Chevy S-10 Zr2 vs. Toyota Tacoma TRD
Hey, I'm getting a new truck soon and would like
to know how the ZR2 compares to the Tacoma with
TRD. I have already looked at the specs, but I
would like some testimonials etc....
Also, are there any good ZR2 sites on the net that
work? www.zr2.com is down.
Thanks
to know how the ZR2 compares to the Tacoma with
TRD. I have already looked at the specs, but I
would like some testimonials etc....
Also, are there any good ZR2 sites on the net that
work? www.zr2.com is down.
Thanks
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
it also performs very well. The Chevy will not hold its value in the long run and will also have a greater chance of having problems than the toyota or nissan. I also read an article in Motor Trend Magazine that compared all the major compact pickups and the chevy zr2 did not make it through the off road test because the frame warped. Tacomas are expensive but are probably worth the difference. My brothers nissan has turned out to be an awesome truck that cost less than most of the compact trucks. You might want to check those out too.
Adam
Paul
Chevy goes by a what they have available to what you can order, and all the Chevy dealers in the US have to call in with thier computers at 12:00 noon eastern time to see whats available and what they can order... This is why I cannot get this ordered.. At Dodge, you put your order in, they fax it over and 6-weeks later your truck is there... Seems like they way to do things..
kam
4 wheel discs, 4.10's, rear locker, gee, almost a real good truck now.
GM had to specially heat treat the front gears for durability with the 3.73.
I wonder what they did to get 4.10's to work reliably (now that there is another 10% torque multiplication going on). Kryptonite?
The locker in the Toy is cool but I ordered my ZR2 with a Torsen diff and have no complaints with it. The only complaints I do have is mileage (14 to 18), poor turning radius, and excessive front brake pad wear(every 25,000 miles).
I do think the Toy TRD is the only other truck to consider if in the market for a compact 4x4, but my ZR2 has been hillbilly proof so far, and I try to buy American when I can (it is bad enough I have to buy a new [non-permissible content removed] race bike every year).
I'VE HAD NISSAN SINCE 1976.. STILL HAVE MY 89 4X4
ITS TOO GOOD TO GIVE AWAY (160K MILES)
WE HAVE A 95 S-10 BLAZER AND A 99 XCAB-ZR2 NOW AND HERES A COUPLE POINTS TO PONDER...
I CALLED AROUND TO MECHANICS AND ASKED ADVICE..
I DIDN'T KNOW THESE GUYS AND THEY ALL RECOMMENDED
THE CHEV JUST BECAUSE OF PARTS PRICES/AVAILABILITY AND EASE OF WORKING ON THE VEHICLES.
THE NEWER CHEVS SEEM TO HAVE MUCH BETTER Q.C. THAN THE OLDER ONES (OF COURSE).....I THINK NISSAN/TOYOTA MAY BE BEGINNING TO REST ON THEIR PAST REPUTATION A LITTLE TOO MUCH, IT SHOWS IN THE PRICES.......
MY NEW ZR2 (ABOUT 10K MILES NOW)(11TH DIGIT IN VIN IS '8' BY THE WAY) HAS SO FAR TURNED OUT TO BE A FANTASTIC VEHICLE. I GET 19 MPG MOSTLY EASY HIGHWAY DRIVING.
I DRIVE 45 MILES INTERSTATE TO WORK..RIDES LIKE A CADDILLAC ON AND OFF ROAD (THAT SUSPENSION IS MOST DEFINITELY WORTH TWICE THE MONEY IT COST)
I READ THAT CHEV HAS A NEW REAR END FOR 2000-ZR2'S PROBABLY THE 4.10..THATS GONNA REALLY TICKLE THE OFFROAD CROWD BUT IS REALLY GONNA HIT MOST ZR2 BUYERS HARD IN THE BACK OF THE BRITCHES (MOST PEOPLE ONLY PUT MAYBE 5% OF THEIR MILEAGE INTO SERIOUS OFFROADING, THE REST MAINLY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK..)A 4.10 IS ''NOT'' AN ECONOMY REAR END.....IT WOULD DO MOST OF US GOOD TO JUST REMEMBER THAT TRANSFER CASE HAS A HIGH/LOW RANGE ON IT...
THE 95 BLAZER (ABOUT 80K MILES) GETS ABOUT 20
MPG AND IS STILL QUIET AND SOLID AS WHEN IT WAS NEW...I DID PUT NEW BILSTEINS ON IT $49 EACH AND WORTH EVERY PENNY
BASICALLY I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE 2
S-10S THAT WE OWN, ALL VEHICLES SHOULD GET GOOD
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE , KEEP THE SMALL THINGS TIGHT/CLEAN/GREASED
AND THE BIG THINGS WILL LAST A LOT LONGER..
HOPE THIS (I GUESS ITS A DOCUMENTARY NOW HUH?)
HELPS
R.
Anyway my question is has anyone else heard of these vehicles from another source or can they confirm them. I thinking of buying a 2000 Zr2 4WD S-10 but the supercharged Toy. Tacoma sure is inviting
Check the label on the inside of the driver door,
it shows the payload, my xtra-cab ZR2 shows 750 lbs, (the regular cab may be 900..)
The ZR2 has a track bar connecting the frame rail to the rear axle
it is located almost right above the rear diff.
That track bar may have something to do with payload reduction, its purpose is to keep the relationship of frame/axle about the same, particularly in the horizontal direction..
as you load the truck the springs compress and the axle gets closer to the frame, that track bar
resists this change.....
If you load the truck too much that track bar or its connections would probably be where some damage would occur......
CHEV never said the ZR2 was a worktruck, and it's
not, but compact trucks are all very light duty anyway...(some are rated for more weight but probably shouldn't do it very often)..
the fullsize trucks were made for heavy hauling/towing, but then again try getting one of them through some smaller logging roads and you see where the smaller 4x4s come in...
If you want a off-road play/hunt truck...ZR2
you want heavy work truck?.. fullsize (and the newer silveraldo get almost the same gas mileage..
hope this helps..
( I checked all this before I bought the ZR2 also)
You're very right about small 4X4's offroad--much preferable in tight places. I can only have one vehicle, and so it has to do everything for me: work mule, grocery getter, escape rig. That's why I splurge on 4 wheel drive--gotta' get out in the desert in the winter months to unwind.
As it happens, drando, here in So. Cal. ZR2's are very rare, so I've not been able to look one over in any detail. Dealers seem uninterested in the truck. If you've got the time, I'd like to hear about your experience with the ZR2--quality, reliability, performance on and off road, fuel economy, and anything else which comes to mind. The 3rd door option is appealing, as is the V6 power. I am concerned about push-button transfer case operation (not just Chevy's), automatic hubs (ditto), and turning radius (there are hints, but no specifics, about ZR2's having an unusually large turn radius).
Thanks again, drando, for your reply to my previous post.
that is more than exceptional for the many midnight in the construction site trips, and the many four-wheeling, and rock-crawling trips, you name it and the truck has been there and done that. The only two times that I have been stuck was because the truck is too long to make it over very large mounds, but thats what you have the skid plates for and that is why the frame rails are the lowest point on the truck.
I get about 16 mpg now at 40,000 miles, the first year I had it I got about 13 mpg.
You hear alot of mumbo jumbo about the push-button 4-wheel drive but I've NEVER had my truck not go into four wheel drive, I've had it stay in for an extra ten seconds, but never not engage.
The third door is a must and so are the aluminum skid plate package if you go off-road any.
There is no engine option because the 4.3 is the best v-6 ever produced by GM.
Any more questions feel free to e-mail me(I'm really bored and I love to talk about my truck, as you can tell)
Mike Walters
of Georgia
michwalt@juno.com
Prior to the 98 F150, in conjunction with another F150, I did own a 96 Toyota Tacoma 4X4,ext cab V6, the works. I used it as a daily driver and occasional offroad when hunting where I did not need to carry a lot of equipment, etc.
I had the head gasket problem at 19k miles, but Toyota went all out to fix it and extended my 60k powertrain warranty out to 100k miles IN WRITING.
I now have a 99 Z71 Silverado and although I have had a few very minor problems, it is by far the best truck I have ever owned. Yeah, I know that Chevy is not the greatest in customer satisfaction, but still much better than Ford.
I would still drive a Toyota if they had a real competitor in the full size trucks. The Tundra still is a compact truck in my eyes.
I guess its all in what your need is that determines what make you buy. If I were to buy another small pickup, I would highly consider another Tacoma, but there are many factors to consider also.
1.You may have just gotten a lemon. All makes have them.
2.The S10 has many more options than the Tacoma
3.The S10 is much cheaper initially than the Tacoma and much cheaper to repair outside of warranty. The parts are almost 1/2 the cost of Toyota.
4.There are good dealers and bad dealers for all makes. Did you try another dealer or go to the same one? You may have gotten very satisfactory service from a different GM dealer. I know I have on several occasions. I won't go back to my selling dealer for so much as a light bulb. Thats a long story too.
All this to say....I am not a loyal Chevy owner. I will buy whatever will give me the best value for my money. However, don't be too quick to give up on Chevy for the reasons I mentioned before. I could tell some not so good stories about Toyota cars from my mothers and sisters experiences also. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.
I too have fishd some tournaments. I remember the looks I used to get putting in my boat and taking it out with a Toyota among tons of Chevy trucks. The dissention was very apparent. I know that is trivial but it is something I thought about. I never liked being the outsider at the tournaments.
It "was" pretty funny pulling in with my 4000 lb bass boat behind a Tacoma!! It pulled that boat really well.
over the phone, after three days that they were working with techs over the phone from back east trying to fix it. Then after I left that shop thinking my truck was fixed, later on that evening when it was dark I notices that non of my inside lights were working and also my four wheel drive would not engage. Now I head back to where I bought this piece of sh** and have them fix it along with a couple of other warranty related problems. They call me later on that evening while I was at work and assure me everything is working properly. I personally asked the department manager to please double check everything so that when I get down to the shop I can be in and out so I can get back to work. He tells me that it will be done. So I head down to the shop and as soon as I get there and talk to the department supervisor he cannot find my paperwork. I had just talked to this idiot 30 minutes prior and now he cannot find this paperwork!! So he tells me to check out the truck while he searches for the paperwork. Within 10 seconds after checking out the truck I find out that I Have absolutely no rear lights working on the truck at all!!!! So I turned around and stared in disbelief at the service manager who turned absolutely as white as a ghost. He had to repair this problem while I waited. So instead of a five minute in and out deal I was there for over an hour!!!!! I cannot get them to do an easy oil change without the truck leaking oil twice from the oil filter at two different dealerships!!!!! I've changed the oil in the truck at least twice without a problem. By now this is 3 different dealerships!!! But I'm still not done!! Driver's side outside power window breaks and now I head to the 4th different dealership to get this problem fixed along with an oil change and a tire rotation. I leave the truck at the dealership at 8 a.m. because I need the truck back at 2 p.m. to go to work. The service manager told me that the earlier I brought the truck in the faster it would get fixed. He personally told me that the mirror would take an hour and the oil change and tire rotation would be about 45 minutes. So I arrive back at the dealership at 2 p.m. and I see the truck still parked inside the shop in the stall where it was left that morning. So I approach the service manager and ask if the work on the truck is finished. He replies that the tire rotation and the oil change are finished but they haven't even started to replace the outside rear view mirror and that if I could wait around for another hour and a half he would get someone right on it. It was all I could do to just tell that guy to give me my keys and get my paperwork so I could get the hell out of there. I WAS ABOUT TO GO CHARLES MANSON IN THERE BY NOW!!!!!!! They had my vehicle in there for 6 hours to do an
hour and 45 minute job only to tell me that they could only get 45 minutes of it done? I scheduled this friggin appointment 2 weeks in advance!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Believe me they will never forget who I was with the fit I through at that shop!! My last episode was with the place where I bought the truck. When It broke down for the alternator I had it towed to them and they told me that they would try to get to it before the day was over. And my reply was very stern with this guy that he had better get someone on this truck asap or he was in for a real surprise. So he had it fixed three hours later and wouldn't give me a courtesy shuttle back to where I had to turn in the rental car that I had to pay for. I hate to be rude to people but the only time it seems that I got any courtesy from any of these nuckleheads was when I was buying this hunk of junk. I am not a hard person to please but I expect what I pay for and I haven't received this yet. I live in the seattle, wa area and I have been to delearships in Federal Way, Seattle, Renton, Kent, and Auburn,WA. and the only one that I believe I was treated respectable was in Auburn only because I was "PAYING" for a brake job!!! DO NOT BUY CHEVY VEHICLES, THEY ARE NOT "LIKE A ROCK" AND YOU HAD BETTER BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT THEY SURE AND THE HELL ARE NOT THE MOST DEPENDABLE TRUCKS ON THE MARKET. Signed, have had my vehicle towed to the dealership 3 times in 2 years!!!!!1
Good luck with whatever you buy. Shame on Chevy for not keeping your business. However, I still have confidence in Chevy trucks.
Tacoma and found every 15,000 miles you have to
"Lubricate the propeller shaft and re-torque bolts"
Then it says to: "Re-torque drive shaft flange
bolts" What's the difference between the propeller
shaft and the drive shaft? What do you torque the
bolts to? Where are the bolts on the propeller
shaft to torque? Where are the flange boltslocated? Thanks for any help.
AS for the Toyota, my imagination, or are those seats going to be uncomfortable for long distances?
seats going to be uncomfortable for long distances"
Yep. My 96 Tacoma was uncomfortable for ANY distance. I have to say it was a reliable truck though.
I still love this ZR2, I hate to hear the others having bad experiences, sometimes its individual dealerships not the manufacturers...
fuel mileage 19-20 so far, I drive mostly interstate and I'm not usually in a hurry.
turning radius is a little restricted.
you gotta remember the size of those tires though.
If they allowed a VERY small turning radius folks would probably be over stressing those steering components to much in hard offroading...I noticed it at first, but have gotten used to it now...
At the moment one of the Bilstein shocks is weeping oil, It is ordered and will be replaced
in about 2 days (doesn't make me hate Bilsteins though!!!!)
I didn't get the ZR2 for a worktruck, I use my older nissan for that. I haven't really loaded it with 750 lbs yet... I am 190 myself, the aluminum box/tools is probably 150 maybe, during the winter I usually keep 2 50 lb sandbags under the truckbox.. so that rates about 1/2 the rated payload.. I would be pretty interested in talking to the Chev Spec engineer who kept that payload to 750 lbs myself,,, I'm sure Chev knows that people use payload as a comparison...
Hunting season starts soon so my truck is fixing to get dirty, I've kept it clean so far
because I keep checking everything for tight/clean/no-leaks etc while I'm wearing it in..
Basically, as far as I'm concerned It does what it is designed to do extremely well, as far as a 'WORK TRUCK' I'd have to think about that one. Like I said earlier, I use my 10 yr old for that ( not nearly as worried about the scratches..)
Hope this helps, I'll keep checking the articles..
have you seen the page at?
http://www.infinet.com/~hedkeg/ZR2/index.html
he is getting some new pictures at his site...
I don't care what bad anyone says about GM trucks, they are the toughest, longest lasting trucks made in my opinion.
The 15 years of Fords I owned (8 total), I don't think any of them could take the beating that 89 Chevy 454 has taken and still be running as trouble free as it has.
Treat her like a thoroughbred, she'll never turn into a nag...
I've been pretty lucky I guess I never have got a lemon so far.
I forgot a couple answers the last note
I was pretty leary of the push-button 4x4
myself. I swore I'd always have lockin-lugs.
Them days R gone, my 89 NISS has them and I've never had a problem, but I'm glad I stay inside now (at least when I don't want to go out).
I have had to replace the 2wd bulb in the switch on the 95 4x4 BLAZER but the switch/trans-case motor has never had problems. I have never lived in arctic conditions so I don't know if CCOOLLDD really affects the mechanism very much, I have read about people leary of it though..
3rd door? came included with the ZR2 pkg,
probably wouldn't have paid xtra for it at the time, but now? no question... I have had no rattles/squeaks/problems yet anyway...and by the way armor-all works well on the door trim rubber moldings too the 89 NISS is still air tight with the original moldings (at least as good as I remember it being when I got it).
Have you tried calling CHEV about payload details?
You can read up on trackbars as well, I read an article in one of the offroad magazines about a trackbar that can be locked to the fixed length
(normal position like on a ZR2) or unlocked (allows the length to shorten/lengthen as the frame/suspension flexes)...but that bar does a lot for the ride/cornering on that ZR2..
Good luck picking your new fun/work/stress-relief.truck
see ya
drove the Tacoma TRD, Chevy ZR-2, Mazda B-4000,
Ranger, Dakota, and Frontier. They took them on
their off-road course.
The Tacoma TRD won in their test and the Ranger
was a close second. They choose the Tacoma because
of it's off-road capabilities. Ranger road better
on the highway and I think most the others rode
better also. The Dakota and Zr-2 got the thumbs-up
for appearance(I agree). They were the least
impressed with the ZR-2. Also, they slammed the
Frontier's plain look and weak motor. They also
felt like the Dodge V-8 was not V-8 like. They
thought it was weak. I beleive they figured that
the transmission was robbing power. The tow hook
snapped off the ZR-2 almost injuring one of the
drivers, I guess it was stuck.
It has been about 4 months since I have actually
read the article, I have the magazine somewhere
around the house, but I think this is the order
they rated them: 1. Tacoma TRD 2. Ranger 3. Dakota
4. Frontier 5. ZR-2
This article came out about 2 months after I had
my Tacoma. But, nevertheless, article or no
article my Tacoma works great for me!! I do a
little surf fishing and I have been highly pleased
with its abilities. To me it rides better
off-road, it never seems to be in a strain. And I
never have to decreased the pressure in my tires.
Well, take the article for what it's worth. Test
drive them and you make the call! That's what I
did!
You bought what you could afford and so did I!! To me 5K ain't nothin' when you talking in excess of 19K. Besides Rangers are cheaply made...you gotta pay the costs to be the boss!
Most mags complain about Toy's prices, but the fact still remains their cars and trucks almost always wins their approval!!! Your jealousy of those who can afford to pay more is pathetic and it shows with every baseless word you type!!
Tacomas are better than the current Rangers. I'm sorry you bought second best, work harder, save more money and you too can be #1! Good luck on your quest to find a better truck because that Ford will probably have all kinds of maintenance problems, in fact, it probably already has more rattles and squeaks than a 20 year old Pinto(another Ford disaster!)!! Resale values on the Ranger can't even compare to Tacoma's...you know I'm right, but you'd die B/4 you admit it!
Toyota has the better product for now. That's LIFE...NOW LIVE IT AND STOP STARTING BASELESS ARGUMENTS ABOUT YOUR CHEAP TRUCK!
GOOD POINT W/ THE 4-WHEEL & OFF ROAD ARTICLE! I'VE GOT THE ISSUE MYSELF, & FOUND IT TO BE THE MOST NON-BIASED, APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON I'VE READ. GRANTED, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE ZR2 FINISH LAST, CONSIDERING IT WON 4-WHEELER OF THE YEAR WHEN IT CAME OUT. (1994 I THINK)
VINCE8:
$5000 DIFFERENCE? WHERE'D YOU GET THIS INFO? I'M NOT TRYING TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS. IN THE ARTICLE, THE TOYOTA LISTED AT $25,363; THE RANGER LISTED AT $23,190. GRANTED, THAT IS A $2173 DIFFERENCE, BUT NOWHERE NEAR $5000! THESE TRUCKS WERE SET UP & OPTIONED AS EQUALLY AS A FORD & TOYOTA COULD BE FROM THE FACTORY.
I'VE DRIVEN BOTH TRUCKS ON EXTENDED TEST DRIVES. (DRIVE IT HOME, KEEP IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.) (BOTH WERE X-CAB, V-6, 4X4, 5 SPD.) THE RANGER DID HAVE THE 4.0 L. I DID THIS OVER THE COURSE OF 10 DAYS. MADE THE SAME 120 MILE ROUND TRIP TO WORK, AND SOME LITE OFF ROAD TIME AS WELL (THE TRUCKS WEREN'T MINE!-COULDN'T REALLY TEST THEM!)
BOTH TRUCKS WERE GREAT TRUCKS, EACH WITH THEIR OWN PRO'S & CON'S. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE TOYOTA WOULD GET MY VOTE. THE RANGER DID RIDE BETTER OUT ON THE ROAD, & HAD A LITTLE BETTER SEAT HEIGHT. BUT THE TOYOTA'S POWER AT 70-80 ON THE HIGHWAY, COUPLED WITH THE HANDLING BOTH ON & OFF ROAD DID IT FOR ME. I COULDN'T TELL A DIFFERENCE IN POWER AT 3000RPM AND UNDER. BOTH TRUCKS PULLED THE HILL ON MY FAMILY'S FARM & THE POND BANK VIRTUALLY EVEN.
YES, THE TOYOTA DID COST MORE. BUT AT THE BOTTOM LINE, THE DIFFERENCE WAS LESS THAT $1200!
THE TOYOTA WILL BE MINE. OH, YES, IT WILL BE MINE! FINALIZING BUDGET NOW. GETTING MARRIED DEC. 4th, SO A HOUSE CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN A NEW TRUCK RIGHT NOW! PRIORITIES, MAN, PRIORITIES!
This shoot off didn't fully load the Ranger either with the limited slip rearend and tow pkg.
The tire difference also was a P235 compared to a 31" all terrain. The test was a joke, not apples to apples.
i'm talking about every day, real-world, commuting back & forth to work, seat-of-the-pants driving. the tacoma, at highway speeds, felt more powerful. but after looking at the stats on both trucks, it stands to reason.
ford 4.0l 160 HP @ 4250rpm
225 ft./lbs. torque @ 3000rpm
toyota 3.4l 190 HP @ 4800rpm
220 ft.lbs. torque @ 3600rpm
like i said earlier, the trucks were practically identical when slow-going off road. i know the ranger has 5 more ft./lbs. of torque, and makes it at a lower rpm, but i couldn't tell the difference. i haven't looked at the torque/power curves side by side, but i'd guess that the tacoma's curve is a little flatter than the ranger's. i don't know.
here's the deal: are you happy with your truck? i'm happy for you if you are. i know bunches of people who have rangers, & wouldn't have anything else. i probably know the same number of tacoma owners as well. same feelings about their truck. it all boils down to being happy with whatever you've got. i just know which one i'll buy!
finally, i've read plenty of posts that go something like "...well my (insert truck here) will leave your (insert truck here) in the dust on the trails." if there is one thing i've learned in my mis-adventures off-road, its this.
i'd say 80-90% of the time, its not WHAT you drive, but HOW you drive it!
SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST.
keith24
Well, we can go on and on like you say.
Enjoy your truck.
Later.
comparing Toyotas and Fords and Chevys and start sharing some
important information. I posted this message a few
weeks back and no one seemed to know anything. Do
you guys actually maintain your trucks???? So here
it is again just in case there is anyone who has a
any idea about this.
I was looking over the maintenance guide for
the Tacoma and found every 15,000 miles you have
to
"Lubricate the propeller shaft and re-torque
bolts"
Then it says to: "Re-torque drive shaft flange
bolts" What's the difference between the
propeller
shaft and the drive shaft? What do you torque the
bolts to? Where are the bolts on the propeller
shaft to torque? Where are the flange bolts
located? Thanks for any help.
bdev- I have a 1999 Tacoma 4wd 5sp ext-cab V6 with
the TRD and the bench seat. I find it comfortable
enough. It handles fine and there isn't much road
noise. The stereo is kind of weak though. I get
about 19-20 m.p.g. with a mix of town and highway
driving.