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Gladiator vs Tacoma IMO

AngelArmorNY

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Downsizing from a Tundra crewmax I briefly considered the Taco. While not overly large (5'11" and 225) I found the Taco to be incredibly uncomfortable to drive. I felt like I was sitting on the floor and my legs, while short even for my height, felt incredibly cramped. That coupled with the fact that my 3 kids (3, 8, 10) were quite cramped in the back compared to the JT and the JT (at least how I ordered it) has 1k more tow capacity than the Taco made my decision final.
 

Desert Outlaw

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One week after taking delivery of my red Gladiator, I attended a birthday party. The host has a 4wd Tacoma. We sat inside of both trucks and made our comparisons. I stand 6'0 #210 - while the seating wasn't too uncomfortable, the windshield of the Tacoma felt as if it was inches from my face! This didn't feel acceptable. The interior felt low market. The paint looked faded for a 2 year old truck. The bumpers looked cheap. The infotainment was barely even there. No removable roof or panels, ground clearance was non-existent.

The Tacoma owner later told me that he felt, "Jealous" after sitting inside of my new Gladiator.
 

lrtexasman

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Tacoma platform was released in 2016, not due for refresh. Expect next release to follow the redesigned Tundra.
 

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Marx

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As I wanted a truck after my JKU I bought a TACO TRD-Off Road. While it looked nice, I didn't like the car style seating, the ride, or the lack of space for my kids in the back, thus I traded in my 2019 Taco for a 2020 JTR LE. The JTR is easier to park, has more space in the back seat, and rides better...and of course it's a Jeep so I trust it off road. Those tiny tires on the Taco always made me wonder...
 

Oilburner

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Tacoma platform was released in 2016, not due for refresh. Expect next release to follow the redesigned Tundra.
Latest I heard was that Toyota will be changing the front seats (more adjustable) but that's about it for this coming year- YRMV
 

lrtexasman

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Correct
Latest I heard was that Toyota will be changing the front seats (more adjustable) but that's about it for this coming year- YRMV
Correct, added power drivers seat, headlight update, and Apple car play/ android auto
 

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futzin'

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Man, Toyota is so damn boring.
 

lrtexasman

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Looks good and drives stra
Man, Toyota is so damn boring.
And cramped, as well as weird shift points But in its defense, I’ve yet to drive one that doesn’t go straight down the highway at 75 with little wind noise. At least now you can raise yourself off the floorboard.
 

futzin'

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was referring to their line up in general . . . but yeah, reliable and dull.
 

alexandermon

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I really liked the Tacoma when I first started looking at trucks back in March. I went to test drive one and after sitting in it, I decided not to even drive it. I'm 6'7" on a good day, and i couldn't find any position that was even remotely comfortable. It was so bad that I didn't even test drive it.

The Gladiator isn't SUPER spacious, but it's comfortable enough, and there's plenty of headroom as long as I stick with the soft top. The hardtop is too low for me, so I'm hoping the aftermarket will accommodate with a higher hardtop (like the wrangler safari top) one day.
 

jwilson2899

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Since I just sold my 2017 Tacoma TRD Off-Road for my JTR LE, I can give a few comparisons.

I bought the Tacoma because I needed a truck and there was no Jeep truck at the time, so off went the JKU and in came the Tacoma. It was a nice truck that did well while I had it. I was one of the few that didn't mind the lower seats in it. My wife noticed right away we lost backseat room, which wasn't too bad 3 years ago. Now that my kids are 10 and 5, they're big enough to notice, especially my poor 5 year old in his car seat who was having to squeeze between the front seat and his seat to get in. I also didn't like the lack of headroom since I had the sunroof. I'm only 5' 9", but I felt like if I moved my head up at all, especially if I was wearing a hat, I would hit the ceiling.

Someone else mentioned the lift needed for tires. I ended up with 2.5" of lift and 285/70/17's, and it would still rub some. The auto trans is also nowhere as near refined as the JL/JT one. I also saw a mention above of driving straight down the highway at 75 with little wind noise, which is definitely true.

It was a good truck, but still not the Jeep I missed. So far I think the Gladiator is going to suit my needs better.
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