Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  4th one is a charm - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ken - May 28 - 1:40 am

  To set the record straight , I have owned 5 Tacomas. One was away back in the 70s , but the modern Tacomas were 2009 , 2012 ,2015, 2016. I found the first 3 to be all pretty much the same, except as the years progressed the electronics became better with each truck. The gas mileage on each truck was almost identical for the first 3 modern trucks combined 16.5 mpg. I never reached 20 mpgon any of them , city or highway. Thewinter months the mileage went down to 14-15 mph combined. I have owned 11 trucks in my life . Of them,6 American trucks , all needed to have work done under warranty( as much as $3000 worth ) . None of the Tacomas have needed anything done under warranty ( not counting a replacement for bad weather mats). The 2016 is great . A lot of people have criticized the engine for being sluggish and the transmission constantly shifting. compared to the 2015 , that is true, but I have realizedthat my mileage is almost 25% better with the newer 3.5 engine and 6 speed transmission. I am getting and average combined mileage of 21mpg, reached an alltime high of 24.7 on a trip last week. If I want better performance I use the 6 speed manual shift and it feels like a sports car, but use the 6 speed automatic for mileage . I have noticed that the truck has plenty of get up and go when you jump on it going 65 mph and wanting to pass. it gets up to 85 very quickly. As I mentioned before the electronics have developed as the models progressed. The JBL sound system in my Sport model is crazy good. Loud but clear. The new backup alert has saved me several times from backing into someone or something. Same can be said for the alerts in the mirrors when a car is beside you in your blind spot. I love the style of the new truck and the beefy look it has . I get compliments all the time on the appearance of the truck. With all the combined factors , I think I have the best truck of all the Tacomas. Maybe I am just lucky with the mileage, but the rest of the features make it a pleasure to drive. 10/14/17. I now have 21,000 miles and still love the truck. Mileage has remained about the same. Happy about my purchase

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  Not happy - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Terry - May 21 - 12:32 am

  I bought my 2016 TRD off road about 6 months ago and it feels like the transmission shifts way to quick and it seems like the engine cuts out while the transmission is trying to figure out what gear its supposed to be in, lm not happy. The motor seems to be sluggish because of the way it shifts to soon and goes to 6th gear way to quick, so its shifting all the time, hate that, Im ready to get rid of it !!!!!

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  Dont be fooled. - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Disappointed - May 2 - 4:45 am

  First off, ive owned a 1986, 2001,2009, 2013. The 2001 was the best Tacoma by far. I test drove 4 different versions of the 16. The 6 cyl auto being the worst. It shifts like a 4 cyl. And that is no exaggeration. My 2013 although it sucks on gas miliage shifts like a dream. Smooth with no high rpm. The 2016 is nothing more then a half harted attempt at a "new" redesigned tacoma. The interior is ok. Nothing to get all gushing over. The ride isnt that great. Still alot of wind noise compaired to my 01. And there was a damn vibration comming up through the floor into the gas pedal. It was like my foot had fallen asleep. I really wanted to like this new truck but I just cant. They have even taken away the fold down front seat that was great for setting my french fries on. Its the little things. I hate how the camera now sticks out near the tailgate release where as before it was hidden. Mud flaps are extra. But beyond the asthetics and the body style seeming dated to me,Just my opinion, the enging performance I rate as poor. You can do better Toyota. I hope this verson doesnt stick around long. At the rate toyota is going the tacoma will be just as big as the tundra soon.

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  My Puny Tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Buster Hoffmaster - April 24 - 2:43 pm

  I previously owned a 2006 Tundra that I bought new and drove 160,000 miles....basically trouble free. I needed a new truck for a variety of reasons, but the Tundra had just gotten to "big truck" as it got older, so I focused on the Tacoma. I searched and searched for just the truck I wanted and finally found it....two states away (seems Toyota is not too keen on selling customers what they want....just what Toyota wants to build at the moment). But that is another story. Also, I realize that the complaints below are based on my experience owning a Tundra, which was a MUCH better truck. So as for the Tacoma, I get my truck, and my first trip is from Texas to Colorado for vacation. On the road, I discovered the three BIG DOWNERS about the truck almost immediately. The engine is very underpowered.......the transmission will drive you crazy with its constant downshifting just to get up a normal highway overpass, and the fuel economy is nowhere near what the manufacturer claims. Dont plan on any quick passing on the freeway. Wont happen. This engine is just not right for this size vehicle...... And the transmission........wow, what a piece of crap. Does a six-speed transmission really need to shift into THIRD just to get up an overpass?? I know this is really an engine/transmission problem, but you would think a company like Toyota could have figured this out a long time ago. Finally, this truck is supposed to get 20 MPG (I think) in the city. I get 14 (I am not an aggressive driver). I get 19 on the highway (driving the speed limit) and I think it is supposed to average 27 ? I have had it serviced at the dealership, and they assure me everything is as it should be. Really?? You should really be a died-in-the-wool Toyota fan to buy this truck.

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  Why so many complaints? - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jon - April 5 - 7:53 pm

  Not sure why so many complain of the "minimal headroom." Just bought a 2016 TRD Off-Road Longbed. Im 63" and have a good 3+" between the top of my head and the "ceiling." Yes, it is slower than the outgoing model with the 4.0L, but not a dealbreaker for me...its a truck not a sports car. Reliability and dependability are yet to be seen with the new motor and all new electronic gadgets, but Toyota is a trustworthy brand known for their quality, so I cant imagine wed be let down with the new Tacoma. Entune app/nav/audio suite makes daily driving much more livable than my 2008. Interior has been hugely improved. Only gripe is the transmission does hunt for gears a little. Smooth shifting so its not too bad. Overall, so far I think its a great truck and would recommend it.

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  Updated from 2nd Gen to new one and happy I did. - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By TACO man - April 3 - 8:53 am

  I loved my 2011 SR5, which I drove for almost 5 years and now having the Limited 2016 I can give you my opinion on the difference. Gen 2 was great value for the money I paid upfront. It never let me down and never broke down and it drove like a light truck loose and fast when you needed it. It gave me on average 19MPG, but it was pretty beat up from doing things around the house and just driving it a lot during that time. I traded it in with 93K miles and expected to get nothing for it, but I was very surprised when the dealer said Id get 18K for the trade in, so I decided to spoil myself and get the top of the line 2016. I was really looking to buy the 1794 Tundra, but the gas MPG scared me away. Oh just a side note Dealer and everyone Ive asked said they wont put a diesel engine on the tundra, so that dream of better MPG is shot. 2016 Limited Tacoma "BAD" truth is so far I dont like the Acceleration on the highway, when trying to pass someone It feels a bit heavy and as if youre dragging a big load. The 2011 didnt feel heavy to me and was very quick in my opinion. The other small issue Im noticing so far is the steering wheel control in relation to the Entune system. I feel the controls from the driving stand point could have been a little better integrated with that system when trying to switch from app to app or from control to control. It does switch stations and control the sound easy, but thats about it. The "Great" Even though I listed two small issues above, everything else so far is nothing but great. I love the leather seat quality and how rugged the truck feels and looks. The pictures online doesnt do this truck any justice as I was pleasantly surprised by the quality when I finally got my truck. The steering wheel is an upgrade from before, the quality in material, the sunroof isnt an issue for me and Im 62", the space inside is about the same as before. Love the feel of driving the truck, even though it feels heavy that also makes it feel as if its hugging the road and can go through anything. The 2nd gen hit a pot hole and the steering would shake and move the truck around, where this one hit the same hole and jumped over it with ease. The noise levels are very much improved, the sound from the JBL system is great almost feels as load as my old school box and amp from the late 90s. Outside the truck the limited rims and tires are good quality and look good, the cover is easy to fold and use and the locking tailgate is my #1 feature improvement, besides other improvements. Overall the truck feels like a mini tundra now and still looks a lot like the older Tacoma so Im pleased. Oh I paid 40K, which I thought was a lot, but my friend got a small land rover for around the same price and I much prefer my truck, so I guess all prices of cars have gone up a lot.

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  This new truck is garbage - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By David A - March 7 - 9:57 am

  I have a 2016 TRD 4x4 off road, bought it with (7) miles on it about 2k it started shaking when driving on the highway I thought it was a balance issue, nope, its been 10k miles, replaced tires, replaced wheels, balance done 8 times.....the steering wheel shakes the whole truck shakes, everything in the truck shakes its comical, "not when its yours" anybody who goes for a ride mentions it, it feels like a salvage truck, the dealership tells me "oh its a truck" BS My last truck was a 2013 Tacoma it was totaled hit a center divide, the frame shifted, I fixed it that truck felt better then this "clean title" 25k update Transmission feels like it has sticky gears, down shifts are very hash, dealer did a ecu reset, which went back to same feeling in couple days Engine to me feels like it lost power, feels very sluggish Oil changes never gets above 5.5k Engine feels very outdated, my wife drives and tells me "this truck is hella slow, everybody passes me up" 36k miles now transmission feels to be getting worse, dealership is terrible does not acknowledge it, when I bring it in its like I did something wrong and get nasty attitudes from the service advisors. Brakes The rotors get warped way to fast, I already changed the front rotors and the second set is already terribly warped the truck even when driving in the city the brakes pump very noticeably and to top it off the the 2nd to 1st down shift pushes the whole truck forward with a bang, Im very very disappointed in this truck.

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  Bought this vehicle November 2017 - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By nckhlbrk - March 6 - 11:14 am

  Driver seat is very comfortable for long trips. Truck is smooth riding and quiet on interstate trips. Got model with premium sound and navigation - very nice! Like voice command feature. Navigation is very easy to program and use. 6.1" touch screen is adequately sized. Steering wheel controls for radio and voice command features selections are easy to use. Programming center info panel between tach and speedometer is a bit puzzling but manageable. Literally dozens upon dozens of electronic warning and info signals that can be generated. Has backup camera with warning buzzer. Can easily program about a dozen or so maintenance messages that will pop up at your specified mileage or date settings. Hands free cell phone pairing using bluetooth is great feature. Cruise control is easy to use. Like the power door locks, windows, and exterior mirrors. Three moveable cargo hold downs on each side of bed are very handy. Bed comes with bolt-in liner that covers top rails all around bed. Wish seats were power and that heavy hood had spring loaded hinges that would hold it up. 4WD Hi engages and disengages smoothly on fly. Automatic transmission shifts very smoothly and has a MT like feature that allows selecting and shifting gears. Access cab doors make putting stuff into back easy. Access cab rear seats are totally inadequate for seating. Rear seat headrests block rear view; but, can be lowered easily. Has a button to turn on exterior mirror heater. Touch screen has dozens of programmable features that are reasonably intuitive to find and set. Center console has 3 cup holders plus there are 2 bottle holders on each door.

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  Not what I expected? - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bruce - February 2 - 3:07 pm

  Like the truck but very disappointed in the engine & transmission. It shifts at very poor power curves and seems to very weak. In the electronics transmission control mode, it performs better but still feels weak. My wifes car has the 3.5 eco boost Ford engine and its like night and day performance difference. Yes I recognize the turbos make a difference but the performance of the 2016 Tacoma feels like a weak 4 cylinder. When you push the pedal down it will shift into a lower gear and start to move fairly rapid but is very abrupt shift. Im not wanting a race car and not a off-road enthusiast just disappointed in the engine performance. Like the looks and quality and have had no problems with the truck. Pulled a small utility trailer with my lawn mower and it only shifted to 6th gear a couple of times driving on a level road.

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  hunk of junk - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Shane030173 - November 27 - 9:57 am

  Bought mine in oct 2015 and complained about the transmission erratic shifting after a couple days of driving it. After getting the run around from the dealership I called Toyota Customer service. I was told the transmission is working exactly the way it was designed to work. Now I drive a F-150. I have been leasing Tacos for 12 years and 2016 is the worst vehicle I have ever drove. There is nothing good to say about this truck. The engine is weak and sounds like a sewing machine. The transmission is horrific. The seats are so low you might as well sit on the floor. The sunroof rattled and leaked. The bed cover didnt seal and leaked. Entune is worthless, I tell it "go home" and it sends me to IHOP. No power seat, no power rear sliding window, key needed to lock tailgate. Paint scratches when you look at it. Cheap lame fabric on the dash. Horrible on gas, 16 MPGs. Dont buy this over priced lemon.