General Comments:
It's a good looking truck. It handles well and is pretty quick off the line. Tops out at 110 mph.
I like the touchscreen stereo.
It's pretty good in the mud. I have the Sport model with a limited slip rear.
It's a decent truck, but I don't like it and here's why:
It gets lousy gas mileage when towing (like 10-12 MPG pulling a 3500lb trailer). Around 20 on the freeway. My Dad's F150 Ecoboost gets 22 MPG freeway and will EASILY outpull this thing. Annoys me how gutless my Taco is. I even nicknamed it "Gutless Supreme". I have to keep it out of overdrive whenever I tow anything over 1500lb to keep the transmission from 5th to 4th gear constantly. My Dad's F150 will lug the same 3500lb trailer up a certain hill in 6th gear while my Taco struggles in 3rd. That's BS if you ask me!! I got the factory tow package rated around 6400lb; I highly doubt it will pull it without blowing the tranny.
The hood scoop looks cool, but it sticks out too much to the point where it interferes. The truck has way too many blind spots thanks to the big fat A, B, and C pillars. Also on a sunny day, if the truck just got washed, the light reflecting from the hood scoop will blind you.
The bed is made of plastic, and ladder racks are hard to find and twice as expensive as normal trucks. The bed doesn't have the channels at the top where you'd normally screw clamps for the ladder rack, and if you drill into the bed, it will void the warranty according to Toyota. So if you want the truck for construction, think twice. Also a toolbox is like 5 or 6 bills. You can't use a cheaper universal toolbox, because you can't drill the bed.
The backseat is pretty cramped, and the seats don't fold up like most other trucks for a flat load floor. There's a tiny storage compartment underneath the rear seat.
I have a love/hate relationship with this truck. Hope to sell it next year and buy a used F350 Powerstroke or Dodge 2500 diesel. Maybe it's not reliable like a Toyota, but at least they have balls and will pull Mt Everest out of the ground.
14th Mar 2014, 17:20
OK, follow up to my original review.
24,000 km.
Dealer replaced clutch pedal and master cylinder. TSB recall for grinding and noisy creaking when pushing/releasing pedal.
Everything has really smoothed out, transmission is silky smooth, engine is refined and quiet. No further issues.
Gas mileage continues to improve. Overall, I would increase my review to a 9/10. Dealer actually addressed the issue. Best truck I've owned.