d.voitel
Member
- First Name
- Dan
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2024
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 12
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
- Vehicle(s)
- 2001 GMC Sierra 2500
- Thread starter
- #1
So my local Toyota dealership received a couple of Tacoma TRD Sports. One with the manual transmission and one with the automatic. Last summer I put a deposit on the GMC canyon AT4. I really love the way it drives with 310hp and 430 ft/lbs of torque. The interior is beautiful and it felt like a peppy little sports car when you put your foot to the floor. Maybe more Miata than 911, but still peppy. Because of the wait times that were exasperated by the strike at the GM plant that made the truck, it looked like if I waited only a few months more I could buy the New 4th Gen Toyota Tacoma with slightly more horse power, torque and a hybrid engine that would potentially offer even better fuel economy which matters too me because of the mileage that I put on every year. I had my deposit refunded on the Canyon and placed it on a Tacoma Off-road Premium with the Iforce Max engine. In the non hybrid engine with a similar trim and accessories the AT4 came out to a similar price but the Tacoma offered more capability because it has an electronic locking diff and disconnecting front sway bar as well as features like the crawl control. These are useful features to me even though I’m not a heavy off-road user.
Fast forward to today, I wanted to try the new Tacoma, even if it did not have the engine that I have on order. I needed to get a feel for the fit and finish of the vehicle and see how it drove. When I arrived at the dealership they only had the TRD Sport with the manual transmission. It has been about 12 years since I drove stick but I figured, what the hell! God hates a coward.
The interior was extremely nice, although too monotone black. The seats were very comfortable, even more so than the Canyon’s and my 14 year old daughter felt that there was a bit more room in the back for her then in the Canyon. She also felt that Bose sound system on the Canyon was better than the JBL system on the Taco. I don’t know how she can come to that conclusion when she only listens to Taylor Swift. Some of the features I enjoyed in the Canyon, like the memory settings on the seats that are matched to individual key fobs and the head up display, were missing. I know that the head up display will be available on the Tacoma Premium but then it will be less off-road equipped so there are compromises to be made. I also like the steering wheel position in the Canyon better because it tilted a bit higher. Still, non of these issues are deal breakers for me. The fit and finish of the Tacoma was really well done. I particular like the Softex seats.
When I finally got behind the wheel and worked the manual gear box as we pulled out of the dealer lot, I wondered if I had made a mistake taking my deposit off the Canyon. The Taco was loud and I did not like the noise it made. It grumbled but not in a cool and assertive way. It sounded more like a fat, middle aged, smoker trying to run around the block. It was working too hard to do the most basic in town driving tasks. There was way too much growl and vibration from the engine. My daughter, from the back seat, could see the shifter vibrating and she even commented that it seemed kind of loud. It was completely unnecessary for the performance that I was getting. My last manual shift vehicle was a tiny Toyota Echo that I bought new in 2004 and it was peppier than this truck. That may be a bit of an exaggeration but not by much. The Tacoma felt under powered, unresponsive and dull. If a vehicle is going to growl that much it needs to feel like you are holding back a rabid pit bull on a leash when you let your foot off the clutch. Instead it was more like containing a brace of corgis. The steering and the ride quality generally were very nice and comparable to the Canyon. I just didn’t like the engine. Now, someone is going to say that I just don’t know how to drive a stick properly and maybe they are right. For me this truck just did not feel special.
When we got back to the lot there was a TRD Sport Premium with the automatic transmission test vehicle available. The sales associate suggested that I give that one a go. I am glad that I did. It was completely a different vehicle to drive. The engine was far quieter and smoother. With the various drive modes it felt much easier to get the response and the feel from the engine that I was looking for but without all the racket and rumble. It was just a much better ride. The eight speed automatic transmission was really smooth. At highway speeds it was quieter and transitioning from highway to in town driving was seamless. I know driving a stick is fun. I just feel like I am giving up the capability of all the different drive modes available with the Automatic transmission for all of the work and limitations of a stick. I will choose function over flash any day of the week.
If it were between the 2.4 L turbo charged Tacoma or the 2.7 L turbo charged Canyon, I’d probably go with the Canyon. The Canyon just felt livelier, quicker, smoother and more responsive. That said I am keeping my deposit on the Tacoma off-road Premium with the iforce Max engine. It is going to be a game changer. The extra ponies and torque are going to make it every bit the equal of the AT4 in day to day ride quality and the superior capabilities of the Tacoma’s new suspension, electronic locking rear differential and front disconnecting sway bar will surpass the capabilities of the AT4. Moving up to the AT4X in the Canyon might give me comparable capabilities at a similar purchase price because of the more expensive hybrid Toyota engine, but I would preferred the better fuel economy of the hybrid engine, even if is not a huge difference. Over time that fuel economy will matter more.
The GMC Canyon is a beautifully built truck. I like that the cabin is not a monotone black. I like the sound and smoothness of the engine, I like the responsiveness of the steering and I think the build quality is excellent. So why am I sticking with the Taco? I have a lot of faith in Toyota. They build great vehicles that last. That really matters to me. They are missing a few things that I like but they have some of the smaller details that frustrate me with their lack in the Canyon like the small glove box, the missing eyeglass holder, the absence of a home link button for my garage door. I think the safety systems on the Tacoma are better executed and operate more smoothly and I really enjoy the comfort of the seats. For me they fit like a glove. The Tacoma felt very solid and stable to drive and with the more powerful and responsive hybrid engine it will take away from GMC one of the main reasons to go with the Canyon. I am very much looking forward to my new truck.
I’ve ordered it in Solar Octane, if you are curious.
Fast forward to today, I wanted to try the new Tacoma, even if it did not have the engine that I have on order. I needed to get a feel for the fit and finish of the vehicle and see how it drove. When I arrived at the dealership they only had the TRD Sport with the manual transmission. It has been about 12 years since I drove stick but I figured, what the hell! God hates a coward.
The interior was extremely nice, although too monotone black. The seats were very comfortable, even more so than the Canyon’s and my 14 year old daughter felt that there was a bit more room in the back for her then in the Canyon. She also felt that Bose sound system on the Canyon was better than the JBL system on the Taco. I don’t know how she can come to that conclusion when she only listens to Taylor Swift. Some of the features I enjoyed in the Canyon, like the memory settings on the seats that are matched to individual key fobs and the head up display, were missing. I know that the head up display will be available on the Tacoma Premium but then it will be less off-road equipped so there are compromises to be made. I also like the steering wheel position in the Canyon better because it tilted a bit higher. Still, non of these issues are deal breakers for me. The fit and finish of the Tacoma was really well done. I particular like the Softex seats.
When I finally got behind the wheel and worked the manual gear box as we pulled out of the dealer lot, I wondered if I had made a mistake taking my deposit off the Canyon. The Taco was loud and I did not like the noise it made. It grumbled but not in a cool and assertive way. It sounded more like a fat, middle aged, smoker trying to run around the block. It was working too hard to do the most basic in town driving tasks. There was way too much growl and vibration from the engine. My daughter, from the back seat, could see the shifter vibrating and she even commented that it seemed kind of loud. It was completely unnecessary for the performance that I was getting. My last manual shift vehicle was a tiny Toyota Echo that I bought new in 2004 and it was peppier than this truck. That may be a bit of an exaggeration but not by much. The Tacoma felt under powered, unresponsive and dull. If a vehicle is going to growl that much it needs to feel like you are holding back a rabid pit bull on a leash when you let your foot off the clutch. Instead it was more like containing a brace of corgis. The steering and the ride quality generally were very nice and comparable to the Canyon. I just didn’t like the engine. Now, someone is going to say that I just don’t know how to drive a stick properly and maybe they are right. For me this truck just did not feel special.
When we got back to the lot there was a TRD Sport Premium with the automatic transmission test vehicle available. The sales associate suggested that I give that one a go. I am glad that I did. It was completely a different vehicle to drive. The engine was far quieter and smoother. With the various drive modes it felt much easier to get the response and the feel from the engine that I was looking for but without all the racket and rumble. It was just a much better ride. The eight speed automatic transmission was really smooth. At highway speeds it was quieter and transitioning from highway to in town driving was seamless. I know driving a stick is fun. I just feel like I am giving up the capability of all the different drive modes available with the Automatic transmission for all of the work and limitations of a stick. I will choose function over flash any day of the week.
If it were between the 2.4 L turbo charged Tacoma or the 2.7 L turbo charged Canyon, I’d probably go with the Canyon. The Canyon just felt livelier, quicker, smoother and more responsive. That said I am keeping my deposit on the Tacoma off-road Premium with the iforce Max engine. It is going to be a game changer. The extra ponies and torque are going to make it every bit the equal of the AT4 in day to day ride quality and the superior capabilities of the Tacoma’s new suspension, electronic locking rear differential and front disconnecting sway bar will surpass the capabilities of the AT4. Moving up to the AT4X in the Canyon might give me comparable capabilities at a similar purchase price because of the more expensive hybrid Toyota engine, but I would preferred the better fuel economy of the hybrid engine, even if is not a huge difference. Over time that fuel economy will matter more.
The GMC Canyon is a beautifully built truck. I like that the cabin is not a monotone black. I like the sound and smoothness of the engine, I like the responsiveness of the steering and I think the build quality is excellent. So why am I sticking with the Taco? I have a lot of faith in Toyota. They build great vehicles that last. That really matters to me. They are missing a few things that I like but they have some of the smaller details that frustrate me with their lack in the Canyon like the small glove box, the missing eyeglass holder, the absence of a home link button for my garage door. I think the safety systems on the Tacoma are better executed and operate more smoothly and I really enjoy the comfort of the seats. For me they fit like a glove. The Tacoma felt very solid and stable to drive and with the more powerful and responsive hybrid engine it will take away from GMC one of the main reasons to go with the Canyon. I am very much looking forward to my new truck.
I’ve ordered it in Solar Octane, if you are curious.
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