[nothavingone]

So, we're in Calgary, AB for a week on vacation. Hertz gave me a 22 Tacoma for choosing "Dealer's Choice" on my rental.

My guess is that it's an SR5. It's a V6, 4-dr, 4x4. Manual seats all around. Electric windows and mirrors. A key with the lock and unlock buttons on it. Backup camera. Lane keeping.

Here's my first impressions:

I've driven it about 20km, so far. We drove from the airport, to an A&W, and then our hotel.

It feels good on icy roads. I was still doing 100kph on the highway, just like everyone else. That opinion may change tomorrow. I haven't driven it much. Don't know who wins this one yet.

The backseat is a little bigger than my SC, but not huge. I had enough room for 3 carry-ons and a large checked bag. My kid still had room for his seat to fit comfortably. His carry-on (the smallest of the group) was actually sitting on the floor in front of him because it didn't fit in the seat with the others. We chose not to put the big suitcase in the bed because it's full of snow. Taco wins here.

My legs are too long for this thing. I tilted the wheel as far up as I could then still had to figure out how to get in the vehicle. I finally had to move my seat back to get in, then move forward to drive. I also had to put the seat back almost straight up. I fit a lot better in my SC. I'm only 6'1" with 34" legs. SC wins.

I don't like their placement for the cruise controls. SC wins.

The location of the child seat tethers sucks! We had to lean the rear seat forward to hook on to the tether. That is, however, still not as bad as the Ridgeline or Frontier. The SC wins here.

It doesn't have Android Auto? Really? WTF Toyota? This is the second 2022 Toyota I've had in the last month without Android Auto. Every Hyundai or Kia I've had in the last 3 years as a rental had AA/Carplay. I don't want to download your app. F that! Hyundai/Kia wins!

My wife doesn't want to drive it, but that'll probably change when the sun is out. We got it at like 9:15PM and she isn't a big fan of driving my SC either.

Would I buy a taco? NOPE! Not if they're all like this thing!

SC WINS!!!

 

[GTAcruz]

I had the Tacoma TRD off road as a rental in Florida earlier this year for couple weeks.
The ride was harsh and at the same time bouncy… drove like a truck (not a good thing to me lol)
Back seating area was little bigger than the SC, but still small…

The cruise control stick, is standard in all of not most Toyotas, Im use to it, as I commute in a Toyota, but agree, it’s kinda weird..

Toyota only recently added Apple CarPlay (2020), I guess they still haven’t come to an agreement with Android. Very much like Hyundai and Apple/Android haven’t been able to work things out about data sharing on the wires lees CarPlay…
I can’t see myself as a Tacoma owner…

 

[wolfeprop9599]

The high floor of the taco means you have to sit with your legs straight out. One reason I wouldn't buy one... but they do come with a 5 speed manual!

 

[Alfred77L8]

The high floor Not very suitable for ladies driving,This may be the reason why your wife is reluctant

 

[GTAcruz]

The high floor Not very suitable for ladies driving,This may be the reason why your wife is reluctant

4Runner is the same floor set up, plenty of ladies driving the 4Runner…

 

[drk93tt]

Wait til you put gas in the Tacoma... SC Wins.

 

[JMII]

The high floor of the taco means you have to sit with your legs straight out.

This is a common complaint I've heard with the Taco.

 

[Chupacabra]

I found the seating position so weird in the Taco. Floor is too high or something, feels like you have to lay down in it.

 

[Bigness]

So, we're in Calgary, AB for a week on vacation. Hertz gave me a 22 Tacoma for choosing "Dealer's Choice" on my rental.

My guess is that it's an SR5. It's a V6, 4-dr, 4x4. Manual seats all around. Electric windows and mirrors. A key with the lock and unlock buttons on it. Backup camera. Lane keeping.

Here's my first impressions:

I've driven it about 20km, so far. We drove from the airport, to an A&W, and then our hotel.

It feels good on icy roads. I was still doing 100kph on the highway, just like everyone else. That opinion may change tomorrow. I haven't driven it much. Don't know who wins this one yet.

The backseat is a little bigger than my SC, but not huge. I had enough room for 3 carry-ons and a large checked bag. My kid still had room for his seat to fit comfortably. His carry-on (the smallest of the group) was actually sitting on the floor in front of him because it didn't fit in the seat with the others. We chose not to put the big suitcase in the bed because it's full of snow. Taco wins here.

My legs are too long for this thing. I tilted the wheel as far up as I could then still had to figure out how to get in the vehicle. I finally had to move my seat back to get in, then move forward to drive. I also had to put the seat back almost straight up. I fit a lot better in my SC. I'm only 6'1" with 34" legs. SC wins.

I don't like their placement for the cruise controls. SC wins.

The location of the child seat tethers sucks! We had to lean the rear seat forward to hook on to the tether. That is, however, still not as bad as the Ridgeline or Frontier. The SC wins here.

It doesn't have Android Auto? Really? WTF Toyota? This is the second 2022 Toyota I've had in the last month without Android Auto. Every Hyundai or Kia I've had in the last 3 years as a rental had AA/Carplay. I don't want to download your app. F that! Hyundai/Kia wins!

My wife doesn't want to drive it, but that'll probably change when the sun is out. We got it at like 9:15PM and she isn't a big fan of driving my SC either.

Would I buy a taco? NOPE! Not if they're all like this thing!

SC WINS!!!

Friend of mine has a Taco. I'm 6'2" and every time I try to get in the passenger side, I have to lean over and duck my head in and then sit on the seat. I can't sit down first and lean my head in - there just isn't the height to do so. That alone would keep me from buying it.

My SC, I just sit down like normal and I'm in.

 

[awightaz]

Traded my 2018 Taco for my 2022 SC! Love the SC!

 

[childoffire79]

Taco is due for major update. Interior is worse than an 90s Chevy.

 

[nothavingone]

The high floor Not very suitable for ladies driving,This may be the reason why your wife is reluctant

She drove back from Kananaskis Village (like 110kM). It's more that she doesn't want to drive anything as long as my SC, or a Taco. She did fine, until it was time to park in downtown Calgary for a Poutine, eh. She wouldn't even attempt to park on the curb. She had trouble dealing with the length to get it into a nose in spot, that was really close to a building. She probably would've had the same issue with my SC.

Man, she loves that tiny little Elantra...

 

[nothavingone]

Update:

I found Android Auto. It's plugin only. That's still annoying, but at least it's there. SC still wins.

Our hotel has a small parking lot. The Taco has a poor turning radius. At first I just thought my wife was having trouble because she doesn't like bigger vehicles. I couldn't get it cut into a parking space just now either because it couldn't make the turn in. I had to go park on the other side of the building then try not to bust my @ss on the ice to get inside.

We've done quite a bit of driving around the city. This thing can't parallel park. It's almost too wide when there's cars parked on both sides of a one way street. This thing doesn't work very well in the city. SC wins.

It's still OK on the icy stuff. I haven't slipped any more than I'd expect the SC to slip because of the traction control.

I don't like the feel of the steering. It's like it's too loose? Some of the curves on the main roads are done at like 80kph and it feels like the truck can't do that. The LKA beeps at me almost every time. Mind you, these are 4 lane roads, not tiny little city streets.

We went on a tour of Banff today, so we had to remove the child seat and put it in the tour van. It took 3 different people helping us to figure out how to unhook the top teather. I finally had to remove the headrest, then we had to loosen the strap a tiny bit and it came off. That took about 10 minutes, though. Then tonight we had to put it back in the Taco to go get some Jollibee. Again, took about 10 minutes. My SC takes about 30 seconds. SC WINS!

 

[nothavingone]

Who drives a Hampton colored SC? I followed you on Highway 1 for about an hour this evening, until my turn off to go back to Calgary.

 

[Bigness]

Update:

I found Android Auto. It's plugin only. That's still annoying, but at least it's there. SC still wins.

Our hotel has a small parking lot. The Taco has a poor turning radius. At first I just thought my wife was having trouble because she doesn't like bigger vehicles. I couldn't get it cut into a parking space just now either because it couldn't make the turn in. I had to go park on the other side of the building then try not to bust my @ss on the ice to get inside.

We've done quite a bit of driving around the city. This thing can't parallel park. It's almost too wide when there's cars parked on both sides of a one way street. This thing doesn't work very well in the city. SC wins.

It's still OK on the icy stuff. I haven't slipped any more than I'd expect the SC to slip because of the traction control.

I don't like the feel of the steering. It's like it's too loose? Some of the curves on the main roads are done at like 80kph and it feels like the truck can't do that. The LKA beeps at me almost every time. Mind you, these are 4 lane roads, not tiny little city streets.

We went on a tour of Banff today, so we had to remove the child seat and put it in the tour van. It took 3 different people helping us to figure out how to unhook the top teather. I finally had to remove the headrest, then we had to loosen the strap a tiny bit and it came off. That took about 10 minutes, though. Then tonight we had to put it back in the Taco to go get some Jollibee. Again, took about 10 minutes. My SC takes about 30 seconds. SC WINS!

With the turning radius problems, you didn't happen to have it locked in 4WD did you? That will severely limit the radius - it's very different than AWD.

 

[nothavingone]

With the turning radius problems, you didn't happen to have it locked in 4WD did you? That will severely limit the radius - it's very different than AWD.

Nope. Was in 2WD-H. We only had to use 4WD twice because of getting stuck in ice/snow with AT tires.

 

[nothavingone]

So, my final thoughts on the Taco:

It's too expensive. It's too uncormfortable. It eats too much. It's turning circle sucks. It's Infotainment tech is behind by one generation.

I never really had the chance to test it's off-road abilities. I did manage to get it filthy because of all of the grit and sand on the roads.

It had one true advantage. We pulled over to use the washrooms at Banff, in a deserted rest stop. I was able to annoy the wife by pulling the handbrake and doing a 180.

I disliked driving the thing. My wife absolutely hated driving it. The only person that liked it was my 4-year-old and he's just happy about everything.

I wouldn't buy one. SC wins!