7000km review Platinum Long bed with Pics

Hey all,

Just wanted to share my experiences with this truck as well as being a first time Toyota customer (coming from Honda).

I had placed an order for this truck almost a year before receiving it (before info and prices were released), so my excitement for this truck was high to say the least. Overall, I am very pleased with the truck - it rides well, I have been spared some of the major issues others have been experiencing and works well as a hauler.

Before picking up this truck, I had a deposit on two Platinums - one in a wind chill with short bed and one blueprint in a long bed. I was nervous about the manoeuvrability of the long bed, but I have not found it to be a problem whatsoever. I have taken it into the city and went into underground parking and I was still able to park it. What I have gained in the one foot difference is much more beneficial than the small inconveniences in maneuverability. If you are contemplating the 6.5 bed, I would say that it is the only way to go.

The other truck I had a deposit on was delivered in terrible condition. Paint was not consistent, there was rust all over the painted hood and doors, bond lines weren't straight and there were large imperfections with the paint. I walked away in a hurry.

As for my current truck (blueprint Platinum with 6.5 bed), here is what I have found so far:

PROS:

• Bed is great. I have the bed mad which is a necessary item in my opinion. The extra length has saved me some trips to the dump/work site. I have had aggregate, drywall, tons of drywall scrap, sand, pavers, and appliances in it so far. No damage and it does what it's supposed to.
• Lots of room - I have two car seats in the back and they are pushed together, leaving a whole seat empty in the back.
• The OEM quad fold is great. I like having the original rails dropped to attach things to. I have have it folded up almost every second for some reason or another and is a great accessory.
• I love all the cameras, especially when navigating through the city which can be very tight at times.
• The digital rearview is a game changer. I have two car seats in the back, whose headrests take up much of the rear window. With the regular mirror, my vision is blocked. The digital mirror gets rid of this and I have a wonderful view. It also can be adjusted to change your field of vision, so I am loving it.
• Gas is good and bad. It is no hybrid but I was hoping for something better. However, talking to other truck owners, the L/100km that I am getting are better than what they get, so hence the "pro". City driving is around 14.1L/100km and highway driving is around 10L/100km.
• The HUD is amazing - I can't believe how much I enjoy it.
• Great power and pick up. It's no Ferrari but it can haul butt when you floor it.
• The towing mirrors are awesome. Yes they are big, but it is a truck.
• The advanced towing functions are great. they take some time getting used to especially in setting up your trailers into the computer, but once it is in, the functions are great.
• That little side tailgate button is sooooo good. I use it all the darn time. So handy.

CONS/ANNOYANCES

• I have had issues with the cameras (see photos). The side camera went all pixelated when temps dropped below 3 degrees. The reverse camera turned green when it was really hot. The dealers did a software update and I haven't had the issue, but then again it hasn't been that hot/cold since the update, so time will tell.
• The phone charger is pretty much useless. I won't charge through a magsafe case and when the case is off, it is slow at best. I use a USB c cable which defeats the purpose
• I have severe passenger wind noise. I do have the towing mirrors (which are standard on Platinums in Canada), but don't have the noise on the driver side, so I'm not sure what is going on. I know some folks have been saving it is a seal issue, so I brought it up with my dealer.
• Getting into the bed sucks. I have been rolling in and have started carrying a little ladder, but having something that helps with this should have been standard on all trims.
• The rear side window seals are popping out which has been reported.
• The leather is nice in most places, but in some, it is crinkled and looks like it will not last. This is especially true in the rear seats.
• I hear from crackling in the driver side window seal which is super annoying.
• I wish the under seat storage in the back was either a drawer or an empty space to put a drawer unit in. With two car seats in the back, the space is not usable (even with the two car seats pushed together to take up the 60% seat leaving the 40% seat to open, it's not usable.
• One thing I am keeping any eye on is a bit of rough shifting/vibration when cycling gears under heavy load.
• I was having a lot of seat creak issues which was more annoying than anything else. It has gone away from what I can tell, and I hope it stays this way.
• I also have persistent brake squeal which I have been to the dealer for a number of times. I am hoping they change the pad once and for all as it has been there since I picked it up.

HOPE TO SEES

• One of the biggest things I hope to see is an ability to shut off the screen when not in use. Sometimes I just like to drive without the radio or the GPS, and want it off. Better yet, having it off with the radio playing would be a welcome addition.
• A way to permanently shut off the Auto start feature.

Overall, I am very happy with my decision to get this truck and continue to enjoy it. It has been used as a truck rather than a toy, and has been able to handle everything I throw at it. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.











The one I didn't get:

 

Great list of pros and cons. Thanks for sharing your experience. I am very happy to hear about maneuverability. I also ordered the 6.5 bed. I was getting a little nervous it might be too big. I actually had a 6.5 bed SR5 as a rental a couple months back. It took some getting used to, but my daily has been a 2013 Honda Accord, so the truck world is all new to me I think I would have to get used to it even if it was just the 5.5 bed...

Great looking truck. That is the spec I wanted - but my dealer got an allocation with everything I wanted (Platinum, etc) except it was supersonic red instead of blueprint. So instead of waiting forever to try and get the exact spec I wanted, I went for the red

 

Ironic the initial post as well as the followup considering I'm also a canadian (manitoba) waiting for a plat 6.5, and like post 2 I also will be getting supersonic red (this week hopefully) because my MGM is still months away. Red was my 2nd last color choice, mesquite was last. Oh well. Great post OP! I had the same concerns about the 2 kids seats and the storage, was hoping there was a way around it. maybe a recip saw lol. I'll be sure to review the same build quality concerns you listed when I do the walkthrough. When did your truck arrive? If it was a while ago, perhaps trucks being delivered currently have some of these issues already resolved.

 

You can definitely turn off the infotainment screen and keep the radio playing. Go to the settings, select display, and there’s a display button to turn the screen off. If you have favorites saved, you can scroll through them with the arrows on the right side of the steering wheel. Also, you can ask the Toyota voice assistant to change the radio station to whatever. The best thing is the screen will turn on when the voice assistant is active but it’ll turn back off after it’s finished with your requested task.

The Qi phone chargers are the worst. They’re the same in all cars and quite useless. You have to line up the phone perfectly on the charging pad and flat too. Even so it charges so slowly and will heat up the phone.

 

in the big screen, goto toyota settings (not AA or Caplay settings) and at the bottom of the screen should be a line that says "turn off screen"

this should be standard on all center screen toyota's, at least since my 2014 4runner.

cool part is if you change something via the steering wheel or adjust volume, etc the screen will flash/pop-up and then go back to screen off