College truck-Tacoma or current F150

OP, as others have said, keep the F150. I actually bought a 2000 F150 my freshman year of college and loved it. I got a job working more hours for higher pay and couldn't resist buying my tacoma during junior year. While I do love my Tacoma, it would certainly be nice to not have a car payment while in college.

As someone else stated, I also worry about my truck a lot. I'm in my senior year now and wish I would have waited to buy my Tacoma. I won't drive it to the bar for fear of drunk assholes who don't like people to have nice shit. The streets in most college towns are also very narrow so I try to actually park it in my front lawn when I can rather than on the street because I worry about getting it hit and run. Some might say that this is paranoia, but I have seen these things happen to too many people that I know. Driving drunk friends home.. etc.. There is an incredible amount of different ways to ruin a nice new truck in college.

 

Dude if you want a brand new truck then by all my means go buy one! Its your choice and money not ours.

 

I agree with this and a couple others...

 

Agree with keeping the F-150. Those years were actually pretty great trucks IMO.

 

Hey all! Thank you so much for all the advice, nice to get some feedback from owners of both types and I'll definitely take it to heart.
Since the college fund is now freed up, there would be no payments on the truck, we'd just buy it outright (trucks the same as 1 year of tuition)-no student/car loans, no debt-very happy to be in this situation w/this college and scholarship.

I admit I'm really worried about dinging up a new vehicle, especially when I'll be leaving for army training/visits home intermittently. Parents would rather have me take the Tacoma to begin with, but I doubt the Ford's gonna have any major problems. I think what will happen is we'll buy the Tacoma and my dad'll hang onto it for the first few years. I'll take the Ford and eventually trade him back once I'm living off-campus in a couple years and am more comfortable driving in the snow. Nice thing about the Tacoma is I'm sure it'll last me for a decade or more to come!

Thanks a lot for the advice!

 

^ Save the cash for now

 

My 4Runner has more door-dings than I care to count thanks to all the idiots in the school parking lot. I'd at least wait a couple of years before getting a new truck. Plus, if you're gonna offroad it I'd be a lot less pissed if I banged up a 13 year old Ford compared to a $32k Tacoma

 

Honestly, wait until the redesign comes out then decide if you like the 2nd gen or the 3rd gen.

 

True! From what I hear, the new one's gonna have that diesel/electric powertrain that gets 200mpg and 400 horsepower! The internet even said so.

Would be interested in more powertrain options though. A slightly more powerful V6 would be nice.