I'm glad the 4runners are still coming from Japan.

 

One of the things I really like about my 05 is the composite bed so many people seem to complain about. I've hauled a yard of crushed stone in mine a few times, mulch, dirt, various construction debris, lots of land cruiser axles, engines, all kinds of heavy abusive stuff. It still looks great. Mine did come with a factory bed mat so stuff doesn't slide around much. I also love the built-in storage. I keep a tow strap in one side and ratchet straps in the other. And the sliding cargo hooks work pretty slick too. I just wish the rest of truck held up as well as the bed. Unless they start making 4x4 double cabs with the 2.7 and 5 speed (or better yet a 4cyl turbodiesel with a 6 speed) I'll likely have mine for quite a while. I do like the truck but I sure hope the next 100k miles come without any major issues.

 

lol wat

 

I'm a factory tech and have been for years. Far and away, the 4.0 gen trucks have fewer issues than the 3.4 trucks. Actually, close to zero issues. We do nothing on them but change the oil and the only motor problem I have seen on any one of them involved nitrous.

The reliability of the 4.0 is rock solid, it has gas mileage I very much envy with all the extra power. Even on higher mileage trucks they aren't developing oil leaks. Very few had front cover leaks in the beginning, but it's still a gravy job compared to the 22r front covers to me. I really like the new Taco's. I have noticed that much like the 4.7 engine, the 4.0 doesn't sag on power as it reaches high mileage. I can't say the same of the 3.4 at all.

That being said, I drive 96 runner with over 300k on the clock. It's a 5sp, 4x4 with a locker and I'll probably have it forever. The fact that I can only get these options in an FJ now would make that my purchase.

The electric 4wd is the chink in the armor on the newer Taco. All in all, it is in no way a step backward for engineering or production quality for Toyota though. The squeak/rattle work on the 3.4 runners and trucks was WAY higher too.

 

Throw a cord of firewood in your plastic bed and let me know how many cracks you get...

Plastic cracks and splits and traps moisture = rust underneath

Metal dents, scrapes and scratches, but you can see where its gonna rust and fix it with a spray can

 

I wouldn't "throw" firewood into ANY bed, metal or not. To do so is inviting damage to ANY BED, not to mention the possibility of a broken rear window.

I stated clearly where the current generation is better for work compared to the older ones because of features the current generation has that the older ones do not.

But you ignored that, concentrating ONLY on the material of the bed.

And since my last post 85GT-79FJ40 has posted:

"One of the things I really like about my 05 is the composite bed so many people seem to complain about. I've hauled a yard of crushed stone in mine a few times, mulch, dirt, various construction debris, lots of land cruiser axles, engines, all kinds of heavy abusive stuff. It still looks great".

That's my experience too. And it sounds like he's hauled a LOT more than just a "cord of wood".

FACT: Metal axles and engines are MORE ABUSIVE than wood because metal axles and engines concentrate more weight on a smaller area. And wood is SOFTER.

Yet your biased mind ignored that too.

And when you said "Plastic cracks and splits and traps moisture = rust underneath", tell me, when does PLASTIC RUST? And there is NO METAL underneath to rust.

This indicates that you haven't researched the composite bed to know what you are talking about.

Besides it's NOT "plastic", it's a composite material.

Steel dents, bends, and rusts. And simple spray paint on a scraped steel bed doesn't usually last, plus it can get scraped again EASIER than the FACTORY paint. I've even seen professionally applied spray-on bedliners get scraped off in places.

I've had a bed rust underneath a plastic slide-in bedliner.

But the composite bed needs NO touch up with paint OR a spray-on bedliner OR bed mat OR slide-in bedliner to protect it.

I'll repeat what I said previously for those of you that missed it: I've hauled my ATV 850 miles one way from Florida to Kentucky and back with the aluminum aftermarket rims and tires jammed hard in between the wheel wells with no damage. And I'm talking about HARD contact, combined with the flexing and vibration of driving 850 miles one way.

And the ATV was jammed HARD against the front of the bed as well, while also held in place against the front with very tight ratcheting straps.

And I have done it a lot of times, both for short distances and to Kentucky and back.

Hauling the same way with a steel bed, the bed would have been dented and scraped AND the ATV rims damaged. Yet the rims were NOT damaged, and the bed only has very minor cosmetic marks on the insides of the wheel wells.

Not only that, modern plastics and composites are WAY BETTER than they once were. This is NOT the '70s. Different formulas and molding techniques make some plastics and composites superior to steel for many applications.

The problem is that some people are so closed minded and ignorant that they just don't understand or they just don't care to learn.

I've clearly made my point, backing it up with FACTS, SOUND REASONING, and EXPERIENCE, and I backed that up with the experience of someone else. You can either accept it or continue to believe that the world is flat.

 

to the people who has not seem the pick up trucks abused with cows and a lot of people on them, they should see the discovery channel or history channel they show the pick ups with metal stakes around the bed with many peoples on them, dont know how many but a lot of them. also i seen these trucks with big cows in them, the bed get dents and scratches and as a matter in fact you can hardly see the paint on the bottom of the bed, but the bed looks ugly but its ready for the next job. of course we dont do that in the US, it is illegal in the first place but people around the world does it. i personally like the new ones but i love the old ones.

 

dagnes79: I don't doubt that people in other countries haul cows and lots of people. Don't you think that the shorter and narrower bed would limit the number of people and therefore the weight being carried, which would limit any damage that MIGHT happen? And I emphasize the word MIGHT because I don't think people in the bed would damage it. I just see no reason why they would damage it.

I do doubt that people in other countries would use a Tacoma to haul a cow because of the bed being as short as it is. Certainly an adult cow would have trouble fitting.

In fact, the bed would be too slick for a cow because the hooves wouldn't be able to find traction on the composite material, which is the ONLY downside to the bed I have found so far.

A rubber bed mat eliminates that problem though. And it would protect against a cow's hooves IF anyone were to ever try to haul one.

As stated by 85GT-79FJ40, he's hauled engines, axles, an all kinds of other things with no damage.

I don't see where a cow would be any worse. I think the bed would do just fine.

By the way, the Tacoma has no place for stakes in the bed sides just like is the case with most modern trucks as far as I know.

But regardless, in the USA and most of the rest of the world, cows are a MOOT point.

My ex-wife is a cow, so I'll haul her in the bed and let you know if she causes any damage.

 

I have a rubber mat in my bed and it has held up great. I've hauled everything you can imagine back there. I have the same Yamaha Wolverine 450 4x4 as William and it spends alot of time in the bed of my truck covered in mud.

 

OK People: It is a pick up bed. No matter what material it is constructed of it will be stratched, Dented and get Fubar'ed at some point.

If you are worried about the Material of an '05 + Tacoma Bed, buy something else or get a trailer.

 

Thanks for the reply. Although I have a Wolverine 450, the ATV with aftermarket tires/wheels that I carried jammed in between the wheelwells was a Brute Force 750.

Be careful how you load the Wolverine or any ATV. I broke my rear window with the Wolverine. Had to drive from Kentucky to Florida with it broken. The window is a good $1000+ new from a Toyota dealer or auto glass installer. I got lucky and found a used replacement at a glass installer for $400.

When loading mine I placed a 2x4 between the front tires and the front of the bed. On the day I broke the window, I discovered the front tires CAN flex enough to cause contact with the window. A 2x4 isn't quite enough.

I took a section of 4x4, cut it to length to fit across the front of the bed, and used several long concrete screws to attach it to the front of the bed at just the right height for both the Wolverine with it's 23" tires and the Brute with it's 27" tires.

 

I load mine backwards. The rear tires bump the front of the bed and there is a ton of room between the glass. It can be a little skechy backing up the ramps, but I can't close my tail gate when I pull in on forward. The front bumper hangs over the tail gate just right....try loading in reverse.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

If toyota was really smart, they would just produce first generation pickups, exactly the same as they used to be, with better quality metal obviously, weld the box seam closed so water wont collect there and rust. As for the engine, throw in a newer fuel injected 4 cyl that has more power and gets better gas mileage. Keep everything else basic, no power options. I know what you are thinking, the average american wont buy one. But, they would be super cheap to produce, and they could sell them for like $12 000-14000. Think how many toyota/offroad enthusiasts would by one, if not two. Every second person on this forum would be saving up for one. I can think of 10 of my friends who would start saving the day they came out. But will toyota do this? 0% chance. Its ridiculous. They spend millions of $$ on research every day to improve their vehicles but they cant reduce their profits in one area of sales just to please their longtime loyal offroad drivers? If you ask me Toyota is losing its way, and it doesnt look like its gonna start getting better any time soon.

 

I'd love to be able to buy a truck like that. Give it basic stock equipment, and let the buyer decide what he/she wants installed as options. Offer 4wd off road options that actually work off road (which Toyota has anyway in the TRD) in addition to a front locker.

And let me select exactly what options I want, instead of an option package where I might have to get 5 things I don't need or want in order to get the 4 things I do want.

I had a basic '95 F150 2wd shortbed like that, with a 300 cubic inch 6 cylinder and a 5 speed. I miss that truck.

But the problem here is threefold. (1) Toyota has to compete with what the others are offering, and (2) there are various safety, environmental etc. standards that make it harder to offer something like what you describe. And (3), to keep costs down, they would have to build it on an existing platform like they already have. Introducing a separate platform costs more, and yet the current platform isn't cheap enough to do what you describe for the price you gave.

There is, however, a company that is supposed to be introducing trucks like that, and that is Mahindra, from India.

 

I definitely see what you mean BUT. Could Toyota not just keep producing all the big plastic american trucks like they are now and just produce a smaller amount of older-style simple pickups on the side? Really how much more would it cost them? I actually think they would make tons of money because with the technology they have today they could bang those trucks out effortlessly, and due to the lack of well, everything technology/electronically based, they would cost pennies to make. They can still sell them for close to 15000 which makes them almost all profit. And tons, and I mean tons of people would buy them, and I think thats where toyota is going wrong, they think no one wants them anymore but sooo many people do. Most people just dont want to deal with the work/cost/ and constant repairs of owning an original 80's truck. Especially up here in Canada (especially here in BC) where everyone needs a good 4x4 truck and there are logging slashes/quad trails everywhere you look. I just hate how the world works now. If toyota thinks its going to lose even a penny to please a smaller group of its drivers, it wont do it. But I can almost garuntee they would make a good profit. Toyota should quite telling themselves what people want and instead actually listen to what people want. I should also mention that the majority of people who want big, low, plastic trucks are not the people who have been driving their little plucky toyotas since the 70's and 80's. Its toyota's truly loyal, longtime customers that want something other than what they are producing. Its sad. Very sad indeed. They wont even give us a bloody manual for the new 4runner.

 

Hope my 2011 holds up as well as my '89! Then I'll have something.

 

Are you forgetting about the T-100? I have a '96 T-100 and it has fully boxed rails, I believe. It also has a mechanical 4WD shifter, steel bed, and is all around built very well. It was manufactured in Japan. I think it's the forgotton masterpiece. They really tried to build a bigger and better Toyota and go head to head with Dodge and GM. They didn't succeed, so the it was time for "if we can't beat 'em join 'em" and the more bloated Tundra. That thinking has now trickled down to the Taco, it seems.


Yeah, it's sad though. I think part of it is that with the introduction of the new FJ Cruiser that is their flagship off-road machine, so the Tacoma isn't viewed the same.

I know in the desert racing community quite a few people have a negative view of the strength of the new model Tacoma frames for racing applications.

I'm going to be looking at the Frontier very closely when it comes time to buy another truck - the Frontier is much heavier than the Tacoma, despite having nearly identical dimensions. Where is all that weight coming from? The frame, mostly. The Frontier uses the same basic frame as the Titan.

 

Really I'm not so sure about that. Most comfortable and convienent, maybe. Is it the most rugged still? Fully boxed frame? Proven heavy duty Dana rear axle? Bulletproof racing derrived manual transmission?

What was true in the recent past may not be now.

 

I guess I'll bite...

I've owned, in this order, a '95 4Runner, a '99 4Runner, an '07 Tacoma, an '85 4Runner, a 2010 Xterra and now my 2011 Tacoma DC TRD Off-Road.

I traded my '07 Tacoma in because I didn't think I needed it when I moved to downtown Orlando from Arkansas...I didn't think I would need a truck at all. I traded it for a brand new 2010 Nissan Xterra. Great car - rode well, drove like a sports car, tons of power and it had a nice, versatile interior that would wear well for an active lifestyle. However, it was immediately apparent that it was not a Toyota. The interior fit and finish wasn't the same, things started buzzing/rattling, chirping, creaking, etc. I had to take it back to the dealership on day three to have them check out the rear hatch door panels for something that would buzz (incredibly loudly) every time I hit a decent sized bump.

I just wasn't happy in the Xterra...so...I started researching Toyota's again, waiting for the right moment when I had the cash to buy again and lo-and-behold, I now have a 2011 Tacoma DC TRD Off-Road and I could not be happier.

Has the quality gone down a little bit? Sure it has. Is that due to a decrease in the engineering they put into their vehicles? I sure as hell don't think so. I think it's simply that manufacturers are having to cut costs and that means going with cheaper materials (i.e. plastic vs metal).

Overall, I'm a Toyota guy at heart and as long as they are making vehicles...I will own at least one.



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