Small/mid-size trucks, best all around

[KB_]

the new 2023 Colorado's look awesome! But I just got a new truck so im SOL

 

[Deleted member 48080]

the new 2023 Colorado's look awesome! But I just got a new truck so im SOL

Really lame that they aren't offering a 6' bed or extended cab. I'm dragging my feet to see the new Tacoma.

 

[LousyResident]

At the recommendation of a fellow member, I'm posting the following review/follow up for any others considering the Frontier.

Overall I'm really happy with it and have only minor complaints. It more than suits my needs and the interior size is sufficient that my wife and kids don't mind hopping in it instead of the crew cab F150. I personally find it really enjoyable to drive and have been satisfied with the off road features I've tried out.

My very minor complaints/thoughts are below, in no particular order. Some of these don't bother me at all, but are worth mentioning for your consideration.

• The engine isn't super peppy. It doesn't feel underpowered or anything, but when used to driving my wife's twin turbo v6 EcoBoost it is definitely a step down. That being said, compared to my 2000 F250 V8 I got rid of, it's worlds apart. The gas pedal feels like it has a delay when you first start pressing it which takes a little bit to get used to. It'll throw you off if you're trying to quickly jump out at a light or something. But once you get used to the delay you almost forget about it because you naturally start pressing it sooner.
• In spite of the above, the gas mileage isn't great. I'm averaging about 16 mpg around town, less if I'm driving more aggressively. I don't take it easy and could probably get those numbers up, but it's not a huge deal.
  • Also, the dash MPG is off by +/- 2 mpg for me consistently. It says north of 17 mpg but hand calculating puts me closer to 15-16.
  • This is also partly due to having the Pro-4x model which doesn't have the front chin spoiler which saves gas. And I brought brand new so it might still be breaking in a bit.
  • Plus, I think the gas tank is only like 18 gallons. If I was putting a bunch of miles on instead of working from home that might get annoying. That being said, only the highway using cruise control at reasonable speeds I get close to 20 mpg.
• I'm a big guy and generally feel like I have plenty of room. However, the seats feel slightly narrow because the way the seat belt comes up the side. My wife isn't a huge fan because she feels like it digs into her hip a bit. Doesn't bother me at all.
• The bed is definitely short, but I've hauled soil, furniture (with the tailgate down), etc. with it and hasn't been a problem with real world use for me. The max payload is a little limited on the Pro-4X. But, again, not enough to matter to me for day to day driving.
• The intelligent cruise control is interesting. For the most part I really like it, especially if there are ebbs and flows in traffic as it automatically adjusts to the car in front of you. But, it has quirks, such as:
  • It down shifts really aggressively to get up/keep speed on hills and such, but doesn't down shift to slow speed going downhill. It will use brakes all the way down to a stop if traffic is slowing in front of you.
  • If you're behind someone and cruise control is matching, or even sensing them, and they merge into a turn lane (think a shared middle turn lane on a 3 lane road) it will sometimes slow down aggressively to keep space between the car, especially if the other car is a slow merger. This one is probably the most annoying and will have me reaching for the pedal to override it.
• I've heard complaints about the shifting pattern with the 8 speed but it doesn't bother me. I have noticed that if I'm really trying to baby it for some reason it's a little weird because it'll run through the first 5 gears really quick, like by the time I'm at 30 mph, which leaves you feeling a little gutless. But like I said, doesn't bother me normally or if I'm trying aggressively.
  • Somewhat related, the "manual" shifting option is basically useless. I use it occasionally to slow down on steep hills and it helps. But the transmission has some built in "nanny" features that limit it's usability. If you're trying to downshift too far it simply won't. If you're coasting (like at the bottom of the hill) and try to upshift without pressing the gas, it won't. It'll wait until you start giving it gas to run through the gears.
• I wish it had wireless android auto. It has a wireless charging pad but I have to use a cable for Android Auto.
• Reaching some of the random buttons (rear locker (which is only available in 4low), limited slip on/off, etc.) are on the left side and can cumbersome if you're tall enough for your knees to get in the way. I'm 6'2" and it's a minor inconvenience whenever I rarely need to hit those.

Random things I like.

• Cup holders are solid. I can fit my tall 32 oz Stanley in all of them, including the door one.
• Comfort features (seat warmers, steering wheel warmer, mirror heaters, remote start, etc.) all work really well.
• I don't feel small on the road. The overall footprint of the truck is sufficient that I still feel good about where I'm sitting in relation to other vehicles. Obviously I'm still shorter than a pile of full size or jacked up trucks. But I don't feel like a car either lol.
• This could probably in either list, but I really like the stiffer steering. So much so that it makes me dislike the super smooth/light steering in the F150. It makes me feel more engaged with the road.
• Love the bed tie down system and bed setup overall. The spray in liner is solid and held up to the soil (and shovel and rake used to get it out, even when hitting the wheel well directly on accident) really well.
• The AC plug in the cab and bed are super convenient when you need them.
• The cameras in the Pro-4x model. They aren't super high quality by any stretch in terms of picture quality, but I love the overhead feature when parking in tight spaces or trying to edge up close to a curb or something.
• LED headlights/Intelligent high beam. Super useful and I leave it set up that way always. The system seems to err on the side of not blinding other drivers which is nice.
• The fact that most features which might annoy you can be disabled in the dash menu if you don't find them useful or too intrusive. Lane departure warning might get that from me due to these narrow roads. However, if they are only annoying due to something specific happening at the moment (rear collision alert while back up with the tailgate down . . .) there is a button somewhere within reach to temporarily turn them off (will reset at start up).
• This model refresh was really well done and I think the look will age well. I receive compliments on the truck regularly.

 

[Shangobango]

At the recommendation of a fellow member, I'm posting the following review/follow up for any others considering the Frontier.

Overall I'm really happy with it and have only minor complaints. It more than suits my needs and the interior size is sufficient that my wife and kids don't mind hopping in it instead of the crew cab F150. I personally find it really enjoyable to drive and have been satisfied with the off road features I've tried out.

My very minor complaints/thoughts are below, in no particular order. Some of these don't bother me at all, but are worth mentioning for your consideration.

• The engine isn't super peppy. It doesn't feel underpowered or anything, but when used to driving my wife's twin turbo v6 EcoBoost it is definitely a step down. That being said, compared to my 2000 F250 V8 I got rid of, it's worlds apart. The gas pedal feels like it has a delay when you first start pressing it which takes a little bit to get used to. It'll throw you off if you're trying to quickly jump out at a light or something. But once you get used to the delay you almost forget about it because you naturally start pressing it sooner.
• In spite of the above, the gas mileage isn't great. I'm averaging about 16 mpg around town, less if I'm driving more aggressively. I don't take it easy and could probably get those numbers up, but it's not a huge deal.
  • Also, the dash MPG is off by +/- 2 mpg for me consistently. It says north of 17 mpg but hand calculating puts me closer to 15-16.
  • This is also partly due to having the Pro-4x model which doesn't have the front chin spoiler which saves gas. And I brought brand new so it might still be breaking in a bit.
  • Plus, I think the gas tank is only like 18 gallons. If I was putting a bunch of miles on instead of working from home that might get annoying. That being said, only the highway using cruise control at reasonable speeds I get close to 20 mpg.
• I'm a big guy and generally feel like I have plenty of room. However, the seats feel slightly narrow because the way the seat belt comes up the side. My wife isn't a huge fan because she feels like it digs into her hip a bit. Doesn't bother me at all.
• The bed is definitely short, but I've hauled soil, furniture (with the tailgate down), etc. with it and hasn't been a problem with real world use for me. The max payload is a little limited on the Pro-4X. But, again, not enough to matter to me for day to day driving.
• The intelligent cruise control is interesting. For the most part I really like it, especially if there are ebbs and flows in traffic as it automatically adjusts to the car in front of you. But, it has quirks, such as:
  • It down shifts really aggressively to get up/keep speed on hills and such, but doesn't down shift to slow speed going downhill. It will use brakes all the way down to a stop if traffic is slowing in front of you.
  • If you're behind someone and cruise control is matching, or even sensing them, and they merge into a turn lane (think a shared middle turn lane on a 3 lane road) it will sometimes slow down aggressively to keep space between the car, especially if the other car is a slow merger. This one is probably the most annoying and will have me reaching for the pedal to override it.
• I've heard complaints about the shifting pattern with the 8 speed but it doesn't bother me. I have noticed that if I'm really trying to baby it for some reason it's a little weird because it'll run through the first 5 gears really quick, like by the time I'm at 30 mph, which leaves you feeling a little gutless. But like I said, doesn't bother me normally or if I'm trying aggressively.
  • Somewhat related, the "manual" shifting option is basically useless. I use it occasionally to slow down on steep hills and it helps. But the transmission has some built in "nanny" features that limit it's usability. If you're trying to downshift too far it simply won't. If you're coasting (like at the bottom of the hill) and try to upshift without pressing the gas, it won't. It'll wait until you start giving it gas to run through the gears.
• I wish it had wireless android auto. It has a wireless charging pad but I have to use a cable for Android Auto.
• Reaching some of the random buttons (rear locker (which is only available in 4low), limited slip on/off, etc.) are on the left side and can cumbersome if you're tall enough for your knees to get in the way. I'm 6'2" and it's a minor inconvenience whenever I rarely need to hit those.

Random things I like.

• Cup holders are solid. I can fit my tall 32 oz Stanley in all of them, including the door one.
• Comfort features (seat warmers, steering wheel warmer, mirror heaters, remote start, etc.) all work really well.
• I don't feel small on the road. The overall footprint of the truck is sufficient that I still feel good about where I'm sitting in relation to other vehicles. Obviously I'm still shorter than a pile of full size or jacked up trucks. But I don't feel like a car either lol.
• This could probably in either list, but I really like the stiffer steering. So much so that it makes me dislike the super smooth/light steering in the F150. It makes me feel more engaged with the road.
• Love the bed tie down system and bed setup overall. The spray in liner is solid and held up to the soil (and shovel and rake used to get it out, even when hitting the wheel well directly on accident) really well.
• The AC plug in the cab and bed are super convenient when you need them.
• The cameras in the Pro-4x model. They aren't super high quality by any stretch in terms of picture quality, but I love the overhead feature when parking in tight spaces or trying to edge up close to a curb or something.
• LED headlights/Intelligent high beam. Super useful and I leave it set up that way always. The system seems to err on the side of not blinding other drivers which is nice.
• The fact that most features which might annoy you can be disabled in the dash menu if you don't find them useful or too intrusive. Lane departure warning might get that from me due to these narrow roads. However, if they are only annoying due to something specific happening at the moment (rear collision alert while back up with the tailgate down . . .) there is a button somewhere within reach to temporarily turn them off (will reset at start up).
• This model refresh was really well done and I think the look will age well. I receive compliments on the truck regularly.

Nice review! They really are good looking trucks to boot, at least in my opinion.

How many miles have you put on it so far?

If I weren’t a Tacoma nut, the Frontier would be my easy next choice. It is just hard for me to pivot from the Tacoma when I have been watching them flat work for so long.

I wish the powers that be at the corporation I work for would move back to the Frontier. My life would be much easier.

 

[LousyResident]

Nice review! They really are good looking trucks to boot, at least in my opinion.

How many miles have you put on it so far?

If I weren’t a Tacoma nut, the Frontier would be my easy next choice. It is just hard for me to pivot from the Tacoma when I have been watching them flat work for so long.

I wish the powers that be at the corporation I work for would move back to the Frontier. My life would be much easier.

Thanks! I have about 3,300 miles on it right now. It seems like they don't tend to have too many problems and I'm hoping I have some uneventful years lol.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve always thought having a 3/4 ton for hauling and a Tacoma or Frontier for the mountains would be awesome if you had more money than I do.

What I really want is for Toyota to make a Tundra with the 5.7 V8, a 6 speed manual transmission, ATRAC, and a selectable rear locker.

 

[FI460]

I’ve always thought having a 3/4 ton for hauling and a Tacoma or Frontier for the mountains would be awesome if you had more money than I do.

What I really want is for Toyota to make a Tundra with the 5.7 V8, a 6 speed manual transmission, ATRAC, and a selectable rear locker.

That train has sailed. But I'm coming up on 20k miles with my 3.5 V6, 10 speed, crawl control, with a selectable locker Tunda, and am not sad that I didn't buy a 5.7 like I had originally planned.

 

[MTLabrador]

That train has sailed. But I'm coming up on 20k miles with my 3.5 V6, 10 speed, crawl control, with a selectable locker Tunda, and am not sad that I didn't buy a 5.7 like I had originally planned.

I’ve only got 70,000 on my 2018, so it’s just getting broken in. I’ll take it to 200 plus and then probably get one of the new ones.

 

[brocksw]

I’ve always thought having a 3/4 ton for hauling and a Tacoma or Frontier for the mountains would be awesome if you had more money than I do.

What I really want is for Toyota to make a Tundra with the 5.7 V8, a 6 speed manual transmission, ATRAC, and a selectable rear locker.

Tundras technically have atrac, or at least the 2nd gens do. Not sure about the 1st gens. Might not be button labeled as "atrac", but when you put a 2nd gen in 4wd hi it is automatically in "atrac" or "trac". Both are essentially the same thing, an automatic break control system to keep tires from spinning and retards engine timing and reduces power. It's basically a full electronic system version of a mechanical LSD.

Putting a manual in your 2nd gen would probably run $10-15k and if you have a center console that would likely have to go, so the finished product would make the interior look kinda funny. Would be a lot easier and cleaner with a factory bench seat in the front. But to be honest, I'm not even sure if it's possible without completely overhauling your computer....which could turn into a nightmare real quick.

Rear locker could be installed for $3-4k give or take.

 

[mtmuley]

Tundras technically have atrac, or at least the 2nd gens do. Not sure about the 1st gens. Might not be button labeled as "atrac", but when you put a 2nd gen in 4wd hi it is automatically in "atrac" or "trac". Both are essentially the same thing, an automatic break control system to keep tires from spinning and retards engine timing and reduces power. It's basically a full electronic system version of a mechanical LSD.

Putting a manual in your 2nd gen would probably run $10-15k and if you have a center console that would likely have to go, so the finished product would make the interior look kinda funny. Would be a lot easier and cleaner with a factory bench seat in the front. But to be honest, I'm not even sure if it's possible without completely overhauling your computer....which could turn into a nightmare real quick.

Rear locker could be installed for $3-4k give or take.

In my truck I reach down to the right and pop it in four wheel drive. Then I keep going. mtmuley

 

[MTLabrador]

Tundras technically have atrac, or at least the 2nd gens do. Not sure about the 1st gens. Might not be button labeled as "atrac", but when you put a 2nd gen in 4wd hi it is automatically in "atrac" or "trac". Both are essentially the same thing, an automatic break control system to keep tires from spinning and retards engine timing and reduces power. It's basically a full electronic system version of a mechanical LSD.

Putting a manual in your 2nd gen would probably run $10-15k and if you have a center console that would likely have to go, so the finished product would make the interior look kinda funny. Would be a lot easier and cleaner with a factory bench seat in the front. But to be honest, I'm not even sure if it's possible without completely overhauling your computer....which could turn into a nightmare real quick.

Rear locker could be installed for $3-4k give or take.

I know it’s completely impractical, just a cool idea. I think a manual 5.7 tundra would be a ton of fun. I like the Atrac in my tundra, it’s very effective compared to regular traction control in the other pickups I’ve used, which I always turn off.

 

[brocksw]

I know it’s completely impractical, just a cool idea. I think a manual 5.7 tundra would be a ton of fun. I like the Atrac in my tundra, it’s very effective compared to regular traction control in the other pickups I’ve used, which I always turn off.

I hear you. Fun to talk about though. If I was gonna drop that kind of coin on my 2nd gen I'd do a long travel suspension, 37s, and regear to 5.29. Probably run 30k, but boy oh boy could you have some fun.

I haven't spent any time thinking about this before....

 

[mtmuley]

I hear you. Fun to talk about though. If I was gonna drop that kind of coin on my 2nd gen I'd do a long travel suspension, 37s, and regear to 5.29. Probably run 30k, but boy oh boy could you have some fun.

I haven't spent any time thinking about this before....

Keith Sisson on Instagram: "#tons #supercharged#firstgentoyota ready for some snow"

333 likes, 23 comments - keith.sisson_1 on October 1, 2020: "#tons #supercharged#firstgentoyota ready for some snow".

www.instagram.com

Just build one of these. mtmuley

 

[brocksw]

Keith Sisson on Instagram: "#tons #supercharged#firstgentoyota ready for some snow"

333 likes, 23 comments - keith.sisson_1 on October 1, 2020: "#tons #supercharged#firstgentoyota ready for some snow".

www.instagram.com

Just build one of these. mtmuley

It would be fun, but I don't have the heart to do that to a 3rd gen pickup.

Just something about hauling ass in a v8 with long travel....

 

[mtmuley]

It would be fun, but I don't have the heart to do that to a 3rd gen pickup.

Just something about hauling ass in a long travel....

Why? It's not a collectors item. Just a Toyota. You should see that truck in action. There's quite a few around here. Built for snow mostly. mtmuley

 

[brocksw]

Why? It's not a collectors item. Just a Toyota. You should see that truck in action. There's quite a few around here. Built for snow mostly. mtmuley

It is to me! I love those 2nd-4th gen toyota pick ups, especially pre 1986 (solid front axle). I just like them original and minty.

But I believe you, I'm sure that thing is fun.

 

[mtmuley]

It is to me! I love those 2nd-4th gen toyota pick ups, especially pre 1986 (solid front axle). I just like them original and minty.

But I believe you, I'm sure that thing is fun.

Most of the trucks that guys turn into crawlers are far from mint. Some should even hit the scrap heap. The really trick ones don't have much for original parts left. The things they do in 5 plus feet of snow is mind boggling. A friend of mine has a 1971 Bronco crawler. It's nasty too. mtmuley

 

[buckbull]

The next gen ranger and tacoma will be revealed in the next week or two. Im interested to see what the fuel economy will be with the taco since it will have a hybrid drivetrain.

 

[buckbull]

The ranger raptor has good cred. Front/rear locking diffs, bead lock wheels, 3.0 ecoboost 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

 

[mtmuley]

The ranger raptor has good cred. Front/rear locking diffs, bead lock wheels, 3.0 ecoboost 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say most buyers have no idea what a beadlock is or what it is for. Much less need them. Good on Ford for duping the mall crawlers. mtmuley