3rd gen taco or Subaru WRX

B. S. !!

 

I'm not sure how you can make a choice between two completely different styles of vehicles other than what are your usages going to be outside of commuting. If you want to have a blast in the desert and hit some trails and have the capability to camp out of your truck then tacoma. If you want speed and maneuverability and a small compartment for storage go with the Subi

 

Both! I loved my wrx, i really miss it.

 

Third Gens are actually pretty quiet.

 

Went from a 2015 WRX 6MT to a 2016 TRD Off-Road 6MT. Love it, and needed it. I have a house, boat (couldn't tow a boat with the WRX, and my wife didn't want to buy a truck as her daily driver), and I am 6'4". Got tired of siting, swinging one leg in, and swinging the other leg in on the WRX. The Tacoma is easy to sit in, and the difference in gas mileage is almost made up by not having to buy premium. If you plan to own a house or boat before the end of your loan term, I'd consider a truck. Great for projects around the house, and I end up using my bed at least weekly. Also, resale is great on either vehicle, so don't let value swing you one way or another

 

Make sure you drive the Subaru before you buy it if you are planning to buy it in a manual. The rev hang on the new 2017 subarus is unbearable especially in the Forester. It literally no exaggeration takes 2-3 seconds for the RPMs to drop when you clutch it. Also you will not be doing any downshifting to engine brake because the cars actually rev up for 2-3 seconds by 100-300rpm when down shifting. Scary situation in the snow down hill.

I test drove 3 2017 Foresters before buying my Tacoma. I thought maybe it was a bad batch or fluke. Nope, all 3 did it. You had to get off the gas at least one second before clutching when up shifting for a semi smooth shift. It was way too awkward to drive. A lot of people have complained already and Subaru is aware of the complaints but won't officially acknowledge the problem.

I don't know how this translates over to the WRX but make sure you test drive. There is a lot of posts about extreme rev hang on Subarus this year.

 

Man those 2nd gens must have been really loud. I find the 3rd too loud for me on the highway. I'm surprised how quite all the full size trucks I ride in are compared to the Taco. My 2005 Xterra was way quieter even after 10 years and over 100k miles.

Seems like every vehicle these days should be quite, can't be that hard to do if my $22k Nissan did it back in 2005.

Maybe it's a Toyota thing? My wife's 2006 Highlander is loud on the highway as well, at least the Taco is a bit quitter than hers.

Back to the OP, yeah, do you need a truck? That's the main question and would it make sense driving all those miles in one over a WRX. Really a WRX isn't going to be the most comfortable highway car. My friend has one and it's sweet but rides like a sports car which could get old everyday. Hell you could get an Ecoboost F150, same or better MPG, more comfortable, etc. Still you might not want a full size truck.

Or something in-between? Subaru CrossTrek or Forester? Both come in a stick and have enough clearance for light off road duty like camping, etc.

 

I own a 2011 STi, and a 2016 Tacoma AC TRD OR.

As everyone has said, they are clearly very different vehicles.

IMHO, if all you care about is getting to work in harsh condtions, using public roads (paved or dirt), then the WRX is the clear choice. Super fun, and great milage. If, however, you ever want to haul stuff and/or go off road, then choose the Tacoma. It will get you to work (at a milage penalty), as well as haul and off-road.

Best of luck with your decision.......................... Frank

 

Most smaller/economical vehicles are loud. The 3rd Gen is an improvement over the old model in this area. Newer full-size trucks are quieter, but they also cost more.

 

Subie, even though their shifters feel terrible.

 

I have a '17 Forester with a manual. The shifts are not nearly as bad as described above. It's not a Maserati; if that's your benchmark, it will self-prophecy as a disappointment. But it's perfectly fine, and the comments above are, in my opinion as someone who actually lives day to day with a Forester, way overblown.

 

Overblown? Downshifting going down hill from 3 to 2nd and the car revs up and keeps going for 3 seconds before engine braking. I don't know man you must have a one of a kind. That is the #1 reason I didn't buy one before I bought my Taco. I test drove 3 of them. All of them did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyGZ2yz_Aso

 

Here I'll clarify.

If you've ever driven any rear wheel drive vehicle with a direct input shifter the Subaru shifter will not measure up. I love the WRX, but that shifter is not nice or tight in any way.

 

I chose 3rd gen taco over Subaru wrx/sti, even though I wanted both, but getting a truck was probably the best choice I've made with choosing cars

 

I chose my 3rd gen over a wrx/sti.
One new impreza was more than enough for me several years ago (a truly poor quality vehicle), and I'm loving my tacoma.

 

Wow this thread is still going?

 

I'd go with a 2nd gen 2.7 4x4 and upgrade the headers to substantially increase torque. I'm planning on doing this in the next year. I currently get 21 mpg combined in my 2010 access cab, with about 300-400 pounds in the back all the time. Additionally, the tacoma will have much lower insurance that the wrx because it is considered a low risk vehicle. A wrx is on the other end of the spectrum. Both a wrx and a tacoma should have no problems getting you to work in inclement weather, assuming they have proper tires.

If you get a 2nd gen taco, you'll own it outright in no time.

 

Ultimately you have to ask yourself if you want a truck or a car.

I prefer the truck for day to day and the car for fun on weekends.

Get a lower model Tacoma and a bugeye and have both!

 

Utility

 

Second post...

For those discussion road noise on STis...tires play a huge role. The 08-14 STi came with 245/40-18 Dunlop Sport SP600 tires that after being half worn sounded louder than ANY tire I've ever heard. I purchased a set of 2011 STi wheels back in 2012 that had maybe 15,000 miles on them. The tires were SO loud I was convinced (CONVINCED!) I was either rubbing or had bad wheel bearings with them. I ended up selling the set for a bit of a loss and threw a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the OEM 17's and then it was dead quiet from a tire noise standpoint. Granted, I had a GD series car so my interior was put together using plaster of paris and duct tape, so road noise was just that.