OTT Tune Review: Lite vs Mild vs Medium vs Spicy

3GT Tacoma (Third Gen) Overland Torque Tune (OTT) Review/Feedback:

I just got my 2021 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 tuned this week.
- V6
- Automatic
- Stock wheel/tire size
- Stock gear ratio

I posted this in the Overland Torque Tune (OTT) by Overland Tailor thread as well, but on page 75 it will quickly be buried. I wanted people to be able to search and find this easily for reference, because it would've helped me when I was researching tunes.

There are 5 basic throttle response/sensitivity settings to the OTT tune: Lite, Mild, Medium, Spicy, and Super Spicy. (One sensitivity is mapped to your regular drive settings and the other is mapped to the ECT button.) I was able to compare Stock vs Lite vs Mild vs Medium vs Spicy all inside of one week. Here are my experiences...


Medium/Spicy:
I started out with Medium/Spicy and both were immediately way too much throttle response way too soon.

Even after getting used to it for a day, Medium was too instant and jerky from a stop. The torque is noticeably affected (increased a bit), because it's much easier to break the tires from a stop - even accidentally while getting used to the throttle position.

Obviously Spicy was even more responsive/sensitive and I had trouble not spinning my tires from a stop at stoplights. It took a lot of conscious effort to push the throttle as slowly and gently as possible, but once you're moving it's very responsive and sporty feeling without having to put your foot all the way to the floor.

Lite/Mild:
After a day I went back to get the throttle sensitivity down-tuned to Lite/Mild and this was PERFECT.

The Lite throttle response is similar to stock sensitivity, but the shifting (as with all OTT throttle settings) is A LOT smoother and more linear. The shift points are at higher RPM, but the throttle is a lot more precise and not jerky or overwhelming from a dead stop. You're easily able to keep the RPMs low and the gas mileage high, but not deal with gear hunting on the highway. So perfect.

The Mild throttle response feels a little more aggressive than stock, but is still manageable for daily driving and not jerky from a stop once you're used to it. If someone didn't want as much of a throttle delay or as much range throughout the gas peddle, perhaps they'd favor this for daily and prefer the Mild/Medium tune. I can see this being a daily driving option if you want a more sporty feel, but without the conscious labor of managing tire traction.


Driving Conditions & Considerations:
For me, my truck is my daily driver. I do a lot of snowboarding (winter/snow driving) and occasional moderate off-roading in the Las Vegas desert with my installed skids and rock sliders. For all of these situations I think the Lite/Mild tune is ideal so you're not spinning your wheels at stoplights, breaking traction on slick/wet/snowy roads, or digging stuck tires further down into the dirt.


What I Would Change:
Mild is mapped to the ECT button for me on Lite/Mild. The Mild throttle feels slightly more aggressive than stock or Lite, but I can't really think of a situation where I wouldn't want to step it up a little more if I need a temporary boost. I think eventually I would want the ECT to be mapped to Medium or Spicy so there's more of a difference and reason to switch - so perhaps a Lite/Medium or Lite/Spicy tune would make the most sense in my mind.

Obviously there are many custom offerings and combinations you can do beyond the basic maps.


Final Thoughts:
I absolutely love the Light/Mild tune over stock. The throttle response/travel/precision is similar in Light, but in a good way - meanwhile, the shift points and RPM are way better. It truly is a night and day difference, even with Lite/Mild. No more highway gear hunting, no more random over-reving, no more early shifts. The driveability is greatly improved and it can't be overstated.

I drive fast and was worried Light/Mild may not be "enough" for me. It's just fine. The biggest difference I personally noticed between Light, Mild, Medium, and Spicy was just how quick/jumpy/sporty the throttle sensitivity was... which basically IS the difference.

Just my review and thoughts after having stock tune, Medium/Spicy, and ultimately settling on Lite/Mild all inside of a week for the sake of comparison.

Great company and tuning experience as well.

Money well spent!

I hope this helps in deciding where to start between the OTT tuning options or helps those on the fence about getting the tune to begin with.

 

I really great review here. Appreciate you taking the time. My 23 sport is basically stock. I ended up with the mild/medium tune.

Unless I have the trailer hooked up I am rarely using the ECT. The mild tune is wonderful for daily driving

 

I believe it more appropriate to say these throttle settings are like presets for the user to choose. The tune is much more than just this throttle mapping. Mild / medium was my choice.

 

I am currently on Mild Drive/Spicy ECT.

Under normal day-to-day driving, Mild is perfect.

If I want to accelerate a little quicker, I engage ECT.

The torque is phenomenal...granted, the revs are high but that's the heartbeat of ECT.

If I want "gear lock", I put her in S-Drive....meaning: selecting S4 and it will not go past 4th gear...this is for driving under 50 mph.

Above 50mph and I shift to S5.

On the highway, I go back to "D".

Engaging ECT while is S-Drive, well you can imagine how that goes!

I've had OTT since May 23, 2022 and Master Yota (Allan) is my Tuner.

Thanks for my patch, Allan.

 

Absolutely.

There's a lot more to the tune than just the throttle position mapping/sensitivity denoted by the Lite/Mild/Medium/Spicy/Super Spicy options.

You're getting the benefit of the tune whether the throttle is set to Lite or Super Spicy. When I was researching the tunes people seemed to mistake the throttle naming conventions for performance when those names are referring to throttle mapping options - a small element of the overall tune.

I really wanted to point out that "Lite" or "Mild" is not in any way inadequate or lacking. It ended up being my favorite setting for the sake of driveability (traffic, rain, snow, off road, etc.) while still benefitting from the rest of the tune.

 

If I'm not mistaken, I think that is one of the major benefits of the tune! Keeping the power/torque more accessible with more sensible shift points and RPMs, regardless of the throttle setting.

Eliminating the gear hunting and random revving is the whole reason I got the tune and it has been great so far. So much more driveable.

I saw there's also a tuning option to "gear lock" the opposite direction as well - so you don't suddenly drop a gear and over-rev when you step on the throttle. I hated that about the stock tune, but noticed it's WAY less of an issue or occurrence with the OTT tune.

 

Came cross your post here, was curious if you still love the lite/mild setup, I am about to flash mine, and was wondering which to go with, i do alot of road and was thinking mild/medium but now i think i will start with light/mild as i dont want to have to sensitive of throttle while i am on trail, i am also regeared, has anyone have any feedback on doing OTT with 5.29 gearing? just curious.

 

you did not say whether the truck has a manual transmission where youre the one who decides what gear its in and work a clutch

or an automatic that does not work with a clutch and comes with computer LeapFrog brain

I would think one can try settings. Pay to switch later. Or flash it themselves.

I imagine the decision is different between a truck with a correct gear ratio than one with an incorrect ratio.

saw a post where OTT said personal truck was Lite for snow and ice.
Every 4x4 should have that in mind. People travel. People move. Location is not permanent.
I wonder what the truck was and what mods it had.

 

Mine is TRD 2016 Auto V6.

 

I still have lite/mild on mine and am very happy with it.

I haven't been offroad with it yet, but I can't imagine having to make precision, slow crawls, especially over and down rocks in anything other than lite. The mild throttle response is probably just too touchy for that, and I've read that others felt the same way.

I assume most tuners are the same, but mine would have allowed me to try different settings. Because my truck doesn't have a bunch of extra weight on it, he felt I should try lite/mild first. After test driving it, I realized I wouldn't want mild as my daily driver and went with his rec. He will also retune at no charge if I change my mind at some point.

 

Yes. The more I drive it every day, I'm still extremely happy with Lite/Mild, as well as the other benefits of the tune overall - i.e. shift points that actually make sense.

The gearing may change things for you, but your OTT tuner will ask about it before the tune so perhaps it's taken into account already on their end and would ultimately remain a similar throttle feel. Maybe clarify in OTTs thread if you're curious/worried about the gearing variable.

This.

After trying all the settings, I can't imagine living with anything other than Lite/Mild.

 

I have a supercharged 2nd gen and recently got the OTT tune. they started me on lite followed by medium. I had the same experience as you where medium was way too touchy for me from a stop (once in motion it was great, but i kept chirping the tires from a start, which the wife surely wouldnt enjoy). I cant imagine what spicy is like. I ended up on Mild and it is absolutely perfect.

 

did you try lite
Manual or automatic
Is it street or wheeling ice and snow

 

Yeah tried lite and medium first. Automatic. Dry streets. But I live in a snowy area so the touchiness on medium would be even more problematic in snow/ice

 

I went with Lite/Mild and love it for offroad and streets, mild is great when u want to bring truck little lively, but lite is awesome and smooth. wish i did this sooner.

thanks all for feedback and input.

 

on no Tacoma should snow and ice not be a factor. It is for moving traveling and terrain. If it is not a factor, Nissan Altima.

 

I can't believe I went with spicy-race a couple summers ago for quite a while. Now, my preference is either lite or mild. That throttle was touchy using spicy-race, but I loved it at the time

 

Great review! Im getting mine tuned this weekend. I occasionally pull my 2300 lb (dry) travel trailer and man I dont know how people pull bigger ones. Between the mountains and headwinds Im doing everything I can to maintain 50-60 without overrevving. Thing is a dog. I also will do mild Off roading and live in snow country so I think Mild/Medium will be my go to after this post. Appreciate it

 

It’s a different truck, but I think spicy is pretty reasonable on the 4.0.. I imagine it would be jumpy for someone to hop in for the first time, but I don’t mind the increased sensitivity. ¢¢

 

I just bought a 2024 TRD Sport 4x4 8-speed auto I-FORCE 2.4L 4-Cyl. Turbo Solar Octane for my wife and it’s a rocket. I’m driving a 2018 TRD Sport 4x4 6-speed auto 3.5L 6-Cyl Cement. After driving my wife’s new 2024 I feel like I’m driving an old worn out Tacoma. I’m wanting to do this OTT tune to revitalize my 2018 TRD. It’s either that or I’m gonna trade my 2018 in on another new 2024. So I used the ECT button when I towed but after the tune I won’t have to because it will already be shifting at optimum without it right.