Convince me that a midsize is worth it...

It's great you are asking questions s before buying.
Honestly, I bought my Tacoma bindly thinking hey it's a "Toyota" I know it's going to be reliable and dependable. I didn't know about the teething issues until I joined this site and luckily I haven't had any of the issues.
The price is pretty steep. I paid $34k before taxes/fees and $36k out the door.
While one of my neighbors paid $35k for his fully loaded Ram 1500 big horn 4x4 crew cab that stickered for $50k.
The resale value is moot point when Tacoma buyers are paying just as much upfront as domestic full size truck buyers and f150's are reported just as good MPG's as the Tacoma.
I don't regret my decision at all though because the Tacoma fits my lifestyle and easy to drive and maneuver.
Only you can decide if a mid size truck is for you so I would test drive as many mid size and full size trucks you can like others have suggested.

 

I've had a full size truck for the last 30 year and since I have had my taco I have really come to appreciate the size and style of the midsize truck now it definitely gets through the trails better and fits in my garage better than a full size access cab and I have the 4 door and now I have about 3 feet or extra space in front of the truck in the garage I'm so used to the Tacoma now that when I look at a full size truck it looks like it's to big to run around in it seems like the perfect size for me if your a average sized person you will fit into the truck good and really enjoyed driving it I have been driving a Colorado around for a couple of days as a work truck and after driving that I really am glad I chose the Tacoma it seemed like the Colorado had a lot of the same issues that some complaine about the Tacoma having although my taco doesn't have any issues at all

 

If you are gonna haul people, get a nice SUV.
If you are gonna haul a lot of stuff, get a full size truck.
If you are gonna haul just some stuff, get a midsize.

Don't know what you can afford but don't over extend, and test drive test drive test drive multiple times. Good luck.

 

I bought a Tacoma because :

1) I am Toyota loyalist and the Tundra is too big.
2) I don't like full size trucks because they are too big
3) I wanted a manual transmission
4) I wanted an off-road capable truck.

However, full size trucks have better power and unfortunately, full size trucks have better fuel economy. They also have better more luxurious interiors and ride quality.

I don't really see the advantage of a mid size to be honest

 

Well said. Resale value is huge for me as well. It makes the vehicle more of an investment and less of a liability. You can really unload it hassle-free at any time if your situations drastically change.

$65k? They can easily crest 80k now. This is the same truck I’d if I had the capital, strangely. The Tacoma fills a completely different void for me though. I’d never take a truck like that off road. This truck I have no problem sending up a trail.

Strange engineering decisions? Try any domestic vehicle. I swear the engineers in the US auto industry (I am an engineer, and I work with many) are dumb as a box of rocks. It’s all driven by marketing and customer requirements, not by service or reliability anymore. Hate to say it, but that’s the truth. They want sales and not longevity. It’s the “disposable” culture we live in.

 

3 things I like about my midsize since the purchase:

1) offroad capabilities in it's stock form.
2) $35 to fill up each week driving 60 miles a day.
3) perfect trail rig. Any bigger and I'd be all scratched up by now.

 

Full-sized is too big. Navigating the cow trails in Boston is tricky enough with a mid-sized.

 

It is​

 

LOL, cow trails. My favorite thing is when you see that parallel parking spot and know you can fit...and wouldn't be able to fit anything bigger. And parking garages (until you lift it). A lot of smaller garages are BARELY big enough for a modern full size truck with 4WD.

 

You’re wrestling with the same logic I wrestled with many years ago when I wanted the Taco double cab vs a the D/C Tundra, and I chose the Tundra as I just could not justify the high price of the smaller truck. And I continued to wrestle every-time I bought a truck including this one.

It’s a good thing you’re doing, exploring all your options and making sure before you buy.

In my case the Tundra won every time (1st & 2nd Gen tacos) until the 3rd gen came around.
The Tundra is still a very nice truck, and I actually asked the sales guy to pull me a D/C white one next to the D/C L/B taco.

The Tundra has gotten obese over the prior years I’ve owned them, and they get (still) horrible fuel mileage.
Since I don’t tow much or often, it would not even out to its domestic competitors that do get better mileage when not towing.

But the 3rd Gen does get great fuel mpg , it’s nimble, agile, quality and reliable thru & thru. I don’t haul four full size adults (I have a T4R for that) all the time, just occasionally on less than a 50 mile trips, as I feel more comfy in my truck than the ppl hauler.

But If I needed that, than I would have went with the bigger truck, maybe a F-150 or GMC Sierra because of the better fuel economy, but yes, I would regret it when the reliability issues would start to pop up on those vs the bullet proof Tundra

Hope that helps
Cheers

 

Red flag #1 - They're GIVING AWAY a vehicle for $15k under sticker. Why can't they demand more of a fair market price for it? Because FCA makes junk people do not want to buy. Remember that only 1 in 3 people who bought a FCA product would ever consider buying another.
Red flag #2 - Have another conversation with him at trade-in time. I bet you everything that RAM is worth half or less than the Tacoma would be.

 

You got to decide what you need. You can get a mid-sized a bit cheaper than a full sized if you are comparing apples to apples options wise.

Still, I just like driving a smaller truck around town and in the woods. I figured that if I didn't like it, the stupid resale these trucks have would allow for me to sell and buy a full size if I didn't like it.

 

That's not entirely true. Ford for example comes down about $12k off MSRP yearly. I could have gotten an F150 platnkum for $40k a couple years ago which isn't much more than my Tacoma.

 

I love my tacoma as everyone has already mentioned before and will still continue to put thousands in upgrade but if I had to do it again or it got totaled I would go Tundra. Bro has got his 2014 crew cab tundra for $37K SR5 4x4 TSS with 0% APR. The rear seats would be worth it as I recently just sat in the back of my truck (6'3") and my head rests on the ceiling not even on the head rest... Sure for the everyday use and off roading the tacoma is awesome. But my bro is also on 3.5" OME lift with 37" with only a CMC with 0 rub. With front/rear 4.88 ARB lockers his truck surpasses mine in every environment. He even keeps up with me in the tight trails and just runs into everything with his expedition bumper. Literally just knocks trees over with ease. Only down side is he gets 12 mpgs no matter on the road empty or loaded with 500 lbs of gear.

 

If you need a truck, a full size will always be best. a lot of them get better gas mileage. Compared to my old Ranger, my Taco feels like a big truck. People buy Tacoma's for their resale value and they look cool. It also comes down to, which truck do you want to park.

 

Compare apples to apples here. MSRP to MSRP. Forget ridiculous discounts on the domestic trucks that dealers can't get rid of.

 

OP is really just looking for testimonials. I love a midsize. It suits me. A full size wouldn't even fit in my garage. I do a lot outdoorsy stuff too, and it definitely fits better on the trails.

 

My buddy owns a Tundra. Its great if your hauling lots of gear and/or people (he has 5 kids), towing large, and not off-roading. Its nice to drive, but not fun. And its a B to park.

I got the taco for the size, features, and reputation. And its fun to drive.

How many 20 year old Fords, Chevy, or Rams do you see on the road? 1st gen tacos are common and coveted. Hell...Toyota PUs from the 80s are common.

 

Sometimes other people can see things we're blinded to for whatever reason, so it's good to ask opinions to see if there's something that someone else has seen