We are a truck family. Even though I grew up as a city girl in Southern California, my dad usually had a truck. And when I moved to Oklahoma and met my husband, well of course he had a truck! Every country boy needs a good truck. We’ve had a truck in some form or fashion ever since, so when I had the opportunity to review the 2016 Toyota Tacoma I said absolutely!
I knew that this month we needed to haul some amendments for the new garden spot, as well as help lay in another load of wood. Or two. So yes, we could definitely give the truck a workout and test out some of the new features, as well as classic Toyota elements you expect from their vehicles. The truck we got is available in several colors including this gorgeous ‘Blue Pearl’ color that is really eye-catching.
Sidney drove it to work for a couple days, and fell in love with the truck out on the open road where the 24 MPG average was well above his current work truck, an old diesel that can haul anything but isn’t even close to gas-friendly. There were some features that were hits with the kids – the push button start, the radio/phone integration viewable on a 4.2 inch full-color screen, and the sun roof of course!
Seating five people was very comfortable and with 42.9 inch leg-room it’s no wonder. The comfortable four-door Tacoma had the kids fighting over which ones would get to ride with me when I got to drive it this weekend back and forth to the ranch for some of our winter prep chores.
First we hit the pasture which required 4-wheel drive, an easy switch with the Tacoma. I loved that I didn’t have to lock or unlock any hub caps or anything to get the truck into 4-wheel drive mode. It was a very easy transfer with literally the turn of a switch. Low-range and high-range 4WD were both available, but for our rolling pasture area low-range was perfect. The ride was surprisingly smooth considering how far out in the pasture we went.
We loaded up the back of the truck with a load of old straw from an old feeding spot. Cows can be a little wasteful with their roughage and, once the hay gets scattered, they will mess in it. And then they won’t eat it off the ground. That old mess, however, is perfect for amending a garden! Rich, organic ready-to-compost manure and straw together makes a perfect ratio for compost for the garden. And we have a HUGE new garden space marked out in our new house. Free for the taking!
My boys are working as hard as this truck is!
One fabulous feature about the truck is the hard cover tonneau cover. While he typically disdains regular tonnaeu covers because they usually come with a single cover which can make loading and hauling odd-shaped items difficult, the 2016 Tacoma has a tri-fold tonneau cover available. It makes all the difference! Unlock the tail gate, and work the hinges to open the cover back. Easy! This allows loading from the side or hauling appliances and so on.
However once the 60.5 inch truck bed is full, you can close it all up so simply. Fold down the cover, lock the tailgate, and it secures everything in place! No mulch blowing about, no Christmas presents exposed as you go shop-to-shop, and it’s easy to work. This came in handy when we hauled the mulch to our house since we arrived with a full-load still intact. Brilliant!
And now the giveaway! What? A giveaway? Yes – She Buys Cars, the coordinators of my #ToyotaOKC review, are putting together a fun giveaway to help you get YOUR winter prep off to a good start. There are 3 (three) prizes – one gift card in each of these amounts: $150, $100, and $50. I would love if an Untrained Housewife reader was the winner!
Enter today and good luck! How do you usually prep for winter? Do you need to bring in wood? Resupply your garden with organic nutrients? Bring in extra food for your animals or family? I’d love to hear what you tackle as your major winter projects. This is a sponsored post through She Buys Cars but adorable children, poopy cows, garden chores, and opinions are 100% mine.
