Going from a 1st gen Tundra to a Tacoma?

Hey I’m new to this forum and now I currently own a 2001 Toyota Tundra limited with a 4.7 liter v8. Love the truck. The other day the rear differential failed on me at 225k miles I haven’t gotten to look into it yet so I don’t know what the damage really is yet. Basically I’m going back and fourth on what to do I love the truck like I said and I’d love to keep it but a new Tacoma is temping. Basically what I’m looking for is if anyone has any experience coming from a first gen tundra to a third gen tacoma and what your experiences were. Thank you

 

Biggest selling point is how much power you need. Although the Tacoma is a beast, it still has no where near the same towing capacity as a V8 full size. What are your needs?

 

Agreed with above. I would also factor in space. In the tundras you have space for days. In the taco it can be limited. Depends if you have a big family and haul them often. I would get tundra. In my case I got a taco because it’s just me and my wife for now. Otherwise I did want a tundra. Will get one in the future though

 

2 different trucks, as LivinOnEdge stated above, all will depends on your needs.
Few things that might help, you get much more truck for the money in the Tacoma, a 40k Tundra its naked compared to a 40k tacoma.
Tundra is to big of a truck for trails, overlanding, offroading, fuel efficiency etc etc.
If you are in to towing campers, heavy loads the Tundra will fit your needs.
Again everything will be on your personal needs.
Good Luck.

 

Reading comprehension on TW is low.

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1st gen Tundra and 3rd gen Taco have comparable tow ratings.

Op's 1st gen tundra will be very similar in size to a 3rd gen.

Op is asking about his 1st gen tundra. You are confusing it with a 2nd gen.

 

The 2001 tundra will actually be similar size to the new Tacoma’s. The new tundras are way roomier but coming from an 01 it will be similar. As stated above, if you don’t need the v8 in the tundra the Tacoma may work better. The tundra gets about 14 mpg and the Tacoma 18-20. Depends what you need to do with the truck

 

Not my chart, but still helpful when comparing dimensions.



3rd gens with the Tow Package is closer to 6800 or something.

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OP, I saw fix your Tundra and keep driving it. The 3rd gens are very nice though. The interiors alone are so much nicer.

 

But hes not going to buy another 2001 Tundra (or maybe he is IDK). I'm taking into consideration hes going to be buying a newer vehicle.

 

Unless you need the V8 pulling power, Tacoma is a nice upgrade. Take your truck to the dealer and drive them back to back.

 

Can’t you repair the rear axle?

The 4.7 V8 has quite a bit more torque than the 3.5 V6.

 

Honestly I have never used my tundra to it’s full potential. There’s not a single thing I have done with my tundra that the Tacoma wouldn’t be up for. Basically I own a v8 because I like the low end power and piece of mind I can pull anything I’ll ever need to but with the amount I drive averaging 15 mpg just really doesn’t make much sense anymore.

 

The 3rd Gen taco will get you roughly 16 in the city and 22 on high ways. You'll love everything about it if your not too picky about seat cushion and the finicky transmission.

The new Tacomas are also just under the same width as your old Tundra. Mid size vehicles have become near full size in the past 10 years.

 

I went from an '04 Tacoma to an '06 Tundra (last year of 1st gen) to an '09 Tacoma (2nd gen, not a 3rd gen, but similar enough in size). My Tundra was a double cab and I found it huge, but I was not used to full size trucks. I had no need for a full size, really, it was just cheaper than the Tacoma at the time so I thought what the heck. Great truck, just way bigger than I needed. I have 2 kids, and they fit fine in the Tacoma. Adults not so much, so if you are hauling full-size passengers a lot, the Tundra would be more comfortable for them.

As others have said, depends mainly on your needs, but also what you are used to. If you are used to driving full-size trucks, you may find the Tacoma a bit cramped. If you find the Tundra a bit big for your needs, you should be fine.

 

I came from a 2003 Tundra Limited Step Side that I had for 13 years. Loved that truck, but was having some issues, so I traded for a 2017 TRD Off Road Double Cab last year. The new Tundra was just too big and the new Taco felt just right. To each his own of course. I test drove the Sport first and didn't care for the ride. Took the Off Road on the exact same drive and felt it was right for me. And I'm really spoiled by all the new tech stuff, particularly the back up camera.

 

I’m going to replace it but it’s almost an 18 year old truck with almost a quarter million miles. Even though it’s running and driving strong I don’t wanna have something else possibly go wrong soon and have to put more money into an old truck. Although that torque is nice i really don’t need all of it

 

You could also pay a reputable mechanic in your area to do a multi point inspection and try to scope out any other concerns that may effect you in the future. Old Toyota trucks just don't die. You might want to invest in the tranny fix. 225k miles, you just broke in your truck, it's nowhere near out the door.

 

that comparision table is pretty misleading. tow capacity for a 4x4 v6 tacoma is considerably higher than 3500 lbs. payload varies with standard/access/doublecab, and 4x4 vs 2x4 vs 'prerunner'..

one thing to note, the 3.5L V6 in the 3rd Gens, you gotta really rev them up for the power, there's more low end torque with the 4.0 in the 2nd gen.

 

The trucks are very comparable in size and probably tow about the same. Tacoma isn’t going to have the bottom end and the torque feel that the old tundra has. Everything else should be better with the Tacoma just because it’s alot newer. That said it comes down to finances. Would you rather dump a few grand into the tundra or 30-40k on a new Tacoma? Pick your poison

 

Some money into an old Tundra repairs as opposed to the price of a 3rd gen?

225K wouldn’t worry me much if I knew the history. There are plenty of folks with more than 225K on their Toyotas. I was one of them at one point.

 

I went from a 2002 Tundra AC V8 to a 2016 Limited and I am still loving the decision. The technology alone is worth it but overall I feel it's a much better truck. Despite the "power issues" which people complain about this is a superior vehicle.