Bouncy hood (& other interesting info) explained by the Car Care Nut

[Sner]

I like the car care nut - I really do, he’s honest,down to earth, knowledgeable and seems to be a great accurate technician. Let’s be reminded he has a brand new Tundra’s (in the rare Saddleback Leather trim) let’s say one of Toyotas top trim tundras - he can complain about the price, but then he personally buys into it and has a top of the line Tundra

End of Day price wise every reviewer is complaining about car pricing going up, especially in mid size trucks and full sizes. It’s the new reality

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[Wutangz_Taco]

Seriously, the number of people offended by the TRD Pro is out of control. That guy on independent overland said it best “I think people are forgetting no one is forcing them to buy a trail hunter or TRD Pro.”

Everyone on Reddit yesterday was complaining about backseat leg room in the Pro, but who is planning to use a Pro for a daily people hauler? If you are, there may be bigger issues to discuss.

 

[Wighty]

take a look at the trim around the iso shocks, its textured, that's a production seat/truck.

I concur.. it has Texas plates.

 

[TheDo114]

I appreciate the honest reviewers. So many things to like about the new 4G Tacoma, but the few misses are big ones for the price and that’s why I haven’t ordered one. The rear seat legroom (or rather the lack of it) is the biggest fail by far for me. I’m not a huge guy either (5’8” and 205 lbs) and was really disappointed this past weekend spending 10-15 minutes in a TRD Off-road iforce-Max hybrid.

When I first got in, the front seat was set all the way down and biased toward the rear. I jumped in the rear seat and was shocked how little leg room there was and I could barely fit my feet under the front seat. So back to the driver seat to set for my personal preference. I like a forward and upright driving position like a rally driver. I set the drivers seat to max height, moved forward some and set the telescoping steering wheel all the way toward the dash and tilted the bottom of the wheel up to max. Take two on back seat… a fair amount of legroom and feet could then freely slide under the front seat. My driving position seemed comfortable and provided best visibility over the hood. My only complaint was entering/exiting the seat with little room between the bottom of the steering wheel and the seat (pitching my right thigh between the two). My teenagers are both 5’10” and it’s doable for them, but I have found both the Ranger and Colorado/Canyon interiors much more spacious.

My other complaints align with the first review with regards to fit/finish and so much plastic leaving it feeling cheap for a not so cheap price tag. I’m considering a TRD Off-road 6’ bed Premium ($55k) and TH w/ 6’ bed ($65k) so far from chump change.

I’ve owned nothing but 2 Ford trucks over the last 30+ years and am shopping Tacoma mainly for the crewcab with 6’ bed configuration, something the competition doesn’t offer.

Finally a bunch of new midsize options and the Tacoma is currently my first pick with so many trims and cab/bed configurations. Just hate the designers skimped on rear legroom or I would have ordered one by now. Going to wait it out a few more months and see what tweaks Ford and the GM twins will offer for ‘25 and go from there? With that said, I’m still sitting on the fence.

I would not expect different bed length in 2025 from those two. Nissan expanded their 6 foot box offering to more trims for 2025. You would probably be happier in a Nissan than the new Tacoma.

 

[Fattirz in NC]

I would not expect different bed length in 2025 from those two. Nissan expanded their 6 foot box offering to more trims for 2025. You would probably be happier in a Nissan than the new Tacoma.

I saw that the ‘25 Frontier added more 6’ beds. I might have to build a Pro- 4X online and stop by the local dealer to give them a look.

Ford just might have a longbed in the works since a SuperCrew/longbed mule was spotted multiple places two years ago? We’ll just have to wait and see. Honestly if they bring back the Tremor and offer it with a 6’ bed, that’s what I’ll likely get. The Ranger feels roomier (front and rear) and I like the interior styling and materials better too.

Besides the rear legroom issue, would be very interested in a TH with 6’ bed, but paying for features I don’t want (snorkel & ARB sport rack) doesn’t make sense either.

 

[TacoFreak]

OK - I had to watch this video because maybe this guy is good and I had missed some stuff. But no, mostly it was just TRD Pro click bait hate.

His negatives are mostly just his subjective opinions, and like some body parts , everybody has one.

No surprises for me, and a couple of agreements:

• The Pro should have had rock sliders, not just sill protectors.
• I would have preferred them to still have grease fittings on the driveshaft.
• The hood should not shake, but all Tacos starting in at least 2005 have been dinged for that, so it was not a huge surprise. He blames a change to a rear hood gasket as the cause of the shake, but that doesn't explain the same issue on gens 2 and 3, plus numerous cars.
• The seats are probably unnecessary for most buyers, although I think they are cool.
• There is a lot of plastic in the interior. Has he been in any modern trucks? Both Ford and GM have had more complaints in that regard than Toyota. Ford in particular has been called out for using cheap, unattractive plastic inside their cars and truck.

Some questionable criticisms:

• The finish on the black exterior parts was poor. A Texas truck with poorly finished exterior panels is almost certainly a prototype. I have an extremely hard time believing that production trucks will be delivered that way.
• The ride is rough? He said it both when looking at the front suspension and in his summary. The problem is every on road review and several actual owners praise this truck for its smooth, solid on road ride. Many driving reviews have said the same about off road too. One actual owner said that his Pro just floats! But this guy says the ride is rough - no claim as to having actually driven the truck to back that up.
• To find things to whine about he reaches as low as being critical of the under body appearance. When you have to whine about a diff sticker being applied upside down you are definitely reaching.

He has a talent for sounding whiny even when he is actually saying good things about the truck. That makes him a natural in the exploding TRD Pro online hate industry.

Bottom line, if you don't like the truck, don't buy one. If you love them and can afford one, do what I did and put down a deposit. If you need someone else to tell you if you like a truck or not you have more problems than picking out your next truck.

Just my opinion.

 

[Wutangz_Taco]

OK - I had to watch this video because maybe this guy is good and I had missed some stuff. But no, mostly it was just TRD Pro click bait hate.

His negatives are mostly just his subjective opinions, and like some body parts , everybody has one.

No surprises for me, and a couple of agreements:

• The Pro should have had rock sliders, not just sill protectors.
• I would have preferred them to still have grease fittings on the driveshaft.
• The hood should not shake, but all Tacos starting in at least 2005 have been dinged for that, so it was not a huge surprise. He blames a change to a rear hood gasket as the cause of the shake, but that doesn't explain the same issue on gens 2 and 3, plus numerous cars.
• The seats are probably unnecessary for most buyers, although I think they are cool.
• There is a lot of plastic in the interior. Has he been in any modern trucks? Both Ford and GM have had more complaints in that regard than Toyota. Ford in particular has been called out for using cheap, unattractive plastic inside their cars and truck.

Some questionable criticisms:

• The finish on the black exterior parts was poor. A Texas truck with poorly finished exterior panels is almost certainly a prototype. I have an extremely hard time believing that production trucks will be delivered that way.
• The ride is rough? He said it both when looking at the front suspension and in his summary. The problem is every on road review and several actual owners praise this truck for its smooth, solid on road ride. Many driving reviews have said the same about off road too. One actual owner said that his Pro just floats! But this guy says the ride is rough - no claim as to having actually driven the truck to back that up.
• To find things to whine about he reaches as low as being critical of the under body appearance. When you have to whine about a diff sticker being applied upside down you are definitely reaching.

He has a talent for sounding whiny even when he is actually saying good things about the truck. That makes him a natural in the exploding TRD Pro online hate industry.

Bottom line, if you don't like the truck, don't buy one. If you love them and can afford one, do what I did and put down a deposit. If you need someone else to tell you if you like a truck or not you have more problems than picking out your next truck.

Just my opinion.

ha ha. Exploding TRD Pro hate fest online. It’s a veritable industry at this point. It’s wild why people care so much. As if it were the only trim available.

 

[TheDo114]

I saw that the ‘25 Frontier added more 6’ beds. I might have to build a Pro- 4X online and stop by the local dealer to give them a look.

Ford just might have a longbed in the works since a SuperCrew/longbed mule was spotted multiple places two years ago? We’ll just have to wait and see. Honestly if they bring back the Tremor and offer it with a 6’ bed, that’s what I’ll likely get. The Ranger feels roomier (front and rear) and I like the interior styling and materials better too.

Besides the rear legroom issue, would be very interested in a TH with 6’ bed, but paying for features I don’t want (snorkel & ARB sport rack) doesn’t make sense either.

When are you planing to buying a truck?

 

[TacoFreak]

Besides the rear legroom issue, would be very interested in a TH with 6’ bed, but paying for features I don’t want (snorkel & ARB sport rack) doesn’t make sense either.

Toyota trucks have a lot of strong points but being able to configure them just like you want is definitely not one of them.

With the multiple upgrade packages in the 4h gen that you can add to some trims there are more choices than usual. The TH and Pro are meant to be the all you can eat buffet of Toyota trucks, and the options there will always be limited.

 

[TacoFreak]

It’s wild why people care so much. As if it were the only trim available.

Tacos have been the best selling midsize trucks forever and that makes them targets. Pros are the ultimate Tacomas, so they draw a lot of attention. I think a lot of people can't afford one and love to hear that is OK, since they basically suck.

 

[Sagebrush]

A lot of the stuff he complains about are small and weird quirks.

I thought the same.

 

[Fattirz in NC]

When are you planing to buying a truck?

Any day now… been banking monthly truck payments to my savings account since Oct. ‘17 (yes almost 7 years) and my daily driver is a 2002 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew (bought new). If those two things say anything…. I’m more than ready!

My problem now is finding a truck that isn’t a compromise purchase (either in cab or bed space). I definnitely don’t want a full-size though…. Too big for trails and city driving and more expensive than I care to spend. I’ve already waited years and can wait another year if need be. My 22+ year old F-150 is fine, just old and thirsty.

 

[TacoFreak]

My 22+ year old F-150 is fine, just old and thirsty.

That sounds familiar! I am ready for a smaller truck too.

My 14 year old Tundra is also very thirsty and doesn't fit easily into a lot of places.

 

[TrustButVerify]

At the end of the day, all you're buying is a bunch of bolt ons and some appearance package things. There's no performance improvements here that aren't available on the base TRD OR. It's the same truck, on the same frame with the same engine. This is a cosmetic upgrade for $15k. It does not get you a higher level of fit and finish. It does not get you a white glove assembly. As long as people are aware they're paying $15,000 for some bumpers, shocks and a black wrap, there shouldn't be any issues.

 

[NewtoToyota]

I am the owner of a TRD Sport but I am not going to pretend the TRD Pro isn't one amazing truck. Yea it is a lot of money but a fully optioned out TRD OR, which still doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the Pro, is right at $60k. So the extra $15k you speak of adds a lot more than bumpers shocks and wrap.

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