Dave B wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 7:08 am
ker0uac wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 6:35 am
RichH wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:57 am
I don't know much about the new Bronco and don't own a Ford (I own a Toyota) but I'm not sure Ford deserves to be bashed - they make and sell an awful lot of good trucks.
Which Toyota model do you own?
Ford is certainly an American icon, has a legion of loyal followers among the more 'patriotic' folks - thus why Ford vs Ferrari - and its overall quality has certainly improved since it nearly went belly up 8years ago. But really, all they have done is catch up with Asian brands.
Toyota has been resting on it's laurels with the Taco and 4runner for years. Nissan hasn't updated the Frontier in how long? Sure the Honda Ridgeline seems to make people happy, but who the f**k actually wants a Honda truck?
I really wanted another Tacoma, really bad, then I test drove one of the third gens. The under-powered V6, awful gear-hunting transmission, terrible gas mileage, boxy feel and uncomfortable cab made for someone 5'7 just ruins that truck. It's an image truck that seems to have developed a Stockholm Syndrome type following, I just don't get it...
I've never been a taco fan and I never will most likely never own one unless I buy an old minitruck and practically gut the thing, swap axles, dual tcases, trump flag mount etc. Even then, it would be more for a garage project than an actual wheeling adventure.
I've heard similar complaints about the new tacos as you list here. Toyota's schtick through the 90's was beefy but underpowered engine, way overbuilt tranny and driveline. They have shifted more to a "just right" model taking out a lot of the overbuilt components but left the underpowered engine. Which is leading many to the complaints you have here.
The other problem with toyota is they have never made an engine to hang their laurels on. Chevy did it, ford is doing. But, I can buy a brand new crate "LS" motor for about the same as I can buy the parts to rebuild my toyota motor, and that's sourcing through amayama. Maybe the GM motor would end up being $1000 or so more, but it also makes double the horsepower.
This is the long way of saying, I love my toyota land cruisers, but I would never buy a modern toyota truck/suv. Maybe a 200 series landcruiser, but I don't have that kind of cash....that's more of a cult thing than anything else. You pretty much resign yourself to the right lane going up passes in most toyota trucks/suvs, but a new one no longer has as much a "bulletproofness" as they used to.