2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 3.5 V6 from North America
Summary:
Tough as nails but lackluster in power and articulation
Faults:
Premature failure of the front driver's seat heating element costing $1,500.00, which I would replace the entire seat at that rate.
Brakes are not that great but not terrible.
Driveshaft went at 60k.
General Comments:
Overall you can expect a Toyota to be a Toyota, higher trim or not they are conservative and very much overbuilt.
I wish the driving position was better. I wish the engine had more torque.
I wish the truck was more like a truck than a riced out Honda Civic Type R with air ducts and non functional hood scoop and rear canards. Absolutely hilarious seeing that stuff in a serious off road truck.
After owning every generation of Toyota 4x4’s, I still prefer the 2015 TRD Pro with the 4.0 and a manual.
I own a few Jeeps and they’re atrociously unreliable, however they articulate well with the solid axles. I may go for the Gladiator Rubicon, but I'll live to regret that decision.
Toyota's reputation exceeds itself as always, but the conservative nature of the design makes them as desirable and dependable as they are, but also lends to a less than exponential growth in accordance with the demands and expectations of the new consumers.
They don’t take grand leaps which is why we love Toyotas. I think they have something outrageously special coming this year, even though I’m not a electric/hybrid car fan.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th May, 2023
9th May 2023, 15:02
Toyota is indeed VERY conservative. The current 4Runner is ancient and was last redesigned FOURTEEN years ago. The Tacoma is even more so because the last redesign back in 2015 carried over almost the same exact engine and transmissions from the 2004 redesign, making it almost 20 years old.
And yes, the interiors, the fuel economy, handling and amenities are sorely lacking. But OTOH whenever I watch videos on YouTube concerning various vehicles, these things easily go for 300,000-500,000 miles, and even then unless the truck was in one of the rust belt states and the frame is gone, they aren't even close to being worn out. Most anything else with that kind of mileage is usually one step away from being sent to the crushers.
Toyota simply keeps things in production forever and merely perfects an aged formula until its way past being obsolete. But that is why they are also so reliable.
8th May 2023, 03:12
Sounds like the 2017 Tacoma that I borrowed from my neighbor (posted on this site). Squishy brakes, slow V6 and sort of shoddy build quality. They don't own it anymore.