Went to test drive today...

Sounds like you need a family member/friend who is a car person trek with you to each of these test drives who can provide you the conversation/dialogue you need to vet each. That is asking a bit, but if you know a real car person, they like looking and talking cars any time. I did this for my father in-law and my father. Actually, my wife and I went around looking and test driving cars before giving each a short list to look at. Both ended up with vehicles they love.

 

your lucky you didnt buy it as i did after 2 months of problems with the new toyota junk i traded it on a nissan pro 4i even came out 12 dollars more than i paid for the junk i guess junk prices are up

 

I think I am that person in my family lol. I picked out the last 3 cars for my mom and she’s loved them. I went with her to test drive them and just did my research and showed her all the features and stuff.

I did my research before I went to test drive the trucks too. I just felt like I knew more about the trucks than the salesman. The one tried to tell me oh this trim level doesn’t come with that feature when it was an option on that trim level and the vehicle I was test driving just didn’t have that option.

I guess I was hoping for more of a second opinion and I just didn’t get that from the salesman.

 

congrats on your 14 year old truck brother

 

Thats been my experience too, unless you find an enthusiast who happens to like them in their personal life. My salesman didn't know anything. Luckily I obsessed over the purchase for months and knew everything there was to know. He basically just got me the truck I requested off the lot, I took it with my wife to a nearby parking lot by ourselves, and looked it over without him.

 

its reliable considering what toyota has done to there tacoma in the last 2 years i owned toyota pickups for 42 years but they missed quality control on there 3rd gen sorry to say from the day i purchaced it problems begain rear leaking power windows quit working water leak and then transmission issues and to top it off the dealers are so backed up on these issues its hard to get them resolved

 

I've had my truck for over 2 years now and only problem was a battery.
Quality control imo is excellent.
Would buy again.
Sure there will be issues with any truck/brand. But its not like all trucks have these issues. Get real.

 

20k of these trucks are sold a month. There are only a small percentage of lemons. You got one. Tough luck but most of us dont have issues. I for one am at 10.5k trouble free miles.

 

That poster is a troll. If you read his post history it's clear.

 

Don't second guess your first impressions. They are usually right. My friend has a Colorado, it's a nice truck. If it's a good fit, go for it.
At 6 foot tall and coming from a 4-Runner, the Tacoma felt good to me on my test drive. No regrets here.

 

...and this is why there is so much mis-information on the internet. Geez.
It took me less than a minute to find the real dimensions.
Comparing the V6 first gen access cab Tundra to the 3rd gen access cab Tacoma:
The Tacoma gets 3 more mpg on highway
The Tacoma has almost 100 more HP
The Tacoma is five inches shorter
The Tacoma is two inches narrower
The Tacoma is a smidge lower in height

OP the reason most car salesmen don't know everything you do is they are not "car guys." Selling cars is their job, not their passion. I am lucky in the fact that my sales guy is also a car guy. Even though I know a bit more about the Tacoma and 4Runner than he does (engineer) he knows vastly more about the Prius or Camry or Tundra and everything else he sells.

As you continue to do research, make sure to double check your information (like the guy saying the new Tacoma is bigger than the old Tundra) so you can be as informed as possible.
At the end of the day, only you are responsible for what you know. The salesman is not going to be paying for your truck.

 

you can always wait for the new Ford Ranger to come out,https://www.ford.com/trucks/ranger/2019/

 

OP, I'd go with your gut. My wife has an 18 forester which we leased since we had given her old ford escape to a family member in need. It's a great family car despite the cvt tranny which I'm not totally convinced of.

Have you tried the new 19' Forrester?

I just bought a 18 tacoma last month. Its definitely not as roomy for rear facing infant car seats. And for convertables or forward facing seats its gonna be tight. But I chose it because I love tacomas! I was willing to sacrifice a bit of family comfort for what I want and it's a spare vehicle as I mostly ride a motorcycle for work and commuting.

Consider what car you want vs. What you can work with and is easy to grow into for you and your family. I personally like smaller tacomas, but if I lived in a less urban area I'd go full size american

This is only my opinion. And that mean ssheeeet! Good luck in your search. I think most of the fun is in the search

 

I haven’t looked at the new foresters. I was really disappointed that they got rid of the turbo. Plus I probably won’t ever get a first year vehicle. Although the 2011 Forester was just a mid cycle refresh it was a whole new drivetrain that proved to have some problems. I don’t want to be the beta tester for those new problems.

Luckily I don’t have to park anywhere tight so the midsize vs full size isn’t much of an issue. The only reason I’m leaning towards a full size is because we plan on getting a camper in the next year or so then I won’t be limited as much by the trucks capabilities.

 

Sounds like you already know what you should do.....

Whether you realize it or not.

Tacomaworld

 

I basically did the same thing you did. Dec 2016 I test drove the Tacoma, GMC twins, Ridgeline and Frontier. The first three would not negotiate. I don't have a need for all the wiz bang electronics that come with the updated midsize from Toyota, GMC or Honda. I didn't like the seating position in the Tacoma or Colorado. The Tacoma was quite. Just didn't like the engine / transmission combination In the end I could not justify the extra cost for a Tacoma vs. Nissan. Bought a 16 Pro 4x. I have not regretted the decision.

Yes the Frontier is basically a 2005 design. They fixed the cross contamination issue. The 4.0 is pretty bullet proof. It does not have the tightest turn radius. It meets my needs. As far as trade-in values. I keep vehicle 9-10 years. Values are relative. You pay more for a Tacoma you should expect more when you sell. One should buy the vehicle they like. The Tacoma is a good vehicle. The Frontier reminded me the most of my 06 Tacoma.

 

And don't forget about the new Ranger coming out in January.

 

Nissan sales plunged this year from last.
Wonder why ?
They really don't sell much.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2018/07/best-selling-pickup-trucks-second-quarter-2018.html

 

My wife is 5'0" and the truck is her daily driver. No complaints in over a year. I guess it depends on how your built though, more torso vs more legs. Im 6'0" and fit great. I have other friends that are same height as me and their heads are in the ceiling.

 

I really don’t understand the guys who don’t own Tacoma’s but continue to frequent the 3rd forums to bash them.