is rougher and louder on the highway. Directional stability is terrible and there’s a lot of body roll. Long story short, I really can’t believe this is a Tacoma.

I recently sold a 2017 Sienna because my wife and I found it to be mediocre in every way, obviously it’s not the only Toyota product that’s still selling on the reputation of the past. I’m sure it’s reliable but so are most modern cars. I can’t help but think that Toyota has been selling on reputation while the competition caught up.