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2006 DC Test Drive Impressions

2K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  Colorado4wheeler 
#1 ·
I'm finally going to move up from my 94 nissan to a new truck, and test drove a new DC yesterday. I was a bit disappointed in a few things, though, and would like to hear from some of you guys that have driven DC's a while..

  1. The accelerator pedal requires a lot of travel. This makes it feel more sluggish than it probably is.
  2. Even when pushing it, it didn't seem to have much power. Will this truck even peel out?
  3. The headrest angles forward an awful lot. I had to recline the back of the seat more than I'm used to to keep the headrest from bothering me. The truck I drove had cloth, I wonder if the leather has a different shape?
  4. Front and side visibility was much better than I expected. When driving down the road, it feels smaller than I thought it would. However, I found it awfully hard to see with the rear view and gauge how close things were to the back bumper. Mostly I had to rely on the side mirrors.
  5. What a quiet truck! Very nice ride. I didn't get to try it out on any twisties, unfortunately.
  6. First mod I would do is something with the muffler. Needs a V8 rumble!
  7. Wow, the turning radius feels like about 5 miles. That will take some getting used to!
Did any of you guys have these worries? I hope I'll get used to it after driving a couple of weeks.

BTW, I told the dealer I would probably be buying shortly after Feb 9, when the new truck is unveiled. He had no idea what I was talking about.:(
 
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#2 ·
My accelerator DOES NOT feel like what you described! Yes, I CAN peel out. I have the 4.7 V8, and I can hear the rumble. I have a DC Linited, with the TRD package. I LOVE my truck. As far as the turning radius, I came from a Ford F-250 Super Duty, Crew Cab, short bed, 4x4, Lariat, so the turning radius is a dream to me. My $.02. I LOVE my truck!! I have put over 2,000 miles on it in a little over 2 weeks!
 
#3 ·
notsofastmyfriend said:
I'm finally going to move up from my 94 nissan to a new truck, and test drove a new DC yesterday. I was a bit disappointed in a few things, though, and would like to hear from some of you guys that have driven DC's a while..
  1. The accelerator pedal requires a lot of travel. This makes it feel more sluggish than it probably is.
I felt that too... but I got used to it in a few days. My Ranger was hit and run.
  1. Even when pushing it, it didn't seem to have much power. Will this truck even peel out?
Mine lights em up going into second gear sometimes. You have to throttle play it though. Once you drive it for a week or so. You get the feel for the tranny shifts and use the throttle to harness all the whole gear.
  1. The headrest angles forward an awful lot. I had to recline the back of the seat more than I'm used to to keep the headrest from bothering me. The truck I drove had cloth, I wonder if the leather has a different shape?
I found the cloth to be more comfortable than the leather? I think its a matter of personal preference.
  1. Front and side visibility was much better than I expected. When driving down the road, it feels smaller than I thought it would. However, I found it awfully hard to see with the rear view and gauge how close things were to the back bumper. Mostly I had to rely on the side mirrors.
I have had My 06 DC for 2 months now and am just now getting used to the feel of where the back bumber is in relation with the tailgate. Its weird how its no where near where you think it is.
  1. What a quiet truck! Very nice ride. I didn't get to try it out on any twisties, unfortunately.
No Experience with this yet.
  1. First mod I would do is something with the muffler. Needs a V8 rumble!
I opted for the factory installed TRD Dual Exhaust. Sounds Great. Just enough Rumble. But again its a matter of personal preference.
  1. Wow, the turning radius feels like about 5 miles. That will take some getting used to!
Seems like it at first but it only takes a few days to get used to the feel. Dont get me wrong its still a pretty big turning radius.

Did any of you guys have these worries? I hope I'll get used to it after driving a couple of weeks.

BTW, I told the dealer I would probably be buying shortly after Feb 9, when the new truck is unveiled. He had no idea what I was talking about. :(
I opted to purchase the 06. With the great deals Toyota is offering you can't go wrong, My car payment went from 344/month to 359. Not bad at all. And I'm driving the most comfortable vehicle I have ever owned.

In my opinion youj cannot go wrong with either. I am kinda itchin to see what the new one will looks like.

Hope this helps.
 
#4 ·
The Tundra has to learn your driving habits, that's part of the VVT-i. Also you may feel a lag because the Tundra is drive by wire, not drive by cable. The amount of fuel that is injected is controlled by the computer, not a cable that you can pull back and forth. Also the Tundra is geared for higher end power, unlike the domestics. It has a broad powerband and you can get power from all levels. However, once you hit 3000 RPM, it takes you to a whole new level. I love my 05 DC, it's so much better than the Silverado that I traded in for it. And after adding the Flowmaster Delta Flow 50 series, the Helix Power Tower TBS and K&N cold air kit... WOW! It will run, and will run fast. It's a great sight seeing the look on the owner of one of the ford/chevy/dodge truck's after this Tundra out runs them. Gotta love it...
 
#5 ·
You may have experienced some of the ETC, Electronic Throttle Control, I think? When accelerating it limits how much the throttle opens, I don't know how much it limits it but I'm pretty sure it won't open fully untill around 3300 RPM. I guess it's to reduce shock on the drivetrain etc... It also must have some intelligence because normally I can barely peel out, but if i've towed a trailer and for the first few minutes after unhooking it I can light up the tires with no problem.
 
#6 ·
chuff said:
You may have experienced some of the ETC, Electronic Throttle Control, I think? When accelerating it limits how much the throttle opens, I don't know how much it limits it but I'm pretty sure it won't open fully untill around 3300 RPM. I guess it's to reduce shock on the drivetrain etc... It also must have some intelligence because normally I can barely peel out, but if i've towed a trailer and for the first few minutes after unhooking it I can light up the tires with no problem.
Yes, the idea is to maintain traction..... but sucks of you want to goof around a bit. Anyone know how to disable this? Funny, even in gravel, my wheel spin is limited. If I realy want to do a fast run, it has to be in 4wd.
 
#7 ·
Posted by: notsofastmyfriend;

3. The headrest angles forward an awful lot. I had to recline the back of the seat more than I'm used to to keep the headrest from bothering me. The truck I drove had cloth, I wonder if the leather has a different shape

My wife complained of the same thing when we bought our 06 DC. What I did was lift the head rest out of its slot and reverse it, works great for her now. As for me I removed all the rear head rests. I like to see the corners of the box while backing -up. Hope you do buy one. Jim
 
#8 ·
The accelerator pedal requires a lot of travel. This makes it feel more sluggish than it probably is.
1. Even when pushing it, it didn't seem to have much power. Will this truck even peel out?
The compared to the Ford I drove this truck has great tip in response. Compared to the Frontier it does not. It's just a different feel you get used to the throttle. I seldom use over 1/4 throttle in normal driving just to conserve gas. Yes, it will peel out.

2.
The headrest angles forward an awful lot. I had to recline the back of the seat more than I'm used to to keep the headrest from bothering me. The truck I drove had cloth, I wonder if the leather has a different shape?
Never had that issue. Make sure your seat back angle is right before you judge it. Headrest are a major safety item. They should be close to your head. Go sit in a new Mercedes and you will so how close they should be.

3.
Front and side visibility was much better than I expected. When driving down the road, it feels smaller than I thought it would. However, I found it awfully hard to see with the rear view and gauge how close things were to the back bumper. Mostly I had to rely on the side mirrors.
No comment other then it’s a big/long truck.

4.
What a quiet truck! Very nice ride. I didn't get to try it out on any twisties, unfortunately.
TRD is ok on the twisties. I would guess the non TRD is better due to the tires. I am used to my old street driven track cars so this thing feels like a truck to me and I can feel the tall sidewalls of the offroad tires my TRD has. It’s very smooth and quiet. The non-trd is smoother and better for just the street. It’s like a Lexus if that’s what you want. I prefer the TRD for the stiffer/more controlled ride.

5.
First mod I would do is something with the muffler. Needs a V8 rumble!
I like the quiet.

6. [/quote]Wow, the turning radius feels like about 5 miles. That will take some getting used to! [/quote]

I wish I could fix that one.
 
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