1st Gen or 2cnd Gen, what to buy?

I have been looking to purchase a Tacoma for a while now. Doing a fair bit of research thanks to this forum. Thought I would ask the experts on here from experience what generation Tacoma should I buy.

I need to have a quad cab for the kids first and foremost. Secondly I presently own a 1993 4Runner and it's lacking in the power department. I was hoping to go to a 2002 to 2004 Tacoma quad cab but they are hard to find and when I find one they want more money then a 2005 or 2006.

So for the money what truck is the best choice to build a bush truck. I will be using it mainly for off-road but will be on the highway from time to time to get to the remote areas.

I am leaning towards to 2cnd generation because it had the 4.0 over the 3.4. Also it's a little bigger (which is good and bad).

Plan is to get coil overs and lift it to a max of 3". Bigger rims and tires. All new bumpers and rock guards. Paint the whole thing flat black.

Thanks for any advice in advance. Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

 

the quad cabs in the first gens these days that have survived this long with decent miles and also beat the rust odds are like hens teeth.
the the newest low mile 2ed gen you can afford and you wont regret it.
I also own a 2 gen 4runner with the good ole 3slow and my 2.7 reg cab taco is like a rocket ship in comparsion.
the 4.0 is a great motor and so is the 3.4. The 3.4 is a great little tourq machine but wont win you any races. In fact I find that my 2.7 taco ( five speed) is just as peppy if not more so then the older first gen v6's unless its my neighbors supercharged 3.4 that I have gotten my hands on a time or too YMMV.
the 4.0 is a great motor and they last just as long as the good ole 3.4
either way you are going to pay the yota tax so you might as well get something newer with less miles on it

 

My 1993 4Runner with 35's on it, isn't powerful enough to get out of 2cnd gear climbing a hill on the highway. Main reason why I can't take it on farther journeys. When I'm in the bush in 4L it's got enough power to do what I need it too.

In my search to buy a Tacoma I have found some 2005 and 2006 Tacoma's with the same mileage as the 2002 and 2003 taco's and the price is the same.

 

1st Gen Double Cabs are great trucks, but that back seat isnt huge, for your kids it should be more then enough but dont think because its 4 doors its a caddy. I love them. The 3.4 is a outstanding motor plain and simple. 2nd gens are more expensive usually, but if its a bush truck only why spend the extra money for a very comparable truck? the 3.4 will get you anywhere the 4.0 will. And dont paint it flat black

 

I have owned both 1st gen & 2nd gen. I love them both and wish I could have both now. I gotta say the 1st gen has less quality & reliablilty issues compared to the 2nd gen. Though the 2nd gen does have more power & is much more comfortable in my opinion. Oh and the 02-04 models came with the manual shift lever for the transfer case which is a plus. Be sure to carefully inspect the frames of both generations with a flashlight & ball peen hammer. That frame rust/rot is bad up north.
Good luck

 

My vote: second gen. They hold their value so much that you could get a much newer truck for just a few K more.

 

I'm liening to the 2cnd gen.

I would like the larger motor for highway driving and possibly pulling my boat.

 

I've had both 03 DCSB and 15 DCSB. One of the biggest drawbacks to the 03 IMO is they are only available with the 4spd auto on the 3.4. Great in town, or on the trail, not so much for towing or freeway. The 4.0 paired with a 5spd auto (or optional 6spd manual) is a big improvement. If the 3.4 downshifted for passing or a grade it would go to 3rd and rev with all sorts of drama compared to the 4.0 with the extra power taking a minor downshift to 4th. The 2nd gen also has much more room in the back for kids, which is why I upgraded. Because it isn't just the kid, it is all the stuff that goes along with them. I loved my first gen, especially on the trail, but the 2nd gen is a much better vehicle for hauling a family.

 

Please clarify. Are you suggesting gen1s hold value more and therefor only a little more $ buys the OP a newer truck? Or are you suggesting gen2s hold the value more in later years? I can semantically interpret this in several ways.

Having just invested 3 lax years and one intense year into finding a low mile 4 door and looking at both gen 1s and 2s (and 3s) they both hold value. Controlling for condition and miles I could have purchased a much newer gen2 for what the gen1s were going for. Each region is different but in Colorado the gen1 4doors go very quick and are way over blue book. Gen2s less so, but way more than 'mercian behemoths. I think i agree with what skiergd011013 might be saying; high mileage tacos do hold value. Try graphing either gen 1 or 2 blue book values over miles and they really to not depreciate much after 160k.

I too have a family so i had to find a 4door recently. The only advantage I saw in the gen2s was the option for a manual trany (& maybe a couple of safety features, if any). The 4 door gen1s were never made with a manual, so if you like manual the decision should be easy for you. I hate automatics, but preferred the smaller body, clearance, simple design and lack of electronics in the gen1s, so the gen1s won out for me. It was very very hard finding a gen1 4door with low miles and low rust so you might not even find one. In my opinion, the fact that you are pondering which one is better for you means you could look for both and take the best deal that comes to you. It is a good situation to be in.

 

Great post. This what I needed to hear. Thanks for sharing Cadmus.

I'm finding the gen 1's with low KM and in decent shape are actually more money then the Gen 2's with same mileage.

I have found a couple gen 2's with the 3" lift I want that are a little cheaper then the gen 1 I have found.

I'm looking at two gen 2's on Tuesday. The guy with the only gen 1 I found isn't willing to deal very well. I may just end up with a gen 2. We shall see.

 

Thanks for the thanks.

Where are you?

I assume Canada.

 

I'm in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

 

Having owned both, I would strongly recommend the Gen 1 for a "bush truck". As everyone mentioned, they are difficult to find with low miles, and they do not come cheap. My Gen 1 handles better than my Gen 2 in the power department, it just feels like it has more spunk. I am sure that has a lot to do with my gearing though... 4.10 vs 3.73.

 

gorgeous!

Do they use a lot of salt there?

 

No they don't. Very conscious about what ends up in our lake.

Where I will be driving this truck won't be around much salt. I have a daily driver and this will be my "toy" let's say. Instead of buying a side by side I would much rather have a Tacoma.

 

2nd gen