Spicy Tacos

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 11/01/2016 at 19:36 • Filed to: Tacoma, Toyota, Nerd alert

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So this is of no interest to anyone but me and maybe a handful of others but I had a nagging question regarding something with the chevy and Toyota midsized trucks (Z71 Colorado quad short vs TRD off road Tacoma quad short).

Its always bugged me when people bitch and moan about the seating position in the Tacoma being on the floor. Yes, it is, but it serves a purpose, and now I can show it, thanks to neighboring dealerships and my Leica Disto.

These are all inches to the ground measures. (Disto set to 1/8th in precision)

From the bottom of the door sill

From the bottom of the pinch weld

From the bottom of the frame under the door

From the bottom of the floor pan

The lowest crossmember (t-case shield on the Colorado, exhaust on the Tacoma)

From the lowest part of the front (I admit a cheap shot)

The Toyota is 70.6 inches high, vs 70.7 for the Colorado, so why is the seat lower to the floor in the Tacoma? Well it boils down to having 2 inches less body and 2 inches more ground clearance; Its up to you to decide which one is more important to you.

As an aside, I got to test drive the new Tacoma and the ride is great, the brakes are great, the steering is great and the engine has power...so long as you rev it. Its really wimpy below 3000, which is strange for me since 3000 is the heart of my engines power band. Driving the Tacoma required similar throttle inputs to the cruiser, but where the Taco would kickdown, reach for the VVTi zones and rev, my truck just moos a little louder and moved forward, almost never shifting. Different strokes.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 19:39

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Something tells me the Tacoma will probably hold value a lot better.

Which makes the Colorado more interesting in the used market

HammerheadFistpunch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/01/2016 at 19:40

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no question.

Milky > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 19:59

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This should help a little.

DynamicWeight > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 20:01

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I bought the Tacoma over the Colorado. I really like the bed in the Tacoma a lot better. When looking at the two it looks finished, whereas the Chevy guys just went home for the night. Bed rails, little cubbies, a nice textured tub, even a power outlet! I use all that stuff too. The interior is also much more adult and well styled compared to the outdated-when-new and silly looking Colorado.

At 5'9 and 160lbs I usually don’t have any problems fitting in cabins and I don’t have problems in the Taco either, though I do need to do a little hop to get in. The seat has proved comfortable so far on a six hour drive.

HammerheadFistpunch > Milky 11/01/2016 at 20:15

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So now it’s got the same  underbody clearance as the regular TRD. neat

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 20:21

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The Colorado is unnecessarily tall. It makes no sense to me. I’m 6'2 and the roof is a solid eight inches above my head when I’m in the uncomfortable upright position that I need to see over the dash. I suppose the people who set it up that way are also the people who complain that the XJ’s steering wheel is in your lap... where it’s supposed to be. Who gives a damn if the truck is newer, more modern, and more capable. I’ll stick with my MJ.

adamftw > Milky 11/01/2016 at 20:36

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Holy needs a leveling kit Batman

adamftw > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 20:37

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I haven’t driven one, but I sat in a Z71 Colorado and I really liked the seating position and the seat. Very european. Japanese seats always seem “flat” to me.

HammerheadFistpunch > adamftw 11/01/2016 at 20:38

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I like Japanese seats, they seem to fit me well

adamftw > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 20:42

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We must have different butts. Actually, the seats in my ‘98 2.5RS were pretty nice.

HammerheadFistpunch > adamftw 11/01/2016 at 20:51

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I had butt my overnighted from Japan

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 22:16

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I haven’t sat in a new one, but I’ve always found Tacomas to be quite uncomfortable. I don’t go off-road, so the extra ground clearance is of no help to me. Now if I could just get a Colorado with a damn bench seat, I’d be all set.

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher 11/01/2016 at 22:18

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its certainly isn’t an asset if you don’t plan to off road, but its there all the same.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 22:25

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It certainly serves its purpose for those who would use it. There isn’t even anywhere to go off-road around here.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HammerheadFistpunch 11/01/2016 at 23:03

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I haven’t driven the Colorado, but I did drive a Taco. Keep in mind that the Taco was the top truck on my list for replacing my Mazda and it’s been there for years . When it came time to make the decision, I started by driving one. It felt like driving a mobile cave. It had some of the worst visibility I’ve experienced. On a sunny day, it felt dark inside that Taco. Just awful.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/01/2016 at 23:21

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I know what you mean, but you get used to it pretty quick

camarov6rs > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/02/2016 at 00:44

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This will be interesting to see in the coming years. Toyota is doing everything it can to increase Taco production (bad for resale). While I remember reading that resale for the Colorado/Canyon is holding up.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > camarov6rs 11/02/2016 at 10:39

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There have been some unbelievable lease deals on the Colorado as well. I’ve considered it a few times

Pistol Whipped Cream > DynamicWeight 11/02/2016 at 11:36

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“The interior is also much more adult and well styled compared to the outdated-when-new and silly looking Colorado”

You must not have gotten the Orange and Black interior on your Taco. I don’t blame you haha

DynamicWeight > Pistol Whipped Cream 11/02/2016 at 14:13

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Lol nope. Mine is all grey and black. Which is a little boring but looks very nice. The seats have a very cool “tech” pattern though. Very neat, except that now I don’t want to buy seat covers!

Nothing > HammerheadFistpunch 11/02/2016 at 14:27

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Since the front chin spoiler on the Colorado is removable, did you happen to get that measurement? It isn’t important to me, just curious.

Obviously, I like my Taco. I’ve never quite understood the sit on the floor comment, though. I guess mostly having small cars (FoST, Miata, RX8, CRXs) I’m used to sitting low. In contrast, I can’t get any form of comfortable in my wife’s Grand Cherokee for a trip of any duration. I’ll be driving to NY next summer from Colorado, and despite the comfier road manners of the GC, I couldn’t imagine trying to cross country in it.

HammerheadFistpunch > Nothing 11/02/2016 at 15:20

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I didn’t measure the non-chin height (like I said it was kinda just a low blow) but with it off its obvious that it still wont but you the same clearance. The Toyota front was designed from the outset to be high and tight and the chevy one to look like a chevy.