Which Truck to Get?

I'm in the market for a new truck, never owned a Tacoma but have always been a fan. I want to go with a 4cyl for durability and fuel economy and I like the stance of the Prerunners/4x4 models. Every truck I've owned has been 4x4, I'm not a weekend warrior by any means but it's nice to have when you need it. I've decided I could live without four wheel drive, but would like to go with a Prerunner for purely aesthetic reasons (may be pretentious, but hey it's my money right ). I've narrowed my options down to the following due to budget constraints:

1) Single Cab 4x4
2) Access Cab Prerunner

I can't bring myself to spend more than 20k on a 4cyl truck, plus I can't really afford it either. Based on my research I expect the fuel economy to be roughly the same for the two vehicles and I could be happy with either. I'm married, don't have any kids and I'm not plan on any for 2-3 years. I've read that the access cab is a pain in the butt with car seats but is doable, and obviously out of the question with a single cab.

So here's what I'd like to hear from you guys, what would you choose and why.

 

How long do you plan on keeping it?

 

Long term, my wife's car can handle car seats and stuff like that so it's not a necessity to be able to haul the future family around in mine. That being said I am leaning more toward the Access cab because it would be more family friendly in the long run.

 

Do you have any bed length requirements?

 

I would say the access cab, single cabs can get stuffy!

 

I thought all Tacomas besides the Double Cabs had six foot beds

 

i love how single cabs look but the room behind the seats in the access cab is important to me. not for people (although it is nice to have 4 seatbelts if needed) but for bags and whatnot when im traveling. and im kinda like you with the 4x4 thing, i dont use it all that much but i love knowing that i have it if i need it, after owning 2 4x4 vehicles i dont really ever want to go back to 4x2.

 

i would go for the access cab prerunner since you're not off-roading alot and it's nice to have the room. I have had both reg cab and ext cab and i don't think i would go back to the reg cab just for extra room reasons. that's just my .02

 

Definately Access cab. Any kind of trip you do in a truck is much easier with the room behind you, and resale's about the same.

Then again, I'm picking up my '05 Access cab Prerunner today, so I'm a teensy bit biased...

 

ild say reg can 4X4, u got it if ya need it! if u need more room, then throw a camper top/shell on it!

 

Yeah, I'm planning on getting a shell either way I go.

 

go with the 4X4, i love mine, wouldnt want anything different! yeah it gets a lil cramped sometimes, but i only need 1 seat anyways!

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I made an offer on a '09 4cyl Access Cab Prerunner with SR5, and CD/MP3 Player for $18,000 OTD, we'll see what they have to say within the next week or so.