Riley_monthule
Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2024
- Messages
- 69
- Reaction score
- 36
So the first snow has come down here in the Tahoe area and I've been testing out my new Taco to see how it handles it. Overall it's been fantastic but I do have some complaints.
As far as snow performance it does just how you'd think a 4x4 would and the traction control is a amazing. A big improvement over the third gen as it's much more responsive and better at keeping an individual wheel from spinning up too fast. It was an overall comfortable and confidence inspiring drive in the first blizzard here. Easily drove past at least 30 stuck cars in the about an hour we were on the road. This was the easiest and safest I've ever felt in conditions like this which is much appreciated with my GF and dog in the truck. I also dropped my tire pressures to 24 after a while which dramatically improved traction.
Now for some complaints/worries. The biggest being the traction control off button. If you don't know yet it doesn't actually turn the system all the way off. It will still cut power if the wheels slip and spin too fast even though you've "tuned the system off". Most people find this annoying as it can make fun things like donuts and drifting harder but I actually find this to be incredibly dangerous. There's been more than a few times now I go to drift a corner, I start to counter steer and then the truck cuts power straitening out and pointing me towards the trees or a cliff. Using your throttle is an essential part of controlling a slide and the truck getting in the way of that could quite literally be deadly. Imagine you're on a two way highway in icy conditions going around a right turn, you start to slide so you counter steer left and use your throttle to control it. Then the truck cuts throttle straightening you out sending you into oncoming traffic. Now I understand the majority of people don't have these skills but they would be using the traction modes anyways. For the people who feel safer controlling everything them selfs and turning the traction systems off this is really not safe. A button that turns something off SHOULD TURN IT OFF. It's my truck I paid for let me do with it what I please.
Okay! haha. The next two things are minor and more just interesting. While on the highway in heavy snow two things happened I'll include pictures of below. First, all my driving aids got disabled. The snow and ice blocked the radar and camera vision system in the windshield. So no auto braking, lane keep, adaptive cruise etc. Not like you should be using those anyways in bad conditions but this interesting they didn't include a heater in at least the radar sensor to melt snow and ice away. Secondly most the cameras froze over which is a little more annoying as I've been spoiled by the fantastic camera system on my premium spec. Mainly I just wish the front and rear cameras had a sprayer to clean and de-ice them as I use those pretty much every-time I park. In the picture below you can see the front camera was almost completely frozen over after some highway driving.
Besides the traction control thing driving this truck in the snow has made me love it even more. Supremely capable, comfortable and safe. Cruising down icy roads with the quite interior, heated seats, heated steering wheel and music playing on the JBL system made me feel undeserving of such a nice truck.
View attachment RIL03592.jpg
As far as snow performance it does just how you'd think a 4x4 would and the traction control is a amazing. A big improvement over the third gen as it's much more responsive and better at keeping an individual wheel from spinning up too fast. It was an overall comfortable and confidence inspiring drive in the first blizzard here. Easily drove past at least 30 stuck cars in the about an hour we were on the road. This was the easiest and safest I've ever felt in conditions like this which is much appreciated with my GF and dog in the truck. I also dropped my tire pressures to 24 after a while which dramatically improved traction.
Now for some complaints/worries. The biggest being the traction control off button. If you don't know yet it doesn't actually turn the system all the way off. It will still cut power if the wheels slip and spin too fast even though you've "tuned the system off". Most people find this annoying as it can make fun things like donuts and drifting harder but I actually find this to be incredibly dangerous. There's been more than a few times now I go to drift a corner, I start to counter steer and then the truck cuts power straitening out and pointing me towards the trees or a cliff. Using your throttle is an essential part of controlling a slide and the truck getting in the way of that could quite literally be deadly. Imagine you're on a two way highway in icy conditions going around a right turn, you start to slide so you counter steer left and use your throttle to control it. Then the truck cuts throttle straightening you out sending you into oncoming traffic. Now I understand the majority of people don't have these skills but they would be using the traction modes anyways. For the people who feel safer controlling everything them selfs and turning the traction systems off this is really not safe. A button that turns something off SHOULD TURN IT OFF. It's my truck I paid for let me do with it what I please.
Okay! haha. The next two things are minor and more just interesting. While on the highway in heavy snow two things happened I'll include pictures of below. First, all my driving aids got disabled. The snow and ice blocked the radar and camera vision system in the windshield. So no auto braking, lane keep, adaptive cruise etc. Not like you should be using those anyways in bad conditions but this interesting they didn't include a heater in at least the radar sensor to melt snow and ice away. Secondly most the cameras froze over which is a little more annoying as I've been spoiled by the fantastic camera system on my premium spec. Mainly I just wish the front and rear cameras had a sprayer to clean and de-ice them as I use those pretty much every-time I park. In the picture below you can see the front camera was almost completely frozen over after some highway driving.
Besides the traction control thing driving this truck in the snow has made me love it even more. Supremely capable, comfortable and safe. Cruising down icy roads with the quite interior, heated seats, heated steering wheel and music playing on the JBL system made me feel undeserving of such a nice truck.
View attachment RIL03592.jpg
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