Gecko
New member
Ok, not exactly.
Two weeks ago, a car full of idiots decided to make a right turn from the left lane, and there I was in the right lane. There's a little cosmetic damage to fix on my 4R - only really scratches and two dents the size of a quarter. Not bad at all, but still frustrating to deal with.
My insurance company is picking up the tab for now and I dropped my 4R off on Sunday and expected to be put into a Corolla or Cruz from Enterprise. Low and behold, they were out of cars and had to upgrade me to a 2019 Chevy Colorado LT V6 Crew Cab. With everything else these days going to unibody, this is one of the few comparisons to a 4R or Tacoma that has any direct translation, so I was pretty excited to drive it.
Disclaimer: I actually have very low expectations for GM products aside from Caddy's V series and the Corvette. My step father has driven Silverados since Bush was in office and he refuses to drive anything else. They've always had their share of failures and quality problems that I've never seen with Toyotas, so despite their "like a rock" marketing spin, I've never thought very highly of their products.
With that said, this Colorado is a pretty kick-ass truck and I'm very surprised. A few months ago, I drove a Tacoma for ~5 days so that's the most direct comparison here, but some of the other pieces like the drivetrain are pretty comparable with the 4R IMO.
I know this horse has been beaten, dead, peed on and everything else, but the powertrain in this Colorado is really first-rate and shows how painfully archaic the 1GR/5AT are in the 4Runner. This truck is FAST, smooth and very refined. The powertrain is head and shoulders above the Tacoma and in a whole different world from the 4Runner. We've had a lot of conversations here about higher revving V6s (sedan/crossover engines) in SUVs and trucks, but this motor does not feel out of place at all in a pickup. The shorter gears in the 8AT mean you're always able to be in the power band, whether from a stop or accelerating from 60, and there's never a sensation of prolonged gear holding like there is in the 4Runner. It feels torquey at the bottom end and incredibly powerful at the top end. You can jump from 30-60 or 60-80 in a flash, and the truck will throw you back in your seat while doing it.
... all of this while netting 21MPG in 70% hard city driving, also.
The brake pedal also has actual feel and feedback before you reach the last 10% and "oh shit" feeling. This is a big help.
Another thing: the ride and handling of this truck are extremely well sorted. It's a pleasure to drive around town and in traffic, it never feels too heavy or cumbersome, and it doesn't feel too light either. The ride is smooth - it eats up potholes and speed bumps with no problems. The handling is confident and predictable, but the whole package still feels very much like a BOF truck. I really like it.
The downsides: I don't really like how the exterior looks - it appears pretty outdated to me. The interior is awful, but I'm not sure the Tacoma is actually any better looking inside. The design is just very basic and no thrills, but not in a way that looks purposeful or utilitarian. It looks like something from 1999. There are a few rattles in the back of the truck and it only has 3,500 miles on it. Not a good sign. Of course, the resale is not great and who knows what long term reliability will be like - nothing close to the Tacoma, I'm sure.
I keep hearing that the 4Runner and Tacoma are getting refreshed next year with a new V6 and 8AT, and if that happens, I think my 2016 will find it's way to the used car lot. I know there's a group here who believes nobody needs anything more than the 1GR/5AT, "if you want more than that, you bought the wrong vehicle to begin with," etc... but it's amazing how much more drivable this Colorado is vs the 4Runner or Tacoma because of the powertrain alone. You don't have to carefully plot out highway passing because the truck has the power and ability to get out and move. In stop and go traffic, you can cut in and out with no problem. It's more civil and much easier to drive day-to-day.
I've never said that I think the 1GR is a bad motor, but paired to the 5AT is a bad combination because there's not enough flexibility to change gears quickly and stay in the powerband. I knew that before, but I see it even better now. We all rag on the 2GR-FKS, but I think that paired to an 8AT, it would be a worthy upgrade over the 1GR/5AT. I know the torque delivery suffers on paper, but there are versions of that motor with 300hp/267lb-ft and an 8AT, and those numbers are pretty similar to this Colorado. I was expecting this Chevy to drive like a sedan with a higher revving V6, but in execution, it doesn't at all. If Toyota puts that motor into the Tacoma and 4Runner, I will be the first one at the dealership with an order form.
Two weeks ago, a car full of idiots decided to make a right turn from the left lane, and there I was in the right lane. There's a little cosmetic damage to fix on my 4R - only really scratches and two dents the size of a quarter. Not bad at all, but still frustrating to deal with.
My insurance company is picking up the tab for now and I dropped my 4R off on Sunday and expected to be put into a Corolla or Cruz from Enterprise. Low and behold, they were out of cars and had to upgrade me to a 2019 Chevy Colorado LT V6 Crew Cab. With everything else these days going to unibody, this is one of the few comparisons to a 4R or Tacoma that has any direct translation, so I was pretty excited to drive it.
Disclaimer: I actually have very low expectations for GM products aside from Caddy's V series and the Corvette. My step father has driven Silverados since Bush was in office and he refuses to drive anything else. They've always had their share of failures and quality problems that I've never seen with Toyotas, so despite their "like a rock" marketing spin, I've never thought very highly of their products.
With that said, this Colorado is a pretty kick-ass truck and I'm very surprised. A few months ago, I drove a Tacoma for ~5 days so that's the most direct comparison here, but some of the other pieces like the drivetrain are pretty comparable with the 4R IMO.
I know this horse has been beaten, dead, peed on and everything else, but the powertrain in this Colorado is really first-rate and shows how painfully archaic the 1GR/5AT are in the 4Runner. This truck is FAST, smooth and very refined. The powertrain is head and shoulders above the Tacoma and in a whole different world from the 4Runner. We've had a lot of conversations here about higher revving V6s (sedan/crossover engines) in SUVs and trucks, but this motor does not feel out of place at all in a pickup. The shorter gears in the 8AT mean you're always able to be in the power band, whether from a stop or accelerating from 60, and there's never a sensation of prolonged gear holding like there is in the 4Runner. It feels torquey at the bottom end and incredibly powerful at the top end. You can jump from 30-60 or 60-80 in a flash, and the truck will throw you back in your seat while doing it.
... all of this while netting 21MPG in 70% hard city driving, also.
The brake pedal also has actual feel and feedback before you reach the last 10% and "oh shit" feeling. This is a big help.
Another thing: the ride and handling of this truck are extremely well sorted. It's a pleasure to drive around town and in traffic, it never feels too heavy or cumbersome, and it doesn't feel too light either. The ride is smooth - it eats up potholes and speed bumps with no problems. The handling is confident and predictable, but the whole package still feels very much like a BOF truck. I really like it.
The downsides: I don't really like how the exterior looks - it appears pretty outdated to me. The interior is awful, but I'm not sure the Tacoma is actually any better looking inside. The design is just very basic and no thrills, but not in a way that looks purposeful or utilitarian. It looks like something from 1999. There are a few rattles in the back of the truck and it only has 3,500 miles on it. Not a good sign. Of course, the resale is not great and who knows what long term reliability will be like - nothing close to the Tacoma, I'm sure.
I keep hearing that the 4Runner and Tacoma are getting refreshed next year with a new V6 and 8AT, and if that happens, I think my 2016 will find it's way to the used car lot. I know there's a group here who believes nobody needs anything more than the 1GR/5AT, "if you want more than that, you bought the wrong vehicle to begin with," etc... but it's amazing how much more drivable this Colorado is vs the 4Runner or Tacoma because of the powertrain alone. You don't have to carefully plot out highway passing because the truck has the power and ability to get out and move. In stop and go traffic, you can cut in and out with no problem. It's more civil and much easier to drive day-to-day.
I've never said that I think the 1GR is a bad motor, but paired to the 5AT is a bad combination because there's not enough flexibility to change gears quickly and stay in the powerband. I knew that before, but I see it even better now. We all rag on the 2GR-FKS, but I think that paired to an 8AT, it would be a worthy upgrade over the 1GR/5AT. I know the torque delivery suffers on paper, but there are versions of that motor with 300hp/267lb-ft and an 8AT, and those numbers are pretty similar to this Colorado. I was expecting this Chevy to drive like a sedan with a higher revving V6, but in execution, it doesn't at all. If Toyota puts that motor into the Tacoma and 4Runner, I will be the first one at the dealership with an order form.
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