Should I buy a Tacoma.....Help me out.

Hey guys...let me say yes I realize that this may be biased on a tacoma forum but I feel that most people would be honest.

I am going to be in the market for a new vehicle soon, mine is a 3/4 ton, crew cab gasser that gets 10 MPG, and has 110k miles on it. It still runs well, but i can see it's going to start needing brake lines, etc...I don't want to deal with it.

I am worried the taco isn't going to be enough truck for me. I used to use my truck to make money, flip cars, etc. But I took a new job and I work 90% of the time.

I still own 2 rentals, and my own home so It will serve double duty as a material hauler, garbage mover, scrap collector, motorcycle mover etc.

I need the crew cab, most of the time we take wives car, but when we use mine It's nice to have the space.

I am going between the taco and another 3/4 ton, yes they aren't direct competition but I feel the 1/2 ton market is VERY over priced and they don't hold their value. Plus 3/4 will do anything i want it to. but it's much more to maintain. the 3/4 ton also has a much bigger back seat, if I have a 3rd kid I feel like it will render the taco useless.

I do use my truck as a truck, and that makes me nervous with the taco, when i need material, stone, haul something, this or that. I just dont want to kill it.

The taco i feel like is a much cooler truck for the 70% of the time its just my daily driver. and its MUCH cheaper to maintain.

I don't object to getting a small trailer either ( I currently have a huge contractor trailer), so getting a small enclosed for the times i need it is ok...but i mean annoying.

So please let me hear it your thoughts etc. is the taco enough?

Also with the kids, 90% of the time well take mini van...

I figure the taco will also be 10k cheaper to buy. so let me hear it

 

Let's break it down on a rating scale of 1-5 for your future Tacoma compared to a full sized truck.

Material hauler: 3
Interior space: 3
Room with 3rd kid: 2
Payload for stone or 'this or that': 3
Tacoma cool factor: 5
Price: 4
Mileage compared to full sized: 4
Low Maintenance costs: 5
Dependability: 5

Items not mentioned.
Fun: 5
Off roading: 3-5 (depending on Mods and package)
Being part of the Tacoma World Club: 5

In my opinion a full sized truck will probably be more useful for the 30% of the time you need utility and no doubt the Tacoma is better for the day to day, but it is still pretty good for the utility. Of the 30% you would use the truck as a truck, the Tacoma would probably work just fine on half those jobs. So the Tacoma will work great for 85% of your needs and just so so for 15% of the larger projects. That would be enough for me to go with the Tacoma.

Good luck! Show us pics when you get her...

 

Idk what anything you said was I read nothing but the title should I buy a tacoma yes you should they are probably the best most reliable truck on the market now it may not be top of the line shit or anything but they will last forever if you take care of them don't second guess go get one

 

You only live once no ragrets

 

I say yes because I personally run a lawn business out of my tacoma over 30 lawns and its handled loads of mulch and dirt, never tried stone. but just be practical meaning its no 3/4 ton but it can handle what you want most of the time. there has been maybe 3 times I wished i had a full size but honestly nothing beats compact trucks IMO

 

If you need a real truck that will move heavy loads and multiple people, you need at least a 1/2 ton. I don't care what anyone here says, but sorry, these things really don't tow much and stopping them with a full load and trailer brakes is sketchy compared to a full size. They're also small inside compared to a full size.

If you only need to move smaller and lighter things, fewer adults, and don't mind struggling up a hill with 6000 pounds of trailer and people, then the Tacoma is the best choice for a small truck IMO.

 

If I were looking for a 3/4 ton I'd probably go for the GM 2500HD with a short box, crew cab, 4x4 and the 6.0 gas motor. Love that engine.

 

Wouldn't he only gain about 3 mpg with that option?

 

6000 Pounds struggling? Haha might wanna get your truck checked out if that's the case my 2014 has never had a problem can pull up hill at 65 no problem

 

Don't buy a Tacoma. Rated as one of the worst vehicles you can buy. Yahoo it (yes, that's still a thing) or check with Consumer Reports. A wise man would buy a Dodge Ram or a Chevrolet Cruze.

 

Ever pull or stop up/down a long steady grade? Doesn't even come close to a full size truck. I can tow and stop 10k pounds like it's not even there on my 1 ton diesel. Mid size trucks suck at towing. This shouldn't be news. And OP does have a large trailer that works for his needs right now.

The Taco is great, but it's not even close to a full size with regard to hauling a load or a trailer. This is unbiased opinion. If you need a full size, buy a full size.

 

The Chevy crude would do him well it's settled get a cruze! Yahoo is genius. Wtf is yahoo anyways people still use that? Hahah good suggestion though I love the Chevy cruze

 

A little more than that on the highway. I know 2 people with 2015 models of the truck I described. It gets 17 on the highway empty. City sucks though.

Powerful as shit though. They tow a 30' boat and a 28' travel trailer like a champ. That 6.0 is a great engine.

 

I pull up hill constantly with mine without a hesitation down hill sucks sometimes but mine isn't even set up for towing yet and yes our trucks being as light as they are will always suck for downhill towing doesn't matter if there's 200 pounds back there I've towed with my dad's Chevy 3500 and it's great but the OP has a full size now he's trying to get a smaller truck with less maintenance and better gas mileage and dependability for the 90% of the time he doesn't have a big load the other 10% he can borrow someone's truck or rent a home depot truck for 20 bucks for the few days he needs it if he really needs it. Not biased just experience with my truck it's not worth getting a big truck for the 10% of the time you need it you can always work around those situations Tacomas are fully capable of a hell of a lot

 

I'm just saying it sounds like he still needs a full size. At least that's what I gathered from the post.

 

Honestly I think you need a Tundra. It wont improve your MPG's but it will be a better fit for the heavy workloads. If you are coming from a full size to a Tacoma you will feel cramped in the cab. I think my Tacoma is awesome but its more of a weekend toy with a bed than a heavy work truck.

RJM

 

Did you read the whole thing he says he would only need a full size truck 1 out of 10 times he uses his truck why get a full size for 10% of the time that you could work around or get a mid size truck and work around the minimal times you might feel the tacoma couldn't handle it

 

The only thing he would really need a full size truck for would be for the kids and that I could understand too small of a truck for 3 kids definitely I'm expecting a second and I kno I'll be fine but 3 fuck that

 

I've had 3 adults in the back of mine for 9 hours and didn't hear any bitching.

I think he would be ok with a Tacoma as long as he was smart about some things with the hauling. Like not filling it beyond capacity with stone. He would also benefit with a suspension upgrade because the stock suspension sucks ass for much of anything other than hauling yourself around and feeling like you're in a cadillac.

 

Yea the stock suspension suck terribly but some air bags would help in the bed with a cheap set of 5100s if he wanted better ride quality