Am I nuts or what

[Rizzo]

As an '05 Dodge Ram QC owner (Hemi), my wife thinks I won't be happy in a Tacoma. With fuel prices the way they are and some other reasons, I think I might buy a Tacoma. The reasons I'm thinking Tacoma....,

1. I NEED a truck! It needs to have a truck bed for transporting our 4 labs when we visit family 3 hrs away. While me , the wife and my baby are in the cab....dog hair free

2. I haul a Quad on an 8 foot trailer.

3. My vehicle has to have some sort of "cool factor"

4. I need power! I drive a hemi and have never owned anything except a
4x4 truck with a V8 since I was 17.

5. I need reliability

6. I need better MPG's (gas is thru the roof) while retaining all of the above info.

All of those reasons have steered me right to a Toyota Tacoma, am I on the right track here? The only thing thats scares me is I hear Toyota dealers won't budge at all on the prices. I'm looking for a V6 4x4 with the four fullsize doors, auto, most likely the offroad package. What should I expect to pay?

Nice forums btw, and thanks in advance for any help you may provide!!!

[jhodge83]

depends on where u are located. regions make big differences in their prices. down in the SC/NC area, i'd say anywhere from 26-28k for a double cab offroad w/ the 4x4 and auto

[WilsonTheDog]

^That's about right on. Go to Edmunds.com to get an idea of invoice and what people are paying in your area.

[tacowheels]

I just bought my tacoma a month ago, and, like you , did hours of research on many different trucks. Between you and me, most of the research was just to justify ( to my wife) paying more for the tacoma. If you don't need a full size bed, the 4dr tacoma rocks. I have the 6 speed manual, and it's like driving a sports car with more than one function. In the long run, the resale value will be a lot more than any dodge or chevy, and for me, it was even the cheapest truck to insure.

Happy shopping.

[Rizzo]

but giving them a big v8 truck and wanting a good deal might be a bit hard?

yeah, thats what I was afraid of.

or are you looking for a short bed?

Yes, shortbed. My buddy has a nice cap he wants to sell me cheap.

depends on where u are located.

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA .

Thanks to all so far who've chimed in.
My wife is a penny pincher, she's one of those people who don't buy anything unless it's a steal. For example, she bought an '07 Trailblazer last year and got 10 K off of the Sticker price, that's before her 3k GM dollars kicked in, so 13k off......now thats a deal! I know I'll never run into any incentives like that and the Toys hold their value way better than that GM. What kills me is I bought this '05 Ram for $24,900 because of the employee discount wars a few years back. I don't think I'll ever get into a Tacoma......dang these things are expensive. Just a few more questions though in case the money fairy drops by tonight.....what are the avg MPG on interstate travel that most people see with the V6? Also, is now the best time to get a deal on one of these, maybe right before the '09 comes out might be better.

[jhodge83]

rizzo...completely stock...if u keep it right at or under 2k rpm's...u'll easily get 20-21 mpg's on the highway

[utixrunner]

for 09 there are making some changes, doesnt sound like anything too drastic but a lot of minor cosmetic and interior changes, you might want to wait until those hit the lots then the 08s should be priced to move. There is a sheet with the changes floating around I will look for but this is just what Ive heard on a few forums

[tacotoe]

I suggest go test drive one, no make that two, both an auto and a 6spd manual. I (and the wife) prefer a manual but in `01 they didn`t offer it in the dbl. cab. 140k miles and no problems w/ the auto though.
Also remember you`ll probbably get more cash if you can sell the Dodge rather than trade.

[jungleman]

All I can say is go drive one.

I`m sure you know all this but......
Best price=do your research and don`t be afraid to walk. There are a Dealers that won`t budge and then there are dealers that move trucks.
Sell the Dodge rather than trade it.

What you don`t know about the Tacoma`s I can tell you from owning one for the last 4 yrs & 4 mos.
I haul a 16' Aluminum boat, a Ford pickup bed converted into a wood hauling trailer, 3 dogs (down to 1 now) and a tent trailer like they`re not even back there.
I get around 17-19 MPG with an Auto simply because I can`t keep my foot out of it.
64,603 miles without a single problem with regular maintenence, I`m just now looking at my first brake job.

And I know I`m going to get hammered for this but.....as for #3 & #4....
My truck VS Rumblebee.......all I saw was bright yellow in the rearview

[jungleman]

and out of curiosity I just ran it through KBB

My configured truck goes for $17,550 private party
$14,490 trade in and the retail price the dealer would sell it for is $22,135

Not bad considering I paid $26,200 for it in Nov. `04

[Angus_NB]

Obviously the 4.0L Toyota isn't going to have the power your Hemi has but that is the trade off for better fuel mileage.
Out of all the 4x4 4 door V6 trucks on the market the Tacoma is supposed to have the best MPG and power. I tried every brand before buying my '05. I don't regret the purchase at all.
There is a list of TSBs at the top of this forum. Not many apply to the '08. One you should have done is the leaf spring TSB. They come from the factory with 2 full leafs (leaves?) and a helper. The TSB replaces that with 3 + 1. Some '08s have this done already.

I have 2 Black Labs but no kids so they get the back seat. I know what you mean about the hair. A cap would be nice but I also have an ATV but haul it in the box.

[Demoncleaner]

According to C&D

07' Ram 1500 4x4 Hemi Quad cab
0-60 in 7.9 sec. recorded mileage 12
Rated Payload was 1090 lbs

Tacoma 4x4 V6 Double Cabs
0-60 of 7.1 & 7.4 recorded mileage 17
Rated Payload of a Dcab 4x4 Off-road is same as the Ram above.

Of course the Ram is larger, you'll lose some space, and a nice V8 sound. But a Tacoma will get 4-5 mpg better and tow your trailer no problem. Drive and you'll see.
Reliabilty.... thats a no brainer.

[Ridgerunner]

1. You have a GREAT wife..thanks to her "pennypinching" you guys will have more things in the future-my Rosie's the same way and thanks to her teaching me I slammed CASH on a brand new Tacoma when I bought it. 2. the Tacoma will pay you back in reliability, RESALE, cool factor that stays for many years (mine's 7 yrs old and still gets complimented), and it's a hard worker-the drivetrain is practically bulletproof. A lot of guys here will tell you that you will be "patting the hood" a few times! Can you say that about your Dodge?

[lsocoee]

Your HEMI ain't got nothing on the Tacoma. Before you know it, that Dodge will be worth nothing. Tacomas hold their value. I couldn't justify a used Tacoma because I'd only save a few thousand dollars.

[nd]

If reliability is an issue why did you go with Dodge? (sorry, this is a tacoma forum, i was required to say that)

as for the price, i have a 4 door, auto, trd offroad, 4x4 with the tow pkg and SR5 and all that jazz and i got it for 26.5k. as for power, from what you described the HEMI is overkill. the V6 has plenty of power for towing. the mileage is ok. stock will be between 17 and 21mpg depending on driving conditions and style, time of year etc... the good news is that the resale value is much higher than any domestic truck. you may not be able to make the change at the moment but if you can you'll lvoe the Taco. go test drive a few with different options. you'll definately want to test the two tannies. good luck. hopefully we'll be seeing you around

[HardCase]

While some here might claim that you can get 21-22mpg with a 4.0L Taco, I think that's pretty doubtful. The averages that we hear about from people seem to run more in the mid teens. It'll get in the 20s if you keep it around 2K rpm on the highway (I suggest you invest in a ScanGaugeII if you want to become more conscious of your mileage and driving habits that affect it), but that's going to be loafing along at a fairly leisurely pace. Check out some of the mileage threads. Still, even on a bad, cold, fast-driving, loaded kind of day, it's going to get better mileage by a stretch than the Dodge Hemi.

[utixrunner]

Originally Posted by HardCase

While some here might claim that you can get 21-22mpg with a 4.0L Taco, I think that's pretty doubtful. The averages that we hear about from people seem to run more in the mid teens. It'll get in the 20s if you keep it around 2K rpm on the highway (I suggest you invest in a ScanGaugeII if you want to become more conscious of your mileage and driving habits that affect it), but that's going to be loafing along at a fairly leisurely pace. Check out some of the mileage threads. Still, even on a bad, cold, fast-driving, loaded kind of day, it's going to get better mileage by a stretch than the Dodge Hemi.

I get 20mpg around town, a little better on the highway...

[WilsonTheDog]

Originally Posted by utixrunner

I get 20mpg around town, a little better on the highway...

Yeah, we've been through this before. Hardcase knows quite well that many of us get better than what he's claiming (I'm not ripping on you, just that you've participated in more than one MPG thread so you know the deal). Mine is 18city/23hwy so, yeah, I do average over 20mpg.

About the Scangauge, sure, it's a nice tool but here we are talking about mileage and you want him to spend $160? Seems a bit counterproductive. I personally am going to buy one but I also don't allow fuel prices to determine what I drive. Gas prices WILL go down like they always do.

[Toy4Life]

Just remember, the Tacoma is a long term value. It seems costly at first, but 180,000 miles later, your truck will still be kicking ass while your Hemi is collecting rust in a scrap yard somewhere.

[HardCase]

Originally Posted by WilsonTheDog

About the Scangauge, sure, it's a nice tool but here we are talking about mileage and you want him to spend $160? Seems a bit counterproductive. I personally am going to buy one but I also don't allow fuel prices to determine what I drive. Gas prices WILL go down like they always do.

Yep, the gauge costs about $160 and a guy could buy a (decreasing with each passing week) certain amount of gas with that moola. I suppose it just depends on what you find interesting or useful in the way of accessories for your truck. Some guys like chrome tail pipe tips or bigger tires/wheels or fog lamps or what-have-you, all of those goodies in addition to the countless other doo-dads available, and we all shell out $ to make our trucks more interesting/useful or just plain fun. It's a matter of priorities and interests. My thought was simply that if a guy was concerned about mileage, as the OP seemed to be, then the SGII might be a useful tool for him to consider.

As for your prediction that gas prices will go down, I hope you are right but don't believe that you are. I anticipate that gas will continue a steady and general trend upward, with occasional 'teaser' downward blips. We shall see.