Keep Tacoma or Get 05 Tundra

I have always admired the 1st gen tundras, mainly 05-06 when they tweaked out all the bugs. I love my 2015 Tacoma, but looking to save more money towards a house and have considered moving out of my new truck payment into a smaller used truck payment. Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are. I am familiar with the little issues with the tundra and timing belt, etc. But also a decent mechanic, the truck I was looking at is a 2005 with 110k miles, looks like the 4.7s are every bit as reliable as our 4.0s. My current taco is financed for 60 months, the tundra would be 36, so it would be paid for sooner, but it is older and comes with no warranty, unlike my taco, but payment would be a couple hundred dollars less a month. Gas is comparable, my friend gets 16/17 out of his, my taco gets 17-19. Thoughts?

 

Go for it. I would keep paying the same amount, if you can, and pay it off even faster.

There is nothing to compare the feeling of owning your truck. I just paid off my wife's car. All of our vehicles are paid off and if feels amazing.

 

Ya its funny never cared as a young adult, about to hit 30 and tired of payments and really wanting a house. Need to stop buying new trucks and toys I don't need. Downsizing to the tundra seems to make sense. It's a limited so actually has more features than my 2015 taco, its just not new. lol.

 

I was 31 when I bought my house. I had spent the year before paying off debts and getting my financial life in order. One day I woke up and wanted more from life. Unfortunately my gf wasn't in the same place, I tried to help her pay off debt, but she wasn't ready, so we went our separate ways. Right after that, I bought my house (thank god for the VA loan program) and paid cash for my truck.

Now I am married with three kids (finally paid off the last one a few months ago), I want to buy toys for them and me, but I am having to wait, save up and not get into the same situation the early-20s me got into.

Sounds like you have already made up your mind. The Tundra may have a few more miles on it, but it will be an upgrade in truck and financial power. Insurance might even go down with it being an older vehicle. Put everything you can into paying it off, the sooner that burden is out of the way, the sooner you can move onto bigger things. Plus you will pay less in interest by paying it off sooner, saving you money.

Pics of the Tundra

 

Ya Im just hesitant and I don't know why about buying a truck with 100k miles, but financially its smarter than keeping my new truck I think. Here's the tundra:
http://www.sunrisetoyota.com/used/Toyota/2005-Toyota-Tundra-c2a27ee50a0a00de3b7dd6f53b45c202.htm

 

Ya Im trying to negotiate right now with the dealer to try to not lose anything. I don't really haul anything besides dirt bikes for those that want to chime in about it being a subpar fullsize. lol.

 

Nice looking truck.

I don't know about Tundras as much as I do Tacomas, but 117k miles on a Tacoma is nothing. Hell, I don't think any of the three I have owned were under that when I bought them.

 

As long as the timing belt was done on the 4.7L in the tundras, guys are getting 200k+ on them.

 

Which is why I am hesitating. I know at 117k it will start needing some regular maintenance that I don't have currently on my 2015, which would start eating into my savings on the payment. It's a limited, so it acutally has more features than my new taco.

 

Ya that's a factor for me. I can wrench myself, but parts aren't free, if Im saving on insurance and payment, having to do regular maintenance might eat into that.

 

I see you are in NJ? 1st gen Tundras have the same frame rust issues as 1st gen Tacomas. You may have difficulty finding a 10 year-old Tundra with a clean frame.

 

Ya I talked to the dealer, It was part of the recall and had the frame coated by Toyota. Another reason for keeping my 15.

 

Get your old clothes on and crawl under it, look at every little thing, bolts, nuts, poke and pry. See if you can peel the recall coating and check for rust underneath. Pull the bed protector up and check for bed rust. Check the spare carrier. Check the alignment bolts. Check the steering rack.

Tundras in your area have horrible rust problems. You don't want to buy a used vehicle with ANY rust even if it's just on the shock mounts or diff and transfer case drain plugs.

Double Cab Tundra has a turning circle about 5 feet more than a Tacoma and 230 inches long. I see it has an aftermarket headunit, tailgate debadged, aftermarket wheels.

Leather looks nice, body looks nice, 118k miles isn't much. Check for a timing belt replacement sticker somewhere in the engine compartment, you'll drop about $700 for a timing belt and a water pump. Belt supposed to be replaced at 90k.

$16k is a decent price for dealer retail, just check every little thing, make sure everything works, all the electronics. Check the Carfax for sure.

You could pocket maybe $15k on the trade down, just make sure you're not getting a rust problem.

 

I had a 2005 DC Tundra 4x4 and sold it with 110k miles. What do you wanna know? lol. Great truck but you probably wont see 16/17 mpg sorry. I was getting more like 12.5-15 per tank in normal usage in greater Seattle/Seattle area. It can do 18+ highway though. Drives great and tows great. I didn't like how tall the bed sides are. Kinda nice for when stuff is loaded to have the taller sides but to actually load is more difficult.


I liked my 2005 but it just wasn't the right vehicle for my family, plus I was forced to DD it, and I needed the money out of it at the moment so I sold it. I wouldn't buy it again though. It just felt needlessly tall and non aerodynamic. The DC and AC "look" the same, but they're not. I would get the AC instead. It is MUCH lighter with the shorter frame, smaller bed, smaller cab, and that equals like 400+ pounds of extra weight. AC's feel alot more nimble and easier to drive. My brothers 04 AC 4x4 V8 was all out faster than my 2005 with "more" HP.

 

Thanks. Im leaning towards just keeping my taco. Though I want to desperately lift this one like my old one.

 

Like taco206 said above, maybe look into a '05 Tundra Access Cab. It may take some searching to find a clean one, but it's comparable size to a Tacoma DCLB. 218 inches long, 128 inch wheelbase, 79 inches wide with the Limited fender flares.

Rear seat on the Tundra Access Cab is actually livable for passengers, full bench, fully padded. Foldup 60/40 split with fold down center armrest.

The big deal I guess is if you want to save some money there's less costs for registration, less insurance, and you can pocket maybe $15k cash depending on how you do the deal.

 

I miss my 1st gen Tundra, but the 2nd gen gets the same MPG. I was disappointed that it got so, so, mileage. It was a reliable truck.

 

My 02 AC Tundra is pretty much the same size as my 15 Taco 4DRSB (Taco is 3" narrower). Tundra has thicker carpet and such so feels a bit more well built. Access Cab is a pain in many ways. Best mpg ever was about 18mpg new and empty. Set up with side boxes and a rack and it gets 13-15 depending on summer or winter gas. My Ideal would be the new Taco with the 4.7! Back seat in the AC Tundra is not adult friendly for more than short jaunts (seat back is almost vertical). AC sucks in parking lots! But I do love my Tundra, got the Taco as I don't like the size of the new Tundras.....also, on the Tacos...the 4drlb turns like a bus! DCSB or ACLB are much better in tighter places.