New Taco vs Old Taco?

I need the bed for my dirt bike. Been there done that on the hitch hauler and I’m not a fan.

 

Was referring to the second gen tacoma DCLB

 

A few points that popped up in my head
1) you modded it to how you wanted, a new truck is a blank slate that obviously would be modded again ($$$$)
2) rust is basiaclly the only thing that takes these trucks down, if it has no rust its gonna last a long time
3) the 3rd gen isnt really proven yet, the engineers spend more time on tech then they do on focusing on ride quality and reliability, hence why the crawl control, info screen and other shit is the first things they mention on an ad
4) the 3.5L is a minivan/camry engine. NOPE.
5) unless your truck is breaking down every other day, the 3rd gen will do 100% the same thing as your current truck. The only difference is youd have a touch screen and some other random bits of tech.

Bascially is it really worth the upgrade for a exterior change and some added tech? I'd say no, but to each their own. The only time I'd say yes is if you were having heavy rust issues, so buying a used one could result in the same problem, so new would be the way to go.

 

Id say keep what you have as well, if time is the issue for maintenance just find you a good mechanic to do all that and worse case you may have to do a rental for a day or to but that is still way cheaper than a new one. Heck find some local guys and host a mod day and knock out a bunch in one afternoon.

 

I keep the old, paid off Tacoma and add another vehicle. Just a commuter. That way I can take as much time as I need to fix/modify the Tacoma. I am one of those people who likes having multiple vehicles though. Nothing brand new as I can not come to terms with how much they are. Although - I've spent new truck money on my old Tacoma over the years. lol

 

I thought the best of both worlds was owning a 1st gen and a 3rd gen?

 

My truck has 320k miles and it's 24 years (almost) old. It never left me stranded. The only time I had it in repair for longer than few hours was the clutch replacement and head gasket job (and stolen catalytic converter, but it was an "accident", not a malfunction). Even if I had to rent a car for these 2-3 days and had work done at the shop (actually clutch job was done by transmission shop) it still would cost me less over these 21 years I owned it than 3 months payment on new 3-rd gen. Changing it for anything else just does not make financial sense on a short run and a long distance. I am old fart so I don't like changes, just for the sake of changes.

Other thing is if you really want the smell of new truck, electronic gadgets and much better ride comfort. Then the financial reasoning will not get to you and then I'd say go for it. 1st gen Tacoma will not be more comfortable, will not get the new car smell, and will not have all gizmos that are so popular in new cars. It will be the same old truck - not worse, not better.

 

Haha! Now that one will be tough to rationalize.

My 1st gen already has a touch screen!

To be fair, the 3.4L 5vzfe I have is also used in minivans, Tundras, 4Runners, etc.

But yeah if I got the new one, I'd be unable to resist some pretty big dollar mods.

 

I sold my third gen for a 1st gen if that gives you any insight.

IMO safety is the only real gain with the newer generations. But then again I’m pretty biased.

 

I recently had this debate with myself after my wife got a new car with all the fancy gadgets and I was jealous. I ultimately stayed with my old Taco (2010 TRD Off Road), and just started the upgrade/mod process. The best mod that I made so far was a new stereo and speakers. The stereo has Apple Car play and Android Auto, so it is instantly better than the 3rd Gen. That mod was around $600 all said and done (I can recommend Crutchfield.com).

No regrets, I'm in for the long haul with this thing. Hoping to take it several hundred k's.

I'm an engineer as well, and it's kind of a benchmark for myself.... If I can't keep one of the most reliable vehicles going, what kind of engineer am I really?

 

Except that those rust trucks were once new, too. The 2nd gens still have rust issues. I don't know about the turd gens, tho.

I'll say I like my '17 SR5 4Runner, quieter, bigger motor, bigger interior (which just means we end up carrying more crap). But you're going to have to pry my 2004 doublecab form my cold dead hands.

 

If my 04 Offroad had been 4 door it would still be in my driveway. Damn kids!!
I say keep it.

 

When we go shopping my wife is complaining, why we have to do grocery in a truck. There is no way to take her on a road trip in my Tacoma. On the other hand 2012 4Runner (5th gen) is the main car for any longer trip. Even it takes twice mo gas than her 2015 Nissan Versa Note, she still would go twice in 4Runner than Versa. And I can understand why. 4Runner gives me zero problems. I mean ZERO with 60k miles on the clock. If I don't count the Takata airbag recall that Toyota Corporate USA didn't want to do anything for me and they said "next time you drive by your local dealer in USA they will do it for you". Like I'm going to drive across the Ocean for airbag recall. But local Toyota in Poland did not make any fuss - that took my 4Runner for recall even they had to get parts from Japan.

But still Tacoma is my precious vehicle. As long as Toyota has spare parts it will stay with me till death do us part.

 

@pontoon

- Reliable so I can focus on work. - Thats an advantage of any New car, Not just 3rd gen. And lol @ focus on work. You're going to have to work a long time to recover that $45,000
- Reliable so I can go on big trips without risk of ruining the trip with mechanical problems. - Same as the above.
- Automatic (could let friends drive on camping/rock climbing/backpacking trips which is half my truck usage or more). This is also a negative for some driving as I enjoy a manual. - Shouldn't have bought a manual in the first place then.
- Double cab (can have friends along, can store gear in a locked truck area, can lock a mountain bike back there, etc). - 1st Gen tundra will do this for +- $8,000 with more power, similar fuel economy, better reliability.
- New leaf spring design on 3rd gens is more advanced, allowing for a better ride quality. - Its still leaf springs, don't expect bentley level ride for you and all your friends.
- TRD pro suspension is a nice factory engineered option still made with quality parts. - Its Bleh for $45,000.
- Looks very cool. - As do most newer vehicles.

excellent suggestion. I love it when people argue to spend money to save money

 

My wife never really complained about the Tacoma. She actually likes driving it more than the 4Runner just because of the size. She's used to her little corolla.

 

Longtime IT professional here. I can relate to what you are saying and made similar decisions early on so I could work 60 to 80 hours a week. Through the years I've found it does my mind good to get completely away from anything closely related to work and solve an automotive puzzle. A little variety will make you more effective in the office.

I say this without knowing if you have another hobby or interest where you would rather spend your off time.

 

I like Fishing

 

Wow, there are some good arguments here for keeping a first generation Tacoma alive and around. I always feel that I am a good engineer, even though, I am not trained as one because I have kept our old 1999 Tacoma alive for the past 15 years.

Here are the troubles with first generation Tacomas especially the extra-cabs and regular cabs. They are not family friendly. This does not meant that they can not be used for family duties, but they, certainly, are not at all comfortable or pleasant in this role. Believe me I know I have one, and I have a family. This Ponton(original poster) has already said that he is 31, and he is a software engineer, which makes me admire him for having any interest in first generation Tacomas since they are not at all technologically advanced especially by today's standards. Remember Ponton if you are single, you probably won't be forever so think of what you ultimately want your truck to do. Some members have already said to go ahead and get a commuter, which is a good suggestion for the time being. If you, however, are going to be camping with other people going with you a lot of the time, your first generation is probably not going to cut it.

I am 51, and like most 51 year old farts I am pregnant with a 35 pound ten year old fetus. I also have a fixer upper house and I am married so I have all of the baggage that goes with the first two items I just mentioned. Here is how my family utilizes our old Tacoma. I am also about eight years into restoring an old 1984 Boston Whaler Classic Sport 15, which I would be finished with if I was not married to both my wife and my fixer upper house. Fortunately, the Whaler is almost done. We don't use our Tacoma as a daily driver. We use it as the house and Whaler's fix it truck. It gets used heavy on the weekends we have projects going on to do ugly work. Occasionally, we take it fishing when we want to take the bikes and other fun toys, but family members hate riding in it as well as getting in and out of it so it does not go camping or fishing very often.

As far as reliability, the 3.4 Toyota engine in your Tacoma if properly maintained will probably out live the Homo Sapian species. There is a joke on Tacoma World about the end of life on planet earth. When the human gets done killing themselves, the only thing left will be cock roaches, the Toyota 3.4 engine, and The Rolling Stones.

Hope that helps,
Paul

 

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot. Stick shift is fun to drive when there is no traffic, but when you need your Tacoma to work in your backyard, it is a huge pain in the ass.

 

I’ve been working on my truck more. It’s doing great! It drives as smooth as a new Taco and can handle driving 90 mph no problem. Never skips a beat. Just replaced some bushings, rear leafs are newish (forgot if I mentioned I got Alcans), fixed a stupid mistake I made on the front shock install, new tires and alignment, new coolant and power steering fluid, tstat, and radiator hoses. All good. Now all I have to do is oil changes and pray daily it doesn’t break.