You’d expect an online creator with a name like Yotaverse (@yotaverse) to be maybe a fan or a proponent of all things related to Toyota and its fleet of cars and trucks. But right off the bat in a recent TikTok clip that’s been viewed more than 123,000 times, the narrator starts throwing shade at the 2023 Toyota Tacoma truck.
Specifically, he’s saying the Tacoma falls far short against its rival truck counterpart, the Nissan Frontier.
Among the Tacoma’s weak points:
- It’s a 2023 edition that still uses a traditional key.
- Its interior features on the dash and infotainment panel feel “bland” and unremarkable.
- In general used Tacomas cost 10-15% more than a comparable Frontier.
“I just think you get so much more in a Nissan Frontier. For example, this is pretty bland. I don’t want to use the word boring. Some people prefer boring trucks, but not all that impressive,” he says.
It’s noted that the 2024 Tacoma went through a fairly extensive redesign to be more impressive and withstand this kind of withering criticism.
Some of the most notable new features of the 2024 Tacoma include:
- A new chassis with a more rigid steering box mount.
- Standard four-wheel disc brakes.
- Electric power steering.
- Multi-link coil spring suspension.
- A 14-inch touchscreen media system.
Is the Nissan Frontier really better than Toyota Tacoma?
So clearly Toyota decided the Tacoma was due for some upgrades. But as to the apples-to-apples comparison of 2023 editions of the Tacoma and Frontier, an analysis by U.S. News & World Report appears to give a slight nod to the Frontier. Among the notable differences, the Frontier is seen as having a better interior, performance, and overall rating, and boasts nearly double the towing capacity of the Tacoma.
In the clip, the narrator hops into a 2023 crew cab Frontier to show a console that does look noticeably more sleek and impressive than the fairly unremarkable Tacoma.
For those in the market for a new medium-sized truck, data from Edmunds shows the 2023 Tacoma starts at a few thousand more than the Frontier ($14,900 vs. $12,900) but they top out nearly $20,000 apart, with some models of the Tacoma fetching almost $60,000 used.
On the question of whether to take the plunge on the redesigned 2024 Tacoma (starting price $31,500) the auto enthusiasts on Reddit were cautious, with some advising to wait until the next model year to make sure any inherent mechanical or electronics issues had been caught and fixed.
Commenters on the TikTok clip were more in favor of the Tacoma, with some noting that the narrator had used a plain base model to make an unfair comparison.
“Toyota knows electronics and reliability aren’t hand in hand. the Toyota will outlive the Frontier 10x over,” one of them wrote.
@yotaverse Quick Poll! Does your Tacoma do this? Tap for direct links to our products! ————————————————————————— Proudly based in the USA 🇺🇸 Check out hundreds of parts for your vehicle by clicking the link in our bio! #Repost #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #yotaverse ♬ original sound – Yotaverse
Another Toyota fan said the company is deliberate and cautious, and avoids unnecessary changes to its vehicles: “One of the reasons Toyota is so reliable is because they don’t upgrade to new technologies often therefore less risk of things you know will last.”
And some were happy to throw rocks at anything made by Nissan.
We’ve reached out to Toyota.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
