Call for action; Should I buy a '02 standard cab, or the '00 ext cab?

Pretty much, I have come down to two options. I want to be able to off-road, mostly trail-ride, in Florida(panhandle area) and maybe carry my sports bike on the back occasionally. I'm torn because both trucks are in great condition but I need to act quickly before either of them gets taken. What would you guys go for? Allegedly, on the 2000 truck, according to the ebay sale list it was on for a little while, stated that it had a small valve cover gasket leak which the seller did not inform me of when I asked if there were any problems with the truck, should I shy away from it? Normally small leaks are whatever, but I am super unsure. Both of the sellers state that the trucks are in excellent condition with no rust on them.

Option 1, 2000 Tacoma extended cab sr5 4x4 with 228k miles asking 6900( I want to ask what they had it on eBay originally, $5000. I hope they will take it.:



on the other hand, we have option 2, 2002 Tacoma standard cab base 4x4 with 209k he told me that the lowest he would go would be 3500. Not a bad price if you ask me.

$4000:

 

You're probably not going to like this answer, but I'd wait for a better one to come along. The regular cabs are great if you're single, but even then you have to do some fun games to pack all your stuff in the cab when necessary.

The 2000 is in good cosmetic condition. However if they're not fixing something easy like a valve cover gasket leak then there could be other more important issues that they're putting off until they sell it as well.

A 2001+ access cab would be good because of things like a better sliding window (three pieces instead of four - way easier to open and not get stuck while trying to slide it), a better interior (better center console, and sleeker interior panels), etc.

Even if the interior panels don't matter to you, I will be swapping out my rear window as soon as I find a cheap replacement on CL. $5k isn't a bad price, but I bet you can find a truck that is ideal in every way if you wait a little longer!

 

RC

 

"Normally small leaks are whatever" are normal i Fords or Chevy, never in Tacoma. Tacoma does not leak, unless something is broken. Not being 100% transparent the seller looks shady to me. I would walk away from this truck.
I have ext cab and every time I drive it I prize my wife, who did not let me buy single cab (cheaper). That little space behind the front sit is more valuable than the whole bed. I use bed occasionally, the space behind the sit always.

BTW if you going to have automatic get V6. I4 is OK only with manual.

 

Thanks for the response, I've never actually driven a 1st gen so I wouldn't know the difference lol

 

how does your ride? do you ever take it off-road? We really just want it to have for utility. we have several other vehicles including my car, bike, and her suv.

 

Personally I would go for the 2000 simply because it's an extended cab. You also don't find many pre-2000 trucks with power windows/locks like that, it was much more common after the 2001 re-design.

I would keep looking though. Regular cabs are fine for some people, but I'm a pretty tall person and the ext. cab helps a lot with legroom. I can't complain about the rear seating/storage. I use it all the time since I don't have a trunk and I don't want my stuff in the bed. I normally use the jump seats in the rear for passengers, since this is my daily. If you just want a wheeling rig or a good reliable truck not really meant to transport people or drive daily a regular cab is fine.

 

extended cab... for the simple reason that the D/S seat leans farther back... did a trip down the baja in a regular cab bench seat and by the middle of the second day I was "done"... just couldnt get comfortable.

 

Is that a rear diff lock button?

 

I'm not too sure I asked him and he wasn't sure

 

So ironically, I actually was able to talk the regular cab guy down to 3200. Seems like a good deal. The truck will only be for my motorcycle and my small off-roading trips. I wonder if I should bite

 

If you're over 5 ft 5 or enjoy taking anything more than a sock with you... You're gonna want the extra cab space

 

Trust me if you're a tall person or take long trips you'll want the ext. cab

 

I love my regular cab, but when I bought a truck for a long term build I went with an extended cab for this reason. Plus if you ever want to take 2 people anywhere it's a requirement to not have a regular cab or at least a bench (ew).

 

Is it really that small? How does it compare to a ford ranger regular cab? I've ridden in those and it isn't terrible just not fun for more than an hour or so. I don't plan on doing any extended trips in this ever lol

 

I have a 2003 4x4 single cab w/ manual transmission.
I bought this new and after 180k I am still happy without an extended cab.
Ive been to the West coast and Belize twice in it.
As well I have a 105lb Labrador Retriever who rides with me.
I still like my std cab.

Here's why...
The single cab has a smaller turning radius and is lighter.
You can put a cap on the back to store things that you cannot fit into the cab.

That said I notice both trucks you are considering have automatic transmissions.
I would not want either for that reason, but thats me.
I believe the more things you can control yourself in operating your Tacoma the better off you are.

Lastly, try to avoid rushing into buying your truck.
Here's my story FWIW...
Back in 2003 I wanted a Tacoma and all I could afford was about $13,000.
I looked everywhere and it became clear that I could not afford a new one at $18k +
My search went on for several months looking at used tacomas. I found many good buys but did not feel ready to pull the trigger.
Out of the blue I get a call from a small dealership in Maine of whom I had inquired into new Tacomas (where I lived at the time)
The told me that they had a new STD cab 2003 they wanted to get off the lot and could offer a manufacturer's rebate of $5k.
Needless to say I went down that day and bought it... for $12,750 before financing.
Kind of a miracle, of course I had said a prayer before I started looking LOL.

 

That is a cool little truck! where did you get your cap at?

 

You're not hauling the Sport Bike anywhere?

 

Besides the Yamaha mechanics, not really. I would eventually like to do that, but I'm planning on getting a new truck in about 5 years anyways and by then I'm sure I'll still have the tacoma for funsies. Pretty much, I just want an off-road truck for the wife and I to play in for small little trips through the woods and to the water sites. My bike doesn't normally leave the panhandle area all too much

 

With what ever you choose jump on it and bring cash

You don't want to be 10th in line