I went to the dealership yesterday to get my 5,000 mile service done. Since we purchased a travel trailer a few months ago, I had been considering moving to a pickup truck to make the trailering a little bit more comfortable/confidence inspiring. Even though the trailer is well within the towing capacity of the 4Runner, there are times where I feel like it'd be nice to not have such a short wheelbase.
Anyway, while I was at the dealership I went and checked out the Tacomas. Didn't test drive them or anything, just sat in them and checked them out.
Wow! They have a lot of nice features and bells and whistles, but the quality of the interior is noticeably worse than the 4Runner. I mean, the 4Runner is no luxury vehicle, but all the buttons and knobs and steering wheel feel solid and high quality and have some weight behind them. The Tacoma is super plasticky and cheap feeling.
I had read a few complaints on the forums about them feeling cheaper, but I just didn't expect it to be that noticeable.
I really hope the next generation 4Runner continues to be manufactured in Japan because those built-in-Mexico Tacoma interiors just aren't up to snuff. I didn't even have the desire to see if all the drivetrain complaints are well-founded because I feel like the material quality was enough of a turn-off to not even consider it as an option. It sucks since it really is such a nice looking mid sized pickup.
My dealer lent me a Tacoma for a day while my 4Runner was in for the airbag recall. I couldn't believe how crappy the Tacoma felt inside. And the drivetrain was worse.
