Back in the (Toyota) Cult

[CPJ 2.0]

Very nice! Where do you put the kitchen sink?

You fold it up flat and put it under the seat.



https://www.academy.com/p/sea-to-summit ... sible-bowl

[Wambli Ska]

That’s a neat gadget!

[CPJ 2.0]

They make all sizes. Jeff’s World Of Crap, (Amazon) bass pro, REI, etc etc.

[Wambli Ska]

Yeah, enabled…

[shotgunshooter3]

All jokes aside, Every time we go off-road we carry everything we need to make it out there for a few days if needed. The desert is no joke. I’m constantly 15-20+ miles away from folks with no cell signal. Folks here die within a mile off the highway if they don’t know what they are doing.

Similarly, I have "summer" and "winter" car survival kits. It's mostly signal flares, space blankets/tarps (sun protection), water, and appropriate clothing or gear like gloves.

[shotgunshooter3]

Rolled over 5K and did the service, plus oil change (even though the factory recommends 10K intervals for oil changes), so a quick update:

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this vehicle! Most of my gripes are nitpicks, and many of them are just a "fact of the matter" for a modern vehicle. Overall, presented with the same situation again I would buy this truck again and be very happy. At full MSRP? Probably not.

Performance wise, I use 87 or 91 depending on what is available where I go (85 is "Regular" here, and the factory manual is very clear about 87+, so if a gas station only has 85 and 91, 91 it is). Average MPG for me has come out to 20.1 MPG as tracked by the Fuelly app, and interestingly enough the truck's computer is pretty dead on. My best full tank so far has been 22.3, so the truck is pretty consistent. One thing that separates this Tacoma from previous gens is with the turbocharged engine, this truck will get up and go! Maybe that's why I'm not getting better gas mileage.

Pros:
- Cab comfort and layout. It's not the prettiest to look at, but it is very comfortable and all of the switchology/button locations are intuitive and easy to interact with.
- Powertrain. I'm not too leery of turbos in the modern day, and the performance speaks for itself. Efficiency is acceptable for a truck this size
- RADAR CRUISE CONTROL. I land somewhere between Zorba and Wambli in my opinion of tech in a car, but this is one that can stay.
- Storage space and capabilities. I do not regret the 6' bed, even with the tradeoffs

Cons:
- Size. This thing is roughly the size of a 90's F150, the Tacoma is a compact truck no more. I knew this going into the purchase, but it is a reality to deal with. Candidly, I would prefer if it was a bit smaller.
- Turning Radius. This truck shares its frame with the Tundra, and the wheelbase (the body is smaller), and as such it turns (and parks) like a full size truck. Plus side is the frame is way overbuilt for the mission of the truck, so there's that.
- Overall build quality. There are some ghost rattles, as well as spots where I can tell Toyota went cheap. A sign of the times I guess. It's not bad enough to take away from the enjoyment of the truck
- Too much reliance on the App. I have to, for example, use my phone for remote start. Put it on the key fob, DAMMIT.

Since my last update as well, I installed RCI Metal Works frame mounted rock sliders (much better than normal steps), and ceramic window tint.

Before tint:

IMG_7174.jpeg (1.35 MiB) Viewed 3886 times

After:

IMG_7175.jpeg (561.66 KiB) Viewed 3886 times

Sliders:

IMG_7142.jpeg (3.63 MiB) Viewed 3886 times

[Wambli Ska]

Looking good and I like your objective assessment. The great thing about the metal rock sliders is that it makes it virtually inposssible for most vehicles to dent your vehicle in tight parking lots

[GrapeApe]

Glad you're liking it
+1 on the door protection

[CPJ 2.0]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

[Diver43]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

I guess ford double gets me. Key fob is good for a couple hundred feet and can start with the app from anywhere. For shoots and giggles when my ring said someone was at the front door I remote started the Ranger from Ireland as my brother in law came by to water plants. His reaction was comical. My 2024 Ford Ranger is right in line with SS3s Toyota for gas mileage maybe another mpg.

[shotgunshooter3]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

I guess ford double gets me. Key fob is good for a couple hundred feet and can start with the app from anywhere. For shoots and giggles when my ring said someone was at the front door I remote started the Ranger from Ireland as my brother in law came by to water plants. His reaction was comical. My 2024 Ford Ranger is right in line with SS3s Toyota for gas mileage maybe another mpg.

This is where the phone based remote start comes in handy. On a cold winter day, I can start my truck from the employee bus heading back to the parking lot, and it's warmed up by the time I get to it.

As a side note I was VERY impressed by the current Ford Ranger. Had the discount from MSRP for the Tacoma not popped up when it did, it is very likely I would be in a Ranger right now and be perfectly happy. Toyota has the momentum from decades of brand/model reputation, but Ford's current offerings are no slouch.

Especially the Ranger Raptor. It's well outside of my budget for a vehicle, but it's quickly gained a reputation as the best "super truck" dollar for dollar, IE price vs performance, that you can get. Well done by the Blue Oval people.

[shotgunshooter3]

Looking good and I like your objective assessment. The great thing about the metal rock sliders is that it makes it virtually inposssible for most vehicles to dent your vehicle in tight parking lots

The rock sliders on my last Tacoma paid for themselves within 24 hours. I installed them on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday morning a gust of wind caught some poor lady's car door in the parking lot and it SLAMMED into my truck. Big gouge out of her door, and a small nicking of the powder coat on my rock sliders. Paid for itself right there.

[shotgunshooter3]

Glad you're liking it
+1 on the door protection

See previous story in reply to Enzo, but IMO frame mounted "rock sliders" are well worth the added premium over normal door steps even if you don't hit the trails. They're just much better built and offer actual protection, in addition to being useful as a step.

[shotgunshooter3]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

It's a frustrating fact of using modern tech that I really don't like, but will tolerate for now. If my truck isn't snitching on me, Google Maps is.

Someday I will likely end up with a 2000's Land Cruiser or Jeep TJ to circumvent Big Brother somewhat. Until then, I guess I'll "bah" with the rest of the sheep.

[Wambli Ska]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

You would think so but nope... Actually none of your data goes to insurance companies unless you specifically select it because you have some sort of pay-as-you-drive program or one of the user requested "premium reductions because I drive like an old lady" programs. Data privacy laws are very strong especially in Europe and everyone in the industry is outride paranoid of releasing user data commercially. The fines are WAY more money than what the data is worth and quite frankly car manufacturers don't want to pay or contribute to your personal insurance rates going up OR down because they do not benefit financially either way.

Cars nowadays are totally computer controlled and just like your desktop or laptop they require CONSTANT software updates to function in optimal mode. I'm DEEPLY involved in OEM (Original Equipment Manufactures, what we call car manufacturers in the Telcom business) mobile connectivity since it's the biggest part of the IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem. One of the biggest car manufacturers in the USA's last OTA (over the air) software update for 10s of thousands of vehicles in my region was over 8Gb per car. You don't see this because it's done in the background and you don't pay for it, but it starts as soon as you start your car in the morning. Last year the OTAs of this manufacturer in Europe alone were measured in Petabytes.

This is not shrinking anytime soon, actually the Tier 1 Global mobile providers are sweating this one because we thought 5G was going to finally provide the answer and it has not, not big/fast/soon enough. I have seen entire mobile networks crushed in several countries because Google release a massive automotive software update without telling anyone. It's the equivalent of opening the overflow system of a dam without telling anyone downriver that the water wall is coming...

This is the stuff you don't hear about in the news because WE take care of it before it impacts consumers in a significant way. But my cell phone starts pinging at 2:00AM when that happens.

Oh, and the reason the self-start is not on the FOB is just a matter of range. Try to lock your car from the living room behind closed doors. the FOB is just a shïtty Chinese made low power device meant t work with a little battery for years, that only works well when it has a short clear view of the vehicle. There is no point in remote starting your car from where you can se it when what you really want to do is do it from your cozy bedroom.

Personally I'll be a lot happier when ALL functions migrate to my phone and I don't have to carry some pre-historic FOB in my pocket all the time. My iPhone today has the capability to unlock/start my car as I approach it or stop/lock it when I walk away without ANY interference from me. I CAN'T wait...

[Wambli Ska]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

It's a frustrating fact of using modern tech that I really don't like, but will tolerate for now. If my truck isn't snitching on me, Google Maps is.

Someday I will likely end up with a 2000's Land Cruiser or Jeep TJ to circumvent Big Brother somewhat. Until then, I guess I'll "bah" with the rest of the sheep.

You're leaving your iPhone at home whenever you drive it?

[shotgunshooter3]

If they put remote start on the fob, they wouldn’t need the cellular connection on the truck to sell your driving habits data to the insurance companies, duh.

It's a frustrating fact of using modern tech that I really don't like, but will tolerate for now. If my truck isn't snitching on me, Google Maps is.

Someday I will likely end up with a 2000's Land Cruiser or Jeep TJ to circumvent Big Brother somewhat. Until then, I guess I'll "bah" with the rest of the sheep.

You're leaving your iPhone at home whenever you drive it?

Don't be ridiculous.

[CPJ 2.0]

Yeah, not directly. My bad.



Just through 3rd party. Which makes it better I guess.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a6171 ... l-profits/

[CPJ 2.0]

And yes, NO ONE reads the fine print when they accept the terms and conditions. Even if they did, it’s a yes you can steal my info and I can use the fancy infotainment system, or no you can’t and all the cool features you linked it to won’t work.


And I’m one thousand percent we will never see eye to eye on this, your paycheck depends on this tech.

[Wambli Ska]

Yeah, not directly. My bad.



Just through 3rd party. Which makes it better I guess.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a6171 ... l-profits/

To MY point, they sold the information on 8 million cars... There are over 1.5 BILLION cars worldwide and they got into trouble by selling a little info on .53333333% for a short period of time. I know the guy at Verisk that made that deal and EXACTLY what was sold. Car and Driver did a whole lot of "investigative guesswork" when they penned this article and the government guys that got into it were showboating.

[Wambli Ska]

And yes, NO ONE reads the fine print when they accept the terms and conditions. Even if they did, it’s a yes you can steal my info and I can use the fancy infotainment system, or no you can’t and all the cool features you linked it to won’t work.


And I’m one thousand percent we will never see eye to eye on this, your paycheck depends on this tech.

THIS part you are actually 100% on target. American Express, even if you don't have their cards, has a LOT more info on you, your preferences, retail activity and your whereabout than your car manufacturer ever will. They buy this from EVERYONE you have agreements with including Netflix, Apple, your cable company, Amazon, your insurance companieS, the government and the guys that manufacture your favorite toilet paper.

There is NO "Right to Privacy", it is something that you either manage of give away and 99.99999999999999999% of folks in the USA gave it away a looooooong time ago. It can't even be legislated effectively so no one is even trying!!! This causes me to chuckle every time anyone focuses on their cars giving out info on them which is a TINY fraction of the info that is out there on them already which they willingly gave up.

On the last part, you are correct we'll never see eye to eye and I'm ok with that. But on the paycheck thing, you are totally wrong. I already retired once and I'm back because it didn't suit me at all. I do this because if my daughter and granddaughter ever get into a bad car crash in the future and are seriously hurt, I want their "technology" to call 911 and get emergency personnel to the crash site before they die and I want the same technology to make their medical history and needs to be available to the folks making critical care decisions on the spot. Actually their baby car selection WAS totally based on top safety and technology! So was my wife's and lastly mine to a lesser extent. I really more on my phone than my car tech, but I have Apple CarPlay, and holders for my iPhone AND an iPad in my Jeep so I can run 2-3 apps at the same time. ALL voice controlled

The good news is that this is a personal choice and everyone can fend for themselves and opt into this or not. Or they can buy a 1980s Ford truck and be happy!

[Wambli Ska]

And a final comment. Almost 30 years ago I had the pleasure of working with GM on their first global deployment efforts, and while I was shown around their HQ the main feature of the tour was “the wall” with THOUSANDS of names of people whose lives had been saved by the OnStar system since its inception in 1995. From that day on that was my driving perspective.

One of our customers has a device monitoring folks all over the world with severe heart problems and calling medical services if the device PREDICTS a cardiac episode is going to happen so they don’t have to die alone in their houses because of a preventable episode.

But on a more mundane level, I am looking forward to the day I can stream Hondo in my self-driven car while superior technology keeps me safe from all the slow humans that are still crashing into trees and each other because they insist they are better drivers and have faster reactions than a global networks of servers running state of the art AI

[Japhy]

Data collection and sale to data aggregators is a profit center for manufacturers and is becoming more intrusive with every model update. Once in the hands of aggregators the part about no personal identifiable information is bs. Phone apps are just as bad. Anymore I don't carry the phone unless absolutely required which is rare.

After reading Honda’s claim of constant connection to “enhance the driving experience”. I am convinced a late 90’s Jeep Cherokee with a full engine and drive train overhaul, paint, interior, and new entertainment/gps mapping is more to my liking. The aftermarket supply of accessories and parts seems endless.

[jkp]

Looking good and I like your objective assessment. The great thing about the metal rock sliders is that it makes it virtually inposssible for most vehicles to dent your vehicle in tight parking lots

The rock sliders on my last Tacoma paid for themselves within 24 hours. I installed them on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday morning a gust of wind caught some poor lady's car door in the parking lot and it SLAMMED into my truck. Big gouge out of her door, and a small nicking of the powder coat on my rock sliders. Paid for itself right there.

Until someone with a bigger rig decides to park next to you. My bride is great at finding places to collect a ding. 360 degree cameras making parking a breeze? No need to take advantage of that feature!

My Expedition has Raptor style boards but a lifted 3/4 ton can still swing a door into it...

[shotgunshooter3]

Looking good and I like your objective assessment. The great thing about the metal rock sliders is that it makes it virtually inposssible for most vehicles to dent your vehicle in tight parking lots

The rock sliders on my last Tacoma paid for themselves within 24 hours. I installed them on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday morning a gust of wind caught some poor lady's car door in the parking lot and it SLAMMED into my truck. Big gouge out of her door, and a small nicking of the powder coat on my rock sliders. Paid for itself right there.

Until someone with a bigger rig decides to park next to you. My bride is great at finding places to collect a ding. 360 degree cameras making parking a breeze? No need to take advantage of that feature!

My Expedition has Raptor style boards but a lifted 3/4 ton can still swing a door into it...

Don't worry, I've got a plan...

LAND_RG-31_LROD_Armor_lg.jpg (191.18 KiB) Viewed 3706 times