I would just like to add to this thread that I like CAIs in general but absolutely hated my AFE intake for the 3rd Gen 3.5L for the following reasons:
- Parts kept literally falling off of it. The clear inspection window thing on top, the silicone boot that plugs the hole for the optional "ram air" attachment, even the janky rubber trim that supposedly "sealed" the filter housing to the inner fender (but didn't, even from day one). I ended up having to glue and/or silicone half of the thing back together and making my own boot to seal to the fender.
- It was a royal PITA to maintain. The entire intake had to be disassembled including removing the MAF and pulling the tube from the throttle body in order to service the filter. If you only had to service it once a year or something, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But based on my use and environment, cleaning every 6,000 miles was necessary and doing so sucked.
- The plastic AFE used on this newer intake seemed to be soft and extremely porous - every speck of mud and dirt stuck to it and actually stained the plastic so it looked like a bag of smashed ass. This, combined with the fact that the entire thing was held together with Goop and silicone, made my chances of ever being able to re-sell it for a decent amount almost nonexistent.
I have personally run AEM and AFE intakes on many other vehicles and never had an issue with any of them that wasn't due to some outside factors, however their intake for the 3rd Gen Tacoma, in my not so humble opinion, was a total flop. I know several people with AirAid intakes for these trucks who are happy with them and they also seemed to be quieter than the AFE intake, albeit still much noisier than stock. On my new truck, I am sticking with the factory airbox, putting in a washable dry filter, removing the charcoal screen and calling it a day. YMMV.
- Parts kept literally falling off of it. The clear inspection window thing on top, the silicone boot that plugs the hole for the optional "ram air" attachment, even the janky rubber trim that supposedly "sealed" the filter housing to the inner fender (but didn't, even from day one). I ended up having to glue and/or silicone half of the thing back together and making my own boot to seal to the fender.
- It was a royal PITA to maintain. The entire intake had to be disassembled including removing the MAF and pulling the tube from the throttle body in order to service the filter. If you only had to service it once a year or something, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But based on my use and environment, cleaning every 6,000 miles was necessary and doing so sucked.
- The plastic AFE used on this newer intake seemed to be soft and extremely porous - every speck of mud and dirt stuck to it and actually stained the plastic so it looked like a bag of smashed ass. This, combined with the fact that the entire thing was held together with Goop and silicone, made my chances of ever being able to re-sell it for a decent amount almost nonexistent.
I have personally run AEM and AFE intakes on many other vehicles and never had an issue with any of them that wasn't due to some outside factors, however their intake for the 3rd Gen Tacoma, in my not so humble opinion, was a total flop. I know several people with AirAid intakes for these trucks who are happy with them and they also seemed to be quieter than the AFE intake, albeit still much noisier than stock. On my new truck, I am sticking with the factory airbox, putting in a washable dry filter, removing the charcoal screen and calling it a day. YMMV.
