2K mile "review" on my 2022 TRD Off Road (so far)

Hey all. I figured I would throw out my thoughts on my truck so far. Keep in mind, I've only had the truck for 3 weeks now but I've also rolled a little over 2K miles on it due to the drive back from DC to Texas.

Positives:
- The stock ride quality was fantastic. I came from a 2020 Chevy Silverado Custom & I can objectively say, the ride on the stock wheels, tires, etc were about as smooth as you can get for a truck.

- Overall power. I had about a 1,500 mile drive home from the dealership. So I was able to drive about every type of traffic/situation there is for a normal driver. The one that really stuck out to me was how much get up & go this thing has when passing people on a two-lane road.

- Vast array of tech features. For reference, I got the Advanced TRD Off Road package with the advanced technology & premium audio packages. That means I got the 14 inch screen, pano view, digital rear view mirror, blind spot monitoring, etc. I also got the upgraded interior with the softex seats & leather steering wheel. Now, don't get me wrong, some of the stuff (like the digit rear view mirror) is cool but damn-near useless, outside of showing off. The pano view has been game changing, though. It took some time to get used to but being able to see all around the truck, how close I am to something when backing out or pulling in to a tight space, etc has been HUGE. I can also say, I absolutely LOVE the 14 inch screen. The main reason I decided to upgrade trucks was for some of the advanced tech like the blind spot, adaptive cruise, etc. It has not disappointed.

- These trucks turn a lot of heads. Now, I know this is somewhat subjective and the battle will continue to rage on between Gen 3 vs Gen 2 owners. Here's what I will say, though. Every time I pull in to a gas station, parking lot, etc, multiple people turn around and stare. Have had multiple compliments, including at the shop when I got the new wheels & tires. Then again at the tire shop that did my leveling kit. Even when it was stock, I was getting all sorts of looks & people taking pictures. It's got to the point where my girlfriend has had to start locking the doors when she stays in the truck when I go in somewhere, because people will flock over & take a long look.



Negatives/Gripes:
- Gas mileage. I know this is somewhat subjective due to driving styles, so feel free to disregard. That being said, I averaged a little over 18 MPG for the majority of my 1,500 mile trip. That was being pretty damn gentle for the first 1,000 miles, too. It has obviously become even worse now (about 15.5-16 MPG) with the bigger tires & leveling kit. All in all, I was expecting better overall MPGs from the stock rig, especially on the highway.

- Turning radius. I know this was a complaint for quite a few folks & I 100% echo it. Even before I did what I did to the truck, making u-turns or sharper turns were a risky proposition. Again, coming from the Silverado (that had the turning radius of a smaller SUV), this has been disappointing & frankly confusing. I almost feel like I'm learning to drive a truck all over again because of all of the adjustments I've had to make pulling out of tight spaces, drive-thru's, etc.

- Center Console. The overall design feels too busy and if we are being honest, it looks and feels flimsy as hell. It feels like one area where they should improve the overall functionality/durability a little bit in the coming years.

- Backseat storage. This was one area where the original dealer I went to tried to "sell" me on the truck. Now, maybe for some people the added storage below the seats is a good thing. For someone with multiple big dogs, I'd rather be able to flip the seats up & have extra floor space for the dogs. Due to this design, I'm not sure the dogs are going to even be able to be in my truck.

- Toyota has to get over this obsession of misplaced chrome. Again, totally subjective but not only did they place a bunch of chrome in places most people didn't want, they make it really damn hard to get rid of. Beware of that if you go with the Off Road over the Sport.

Overall Thoughts:
As a whole, I love this truck so far. Yes, I had an equal amount of positive & negative talking points but as you can tell, the positives much outweigh the nitpicky-ness of the negatives. A lot of it comes down to preference.

The overall quality of the truck has been really nice. The comfort of the vehicle has also been above average (I have the 8-way adjustable Softex seats). The ride quality still isn't too bad with the tires & leveling kit, either.

I would also like to note that so far (knock on wood), I have had no mechanical issues, wind noises, etc. From a QC standpoint, zero complaints.

My overall takeaway? If you're still kicking around getting one based on some of the bad reviews/issues, I think a lot of the severity has been overstated. Now, obviously that's easier to say as someone who hasn't run into any issues so far. It's been a great truck so far & I have absolutely no regrets. Especially when it came to not wanting to settle for baseline features & getting the advanced packages, etc.

 

This is a really great summary and I agree on almost every point... positive and negative. The only real place I disagree is the ride. It is smooth and quiet on smooth roads and freeways, but on the crap roads in CA you feel every little bump and jolt. I added about 250lbs of weight in the bed to decrease the amount, but it is still a lot less smooth riding than my old 2010. (maybe shocks with 225,000 miles on them smoothed everything out!)

 

ha! Man… I do not miss CA roads at all. I can absolutely see how it would be a different experience out there for sure.

where in CA are you?

 

Personally I love the digital rear view. Once you dial in the settings you get a MUCH better view of what's behind you than a traditional mirror. Agree with all your other points though and love my first real truck.

 

Awesome review. Thanks for the input. Can't wait for mine to get here.

 

interesting. Sounds like I may have to mess with mine a bit more. Do you use it 100% of the time instead of the transitional rear view mirror?

 

Northern CA, Sonoma County. Consistently voted worst roads in state. Our tax money goes to homeless... or "unhoused" as the propeller heads now call them.
Each summer we drive out to the Midwest and as soon as we hit the state line, it is smooth sailing from there. Pays to have one senator per 1 million people rather than 20 million!

 

The 2nd gen was miserable on the CA highways! The third gen is way way better. I felt like my the 2nd gen truck was going to fall apart driving on the 110 north in LA. 3rd gen is a bit bouncy on the choppy concrete highways though.

 

I do yeah, it took a little bit to get used to a brighter screen, but it can objectively see more than a real mirror and at night it's scary how much more you can see with it.

The resolution isn't so high that I can make out distant car models but I use my side mirrors for that.

I did a couple of tests though with all three mirrors (rear view and side) and it can be set up to basically eliminate most blind spots which is pretty cool. Wish it was a little bigger though.

 

That's great to know. I'll have to mess with it this weekend then. That was actually a primary reason why I "upgraded" trucks. The blind spot issue was huge, especially out here in DFW during traffic. Small cars sneak up on the side of you & it's almost impossible to see them without extra assistance. Thanks for that bit of info!

 

Since you have the exact same tire/wheel setup as me, do you hear anything clunking/popping at full lock in reverse?

 

Man that is a stellar looking truck.
I know you’re probably wanting to get rid of the chrome “mustache” (as most army green folks want the green/black-out esthetic) but I think it actually fits and makes the truck stand out a little in a good way. It would be another thing if the whole grille/front was chromed but having just that sliver makes the truck pretty killer looking. Congrats on the new rig.

 

Every once in a while I do, actually. I thought at first it was just my imagination but it's there for sure. Not exactly sure what it is but I'm assuming it's a little rub on the back end.

 

Thank you! Honestly, I think I'm going to have to stick with the chrome for a while. Seems like a good color match for any wrap is almost non-existent right now. I tried to talk myself into black but I've seen it a few times & just don't like the look. Toyota & their obsession with chrome...

 

Thanks for the honest review. You know, the army green color thread doesn’t get nearly enough love. You 3rd gen’ers are welcome there, too!

 

I can’t pinpoint it but the back end looks like it isn’t even close to rubbing. I’ve noticed when it warms up the sound is less prevalent. Let me know if you track it down and I’ll do the same.

Nice looking rig! Wheel/tire setup runs smooth

 

Your rig is super sweet love the green

 

People stare at me at pumps but I always thought it was a “look at this asshole” kind of stare