What's your story? How'd you end up in a Tacoma?

I briefly had a 1999 4x4 Taco TRD 5spd in 2002 that I owned for about a year before going off to med school. I reluctantly sold it but loved that thing and always knew I would have another Yota truck again one day. When I graduated residency on 2012, I bought a beautiful 2012 Crewmax tundra 4x4 Platinum. It was big, beautiful, thirsty and expensive. The lust wore off after 2 years of getting abused at the gas pump, ad valorem tax, insurance and routine maintenance. I was lucky if I saw better than 16 mpg hwy and 12 mpg in the city. The final straw was the dreaded flex fuel cold weather start issue. On cold mornings, it would crank and run like a 70 chevelle with a cam for the first 15 seconds or so. Problem comes in the computer thinking its running e85 but it's actually standard pump gas. It really shows its ugly head with sporadic performance issues and abysmal winter gas mileage. Toyota still has not acknowledged the problem. I had enough, sold the Tundra and swore I'd get in to another Tacoma. I really lucked out and found a pristine 2003 double cab 4x4 TRD with 95,000 miles a little over a month ago. The PO had extensive service records all done at his local dealership, all recalls performed and the paint is dang near flawless. Not a single scratch or door ding ANYWHERE. Not a single rattle, squeak or creak. I never loved the Tundra but I'm back in love with my Tacoma and you couldn't give me $25 k for it.

 

Mine was my father in laws that we used on the farm. I grew to love it while beating the hell out of it feeding cows. Told him I wanted to buy it if he ever got rid of it.

 

Was driving a scion xb for past 4 years, loved it but it was time to go. Felt like i was driving a teens car. found myself at Home Depot nearly every weekend. Trying to haul bags of mulch, etc in the scion sucked. Have an FJ but wife always has it filled with work crap. Was looking at 2nd gens with 100k, costing approx 18k in my area. I figured I'd hold out and look for a 1st gen with the same mileage but 5k less in price. After months of looking, found one and jumped on it

 

My cousin always drove toyota trucks and I always liked them. I liked his first gen tacoma but didn't care too much for his second gen. they look good from the outside but I hate the interior, the dash particularly annoyed me.

Last year my buddy bought a 1st gen 2002 tacoma TRD to use as his hunting truck. When I first saw it I fell in love with it. I sold my 6 months before we deployed. During deployment my friend talked about selling it. I bought it a month after we came back.

 

I owned a 1993 F-150 that was starting to nickel and dime me. I knew I wanted a Tacoma as my next truck when I was ready to buy again. One day just driving around I stopped into a Toyota dealer because I just wanted to check the Tacoma out so when the time came I would be ready.

After a test drive of a 2003 AC off road and over 4 hours later I drove it home. It was the most fun vehicle to drive I ever sat in. FWIW my wife even agreed with me! My son and everyone who drove it really liked it also.

I like my 2014, but not as much as my 2003 and still put more miles on it every week then the new one.

 

I'd wanted a 4Runner actually for a number of years, but due to living in Oklahoma and going to school in Idaho drove a Subaru - somewhere along the way my interest shifted from a 4Runner to a Tacoma, when a well taken care off local trade showed up on Autotrader. It was a white 2003 Ext Cab 4x4 V6 5spd with manual doors, windows, and mirrors - would have loved the elocker but I was actually looking for a plain interior because I figured less to maintain as it developed into a trail machine - so no TRD.
Then, I met a lovely young lady and got married before I could start building it up, and then during her first pregnancy w realized an Ext Cab and a baby car seat wasn't going to work to well since the truck became my wife's DD (she drove less than I did - saving on gas). So we sold it and bought a 03 DC 4x4 TRD - Hope to have it for many years.

 

needed a truck to haul my atv so I sold my neon and found my 02 TRD on craigs list went and looked at it once and drove home with it that day and have never looked back just waiting on some time and cash to start up the project

 

The Tacoma is my 3rd vehicle. Started with an '85 Ford Tempo 5spd (miss the stick) out of HS and drove that for about 5 yrs until the heater core went. Not fun driving down the highway and hearing hissing with the window fogging up

So started looking and found a 95 S10 Blazer that I'd always wanted and got an OK price on. Was happy with that and didn't have any issues minus the little rust issues. However going to work one day went around a corner on a back road that had not been cleared and for some reason never put it into 4wd. Needless to say the back end slipped out and I was veering to the side embankment. rolled on the side but didn't cause damage other than a few scrapes and a busted mirror/window (easy replace). Down side is that it sat on the side for over an hour waiting for a tow.

Once up my grandparents my Uncle pulled everything off the top and drained the fluids. waited a week and put everything back together. It never ran right from that point and about a few months later had to replace the cat (stuttering and glowing cherry red were the clues ). The mpg slowly decreased and it still ran like crap so after getting my current job I was advised to look for a "new" vehicle. Grandfather had gotten an '03 Tacoma xtra cab the year before and I liked it. went to look at a few and also the Rangers (it was between them two). Ultimately went with the Tacoma and have been happy since. maybe happier if my friend (as he said) would've talked me into the DC...

I hate to burst your bubble about this but think logically. a 4cyl car gets and avg of let's say 33 mpg (roughly). Now take that v8 (double the i4) and halve the gas mileage. Yep that's 16.5 and just what you'd expect from a v8 except they get a little better than that. even with the cylinder de-activate at cruising speeds you will never get 4cyl mpg

Now the v6 you would think could get a little better (33 / 25% + 24 ish) and some "can" achieve this on highway but most of us have at least some city driving to do so that number gets shot out the window fast. couple that with the truck weighing in at 5k+ pounds (passenger(s) and fueled) and that's asking more.

A truck is a truck for a reason, hauling and towing. using it as a daily driver and expecting it to be a 40mpg little car is unrealistic

 

Mines pretty unbelievable, and is basically the result of two depressing stories. I feel really guilty just saying it because it kinda makes me feel like an ungrateful spoiled little kid. Any way, here it goes:

As I started college, I began using my sisters old 91 explorer. She had gotten into a car accident when I was moving into the 6th grade. It resulted in traumatic brain injury and her into a coma. A year later she came to. Things were tough. Her motor skills were sloppy and she couldn't freely walk. Over the years she managed to go from a wheel chair to a walker to then a cane. But progress didn't get much further than that. She wasn't able to get her license renewed due to that and worried family constraints. She could not drive her explorer. I could go into more detail, but its besides the point.

The odometer was broken but it was in very rough shape. The paint was peeling, the headliner sagging, oil leaks and overheating problems. It was beyond a maintenance fix. There was no bringing this thing back. Even though I was working near full time, I still didn't have the money to put toward fixing it. It was nick named the maple mobile after my friends picked up on the burning leaks that resembled the smell of syrup. My parents had decided it was not safe for me to drive. They pulled me aside to tell me they are taking it away. Of course I was upset but there wasn't much use fighting it. I could have kicked and screamed like a baby, but the car isn't under my name and therefore on papers technically does not belong to me. It was sold. While I always end up talking bad about that car, it really was fun to drive and experience freedom. I miss it sometimes.

I continued to save what I could, but money just wasn't coming in quickly enough. I felt really discouraged to say the least. I felt like my independence was taken away from me. I always had to ask for rides. I felt like a hopeless bum.

in the mean time my grandfather developed Alzheimer's Disease. It slowly grew worse and worse until he was no longer able to drive his silver base model 2000 Tacoma ext cab 4 banger. My grandmother and him decided to graciously donate it to me. I was shocked and couldn't believe it was just plopped onto my lap like that. That thing was really clean. It had under 68k mi. After I brought it home I babied it. full detail, headlight buffing, everything. Its was a gift to me, I wanted to take care of it. However after its first oil change I discovered some pretty bad rust. My dad asked me how it looked. I said "well your not going to like me saying this, but it looks as bad as the explorer" He was furious. Telling me that it was not. It was a well maintained vehicle, etc, etc. I believe he thought I was trying to sucker punch him for taking the explorer and that I was full of resentment.

Days later he came around to believing me and seeing for himself. We discovered the frame replacement program. After bringing it to the dealer for a frame inspection, we found out it failed. Due to it being a 2000, it used a frame that is no longer produced and there for was eligible for Toyota's buy back program. It was a strange whirlwind of emotion. My dad is slowly loosing his father to Alzheimer's while I take grandpa's baby away and to top it off, that baby is now going to be crushed. I felt guilt, as if I was the cause of it. Time went buy and I got a check. I was 21, holding a check for $19,000. Yes...$19,000. Due to such low miles and great condition, crushing grandpa's baby resulted in me holding the money.

My grandparents and I had a talk. They were upset that I received so much. I basically put my hands up and let them tell me what they wanted. It's not like I was in any position to tell them no. We divided the check up as they asked.

The search was on now... I wanted to maintain the integrity of the gift. I knew nothing about tacomas or even this site. The only thing I knew is I wanted one. Months went buy. Searching went from the state to the region to the whole east coast. Any leads were gone the next day. It was pretty crazy how fast tacos sold. All the dealers I asked to hold it wanted a $500 non refundable deposit to put it on hold. I found a dealer in Cape cod that had a silver 02 double cab 4x4 80k miles. I called frantically. "Yep still got it, its got a new frame too". I asked them if they needed a deposit to hold it till the next day, they laughed and said no. It will still be on the lot for me tomorrow.

The next day I pulled into their lot. There it was, with a "hold" tag on the rear view mirror. I got out. This thing is in really good condition. I laid down, frame is spotless still has the sticker on it. Only problem was the rear passenger door was a color shade off. But with the left over check from toyota and my savings, it was in my budget too. I asked them to change the tires, and wipers to new ones.

I signed them a check an hour after pulling into the lot. That's my story

 

Sorry to hear about your sister and grandfather. Your grandfather had good taste in vehicles, a real shame it had to be crushed tho'.

 

13ish year old self was flipping through JD Power and Associates booklet for 2004 vehicles. I really liked the Nissan Frontier at the time (especially the supercharged double cab) but the Frontier didn't get very good ratings. The Tacoma, however, was rated 5 stars in all categories, like initial quality, reliability, etc. I still have the little cutout of it somewhere. There were no other trucks in the booklet with 5 stars in every single category.

I guess you could say I made an informed decision.

Still want to get a first gen double cab someday, but I'll probably end up in a Lancer or WRX or some ricer shit. Truck stays in the picture though, gonna SAS it.

 

When i was i high school i worked at a local toyota dealerships a detailer. They actually had 4 different dealerships same owner/ company with different makes. Worked at the ford dealership for a little while also.I can remember at the ford shop the mechanics complaining all the time.They worked at the ford shop and hated fords? Then when i went to work at the toyota shop the mechanics didnt have much bad to say. most of those mechanics owned toyotas. Over the years i had ford, chevy, and dodge. All requiring major work. Also small things on them would brake like the door handles on the forth door. I sold most of them with around 150,000 thousand on or less. By that time they were shot ! I use my trucks hard, hunting fishing, minor off roading , hauling. So i decided my next truck was a tacoma, always wanted one since working at the dealership. Found an 04 for great price with 170,000 miles on it. The ford ,chevy and dodge is not even a close comparison on the reliability. The truck has 258,000 and still feels like its still new. Love this truck, will always own a tacoma .

 

My good friend had a 99 regular cab, manual trans, 4x4 that beast went through and over everything he pointed it at. That was the point that I drove my 2000 GTI to the Toyota dealer here in Santa Clarita and test drove my Tacoma. Yes I was young and got bent over on the trade in but holy shit, was able to finance it and the spring of 2003 was camping, hiking, 4wheeling, and carrying more supplies than I needed for any outing. Regular maintenance, easy on the go a little faster pedal and 295,000 miles later, still runs like a top on the original auto trans and 3.4. Wish I would a bought two of them.

 

I didn't want an S-10

 

Took a ride one night to the high wire in one. Out of 5 different makes/models, the Toyota reined supreme. Doing 2wd donuts alongside the others as they were begging to get pulled out. We left them there that night. Vowed my next purchase would be one and it was. 13 years and 110k miles later I'm still in it.

 

Back when my eldest had earned her DL, I helped her find a vehicle. She wanted a truck and I convinced her to look at Toyotas. (I had had a few 1st gen Hilux's an 81 and an 80 before this).

I found her a great little 98 prerunner on CL and after getting the go-ahead from our mechanic, the little truck joined our family.

1998 Non-TRD PreRunner, 3RZ with automatic. Perf little truck for my little girl..

Fast-forward a couple of years and the youngest is driving and again I help her into a vehicle. But to do so, necessitated jockeying vehicles and drivers. Sold is my POS 92 For Explorer, wife retains the 95 Civic, I get the 98 PreRunner and the eldest buys an 02 PreRunner (v-6, TRD, etc).

One trip out to Calico with the SoCal TTORA 'club' and realized a single wheel (non-locker) truck won't cut it...

Fast forward a few more years and I now wheel a 98 Tacoma PreRunner to which I've added an ADD Toyota 4WD front end, transfer case, ARB rear locker (w/ OBA), regeared both diffs to 4.88's and added all new suspension components and some armor.

Over 220,000 on this rig and very happy...

 

In june of 1995 I traded an eddie bauer explorer in on a reg cab tacoma with a may production date. Was gonna buy a traditional toyota truck. Saw the taco and bought it instead. Still running the same drivetrain on a 96 taco I swapped into. Damn frames!! 4 months away from 20 straight yrs in a reg cab tacoma 4x4

 

I started out as a Ford Truck guy. The first truck I bought was a 1983 Ford Ranger 2x4, reg cab (The first year Ford started making the ranger). I picked it up for the sweet price of $400 from a guy down the street. It was 2006 and I had just turned 16 and gotten my license. It needed a bit of work to get it on the street in order to pass emission standards, but seeing as I was still in high school and had use of my Auto shop I decided it would make a great project and first vehicle. I'm not even sure how many KM's it had on it as it rolled over at 99,999km back to 1. But I think either 240,000km or even possibly 340,000km. It was in great shape for its year and because of its classic year I even thought about slamming it to the ground and putting some money into it. I owned it for 2 years and it never let me down, but eventually I decided that a 4x4 better suited my lifestyle.

My 1983 Ford Ranger - First Vehicle


After I sold my old ranger, I was looking into buying a used 4x4 Tacoma. However after searching around I soon realized just how well Tacomas held their value. I couldn't find anything decent within my price range so I settled for another Ford Ranger. A 2000 ext cab, 4x4. I owned this truck for over 6 years, put 100,000km on it and it like my previous ranger never let me down. I was still dreaming of owning a Tacoma though. I became an Electrician and the Ranger did its job getting me to and from work, and to and from my 4 levels of schooling until I became a Journeyman Electrician. After the big boy checks started rolling in I soon found myself with enough money to buy my dream truck. Off to the dealer I went, and after having to wait a month for the exact truck I wanted I found myself behind the wheel of my very first new vehicle and my very first Toyota.

My 2000 Ranger



My shiny new 2014 Tacoma, first day off the lot, new tires and jobbox.


I'm very happy to be a Toyota guy now. I can't believe I even considered buying another Ford (I was looking at buying a F-150 before I bought the Tacoma.)

 

My 1998 Tacoma was my first vehicle. Before getting my license in 2011 I spent months researching and looking at trucks. I wanted a mid-size, manual 4x4 Xtra-cab truck.(Didn't even know how to drive manual yet- just knew I wanted one)
I liked the Tacoma because it was a bit bigger and taller than the Ranger and Frontier.

Once I decided on Tacoma, I found out that my neighbor up the road who had the exact one I wanted- (manual, V6, 175k miles, TRD pkg., in white)-- and was thinking about selling it. We made a deal and a few weeks later on day I got my license I brought him a check and picked up my truck

 

My 03' Duramax was a POS and I've always liked the Toyota trucks.

Works great for offroading on my logging sites. Couldn't justify paying 10k for a rusty Silverado with 200k on it. So I paid the same for my '04 DC with 113k and no rust.

I also had a 90 xtra cab 22re about 12 years ago and really liked it.