2017 Tacoma Limited vs 2020 Tacoma TRD Pro

I dont know if anyone has any interest in the above comparison but wanted to outline some thoughts, changes, and general info for anyone wondering the differences between these gen 3 years and trim levels.

1. Both of my Tacoma's were AT's and there is a significant difference in gear hunting between both my models. the 2020 shifts more consistently, hunts gears significantly less, and overall feels smoother - even at higher speeds. My 2017 tended to only hunt gears during city driving.

2. Acceleration feels smoother across the board. This really falls into #1 but was noticeable enough to list separately.

3. Carplay, larger nav screen, and software update make the head unit much more capable and easier to use. On a side note I could use "Siri" on my 2017 limited by holding the phone button on the steering wheel (rather than Toyota's voice recognition). This does not work on my 2020, instead it only opens up my contact list on my phone. I am trying to find a workaround that doesn't require using carplay every time I drive. With that being said there is a night a day difference between the 2017 and 2020 in terms of Toyota's voice recognition accuracy and functionality.

4. Backup camera now includes 360 view and trajectory lines but loses camera quality across the board for the added features. Overall =/=

5. Power seat makes the truck much more comfortable for me. I am 6' 200lbs (active, not overweight) and could never quite feel totally comfortable in my 2017. By moving the seat as far down as possible and adjusting the steering wheel slightly I feel significantly more comfortable.

6. TRD Pro shocks and suspension feel much smoother than what I had on the limited. Obviously bumbs feel less noticeable but overall pavement driving feels much better.

7. MPG in town on the TRD PRO is 1-2 MPG lower than my limited. Both use premium gas only and I have tested this with 3 tanks of gas so far. Right now I am getting around 15.5 in town vs the limited that was consistently over 17 MPG. I anticipated this before I bought but wanted to add it anyways.

8. The black leather interior looks much more refined than the brown leather in the limited. This is completely subjective but wanted to add it.

9. Braking feels much smoother at lower speeds. My 2017 only had 11k miles on it but at lower speeds would "rock" coming to a full stop. I had the brakes looked at twice when I owned it and no issues were reported. I never felt unsafe but my 2020 doesnt do this at all.

These were just some of the things I noticed over my first few weeks of ownership. If anyone else has any questions please let me know.

 

Good comparison.

on item 9 has the 2017 been like that for all11k miles?

 

I bought the truck new and didnt notice it initially. It seemed like the last 2k miles became much more noticeable. Again I never felt unsafe but didnt like the feeling of the brakes feeling like they were slipping or catching. At one point I chalked it up to driving in snowy/wet conditions but the issues persisted after the weather started to warm up. Dealer checked it twice, once with me driving, and said it was normal and the brakes looked fine. I think it was a combination of something small with the brakes and the jerky nature of downshifting coming to a stop. That is pure speculation but is my best guess.

 

Why premium gas?

 

Have you changed the pads or rotors?

 

My 2018 had braking issues as well. Brakes always felt poor. It would slow but felt like it had brake fade, even when really getting on the brake. Then it would catch and slow down more rapidly. probably not the best description of what it was doing but, the amount of brake pressure didn't correspond with the amount of slowing you would expect.

My 2020 PRO feels way better.

 

Does the Pro have all the goodies the Limited comes with; Homelink mirror, backup sensors, JBL stereo, separate controlled a/c, touch exterior door lock/unlock, etc.?

 

Backup camera on 2020 is WORSE quality??

 

All of toyotas 360 cameras suffer from the main reverse camera quality.

It's the nature of the camera serving dual purpose.

So a 2016 SR5 looks better in reverse than a 2020 OR Tech or Pro.

 

Yup!!

 

The Pro has a different style MC and Booster than the Limited so that is probably the difference you are feeling.

 

What TSB's were applied to your '17?

 

I have always used premium gas for my vehicles. I was under the impression that this can help slightly with a variety of issues regarding maintenance and longevity. At this point its just habit.

 

This was probably a better way to describe what I was experiencing. Exact same problem and a non issue on my 2020.

 

Yes for sure. I dont think this can even fall into the subjective category. More bells and whistles for sure but the actually camera quality is much more grainy than my 2017.

Sorry for the multiple posts. Was doing this from my ipad