....while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.

On Fri, 1 Apr 2016 08:23:11 -0400, Keyser Söze wrote:


...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.

Be careful, next you'll be looking at 5th wheel trailers to pull with that Tacoma! My
'95 GMC was a five-speed. Same deal with 1st gear. I think I used it once, just to
see what it was like. At 3000 rpm the speed may have been 7 mph.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!

On 4/1/2016 8:23 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.


I just bought a new ride. I've been thinking of getting a more
comfortable vehicle for a while and tried out several of the "mid-sized"
offerings. Ended up with a Nissan Altima SL. It's the four-banger with
the continuously variable transmission. Nissan also
offers a 3.5L six but I don't know why anyone would need the extra
horsepower. The 2.5L four moves the car along surprisingly well. After
almost two weeks of driving a mix of highway and around town it is
averaging between 32 and 33 mpg. Far cry from the 12 to 13 mpg with the
Ford Superduty. Gonna hold onto the truck though, at least for a while.
Sometimes only a truck will do.

On Fri, 1 Apr 2016 10:20:25 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 4/1/2016 8:23 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.


I just bought a new ride. I've been thinking of getting a more
comfortable vehicle for a while and tried out several of the "mid-sized"
offerings. Ended up with a Nissan Altima SL. It's the four-banger with
the continuously variable transmission. Nissan also
offers a 3.5L six but I don't know why anyone would need the extra
horsepower. The 2.5L four moves the car along surprisingly well. After
almost two weeks of driving a mix of highway and around town it is
averaging between 32 and 33 mpg. Far cry from the 12 to 13 mpg with the
Ford Superduty. Gonna hold onto the truck though, at least for a while.
Sometimes only a truck will do.


We are still hanging on to the Sport Trak. It is not really a truck
but it serves the function. I can put a pallet of sod in the back but
I would not want to drive far with it.
It gets used to haul gas more than anything else. Next would be moving
my boat around.
My Honda is a 5 speed and that is sporty enough for me.

On Fri, 1 Apr 2016 10:20:25 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 4/1/2016 8:23 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.


I just bought a new ride. I've been thinking of getting a more
comfortable vehicle for a while and tried out several of the "mid-sized"
offerings. Ended up with a Nissan Altima SL. It's the four-banger with
the continuously variable transmission. Nissan also
offers a 3.5L six but I don't know why anyone would need the extra
horsepower. The 2.5L four moves the car along surprisingly well. After
almost two weeks of driving a mix of highway and around town it is
averaging between 32 and 33 mpg. Far cry from the 12 to 13 mpg with the
Ford Superduty. Gonna hold onto the truck though, at least for a while.
Sometimes only a truck will do.


Funny. Today I was looking at a Mazda 3. Would still keep the truck though. Hard to
pull a 5er with a Mazda 3.
--

Ban liars, tax cheats, juvenile name-callers, and narcissists...not guns!

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 4/1/2016 8:23 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.


I just bought a new ride. I've been thinking of getting a more
comfortable vehicle for a while and tried out several of the "mid-sized"
offerings. Ended up with a Nissan Altima SL. It's the four-banger with
the continuously variable transmission. Nissan also
offers a 3.5L six but I don't know why anyone would need the extra
horsepower. The 2.5L four moves the car along surprisingly well. After
almost two weeks of driving a mix of highway and around town it is
averaging between 32 and 33 mpg. Far cry from the 12 to 13 mpg with the
Ford Superduty. Gonna hold onto the truck though, at least for a while.
Sometimes only a truck will do.




Got to have a pickup. Even when I drove a Rabbit as a daily driver, had an
S10 pickup. Looking at an around town car. Rented a Kia Forte in Seattle
last fall. Nice car, great milage, not sure how much, but did not take a
lot of gas for the amount of running around. Went we pick d it up at the
Airport, was not sure of it, but drove nice, quiet, peppy.

"Keyser Söze

....while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy."

I've looked at the Tacoma while waiting for my semi annual servicing for my Highlander. Found that the roof and windshield seemed low....cut off just above my sight line. Just seemed to bother me.

On Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:06:28 -0500, Califbill
wrote:

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 4/1/2016 8:23 AM, Keyser Söze wrote:

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy.


I just bought a new ride. I've been thinking of getting a more
comfortable vehicle for a while and tried out several of the "mid-sized"
offerings. Ended up with a Nissan Altima SL. It's the four-banger with
the continuously variable transmission. Nissan also
offers a 3.5L six but I don't know why anyone would need the extra
horsepower. The 2.5L four moves the car along surprisingly well. After
almost two weeks of driving a mix of highway and around town it is
averaging between 32 and 33 mpg. Far cry from the 12 to 13 mpg with the
Ford Superduty. Gonna hold onto the truck though, at least for a while.
Sometimes only a truck will do.




Got to have a pickup. Even when I drove a Rabbit as a daily driver, had an
S10 pickup. Looking at an around town car. Rented a Kia Forte in Seattle
last fall. Nice car, great milage, not sure how much, but did not take a
lot of gas for the amount of running around. Went we pick d it up at the
Airport, was not sure of it, but drove nice, quiet, peppy.

We have rented quite a few SUV and crossover style vehicles over the
years. I had a Sorrento in New Zealand that was pretty nice. Too bad
the steering wheel was on the wrong side. ;-)
I had a Chrysler mini van in Michigan last month and that was OK too.
Lots of doodads. I left them with about 1000 songs on the sound system
hard drive. It took a couple of hours to load it but it was playing
the whole time so it was not an issue and it picked back up where I
left off when I stopped. I think all of them were getting in the mid
to high 20mpg range, except the V-8 Suburban we had in the Dakotas.
That thing really sucked when I tried a tank of E-85. You could see
the MPG drop on the instant read when that worked it's way to the
injectors.

On 4/1/2016 12:18 PM, True North wrote:
"Keyser Söze

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy."

I've looked at the Tacoma while waiting for my semi annual servicing for my Highlander. Found that the roof and windshield seemed low....cut off just above my sight line. Just seemed to bother me.


My other half test drove a Ford Edge and loved everything about it...
except how the vertical supports in back created a huge blind spot. I
tried to tell her that if she used her mirrors properly, she'd never
have to turn her head, but she couldn't get past it.

She ended up getting a Kia Sorento instead.

On 4/1/2016 2:04 PM, Ryan P. wrote:
On 4/1/2016 12:18 PM, True North wrote:
"Keyser Söze

...while waiting for routine service to be completed on my wife's car, I
test drove a 2016 Toyota Tacoma truck. What a sweet ride...made even
sweeter by the presence of its six speed manual transmission. The last
time I drove a pickup truck with a stick shift, it was back in the late
1950's, at my dad's boat store. I think it was a four speed, but you
started in second because first was there only to get the truck rolling
if you were pulling something really heavy."

I've looked at the Tacoma while waiting for my semi annual servicing
for my Highlander. Found that the roof and windshield seemed
low....cut off just above my sight line. Just seemed to bother me.


My other half test drove a Ford Edge and loved everything about it...
except how the vertical supports in back created a huge blind spot. I
tried to tell her that if she used her mirrors properly, she'd never
have to turn her head, but she couldn't get past it.

She ended up getting a Kia Sorento instead.


The Altima has a nice feature .... maybe all cars have them now ... I
don't know. It has sensors in the outside rear view mirrors that
detect if another car is pulling up along side you on the right or left.
There are small lights inside the car near the mirrors that light up if
a car is detected. If you put your blinker on while a car is detected
on the side that you intend to make a lane change, a chime goes off as
well as the light to warn you. The rear facing camera is pretty cool
also. When backing and turning the steering wheel, an outline of where
you are backing moves with the steering wheel movements. There's also
an alternate view that gives you a wider screen shot.

So far I like it a lot. Drives smooth and quiet, is quick and gets
great mileage.