Again? Yes. Like many cars before the time came to say goodbye (perhaps a little quicker than usual). This was my second Tacoma and I absolutely enjoyed my time with it. However, it lacked a lot of features that I wanted and with no major updates to the platform since 2005 I felt like it was time for a change (more on that later).

These are some shots of the Tacoma at the dealer (I traded it in). From what I can tell it sold quickly and I hope it went to a great home. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw it around town (incidentally if anyone happens to know the new owner I have some parts for this truck I’d be happy to pass on).

There comes time when a new vehicle sustains some kind of damage. Unfortunately that day came for my Tacoma today. As I was backing out the garage I swiped the body of the truck against the stucco. This is actually the second time I’ve done this (the first time was in a Corvette). I need to pay more attention when I back out. On the plus side most of the damage is on the fender flare and should be simple to repair. Sigh.

cap

When I bought my Tacoma I got the non-JBL equipped truck since I knew I wanted to gut the stereo. I was actually surprised by the stock headunit – in a good way – and decided to keep it (I really like the interface). Since I’m sick of doing the installs myself I took it to CSD Audio. Travis recommended components, built the sub box and did the install.

For the fronts we used Focal K2 Power 165KR speakers and the rears got Focal Performance PC 165’s (both are 6.25″). The front speakers are powered by a Mosconi Gladen One 240.2. amp and the rears are driven off the stock stereo.

One challenge in the Tacoma is the lack of space for things like a subwoofer and amplifiers. We selected two shallow mount Pioneer TS-SW2501S4 10″ subs. The subs are powered by a Mosconi Gladen One 120.2. amp.

Behind the rear seats are some shallow storage compartments. The first compartment is now occupied by a custom CDS audio sub box (the seat can be up and the subs still work fine) and the second compartment houses both Mosconi amps.

When I saw the old speakers I was shocked at how small the magnets were and the flimsy construction. They didn’t sound half bad!

The current setup sounds very good- it’s a huge improvement over the stock system as well as the JBL system in my last Tacoma. The Focal speakers are detailed with a nice crispness. Right now they are still in their break-in period so I’m hoping some of the mild harshness I hear will dissipate. The Pioneer subs don’t have the kick of the JL Audio subwoofers I’m accustomed to, but they’re more than acceptable. Overall I’m very happy with the upgrade, although I may need to tweak some of the settings down the line.

Summary:
Stock Headunit
Focal K2 Power 165KR Speakers (front)
Focal Performance PC 165 Speakers (Rear)
Mosconi 120 x 2 Amp
Mosconi 240 x 2 Amp
2 Pioneer TS-SW2501S4 10″ subwoofers