Tacoma Crawl Control
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It is an interesting idea, and the closest thing we have on Frontiers is hill descent mode. If you are referring to the rigged demo of it getting out of sand on the incline, the skeptic in me says not to be overly impressed. If they had used the feature to climb out of the ruts created and continue up the hill then I would say it is impressive. Heck even if they had done it on flat ground that would have been impressive. But instead they chose an incline that was steep and then used gravity to do most of the work.
Any truck being driven properly would be able to pull enough gravel back under the tire when in reverse on the steep hill
Any truck being driven properly would be able to pull enough gravel back under the tire when in reverse on the steep hill
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681 Posts
Flat ground sand. Not a Tacoma but a Toyota.
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404 Posts
I just watched a bunch of videos, I'd say it's pretty slick. I've used the hill descent mode or control in my frontier a few times on steep declines that are typically large round river rocks and have been impressed. Crawl control seems like a totally different beast, but similar...
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I'm going to have to steal this jargon. ::laugh::
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Seems to be a dial adjustable traction control, which, I can imagine is an improvement over the go/no go of the VDC system we have. I would love to be able to dial in the amount of input from the computer instead of all or nothing.
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7,937 Posts
It's a neat gadget and an added selling point I'm sure but it's basically just another crutch to compensate for poor decision making and driving skills. Anyone with experience driving in sand could avoid getting stuck on flat land like that, even in 2x. And in the rare circumstances where it happens to be softer than expected an experienced driver could make the necessary adjustments to free themselves. Occasionally you do happen to dump yourself in a hole or get seriously high centered coming over a dune but in those cases that little button isn't going to bail you out. You'll be digging yourself out of the sand or praying for someone with a strap to come along just like everyone else has done for the last 100 years.
Just like anything else, a magic button is no replacement for common sense and experience.
Just like anything else, a magic button is no replacement for common sense and experience.
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742 Posts
I keep thinking that about this feature. Thanks for putting it into words so eloquently.
By the way, not a fan of the descent control on our Nissans either! It's not intelligent enough to know when the vehicle is sliding off to the left or right and continues doing its thing. This combined with slippery rocks nearly sent me crashing into a ravine!
After that experience, I tested it a little more and decided that I trust it about as much as I can throw it, and will rely on my own skill, come what may...
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I literally grew up in the giant sand box that is the desert SW on the rear fender well of my Grandpa's Jeep CJ5 so I've had my share of experience driving in sand. I never even had a 4x until I was in my 30s. You either learn how to drive in sand or you spend a LOT of time digging and/or waiting on the aforementioned "someone with a strap" to come along. About the only times I need help recovering from a sand stuck is because I had friends along and I was goofing around seeing just how buried you could get a high centered truck to see if you even could self recover. Sometimes it's just amusing. But everyone gets stuck on occasion. Always best to go prepared just in case.
As for the hill decent control, it's down right terrifying to use in any situation where it would come in handy. I've tried it a couple times just for sh!ts and giggles and you can have it. About the only thing it's good for is if your foot is too tired to hold the brake and you're going down a slight grade on a wide, level fire road. I'll trust to my own driving skills over any of those gadgets any day of the week in 99 out of 100 situations.
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I have not driven much in sand, but a lot in snow and imagine it to be the same thing, but totally different. You learn how to read it with experience and how to drive it. When ever you get stuck, little throttle and even a little brake can help you get out, avoid wheel spin at all costs or your just make it worse.
As for hill descent I loved on the steep section of road near Grafton. I was able to turn it on, and peel an orange for my kids in the back seat.
As for crawl control the price it adds to a truck, especially when you look at a Tacoma vs Frontier, you could buy a set of Maxtrax for less and be out faster.
As for hill descent I loved on the steep section of road near Grafton. I was able to turn it on, and peel an orange for my kids in the back seat.
As for crawl control the price it adds to a truck, especially when you look at a Tacoma vs Frontier, you could buy a set of Maxtrax for less and be out faster.
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