[Sammy123]

Hi

Ok.. still searching for new 07 ..

#1 -- I do like safety and have 2 young kids. Is the Air bag feature a "no brainer to get". Why doesnt the truck already come with such a feature??

#2 -- Anyone listen to the JBL 6 disc option with Sub,, Is the JBL system any good?

Thanks

 

[ccasey]

Both my wife and I asked the same question about the airbags. The truck does have front airbags as standard, but the package includes additional side and curtain airbags. We ordered ours (4x2 dbl cab) on Saturday and specified the airbag package. It may take longer to arrive if there's not one already like it out there, but it's one of those things that I wouldn't feel comfortable about if we skipped it.

I haven't listened to any of the stereo's - figured if the standard single-disk isn't good enough I'll go aftermarket - but have read that the JBL's sub is either "great" or "lacking", presumably depending on how into car audio you are.

Good luck!

-Chris

 

[zachb]

I have both the Side Curtain Air Bags, and the JBL 6 Disc System.

I decided to go for the Air Bags because it just seemed like it was a small price to pay for the added protection.
The only thing to consider is whether or not you want to add seat covers, because most seat covers (at least the ones you can get from Toyota) aren't designed to split apart for the Air Bags if they ever deploy.

I test drove a couple of trucks with the standard 6-disc system and thought the sound was good, but was missing something.
I then test drove one with the JBL, and brought a couple of my own CDs and noticed the quality was much better.
The only thing to realize about the JBL system is the sub isn't huge, it is simply for some added bass, but in my opinion it makes a difference.
Also, the RDS feature is really cool on the JBL system, I have a small FM iPod adapter that transmits the song info right to the deck through RDS.

My advice would be to take a CD with a few of your favorite songs, and test drive a vehicle with the JBL, and one without, and see what you think.

 

[J4RR]

Side airbags are a must, when I was looking for my truck no one had one in SoCal, so the fleet dept. ordered mine and I waited 4 weeks, all the dealers I talked to said that the truck I got with the options I got were rare in SoCal, especially longbed 4x4 with the sideairbags.
As for the JBL its better than the stock but not worth the extra cost; I was told by several dealers that If I wanted the steering wheel controls along with the side airbags and dtrl's that JBL stereo was the defualt stereo for those options,:td: !! I plan on replacing all that anyways.
I've heard that Toyota makes certian options and/or combinations of options available according to the region in the country that you live in.

 

[LN13]

Side airbags are a must, when I was looking for my truck no one had one in SoCal, so the fleet dept. ordered mine and I waited 4 weeks, all the dealers I talked to said that the truck I got with the options I got were rare in SoCal, especially longbed 4x4 with the sideairbags.
As for the JBL its better than the stock but not worth the extra cost; I was told by several dealers that If I wanted the steering wheel controls along with the side airbags and dtrl's that JBL stereo was the defualt stereo for those options,:td: !! I plan on replacing all that anyways.
I've heard that Toyota makes certian options and/or combinations of options available according to the region in the country that you live in.

I disagree, at 350.00 extra it is worth it. I agree that you should listen to it before you buy and make your decision then, but I am more than pleased with mine for a factory system. Plus if you are going to the trouble of aftermarket, you probably arent gonna spend less than 1k.

 

[GreenMtnMan]

We got the side airbags on our Highlander and in retrospect wish we didn't. The seats are poor and the side airbags make it difficult to swap them out for something better. I skipped the side airbags on my Tacoma for that reason and plan on replacing the seats.

 

[cbuzz7]

I'm in Texas and the Gulf States Toyota distributor doesn't allow any Tacoma's to go out with rear seat side air bags options (at least in non-TRD models). I had to special order it -- the factory had to agree to the order -- and it took about 4 months to receive the vehicle.

 

[Spaghetti]

I would say the JBL unit is not worth it, overall. Like previously suggested, take a CD or two of something you familiar with to see what you think. But IMO, that is $350 more you would have to put towards a decent aftermarket stereo.

As an FYI, I have the JBL system in my pick up, I didn't want to wait around for them to order in something new. I am impatient like that. Replacing the head unit cost me more because I had the JBL.

In my 1997 Tacoma, I had an Alpine system I put in about 2003/2004. I didn't spend all that much (relatively to some especially). I put in a new head unit, replaced the speakers, and added an amp specifically to power a 8" sub. That system COMPLETELY blows away what my current system sounds like.

Listen to what your ears tell you, but that is my opinion.

 

[mattgeo]

The JBL factory stereo is terrible FYI. I am certainly no audiophile either, the subwoofer distorts badly at certain frequencies. I recently replaced it with a JL Audio sub and am going to have to add a better amplifier. The factory sub was of very, very poor quality. The installer laughed at it and made a comment about how terrible it was......sad and disheartening for a truck that I love soo much.