2016 Colorado Duramax vs. 2016 Toyota Tacoma V6 Towing

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
8/19/2015

The all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma was revealed officially this week. The new truck can tow 300 pounds more than the outgoing truck. It can now tow 6,800 pounds (per the SAE J2807 tow standard) with its towing package. The new Tacoma uses a smaller V6, now at 3.5-liters, that can run on the Atkinson cycle for better fuel efficiency. Power is up to 278 horsepower, 42 more than the previous V6. Torque comes in at 265 ft-lb at 4,600 RPM. The truck uses regular unleaded. The V6 gasoline Colorado can top that by 200 pounds.

 

The new 2016 Colorado Duramax will tow much more. The Colorado 2.8-liter diesel will tow up to 7,700 pounds in a properly-equipped 2WD truck, and 7,600 pounds in the 4X4 models with the towing package. Thus, the Colorado and Canyon will be the undisputed mid-size towing champions until some new truck is announced.

[SnakeEyeSS]

The Tacoma has rear drum brakes..... Yawn...

[Chevor]

Buy a smaller truck to pull

[4054x4]

 

duramax diesel photo canyon colorado.jpg

 

 

I am excited about the Duramax Colorado/Canyon, but I don't think I'll be ordering one with a throttle body...

[Nargg]

Buy a smaller truck to pull

 

You? no. Someone else, maybe. Not everyone has the same work to do.

[sahls01gmc]

The Tacoma has rear drum brakes..... Yawn...

I hear ya. But Toyota did say that they stuck with the drum brakes because of the off-road capability. They claimed they had less problem with "dirt and rocks" with rear drum. They acknowledged that if you needed to tow, you would need disc brakes.....or a truck meant to tow.

 

Also, Big Rigs have drum brakes....just saying. I know I know, they are built wayyyyy different, but the technology is still based on the same platform.

 

 

Those Tacoma's always look good to me for some reason. If I ever need a small "play" truck, I might just head that direction.

[Cowpie]

Well, the big rigs do primarily have drum brakes, but disc are now starting to increase their percentage of the big rig market now that they are becoming more available as an option. Depending on if I do buy another semi truck, it will indeed have air disc brakes all the way around. I see no benefit to drum brakes on almost any application, under almost any scenario. I like having disc all the way around on my 2500 that regularly goes off road.

[BlackZ71Silverado]

The Tacoma has rear drum brakes..... Yawn...

 

That should not matter. Many GM full size trucks have rear drum brakes and can stop a load without issue. Every GM truck I have ever owned had rear drums, except for my 08 V-Max. Nothing at all wrong with a vehicle having drum brakes.

[Cowpie]

One thing that gets missed in the power and towing comparisons above, the Dmax will have peak torque at 2000 RPM. Why would anyone want to have a screaming 4600 RPM to get to max torque when they could do things at significantly lower RPM? Considering that most folks drive down the road near the 2000 RPM range anyway, under normal circumstances, the Dmax would be at or near peak torque most of the time, which would make it much more efficient whether towing or just driving. Kinda goofy to even compare, side by side, a gasser and a diesel. And what the pickup can tow is a product of not only the motor output, but the drivetrain, frame, and suspension.

[Cowpie]

 

Nothing at all wrong with a vehicle having drum brakes.

 

Except increased risk of brake fade, cracked drum, cracked shoe, deformed/warped drum, etc. In over 5 million documented commercial truck driving miles, I have seen ample evidence to counter your comment. Generally, drum brakes have served well, but they are definitely not the best thing going.