I'm in the market for an 06 Tacoma. I'm looking at the V6 with manual transmission and the TRD offroad package. I'd like any comments, suggestions, and advice you all might have
I live in the Sierras (CA) so I'll be seeing plenty of snow etc. My hobbys (and somtimes work) take me off pavement frequently but I don't '4x4' as a hobby per se.
Anyone out there with an 05 orr 06 setup like the above, I'd like to hear your impressions and advice.
Specific questions:
How does the plastic{!} bed hold up? I 'm a little suspicious of that.
How does Toyota's locking diff. work? Clutch?, Fluid?, or (I hope) a solid mechanical connection between the axles?
Has anyone mounted Hella Rallye 4000 Compact driving lights? Is there enough room on the stock front bumper for them?
My '05's been great. I had a 300 lb. cast iron sander get loose in the bed and slam the side hard enough to move the truck. The only damage is a dime-sized indentation, with a very tiny tear. This would have put a nasty, rusty dent in a steel bed. The impact cracked the sander. I've now seen a temperature range of 9F to 102F, and the bed dosen't seem to care.
You CAN scratch the bed, but A.) IT'S A TRUCK, and B.) Steel would rust if scratched, and paint scratches too! I think of it as having a bed liner included without the steel weight, and not much to rust. The bed rear corners are still steel behind the taillights, to support the bed rail.
I've drilled it for additional tie downs and have been very happy with the knowledge that I'm not encouraging rust. I read a lot of forums and can honestly say that I haven't seen bed complaints.
The rail / tie down system is outstanding.
I'm not sure, but mine locks well enough to make turning difficult in mud and deep snow. The truck just wants to push straight ahead.
4WD Low and the turning circle are OUTSTANDING in the Tacoma, and my other car is a Wrangler Sport! My truck is a TRD Access Cab, the 4 door / long bed is longer, so the turn will be as well.
The clutch cancel switch is actually very handy, as well. It took me a month or two to remember 6th gear. I drove some highway miles in
5th.
The only real complaint I hear is tailgate strength. Some folks have done things like drive down a forest road at a decent clip with a dirt bike centered on the lowered tailgate, which bent it. I'm 240 pounds, and have stood on it with no ill effects, but I remove it to get my
500 pound mower up there. If you really need a strong gate, I'd check into having a local truck body guy replace the plastic face with diamond plate. On the other hand, the gate is easy to remove and carry so it's easily out of the way, if necessary.
I've averaged about 17 MPG over 6600 miles, on Northeastern USA emission control blend gas, but I tow a utility trailer, tend to do
75-80 on the highway, and accelerate with spirit. I'm happy with that, since Toyota sez' 16-20 MPG on the window. The first 2000 or so miles never got over 15.5 MPG. I switched to Mobil 1 @ 5000 miles.
I'm installed a rubber bed mat, black Toyota running boards, and a Toyota air deflector to prevent hood paint chips. I highly recommend the mat. The plastic is a bit slippery so the rubber keeps things in place. Carrying something light, like insulation? The mat is heavy enough to be tossed OVER the load, securing it in the bed.
I've had several Toyotas and many vehicles, I truly love this truck. Under the hood, check out the stainless steel headers, remote oil filter with drain hole, and Toyota's typical anodized bolts, O-rings, and nicely finished parts. I do my own maintenance, so I really appreciate the thought that went into typical maintenance access.
Have fun, it's a great truck and everything I'd expect from Toyota!
Here are my comments posted last Wednesday... One month with a 2006 prerunner and so far so good. The off road package makes the ride very rough on the hwy, so I wouldn't recommend getting that package for a commute vehicle. One possible regret is that I got the 4.0 with with a manual transmission. I'm thinking that I should have got the auto trans. All of my previous cars have been stick and I enjoy shifting. At first I thought that I would eventually get used to it, but the more that I drive it, the more that I think the V6/manual is not a good combination. Anybody else with a V6 and manual trans? If yes, do you start in 2nd? 1st seems awefully low - I can hardly drive 10 feet before needing to shift into 2nd. Also, Toyota still does not offer a tailgate lock for the 05/06 models and considering how easily it comes off I hope they offer one soon.
Also as far as the composite bed... I like it. It saves me from having to buy a bedliner. The moveable tie-downs work great! The downside of the composite bed is that while it's black in color, scratches are very light in color - almost white - highlighting each and every scratch. The compartments in the bed might be handy places to store stuff, but they will probably need to be taped off if hauling loose material like sand or gravel. And what is the purpose of the open compartments directly above the wheel wells?
Overall it's a great truck. I like driving it and it's design seems to be thought-out well.
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