“Toyota themselves also didn’t communicate well to the real enthusiast” is the common unfortunate reality across all their new products. Great review Kai 👌🏼
@@chameofrierson7628 I am glad you noticed them, friend of mine saw someone posted on fb market near boston, so I had to ask him to buy them for me and then picked them up from him. cheers!
You consistently catch (and explain!) the small details other miss or gloss over. "Updated, quieter MTS" is one thing, but to see it work sooner and smoother is impressive. Absolutely top-notch content, as always!
I love these videos where Toyota fans marvel at a traction control system that is nearly as good as a 20 year old land rover. Still antiquated and now way overpriced
For anybody who's going to offroad the 4th gen, make sure you armor that frame mount for the rear lower control arm. We in the FJ Cruiser / 4Runner community learned years ago that any significant offroading will bend the steel on this mount and cause issues with removing / upgrading lower control arms later. So it's way cheaper / better to armor it up front than to fix it later. Loving the powertrain on my '24 Tacoma, I'm getting mid 20's highway consistently.
@@J.Young808 75 MPH speed limits here in Colorado, I'm setting the cruise to 83. Got 27 MPG from Denver to Durango and back (about 700 miles) a couple of months ago. I've owned several Toyota trucks: '99 Tacoma, '06 Tundra, '11 FJ, '18 4Runner and now '24 Tacoma. Old Tacoma and Tundra had good power but not enough gears. FJ and 4Runner don't have enough of either (again, I live at 6100 elevation and regularly drive to 11K). The '24 Tacoma is the first of all of them that has enough power and enough gears for this elevation.
Speaking as a modded 3rd gen owner, the factory upgrades are also great for those of us that don't have nearly as much time on our hands anymore and just want something we don't need to mod. There's something to be said about not having to tear the truck apart, even if it costs a little more out of the box (which, feature for feature, as you proved, it doesn't).
That's where I am in life. I have more money than time so I'm willing to go the route of a fully built out from the factory truck. Trail hunter/raptor/zr2 bison. Prices all suck but I don't want to wrench unless something's broken. I spend enough time fucking with motorcycle mods I don't have time for truck too. Plus factory warranty? Yes please.
This guy is amazing. Best informative truck channel on TH-cam. Would love to see him break down the new Tacoma vs the New Colorado ZR2, that would be must watch for me
@@TinkerersAdventurewe are a Toyota family with a 4runner venture, a Rav4, a corolla cross and until September there was also a ‘10 tacoma. I literally worked it hard often on our land, the frame was starting to rust out. When I saw the new taco I was not impressed and got a frontier pro4x. I miss my taco, it ran like a champ and love our other Toyota’s but no turbo’s for us. No way. Especially for my farm truck. Even the cross hybrid has brake problems. Thank goodness we got the regular 2.0. For some of us basic ICE power plants with no frills is what we will buy.
Well I bought a 24... in manual and since it may be my last truck (with a manual, at least) I went all out and got the premium package. Thanks Toyota for still offering the manual.
Thanks Kai for going through all the work to make this comparison. Aside from the cost, I'm glad to see the 4th Gen upgraded with all these new features. I'm sticking with my supercharged 2nd Gen for now as it's more than capable for all the off-roading I do in Hawaii.
10 out 10 video, thank you very much for the detailed information! Don’t get fooled by the 45k price tag, they’re saving money on engine and transmission! Hopefully they will not ban you for scraping their truck though 🥴
Thanks for breaking this down so thoroughly. It's easy to criticize a new truck based on emotions, or get too focused on bells and whistles. Great job focusing us back on the basics, and finding some positive new features on the new model.
That exhaust crossover is super easy and inexpensive to reroute on the 2nd and 3rd Gen … it’s a must-do mod, then get skid plates made without the exhaust bump-out. All works like a dream. 👍
Idgaf what they changed. They got rid of bump stops in favor of a self deleting tophat. TFL had their front transfer case self delete on a mild obstacle and there is already a service bulletin for a failed transmission. The price went up and the quality went down. A midsize truck is not worth 50,000+ dollars.
@kevinfitzpatrick5949 I think is worth it knowing that it is just bit more juice and that's it. It won't transformed the truck but make a little more enjoyable.
Toyota should come out with a barebones enthusiast oriented trail model. They'll never do it, but they should. Give me vinyl seats and vinyl floor and I'll move heaven and earth to get that thing. Like a 70 series ute for the US.
Tbh the biggest turnoff to me was the lack of front bumpstops. I couldn’t believe that somehow Toyota engineers looked at Off-roading in general and decided bumpstops weren’t necessary. I’ve recovered 2 current gen tacos that have blown the top hat of the shock clean out. For the enthusiast who isn’t brand tied. The Gladiator has all the pluses of both gen tacos, a solid front axle, able to fit 37s with no mods or few mods (depends on trim) and it can be had for cheaper than both. When I bought my gladiator I got it fully loaded custom factory ordered. The window sticker even had my name. 50k flat out the door. At the time, Toyota couldn’t even get me a 4x4 SR5 in the color I wanted, and 45k was the lowest I could find. The Gladiator I have compares directly to a TRD Pro/ Offroad Premium. And it was 20k cheaper. I put 40k on my truck in a year of ownership and not one single failure despite heavy off-roading, towing and turning 37s. If you must have a taco; I’m glad your video is here to help split the hairs. But if you’re not set on a taco, get a frontier, ranger , or gladiator. One of em will have all of what you’re looking for, if you can let the Toyota badge go. But I understand if some can’t, hell I couldn’t get over Toyota for years. My first truck was with em. I’ve owned 5 Toyota pickups before I finally realized they couldn’t do what I needed without serious custom work. And throwing out Toyota reliability for the sake of making it do stuff other trucks already do factory just didn’t make any sense. Don’t get me wrong. Toyota makes a fantastic 4x4, easily one of the best. But make sure your taking into consideration your actual use case and needs. No vehicle is truly a do it all rig for anyone.
My local dealer had an off-road premium hybrid for the same price as a ranger raptor. Reliability can be debated between the two models but what you get with the raptor makes it a serious competitor, I’d probably try one before the taco honestly
It would be epic if you made a video comparing the mechanical differences between a late model Rubicon, TRD 4Runner, and Bronco. Obviously, when they are all available. I'm sure your customer base would be willing to help out and supply some vehicles if you made a comment in one of your videos asking people to contact you if they own one of these models. These mechanical breakdowns are far superior to other videos about overlanding vehicles.
Thank you for making me so much happier about choosing my new 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon X over the 2024 TRD Tacoma. I can 35” tires with no suspension mods, flex more with no challenge and have locking front and rear diffs. I own 5 Toyotas, loved them, but Toyota scared me off with new Tundra issues and the new Tacoma transmission issues. Owned a Jeep JKUR for 14 years: ZERO ISSUES. Jeep Gladiator is making me very happy.
Id pick a Gladiator too. I almost picked up a Ecodiesel JTR earlier this year but read too many horror stories about cooling issues while towing and decided not to get it since I have a 5500 lb trailer.
I want anyone who seems concerned about the reliability issues on the 4th gen to google "2007 Toyota Tundra recalls". Toyota issued 14 recalls for the first year model year of the 2nd gen Tundra, 2 of them being for the faulty cams and crankshaft which caused the engine to blow up. Even the bulletproof 5.7 V8 that everyone swears on had major problems in the first model year and it took Toyota a couple of years to figure everything out and make it bulletproof. So new Toyotas aren't "unreliable", it's just the fact that internet makes certain things blow out of proportion for no actual reason.
Great video but I wish you would have addressed long terms reliability concerns with the turbo. Which is a contributing factor to why people don't want to upgrade yet.
Seems like a lot of reviewers are not talking about that and also the issues with the front bump stop shocks, transmission issues, and transfer case parts breaking. Gonna wait to see what fixes they make for 2025 or get a Ranger Raptor instead.
I went from a 3rd Gen to a Gladiator about a year ago, and it can easily fit 38s with a 2-inch lift. The Gladiator wheelbase is really long at 137 inches, but with 38-inch tires, it is not a problem. The haters like to come out of the woodwork over Jeeps reliability. Well, compared to these new Tundras and Tacomas... I guess we will see. So far the Jeep is holding up better than these new generation Toyotas, I've had zero problems, and the Gladiator goes to places my 3rd Gen couldn't muster.
Why would I pay more for a turbo i4 when a natural V6 is better in every way, and both have about the same fuel economy. Plus the older model doesn’t have as many reliability issues as the newer one and was never as expensive either and has more leg room for the family in the back and doesn’t have a stupid motor in the tailgate and has a sturdier solid rear axel with sturdier leaf suspension and the list goes on.
I’ve always said the open C Chanel frame in the 3rd gen was a benefit in articulation. Thanks for confirming. Also, I can’t believe Toyota has gone to front plastic skid plate on the 4th gens.
Your way of breaking this stuff down is truly exceptional man. Bravo. You’re far better explaining this kind of stuff than anyone else. I hope Toyota takes notice. I’m still sad we didn’t end up being Trailhunter bros 😢😆
Great video, glad you touched on the price. People are stuck on the price tag of fully loaded models with every option possible. My 24 TRD off-road was 45k, didn’t see the need for the 8k premium package, hybrid powertrain, etc. It’s still better equipped than my fully loaded 3rd gen was and the powertrain, comfort and fuel economy are vastly better.
@ Not only that. They focusing too much on tourqe, Horsepower and turbo. Thats why Toyotas fall in love with their sweet voice. They dont really want to own it, they just want to feel it taste it and see it just for a test drive. I hate those guys.
Totally understand that Kai's videos take a ton of time and effort to record and edit, but I can't help selfishly wishing for more content because they're so good! 😂 Keep up the amazing work!
4th gen. first year growing pains: transmission problems! And, a turbo instead of 2 more cylinders means the engine is running at higher pressure, which means diminished life span.
We will just look back 15 years from now and see all the models that are gonna have issues. Y☺️used to work at Volkswagen with seeing so many turbo problems I don’t know how or what Toyota did with this magic wand where they are going to last but TIME WILL TELL🙈🤷♂️ we will look back 15 years to see how long they go
Not sure that sorry about the green trail was sincere 😎. Really like the way you break down information and statistics, and look at the whole subject, not just one “gotcha” criteria.
So $14k gets you completely next gen MTS capabilities, better and sturdier frame, better flex, a suite of cameras, ventilated seats, tech that brings you from 2010 to 2024, a powertrain that is heads and shoulders better, better transmission, much more comfortable interior, much quieter interior with acoustic glass, and tons more I’m leaving out. Seems okay to me?
I've been trying to tell people this for months. I paid 44k for a 24 TRD Offroad with the full digital dash and a few other small add-ons like extra floormats, but pretty much stock everything else. The premium package is what makes these things so expensive. Only things I maybe wanted but didn't get were the upgraded sound system which I've heard isn't that great, and a sunroof.
And thats great if you are the person who considers Toyota as the only option. But you could also walk across the street to the Chevy dealer and get a ZR2 with front/rear lockers, amazing suspension, factory 285/70's and stronger engine for 48k. That's the ultimate problem. No one cares if its a few grand more than the 3rd gen Tacoma
@@Jay-me7gw I grew up in a Chevy family. My first car was a K5. But I have never owned a Toyota for less than 10 years that needed anything other than expected maintenance. My dad's last Silverado needed a transmission at 120,000 miles. On top of that, people knock the interiors on these new toyotas for the plastics, but you can drive one for 10 years and the interior holds up. Chevys always feel old after a few years.
@@saywhatnow57 And you know this how? This 4th gen Tacoma has not even been out a year. And, honestly, I dont buy it. I have owned several Toyota trucks built since 2010 and all of them had common issues that needed to be fixed well before 10 years. Even the holy grail 200 series has issues. Radiators failing, cam tower leaks, valley cover plate leaks, secondary air injection pump failures, timing chain tensioner failures, head gasket failures.
@@Jay-me7gw I've owned two 4runners a tundra, and now the tacoma. 10-11 years on all of them except the Tacoma, and no repairs up to 200-210k miles. And my mechanic told me that's common and the reason he drives a 4runner.
I haven't seen a lot of base model with just SDM. It almost always comes along with Premium or Upgrade. Usually only on the most expensive trucks.... But you have an excellent point.
The SDM is basically unobtainable due to the way Toyota bundles options. You're forced into buying either a lot of crap you don't want to get a package that has it, or waiting an eternity for an allocation. These are not common. The "build your Toyota" thing is just a toy. I waited for months to find a base TRD OR with SDM. Zero. It was basically only available with so many bolt on port options that it pushed the price into the mid 50k. The engine is the real gem. It's so much more responsive and the torque so much more useable than the 3rd Gen. The 3rd Gen looks a lot better though. It really is a much nicer looking truck.
I’m in the same boat as you. The way Toyota allocates cars is beyond stupid for vehicles beyond mass market corollas or rav 4s that have barely any options and every single combination available at every dealership. I was first in line at my dealership for the GR Corolla, waited over a year, and when they finally got one, it had no heated seats or LSDs, in a market that has snow on the ground for over half the year. Now I’m in the market for a small truck, would love a Tacoma with the manual, but they only made 6 for my region for an entire month, and even the autos they have are ridiculous $55k+ MSRP.
Hands down best detailed video on the 3rd gen vs 4th. Great comparisons catching stuff like frame flex. As someone that owned both a 3rd gen and 4th gen at the same time, the choice on what to drive is simple…Ford Ranger Raptor. Not putting a locker in the front was a huge miss on the 4th gen. The other comment I have on the 4th gen is they missed the mark on the exhaust placement and the choice to go with a monster aluminum paper thin one piece driveshaft is going to be a problem for anyone who takes it into rocks.
Thanks! Even though I'm a Toyota guy. I have to say Ford is far more in-tuned with the enthusiasts and knows how to have fun. If the Ranger raptor has the bronco's swaybar disconnect and the dealerships are not doing crazy markups, I might have gotten one. And yes, that drive shaft is not ideal at all. It's funny that a lot of non-off-road car reviews were super impressed by how massive it looks
Great video! And the intricate detail is what I've been missing in every other review or comparison I've seen. Thank you for taking the time and effort.
One thing that could be overlooked, at least in the hybrid model, is the low speed crawling control with the electric motor Having instant 150lb-ft of torque in tap is pretty nice from that motor
@@TinkerersAdventure oh that's interesting. On the 'driving sports tv' channel, he was crawling with his LC250 and the engine was turned off while he was going about so wonder if it's a Land Cruiser thing
Btw, thank you so much for making these awesome videos. I don’t own a Toyota anymore, but I am the primary wrench turner in my Offroad group and we are primarily comprised of GXs and 4Runners. Your videos really helped me understand Toyota IFS to a degree that l never thought I would. With your videos I’ve managed to get most of our rigs on 35s with proper articulation and clearance. Something I thought would be impossible. S tier content sir.
As always, well done video. Bought 2023 3rd gen TRD. The reason, I have a 1997 4 run V-6 with 360,000 miles & still runs great. Bought 3rd gen for the engine. Time will tell on new turbo, but there is no replacement for displacement & reliability. Toyota should have stuck with a bulletproof V-6. Many other manufacturers are still doing V-6.
as a 4th gen 4runner owner, i always smack my rear lower trailing arm mounts wherever i go. its been the biggest hurdle to get over since i started wheeling
@@m.687 Every issue has a tsb now just like every truck before. They're still the best at addressing first gen issues and are still the most reliable brand. Even with the tundras 100,000 engine recalls they still have the least recalls of any other manufacture. The 4th gen is just new so people will hate on it. So far absolutely loving mine.
Yep, traction/crawl control was so prehistoric in this generation of Toyota 4WD's compared to what was on the market on other 4WD's. Why it took so long is unbelievable, its like the engineers just moved on until called up to improve it for this new generation, including 300 series in Australia.
@ inflation is a thing but 20k in 5 years is wild. its also more money than arguably superior vehicles , well at least superior in terms of bells and whistle, and horsepower
The US dollar has lost 18% of its purchasing power since 2020 look at the CPI index. 20k in 5 years is not crazy thanks to Biden financial administration and the pandemic
Always great seeing the technical information you bring to these videos man. Love your knowledge and patience in digging into what really matters and bypassing all the wild speculation the automotive community is so full of.
Very odd that the video started off by giving the 3rd gen larger BFG AT K/O tires, while the 4th gen had to work "out of the box". Upgrade the 4th gen with a taller set of more aggressive rubber and of course you'll see the gap widen. There's also a TRD Upgrade package that's $4k instead of the $8k package with multi-terrain monitoring. No moonroof or ventilated seats, but you get the good stuff and keep the price below $50k. Electronic rear locker, bilstein remote reserviors and multi-link suspension, boxed frame, and we never discussed the large amount of torque on tap with the engine, did we. V8-Tundra torque without the MPG penalty.
Great video! I think starting in 2020 there started being all these reports of issues with crawl control not being able to climb over ledges. It seemed to be some update Toyota did that never was resolved. The third gen’s before then don’t have that issue, though it still is super loud and sounds like something is breaking!! 😂
Excellent video Kai! I do wish larger tires were easier to run on a 3rd Gen. I was in some surprisingly deep snow last night and I quickly wished I had more floatation from 35's. But overall I'm still extremely pleased with my 2022.
Good comparison. The 3rd gen will still outlast a turbo 4 cylinder. The 24s are having transmission malfunctions as well. I do like the look of the 4th gen but too much tech. Im happy with my 23 tacoma.
Jesus I just posted this video on the Toyota Tacoma subreddit and it is getting flamed to oblivion. That forum is full of boomers who hate an objective analysis. Thanks for the video
Super informative video! And someone ..."you"...finally convinced me to subscribe to On X Offroad! Personally...I didn't buy a 3rd gen and wouldn't even consider it over a 4th gen if it were half the price...
Enjoyed your video, as usual, nice analysis! Thanks for showing potential buyers how to knock $9K off the price for fluff. Check out that front sway bar disconnect after a couple of seasons in the rust(road salt) belt and see if it still functions, a la KDSS. Toyota comes up with some good ideas but they don't seem to execute them fully for the long term.
I think whether or not the upgrades justify the price increase is beside the point. People were happy with the capabilities of earlier gens at affordable prices.
My problem with this new Tacoma and hell all the new platform Offroad minded offerings by toyota is that they literally dropped the ball. They're charging premium prices and you dont get Extended travel and front/rear lockers like the Colorado/Ranger Raptor. They've let Ford/Chevy outpace them in the market that they had the tightest grip on. Who the hell wants fancy suspension seats when you could buy a Ranger raptor for less and get all the offroad goodies the Tacoma came with. 50K for a mid size pickup truck with a baby 4 cylinder engine aint it either. EPA really cooked the US market there. I'll just chill with my 2nd gen 2005 Tacoma and enjoy it for many more miles to come.
You made excellent scientific and real world arguments but for me the V6 vs 4chl turbo is a deal breaker. Time will tell if these new Tacos will be reliable with few breakdowns all the way to 500,00-800,000 miles
saw my first trd pro tacoma yesterday in silverthorne, co. still don’t understand people getting the pro over trailhunter. have 0 regrets cancelling my deposit for a msrp trailhunter tacoma (was first in line at the dealership) I’d be getting the new GX if it wasn’t for the kdss limited approach angle.
My 3rd gen was $34.5k having no bells and whistles in 2020. That is $20k to spend on upgrades. Granted 2023 Tacomas were upping the price and harder to find a base off road configuration.
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Good stuff, but I really wish you actually measured the 3rd gen with the front sway bar removed for the suspension flex test. We got measured data on the other 3 scenarios, and only an assumption based on the lower control arm and cv axle changes.
I love wrenching on my 1st gen taco and overlanding with my 3rd gen lifted taco. I'm glad you highlight the pros of the 4th gen for rock-crawling purist. I still advise people to wait 2-3 more yrs until Toyota smooth out the transmission and engine issues if they want the 4th gen. I'm very happy with my 3rd gen bc I can still fix it myself and deal with suspension upgrades. Btw, there is a lawsuit now for their transmission. The removal of bump stop is a bit worrisome for me as well, but I'm the type that could weld on actual mount pt for myself. The transmission casing is thinner but people are going get armor for that anyways. Biggest issue is the engine with documented failed ones that need replacement similar to the new Tundra. This is both in Japan and US factories that related to their new cleaning protocol (sounds automated and could be fixed). I'm most happy with my 2000 yrs old Tacoma 2.7L 4wd bc I can rebuild the entire truck and the engine if I need to. The hybrid option really worries me bc those batteries are going to cost 10-20k in 10 yrs to replace. Overall, people are trading reliability for performance. However, I suspect new Toyota Tacoma as still get 200k meanwhile 3rd gens are documented to 300k miles already.
My 24 TRD Off Road was just over $46k, and it's pretty well loaded. No premium package but a lot of other things. I feel like I got a lot of truck for 46k.
Nobody does breakdowns like this. I can’t imagine how long these types of videos take to make. This channel is amazing
Agreed. Great content.
Indeed. It's fabulous.
Exactly!!
Amazing video
“Toyota themselves also didn’t communicate well to the real enthusiast” is the common unfortunate reality across all their new products. Great review Kai 👌🏼
I mean, a lot of enthusiasts WANTED to hate the truck and went out of their way to find reasons to justify their predisposition.
Yeah I agree. Most people have made up their mind before doing any homework. Car community shouldn’t be like US politics lol
Real enthusiasts go for solid axle trucks.
THAT IS ONE CLEAN 3RD GEN! Men of culture, here we meet again, I love my truck btw lol
where did you find these 6 lug Rock Warriors lol. IM the only one who notices this thing LMAO
@@chameofrierson7628 I am glad you noticed them, friend of mine saw someone posted on fb market near boston, so I had to ask him to buy them for me and then picked them up from him. cheers!
You consistently catch (and explain!) the small details other miss or gloss over. "Updated, quieter MTS" is one thing, but to see it work sooner and smoother is impressive. Absolutely top-notch content, as always!
I love these videos where Toyota fans marvel at a traction control system that is nearly as good as a 20 year old land rover. Still antiquated and now way overpriced
I'm not even a Toyota guy, but these vids are great. Thank you for making such informational content
I’m a jeep guy but as an enthusiast I really like these videos. Love how in depth they get. Excellent work
This was just a superlative review. Fantastic original research and testing. So called automotive journalists manage to miss all of these details
automotive stenographers*
I’m not even in the market for a Taco, but yet I still watch and learn from your videos.
Solid work, Kai.
This is the best review of the new 2024 Tacoma and the best comparison between the 3rd and 4th generation. Great job
I cannot say how much I appreciate the attention to detail on the camera work, having these visual A:B comparisons is so helpful!
For anybody who's going to offroad the 4th gen, make sure you armor that frame mount for the rear lower control arm. We in the FJ Cruiser / 4Runner community learned years ago that any significant offroading will bend the steel on this mount and cause issues with removing / upgrading lower control arms later. So it's way cheaper / better to armor it up front than to fix it later.
Loving the powertrain on my '24 Tacoma, I'm getting mid 20's highway consistently.
I get 20-25mpg on my 2023 Tacoma TRDOR 4x4 ACLB since my commute to work is 26 miles one way and Honolulu freeway speed limits are 45-60 mph.
Makes me wonder if I should get the new LC since they basically have the same powertrain.
@@J.Young808 75 MPH speed limits here in Colorado, I'm setting the cruise to 83. Got 27 MPG from Denver to Durango and back (about 700 miles) a couple of months ago.
I've owned several Toyota trucks: '99 Tacoma, '06 Tundra, '11 FJ, '18 4Runner and now '24 Tacoma. Old Tacoma and Tundra had good power but not enough gears. FJ and 4Runner don't have enough of either (again, I live at 6100 elevation and regularly drive to 11K). The '24 Tacoma is the first of all of them that has enough power and enough gears for this elevation.
@@jimmy-buffettbecause of electrification and turbos?
@@NickHolum mine is the non-hybrid version. But the turbocharger makes a huge difference up here at elevation.
The thinking man's review channel.
Speaking as a modded 3rd gen owner, the factory upgrades are also great for those of us that don't have nearly as much time on our hands anymore and just want something we don't need to mod. There's something to be said about not having to tear the truck apart, even if it costs a little more out of the box (which, feature for feature, as you proved, it doesn't).
That's where I am in life. I have more money than time so I'm willing to go the route of a fully built out from the factory truck. Trail hunter/raptor/zr2 bison. Prices all suck but I don't want to wrench unless something's broken. I spend enough time fucking with motorcycle mods I don't have time for truck too. Plus factory warranty? Yes please.
Still in love with my army green 2021 Tacoma.
Drive nice, excellent off road abilities
This guy is amazing. Best informative truck channel on TH-cam. Would love to see him break down the new Tacoma vs the New Colorado ZR2, that would be must watch for me
But then people would see that Chevy is better than Toyota for less money.
That doesn't fit the narrative
Would a new frontier v Tacoma be a good video idea? I really like your in depth analysis on both trucks.
I’ve always been curious about the Nissan platform!
@@TinkerersAdventure would love to see your opinion of it. It’s by far the most detailed on TH-cam.
@@TinkerersAdventurewe are a Toyota family with a 4runner venture, a Rav4, a corolla cross and until September there was also a ‘10 tacoma. I literally worked it hard often on our land, the frame was starting to rust out. When I saw the new taco I was not impressed and got a frontier pro4x. I miss my taco, it ran like a champ and love our other Toyota’s but no turbo’s for us. No way. Especially for my farm truck. Even the cross hybrid has brake problems. Thank goodness we got the regular 2.0. For some of us basic ICE power plants with no frills is what we will buy.
Please look at the frontier unless you get paid by Toyota;)
Let’s see the gen 3 vs frontier please
Well I bought a 24... in manual and since it may be my last truck (with a manual, at least) I went all out and got the premium package. Thanks Toyota for still offering the manual.
Who else is still waiting for the FJ vs LC250 vid. Still a great and enjoyable video though!
It is coming!
@@TinkerersAdventure is it not a complete walk by the LC? that would shock me
Thanks Kai for going through all the work to make this comparison. Aside from the cost, I'm glad to see the 4th Gen upgraded with all these new features. I'm sticking with my supercharged 2nd Gen for now as it's more than capable for all the off-roading I do in Hawaii.
I'm a Jeep owner and engineer. I love and appreciate the work you do!!
10 out 10 video, thank you very much for the detailed information!
Don’t get fooled by the 45k price tag, they’re saving money on engine and transmission! Hopefully they will not ban you for scraping their truck though 🥴
Thanks for breaking this down so thoroughly. It's easy to criticize a new truck based on emotions, or get too focused on bells and whistles. Great job focusing us back on the basics, and finding some positive new features on the new model.
That exhaust crossover is super easy and inexpensive to reroute on the 2nd and 3rd Gen … it’s a must-do mod, then get skid plates made without the exhaust bump-out. All works like a dream. 👍
what about the transfer case
Idgaf what they changed. They got rid of bump stops in favor of a self deleting tophat. TFL had their front transfer case self delete on a mild obstacle and there is already a service bulletin for a failed transmission. The price went up and the quality went down. A midsize truck is not worth 50,000+ dollars.
I ended up regearing to 488s and putting a supercharger on my 3rd Gen. So far so good and will be a forever truck for me.
How do you like the supercharger? Worth 8k? That's my only complaint wity my 3rd gen
@kevinfitzpatrick5949 I think is worth it knowing that it is just bit more juice and that's it. It won't transformed the truck but make a little more enjoyable.
Toyota should come out with a barebones enthusiast oriented trail model. They'll never do it, but they should. Give me vinyl seats and vinyl floor and I'll move heaven and earth to get that thing. Like a 70 series ute for the US.
With a single cab short bed 🥴
why not just sell us 70-series finally
Tbh the biggest turnoff to me was the lack of front bumpstops. I couldn’t believe that somehow Toyota engineers looked at Off-roading in general and decided bumpstops weren’t necessary. I’ve recovered 2 current gen tacos that have blown the top hat of the shock clean out. For the enthusiast who isn’t brand tied. The Gladiator has all the pluses of both gen tacos, a solid front axle, able to fit 37s with no mods or few mods (depends on trim) and it can be had for cheaper than both. When I bought my gladiator I got it fully loaded custom factory ordered. The window sticker even had my name. 50k flat out the door. At the time, Toyota couldn’t even get me a 4x4 SR5 in the color I wanted, and 45k was the lowest I could find. The Gladiator I have compares directly to a TRD Pro/ Offroad Premium. And it was 20k cheaper. I put 40k on my truck in a year of ownership and not one single failure despite heavy off-roading, towing and turning 37s. If you must have a taco; I’m glad your video is here to help split the hairs. But if you’re not set on a taco, get a frontier, ranger , or gladiator. One of em will have all of what you’re looking for, if you can let the Toyota badge go. But I understand if some can’t, hell I couldn’t get over Toyota for years. My first truck was with em. I’ve owned 5 Toyota pickups before I finally realized they couldn’t do what I needed without serious custom work. And throwing out Toyota reliability for the sake of making it do stuff other trucks already do factory just didn’t make any sense. Don’t get me wrong. Toyota makes a fantastic 4x4, easily one of the best. But make sure your taking into consideration your actual use case and needs. No vehicle is truly a do it all rig for anyone.
gladiators cant go over washboards
@@dalton-at-workyou’ve never driven a Mojave have you? Or literally any gladiator with a simple shock upgrade?
@@cortlundtowell5252 lol no. why would i, i own a land cruiser
@@dalton-at-work that’s fair. LCs are peak
My local dealer had an off-road premium hybrid for the same price as a ranger raptor. Reliability can be debated between the two models but what you get with the raptor makes it a serious competitor, I’d probably try one before the taco honestly
It would be epic if you made a video comparing the mechanical differences between a late model Rubicon, TRD 4Runner, and Bronco. Obviously, when they are all available. I'm sure your customer base would be willing to help out and supply some vehicles if you made a comment in one of your videos asking people to contact you if they own one of these models. These mechanical breakdowns are far superior to other videos about overlanding vehicles.
Thank you for making me so much happier about choosing my new 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon X over the 2024 TRD Tacoma.
I can 35” tires with no suspension mods, flex more with no challenge and have locking front and rear diffs.
I own 5 Toyotas, loved them, but Toyota scared me off with new Tundra issues and the new Tacoma transmission issues.
Owned a Jeep JKUR for 14 years: ZERO ISSUES. Jeep Gladiator is making me very happy.
Id pick a Gladiator too. I almost picked up a Ecodiesel JTR earlier this year but read too many horror stories about cooling issues while towing and decided not to get it since I have a 5500 lb trailer.
I want anyone who seems concerned about the reliability issues on the 4th gen to google "2007 Toyota Tundra recalls".
Toyota issued 14 recalls for the first year model year of the 2nd gen Tundra, 2 of them being for the faulty cams and crankshaft which caused the engine to blow up.
Even the bulletproof 5.7 V8 that everyone swears on had major problems in the first model year and it took Toyota a couple of years to figure everything out and make it bulletproof.
So new Toyotas aren't "unreliable", it's just the fact that internet makes certain things blow out of proportion for no actual reason.
Great video but I wish you would have addressed long terms reliability concerns with the turbo. Which is a contributing factor to why people don't want to upgrade yet.
Seems like a lot of reviewers are not talking about that and also the issues with the front bump stop shocks, transmission issues, and transfer case parts breaking. Gonna wait to see what fixes they make for 2025 or get a Ranger Raptor instead.
I went from a 3rd Gen to a Gladiator about a year ago, and it can easily fit 38s with a 2-inch lift. The Gladiator wheelbase is really long at 137 inches, but with 38-inch tires, it is not a problem. The haters like to come out of the woodwork over Jeeps reliability. Well, compared to these new Tundras and Tacomas... I guess we will see. So far the Jeep is holding up better than these new generation Toyotas, I've had zero problems, and the Gladiator goes to places my 3rd Gen couldn't muster.
Jeeps are already proven to be the most unreliable vehicle so good luck with your experiment.
This video is nuts. You made me see stuff that isn’t even near my radar.
Why would I pay more for a turbo i4 when a natural V6 is better in every way, and both have about the same fuel economy. Plus the older model doesn’t have as many reliability issues as the newer one and was never as expensive either and has more leg room for the family in the back and doesn’t have a stupid motor in the tailgate and has a sturdier solid rear axel with sturdier leaf suspension and the list goes on.
I’ve always said the open C Chanel frame in the 3rd gen was a benefit in articulation. Thanks for confirming.
Also, I can’t believe Toyota has gone to front plastic skid plate on the 4th gens.
Your way of breaking this stuff down is truly exceptional man. Bravo. You’re far better explaining this kind of stuff than anyone else. I hope Toyota takes notice.
I’m still sad we didn’t end up being Trailhunter bros 😢😆
Thanks! I know :( I almost got one
Great video, glad you touched on the price. People are stuck on the price tag of fully loaded models with every option possible. My 24 TRD off-road was 45k, didn’t see the need for the 8k premium package, hybrid powertrain, etc. It’s still better equipped than my fully loaded 3rd gen was and the powertrain, comfort and fuel economy are vastly better.
Just wow. This is the best truck review iv ever seen.
Most of them just focus on exterior, interior and driving.
Yeah and others are even worst by doing 1/4 mile comparison 🤣🤦
@ Not only that. They focusing too much on tourqe, Horsepower and turbo. Thats why Toyotas fall in love with their sweet voice. They dont really want to own it, they just want to feel it taste it and see it just for a test drive. I hate those guys.
Totally understand that Kai's videos take a ton of time and effort to record and edit, but I can't help selfishly wishing for more content because they're so good! 😂 Keep up the amazing work!
4th gen. first year growing pains: transmission problems! And, a turbo instead of 2 more cylinders means the engine is running at higher pressure, which means diminished life span.
We will just look back 15 years from now and see all the models that are gonna have issues. Y☺️used to work at Volkswagen with seeing so many turbo problems I don’t know how or what Toyota did with this magic wand where they are going to last but TIME WILL TELL🙈🤷♂️ we will look back 15 years to see how long they go
Not sure that sorry about the green trail was sincere 😎. Really like the way you break down information and statistics, and look at the whole subject, not just one “gotcha” criteria.
So $14k gets you completely next gen MTS capabilities, better and sturdier frame, better flex, a suite of cameras, ventilated seats, tech that brings you from 2010 to 2024, a powertrain that is heads and shoulders better, better transmission, much more comfortable interior, much quieter interior with acoustic glass, and tons more I’m leaving out. Seems okay to me?
Incorrect
my 2020 shifts pretty good and unless you have one of the earlier models the tech on the later 3rds gens where not bad
Historically, you wouldn’t see that 14k increase from 10-20 years LOL. Will you be ok with another 14k increase in 5 years?
I've been trying to tell people this for months. I paid 44k for a 24 TRD Offroad with the full digital dash and a few other small add-ons like extra floormats, but pretty much stock everything else. The premium package is what makes these things so expensive. Only things I maybe wanted but didn't get were the upgraded sound system which I've heard isn't that great, and a sunroof.
And thats great if you are the person who considers Toyota as the only option. But you could also walk across the street to the Chevy dealer and get a ZR2 with front/rear lockers, amazing suspension, factory 285/70's and stronger engine for 48k. That's the ultimate problem. No one cares if its a few grand more than the 3rd gen Tacoma
@@Jay-me7gw I grew up in a Chevy family. My first car was a K5. But I have never owned a Toyota for less than 10 years that needed anything other than expected maintenance. My dad's last Silverado needed a transmission at 120,000 miles. On top of that, people knock the interiors on these new toyotas for the plastics, but you can drive one for 10 years and the interior holds up. Chevys always feel old after a few years.
@@saywhatnow57 And you know this how? This 4th gen Tacoma has not even been out a year.
And, honestly, I dont buy it. I have owned several Toyota trucks built since 2010 and all of them had common issues that needed to be fixed well before 10 years. Even the holy grail 200 series has issues. Radiators failing, cam tower leaks, valley cover plate leaks, secondary air injection pump failures, timing chain tensioner failures, head gasket failures.
@@Jay-me7gw I've owned two 4runners a tundra, and now the tacoma. 10-11 years on all of them except the Tacoma, and no repairs up to 200-210k miles. And my mechanic told me that's common and the reason he drives a 4runner.
I own a 3rd gen tacoma and 5th gen 4runner. My issue with trading either of them for the newer counter parts is 4 cylinder. That one i can't abide by.
Another GREAT video that shows the attention to detail and thorough job Kai and his friends do each time! I love it!
I haven't seen a lot of base model with just SDM. It almost always comes along with Premium or Upgrade. Usually only on the most expensive trucks.... But you have an excellent point.
2023 TRD-OR for life! I will add a 4th gen if I have to but only after another 3-4 years when the kinks are worked out.
I doubt I will never buy this garbage. Massive transmission issues, and recalls on tundra... Toyota has killed themselves with these new trucks
The SDM is basically unobtainable due to the way Toyota bundles options. You're forced into buying either a lot of crap you don't want to get a package that has it, or waiting an eternity for an allocation. These are not common. The "build your Toyota" thing is just a toy.
I waited for months to find a base TRD OR with SDM. Zero. It was basically only available with so many bolt on port options that it pushed the price into the mid 50k.
The engine is the real gem. It's so much more responsive and the torque so much more useable than the 3rd Gen.
The 3rd Gen looks a lot better though. It really is a much nicer looking truck.
I’m in the same boat as you. The way Toyota allocates cars is beyond stupid for vehicles beyond mass market corollas or rav 4s that have barely any options and every single combination available at every dealership. I was first in line at my dealership for the GR Corolla, waited over a year, and when they finally got one, it had no heated seats or LSDs, in a market that has snow on the ground for over half the year. Now I’m in the market for a small truck, would love a Tacoma with the manual, but they only made 6 for my region for an entire month, and even the autos they have are ridiculous $55k+ MSRP.
Hands down best detailed video on the 3rd gen vs 4th. Great comparisons catching stuff like frame flex. As someone that owned both a 3rd gen and 4th gen at the same time, the choice on what to drive is simple…Ford Ranger Raptor. Not putting a locker in the front was a huge miss on the 4th gen. The other comment I have on the 4th gen is they missed the mark on the exhaust placement and the choice to go with a monster aluminum paper thin one piece driveshaft is going to be a problem for anyone who takes it into rocks.
Thanks! Even though I'm a Toyota guy. I have to say Ford is far more in-tuned with the enthusiasts and knows how to have fun. If the Ranger raptor has the bronco's swaybar disconnect and the dealerships are not doing crazy markups, I might have gotten one. And yes, that drive shaft is not ideal at all. It's funny that a lot of non-off-road car reviews were super impressed by how massive it looks
Great video! And the intricate detail is what I've been missing in every other review or comparison I've seen.
Thank you for taking the time and effort.
The motor option is the main reason I would not even think about purchasing the new taco.
Totally dig your in depth explanations and presentation. Appreciate all of your hard work!
One thing that could be overlooked, at least in the hybrid model, is the low speed crawling control with the electric motor
Having instant 150lb-ft of torque in tap is pretty nice from that motor
Good thinking, but the iforcemax electric motor is disabled in 4Lo. Currently for Toyota, only the Lexus LX700h uses the hybrid system in 4Lo.
@@TinkerersAdventure oh that's interesting. On the 'driving sports tv' channel, he was crawling with his LC250 and the engine was turned off while he was going about so wonder if it's a Land Cruiser thing
Btw, thank you so much for making these awesome videos. I don’t own a Toyota anymore, but I am the primary wrench turner in my Offroad group and we are primarily comprised of GXs and 4Runners. Your videos really helped me understand Toyota IFS to a degree that l never thought I would. With your videos I’ve managed to get most of our rigs on 35s with proper articulation and clearance. Something I thought would be impossible. S tier content sir.
As always, well done video. Bought 2023 3rd gen TRD. The reason, I have a 1997 4 run V-6 with 360,000 miles & still runs great. Bought 3rd gen for the engine. Time will tell on new turbo, but there is no replacement for displacement & reliability. Toyota should have stuck with a bulletproof V-6. Many other manufacturers are still doing V-6.
Name the “many other manufacturers”. Only one I know of is Nissan. (Frontier).
Woah! The quality of this breakdown is super impressive. Hats off well done!
as a 4th gen 4runner owner, i always smack my rear lower trailing arm mounts wherever i go. its been the biggest hurdle to get over since i started wheeling
Too many recalls and transmission issues, $55k price not justified at all. Do better Toyota.
There's no recalls on the 24
3rd gen had more recalls in its first 6 months and was essentially the same price when adjusted for inflation. Don’t ride the hate train. Do better.
Funny how people are so arrogant. Every gen had problems when they first debuted. Here's another fact, they are both built at the same damn factory
@@m.687think again...
@@m.687 Every issue has a tsb now just like every truck before. They're still the best at addressing first gen issues and are still the most reliable brand. Even with the tundras 100,000 engine recalls they still have the least recalls of any other manufacture. The 4th gen is just new so people will hate on it. So far absolutely loving mine.
Yep, traction/crawl control was so prehistoric in this generation of Toyota 4WD's compared to what was on the market on other 4WD's. Why it took so long is unbelievable, its like the engineers just moved on until called up to improve it for this new generation, including 300 series in Australia.
I learn a lot from these videos. I don't even have or plan on buying a truck
Great Video! Trying to hold an unbiased view while being sponsored is hard. You nailed it!
I paid 36 for my offroad 5 years ago , thats almost 20k difference in price !!!
I paid $22K for my first house, the one I live in now cost me $200K 12 years ago.
@yername31 I guess inflation is not a thing
@@j0rg.3 It is, but some things inflate but don't equate.
@
inflation is a thing but 20k in 5 years is wild.
its also more money than arguably superior vehicles ,
well at least superior in terms of bells and whistle, and horsepower
The US dollar has lost 18% of its purchasing power since 2020 look at the CPI index. 20k in 5 years is not crazy thanks to Biden financial administration and the pandemic
Always great seeing the technical information you bring to these videos man. Love your knowledge and patience in digging into what really matters and bypassing all the wild speculation the automotive community is so full of.
Your videos never disappoint, awesome work!
Very odd that the video started off by giving the 3rd gen larger BFG AT K/O tires, while the 4th gen had to work "out of the box". Upgrade the 4th gen with a taller set of more aggressive rubber and of course you'll see the gap widen. There's also a TRD Upgrade package that's $4k instead of the $8k package with multi-terrain monitoring. No moonroof or ventilated seats, but you get the good stuff and keep the price below $50k. Electronic rear locker, bilstein remote reserviors and multi-link suspension, boxed frame, and we never discussed the large amount of torque on tap with the engine, did we. V8-Tundra torque without the MPG penalty.
3rd gen for the win!!!!! 🏁
When I'm done with my 2nd Gen I'll see how the 4th gen is looking. Thanks for the review!;
Thanks!
Thank you for your support!
Great video! I think starting in 2020 there started being all these reports of issues with crawl control not being able to climb over ledges. It seemed to be some update Toyota did that never was resolved. The third gen’s before then don’t have that issue, though it still is super loud and sounds like something is breaking!! 😂
Absolutely superb breakdown and review. No one does this sort of objective empirical testing better.
aftermarket high clearance steel front bumper on the 4th gen sounds like the move for those owners
Did you forget to cover the issues with the new internal bump stops?
What's wrong with them? Do they explode
Excellent video Kai! I do wish larger tires were easier to run on a 3rd Gen. I was in some surprisingly deep snow last night and I quickly wished I had more floatation from 35's. But overall I'm still extremely pleased with my 2022.
Thanks Jason! You guys did the high mark fender on the ZR2. You can probably knock out that Tacoma big tire kit while having breakfast 💪💪
Good comparison. The 3rd gen will still outlast a turbo 4 cylinder. The 24s are having transmission malfunctions as well. I do like the look of the 4th gen but too much tech. Im happy with my 23 tacoma.
Jesus I just posted this video on the Toyota Tacoma subreddit and it is getting flamed to oblivion. That forum is full of boomers who hate an objective analysis. Thanks for the video
Super informative video! And someone ..."you"...finally convinced me to subscribe to On X Offroad! Personally...I didn't buy a 3rd gen and wouldn't even consider it over a 4th gen if it were half the price...
Very informative! I love my 23 TRD Off Road!
Been waiting a long while for this review.
Enjoyed your video, as usual, nice analysis! Thanks for showing potential buyers how to knock $9K off the price for fluff. Check out that front sway bar disconnect after a couple of seasons in the rust(road salt) belt and see if it still functions, a la KDSS. Toyota comes up with some good ideas but they don't seem to execute them fully for the long term.
I am highly impressed with your presentation format. You've earned yourself a long term subscriber.
I think whether or not the upgrades justify the price increase is beside the point. People were happy with the capabilities of earlier gens at affordable prices.
My problem with this new Tacoma and hell all the new platform Offroad minded offerings by toyota is that they literally dropped the ball. They're charging premium prices and you dont get Extended travel and front/rear lockers like the Colorado/Ranger Raptor. They've let Ford/Chevy outpace them in the market that they had the tightest grip on. Who the hell wants fancy suspension seats when you could buy a Ranger raptor for less and get all the offroad goodies the Tacoma came with. 50K for a mid size pickup truck with a baby 4 cylinder engine aint it either. EPA really cooked the US market there. I'll just chill with my 2nd gen 2005 Tacoma and enjoy it for many more miles to come.
All things considered, I’d go 3rd gen for so many reasons.
Fabulous video. 🍻
What about the difference between engines? You didn’t mention on it but for many people a 4 cylinder is a turnoff
I still prefer my 3rd gen any other other day. It’s out dated but it doesn’t have sensor issues
You made excellent scientific and real world arguments but for me the V6 vs 4chl turbo is a deal breaker. Time will tell if these new Tacos will be reliable with few breakdowns all the way to 500,00-800,000 miles
But very very few people actually drive their Tacoma's that far.
You can’t go wrong with either option. Resale value is best in class, and while not perfect, they are better than anything else.
I waited a month for your video and per usual, always worth it !!!! Thanks so much for all the hard work you put into all the videos
Very thorough as always! Keep up the great work friend! 👍👍👍
F&F intro is gold, nice work.
I've had both, and the new one is just miles better than the old one.
I’d love to see you do a breakdown between the Tacoma, ranger raptor and Colorado bison.
what a cool video. While I don't want a mid size truck at all, I really enjoyed watching this video!
saw my first trd pro tacoma yesterday in silverthorne, co. still don’t understand people getting the pro over trailhunter.
have 0 regrets cancelling my deposit for a msrp trailhunter tacoma (was first in line at the dealership)
I’d be getting the new GX if it wasn’t for the kdss limited approach angle.
My 3rd gen was $34.5k having no bells and whistles in 2020. That is $20k to spend on upgrades. Granted 2023 Tacomas were upping the price and harder to find a base off road configuration.
Good stuff, but I really wish you actually measured the 3rd gen with the front sway bar removed for the suspension flex test. We got measured data on the other 3 scenarios, and only an assumption based on the lower control arm and cv axle changes.
I had a v6 2016 3rd gen that I just ran a Y-pipe on in order to remove the pesky exhaust hang.
I love wrenching on my 1st gen taco and overlanding with my 3rd gen lifted taco. I'm glad you highlight the pros of the 4th gen for rock-crawling purist. I still advise people to wait 2-3 more yrs until Toyota smooth out the transmission and engine issues if they want the 4th gen. I'm very happy with my 3rd gen bc I can still fix it myself and deal with suspension upgrades. Btw, there is a lawsuit now for their transmission. The removal of bump stop is a bit worrisome for me as well, but I'm the type that could weld on actual mount pt for myself. The transmission casing is thinner but people are going get armor for that anyways. Biggest issue is the engine with documented failed ones that need replacement similar to the new Tundra. This is both in Japan and US factories that related to their new cleaning protocol (sounds automated and could be fixed). I'm most happy with my 2000 yrs old Tacoma 2.7L 4wd bc I can rebuild the entire truck and the engine if I need to. The hybrid option really worries me bc those batteries are going to cost 10-20k in 10 yrs to replace. Overall, people are trading reliability for performance. However, I suspect new Toyota Tacoma as still get 200k meanwhile 3rd gens are documented to 300k miles already.
How do you have a Tacoma that's 2000 years old?
My 24 TRD Off Road was just over $46k, and it's pretty well loaded. No premium package but a lot of other things. I feel like I got a lot of truck for 46k.