Should I trade my Tundra in for Tacoma???

Hi, I'm Bengt18T. I'm creating this post to introduce myself and to get other Taco owner's opinions about whether I should trade in my truck for a new Taco in the near future. This may be a little long but bear with me please.

Some background:
I currently own a 2008 Tundra Crewmax 5.7 4x4 (with 43k miles) and previously a 07 FJ Cruiser. I have experience with many vehicles and have been a member of many online forums. When I got my Tundra it was between that and a 2nd Gen Tacoma. I eventually went for a used Tundra due to the additional capabilites, capacities (inside and out), and not much worse fuel mileage.

Most people would say why don't you just keep the Tundra and run it to death. I could, but have some reservations. I will need to put some money into it shortly (new tires and possibly brakes), I've just had the "Bad Front Diff" replacement TSB done, my warranty is running out in a few months, and the exterior with it's soft paint is getting some wear and tear on it. I also have some back problems and the SR5 cloth power seats are very uncomfortable and have an unusual position, at least to me.

I'm currently thinking about a 2013 or 2014 Tacoma Double Cab Long Bed 4x4 TRD Sport and purchasing possibly in the next 6 months.

My needs: I will say that the Tundra is more than I need for sure. Some items are extremely nice and others are overkill for sure.

Power/Towing/Hauling: The 5.7 is AMAZING, and for such a big truck seems fairly quick, however the 4.0 on my FJ was ok. Not great, but satisfactory. I pull a few thous pound trailer occasionally, but nothing heavy. I also use the bed but rately have it full or weighed down. I think I would be ok with the performance of the Taco. Do you guys have any trouble with hauling or pulling the listed weights?

Exterior Size/Maneverability: The Tundra with tow mirrors is like riding an elephant or piloting a boat. It's actually not too bad where I live but something a little less cumbersome with less blind spots wouldn't hurt. That's why I think a double cab long bed would be ok for me. Give me the bed space I like, is still 8" shorter than my tundra, 8" skinnier, with about the same turn radius. The ride on the Tundra is ok, but occasionally I get bed bounce, which is more annoying than anything. I hear the Taco's have a more "in tune" but perhaps stiffer ride. Almost like the Tundra your riding on, whereas the Tacoma your drive in. Is this true or would you see it this way?

Interior Room: I have a 2 year old son with the possiblity of 1 more on the way, so a Taco Double Cab is a must. Obviously the Crewmax is unbeatable on interior room, but do you think a double cab would be ok? Or would my son be constantly kicking the back of the seats? What about when he would be a little older and bigger? Is it ok for someone?

Interior Comfort: I separated this because I will say that the Crewmax is a big cushy truck inside. But with my lower and mid back problems I find the rounded power drivers seat lacking support. I also find the seating position to be uncomfortable and high and the brake pedal seems too far to the left, adding to my problem. I believe I may have better luck with my back with the lower seating position, since I had no problems in the lower supportive seats of my previous cars. Can you give me your feedback on the sport seat comfort, adjustability, overall interior space to stretch out. And possibly the location of the center of the brake pedal in relation to the center of the steering wheel?

Warranty: I like to have a warranty. I was almost $hit out of luck with my front diff on the Tundra and don't enjoy cutting it that close. A new truck would of course start over on the warranty and miles.

MPG: I drive about 7-8k miles a year, most of which is city. I currently get 13 mpg in the Tundra. I've calculated if the Taco gets 16 mpg I'd save about $30 a month average. This is not much of a concern, but better mileage is always nice to have.

Financial: If I do not buy tires for the Tundra, I'd basically put a few thousand down, keep about the same payments, and extend the loan duration by about 1-1.5 years. I understand the aspects of both options and am ok with either financially.

Offroad: I do not offroad much anymore, but do occasionally take a dirt road, mountain road, or logging trail for fun. The Taco would win in true offroad, but both would serve my needs fine. Plus, you never know. Maybe I'll get back into going to Rausch Creek.

One thing I forgot to ask but am adding per EDIT... Are there any common problems in these trucks? I know the Tundra's had AIP fail and front diff problems, but most everything else is ok. What about the Taco?

I guess what it comes down to is do I downsize to a smaller but new truck or not. I'm obviously leaning Taco, but I could honestly go either way, at least for right now. I'd like to hear as many opinions as possible, and especially from those who have switched from a Tundra to Taco, or have experience with both.

Below is a pic of the Tundra from Saturday while getting mulch with the little guy by the hitch. It's pretty much stock besides some minor mods. I'd plan on doing light modes to the Taco like wheels, tires, and maybe suspension.

Well, if you made it this far, thanks for reading. Let me know your opinions. Thanks.

Ben

 

I read about the title and thats about it.......

BUT if you can afford it and have no use for a full size I say why not. I did scroll pasted you saying you like the warranty, which I like them to and that would be a plus. MPG wise, depends on how you drive...but a good foot is usually good mpg.


ALSO- why not wait until the year end sales and take advantage of those? waiting a few more months could save you some money


Also welcome!

 

Welcome aboard;
My last 3 trucks were 2nd gen Tundra's. Just don't expect to tow like the Tundra, and you'll be OK. Not as fast, way more maneverable and nimble. Better milage after the same mods to each truck, way better off road. Not quite as comfortable as the gigantic Tundra interior, plenty of space though. I think my TRD Sport Taco has better build quality then the last SR5 Tundra, tighter, better fits...
Over all for me, I like the Tacoma better.

 

Gearheadesw... Just curious, what was your initial or biggest reason for the switch?

Also, my time frame for buying is fluid. I have no pressing need right now. My thought is to begin looking in the 3-6 month range but could be up to a year from now. I'm thinking if I time it right I'll get another 6-12 months out of my tires and then I can use the money I have for new ones to increase the down payment.

 

Just wanted to punch a smaller hole in the air, fit more places off road. Fit more places in parking lots, seemingly easier to drive with the nimbleness effect.

 

I just went from a Taco to a Tundy and I'm never looking back. Taco was great but small inside compared to the the Tundy which is huge and awesome. I have had 3 tacos and a Titan and the Tundra 2013 Rock Warrior is hands down the best truck I've ever owned. The bed bounce was supposely addressed with better Body mounts with a TSB..check with your dealership. I only have 800 miles on mine and its hard to say if the 2013s are upgraded...I can't keep out of the gas the motor is amazing. I beat the pissout of it racing up north 75+, used 4*4 in the snow and mud last weekend and still got 15 mpg avg for the tank with the stock 33 BFG. MPG should be the same or better than my 2008 DC 4*4 LB with 3 inch lift and 33s. Your choice though...

 

I think the Tacoma would serve you well (maybe better) for what your needs are, but...

I just moved from a more rural area to Denver, so my driving went from almost all highway to almost all city (like you). I am getting NOWHERE near 16 mpg right now, with 100% driving city and I have a light foot. If I'm lucky, I'm getting 13 mpg. I'm just saying, don't expect the MPG to be that much better. It's still a solid truck, and you'll be happy with it.

 

Thanks for the responses so far. It is appreciated.

I posted this on tundra talk as well to see the response there. It's skewed towards keeping the Tundra but not as much as I expected. It's good to see so many people liking both.

Thanks again.

 

you asked for appinions.If you don't need the big truck down size and up grade at the same time but I love tacomas and do not like the tundras.they look like a brama bull coming down the roa .They are so big sitting the road.But they are a monster when it comes to towing a load.but the 4.0 Tacoma is no slouch.Id go with a new Tacoma with anew warranty and never look back. hey don't look at my spellin!!!!!!!!!!

 

I can't help with much other than the space for the kids...

I have a 2011 Double Cab and I have an 8 year old and a 3 year old. Both in car seats (the 8 year old still requires a booster by law in CA because of his weight). The 8 year old doesn't complain about leg room, and the 3 year old has plenty of room. We have a Corolla too and we go on all my sons field trips with his class, and we actually drive the Tacoma and we take 3 second graders in the back seat, usually with 3 booster seats.

We make pretty regular trips to see my wife's family about a 4 hour drive away, and we have taken the Tacoma to Disneyland which is about a 7 hour drive.

You'll be fine with your kid and another.

 

I would say its a matter of preference...the tacoma would be easier to maneuver around, but you will lose some bed space/ cab space. The tacoma crew can can still fit four adults pretty easily. I drive a combo of city and highway and average about 18 mpg and the power's decent too. If you still plan to use the bed for hauling things around you may want to get the 6 foot bed, with that and the crew cab the truck is pretty long but IMO the 5-foot bed is a bit too short. My uncle drives a new tundra and its really nice inside and comfortable, but I like the tacoma's styling and most people I talk to about it agree. Never had any problems with comfort in the taco either, it's a bit smaller but still plenty big enough for most.

 

I had a first gen tundra ('03) 2wd with the v8 and I loved it. I also always loved the styling of the second gen tacos, and always wanted a 4wd, so when I got hit by some doofus, I got rid of the tundra and bought a 2012 taco.
I still love the styling, I love the maneuverability, I love being able to fit into more parking spaces in the city, I love having 4wd, but the engine is not what I was expecting. I saw the hp and torque ratings, and thought they were comparible to my old 4.7L, but the hp and torque comes at high rpm, not like the tundra's low end torque. I installed a supercharger to fix this and now it is LOUD inside the cab, almost overbearingly so. And it didn't really fix it, now my low end is moderately better, but the high end power is stupid awesome (I can chirp my 33s by stomping it while going 20ish). This makes me feel like I'm driving an import tuner, which is a bad thing to me.
My gas mileage was not where I thought it should have been when I got the truck, then with the 3" lift, 33's, front bumper, and supercharger my low gas light turns on around 220 miles per tank, at which point I usually put in about 17 gallons. I think the v8 doesn't have to work as hard, and uses less gas compared the v6, which struggles to put out that power, but you've had the FJ Cruiser, so you're familiar with the engine.
Oh, I also can't fit a sheet of plywood in the bed. That is my second biggest gripe about the truck. The 2nd gen taco is less than an inch narrower than the 03 tundra, but I lost 4"-5" of usable bed width.
I do love the new truck, its very comfy, its easy to drive around SF (a tight city with a bunch of yahoos that don't know how to drive), and the 4 dr has PLENTY of space inside.

 

Save yourself some trouble and make sure the taco you get doesn't have a driveline vibration... as of last week I now own a 4x4 crewmax. Others won't like this, but it seems like toyota spent all of their engineering budget on the tundra and pieced together last years and the years before for the tacoma. Just one man's opinion. I always wanted a tacoma and maybe it was just the one I got ahold of... just search driveline vibration and make sure you know what to look for when you test drive one.

I did get and avg of 17mpg so that was good. And the 4x4 was great. Probably the best thing about it with the rear locker.