2015 Toyota Tacoma takes on the Grueling Ike Gauntlet Towing Test Review 

+Blake Freeman I love the "truck" style. It definitely doesn't not seem outdated! Its one of the last rugged looking trucks around.

I'm with you. a truck should feel like a truck, manual? should shift like a truck. these yuppies cry about a truck that doesn't feel like a car, then buy a Lincoln truck.

+Blake Freeman I too am tired of the manufacturers building trucks to ride like cars...then people wonder why they can't tow or haul worth a damn. They started by cutting out the solid front axles in trucks and going to the garbage independent front suspension then came the softer springs, weaker metal, etc.

I agree, give me a truck, with all the truck-like symptoms. If I wanted a Cadillac, I'd buy one...

Bring back window cranks!

well said i trailer a 5000 boat and it hawls it like nothing

chillyfog2427e7738 I miss the day's when drop in bed liner was such nice option in 80's and 90's guess you had to be there.

Spencer Kimbal I was there. I remember when I bought my first S10. I went to the truck accessory place, bought some chrome running boards, chrome tail gate top piece, and a bug guard, it came with one of those little smiley face things that stuck on it.

Still have my t-100. 228k miles and counting.

Jay Smith Another success story! Keep on truckin'!

nate michaud How's the Tundra frame holding up? Any rust?

frame looks good, minimal surface rust for being 8 years old and going through the ridiculous amount of salt on the roads in New hampshire. Only problem i have had with the truck is the radio. it does some weird shit like the volume will get stuck or the background lights will flicker or go out completely.

my friends dad had a 94 tacoma had 540,00kms till the frame rusted out engine was still strong and fine decided to buy a brand new tacoma instead of swapping out since he bought it nearly new . I got 2000 corolla with 112km from an old guy who traded it into a dealership

nate michaud Toyota makes some of the stoutest little motors on the market. Their iForce V8 is nothing to call home about. But if I was on the market for a little light duty 4x4, I would look no farther than Toyota.

I have a 2001 tacoma with 280,000 miles and still running perfect, still driving now. my last truck was a 1996 tacoma that went for 367,000 miles before i gave it to my friend, its still running now, way over 400,000 miles now. Now i bought a brand new 2015 tacoma. because these trucks are indestructible. i load it with over 1200lbs in the bed all the time. still no problems with any of these trucks

BRIGGSandSTRATTONguy you nailed it man.

This is an extreme test as they said. The are almost at maximum towing capacity and maximum gvw. Sure most people aren't going to load it up like they did but there is someone who will because the truck is rated to haul that much weight. When they said it feels old and trucky they are comparing it to its competitors which, aside from the frontier, are on new platforms and have more capabilities and also ride and handle better. They said its a solid truck just long in the tooth as this truck has been essentially the same since 2005

How could you tell if you have the towing package on your 2nd gen taco?

Daniel Sicilia Usually a V6 has tow package. If it’s got a hitch, it’s a tow package.

@@danielsicilia4431 The town package vehicles will include an Automatic Transmission cooler, mounted in front of the radiator on the Driver Side of the truck. As well as the tow hitch and wiring, obviously. Factory transmission Cooler is the dead give-away.

I agree my 2015 is very up to date with everything, phone hooks up great, call and play my music from the phone and everything is right there and simple to use. Decibels would have been at 70-74 at full rpm, in comparison because the Colorado revs to 6800rpm, it is at 80.1 decibels in the cab. Read it on another review.

it is already out like since a week ago

Couldn't agree more! Too much fluff about the "new version" and "midsize limitations". I'm a previous test pilot and currently fly a Boeing 767 freighter. Weight and balance/cg/payloads/ relates to takeoff/climb/cruise/landing/braking capability is my operational knowledge and focus. Timing isn't an accurate "enough" measure. Aerodynamics matter, head/tail wind matters, as you guys climb in altitude the dynamic pressure changes as well as density altitude, as it relates to a gas engine performance, matters considerably. It's nice but unless you can immulate exacting conditions up and down that test track, your not quite in a direct comparison between trucks. I own a 2009 DB cab, long bed TRD sport and I feel like quite a few of the operational and performance capabilities of this truck were left out realistically. Right seater approached this truck test with a pre-bias and it was very apparent. No offense but the conjecture was a bit heavy. Right seat talked more than the driver which to me invalidated this test a bit. Operational knowledge was valuable from the driver which I wish spoked more in comparison to the other models tested.

+Rico La hows the truck now :D

+Duncan Djoudi Still going. Over 200k now. Had the ignition coils changed out this past winter.

+Rico La nice :) just got a tacoma at 140k so expensive but nice

@@duncan1235 i also bought a used 2015 V6 TRD Off Road 4x4 with 50k miles. Picking it up next week. I hope I can tow a utility trailer with 2 quads. Otherwise, I hope I didnt buy the wrong truck.

let's see how that does up the ike gauntlet, probably would be in 2nd and 1st gear for most of it tbh

That's good to know. What is your average mpg towing that weight with that engine?

Hello Richard, Is your boat 4600 dry or wet fully loaded?

sam burne

I don't get what your problem is with the bed liner. It may be plastic but it's durable and the fact that it's been around for 10 years proves it. It also has better impact strength than steel.

Its a plastic/metal composite bedliner, saves weight and passes all the durability tests.

Michael Larivey I actually own a Tacoma, my problem isn't with the bedliner, it's with the fact that these guys are so uninformed that it's been plastic for TEN years and they haven't managed to notice lol

It really does feel trucky tbh. My 21 f350 dually flatbed with lumber racks rides way smoother than my 13 taco. Not saying I don't love the taco but she is a rough/uncomfortable rider.

I don’t really know the technical terms to use but I might be able to help. I bought my 2012 SR5 with 119,000 miles a few years back. The whole truck felt extremely responsive with any input I might with the pedals. A few years later, my dad and I went to test drive another 2012 Tacoma and the dealer had mentioned it was used to tow heavy loads. When my dad was driving it, he said it felt off and didn’t feel like my truck. So I hopped in the drivers seat and I immediately could tell the difference. The engine was extremely unresponsive and lacked the immediate punch my truck has when I need to get going and such. I towed a small U-haul trailer from FL to ND and had to do that trip again a few months later with the same designed U-haul. Even after that trip my truck still feels extremely responsive and like the day I bought it. Not sure if that helped, but I’d say if the truck doesn’t feel very nice and responsive then it was probably used and abused towing heavy loads often.

But 98 percent of those scoops are non functional. Let's be real.