Why did you choose a Tacoma?

Because my 1st Gen was worn out and I sold it.
Glad to have a 2nd Gen. Next build will be a new Trunda. Done.

 

a little voice in my head told me to

 

I had a 1994 Toyota 2wd pickup for 16 years, finally kicked the bucket in 2010. I then bought a Matrix figuring I would "try something different". I hated it. Drove it for 4 years, then got back into the Tacoma I have now in 2014. Aside from the gas mileage it's better in every single way to the Matrix. I can't always justify having a truck, but I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything

 

First, I really don't like Toyota and beside the Tacoma or maybe the ”real" Landcruiser I will never own another Toyota.
Secondly I wanted a truck strictly for camping and offroading which already crosses out full size trucks for me.
And because I am not willing to spend 40+K on a new mid size truck just to put dents and scratches in it, I had to choose between used trucks from around 2010 and all the other offerings from this time beside the frontier were honestly crap.
So I went with the Tacoma, because it looks better than the frontier, keeps its value better and has the best aftermarket offerings.

 

I had a 2012 F-150 SuperCab with a 6 1/2 foot bed. I loved the truck. I had it for 6 years and l never had one problem with it. l was living west of Toronto Canada at the time, and l used it's bed quite a bit.You name it l probably carried it. I wasn't the one that had a pickup, but never used it as one.
l was retiring down south and it was cost prohibitive to bring it with us.

l didn't know what l was going to buy. The only foreign made vehicle l had owned was a 1998 VW Fox. But l was leaning towards a Ford or GM product.

We spoke to several mechanics here and asked them what was a good truck to buy. Plus one that was the least expensive to maintain, as l had planned on keeping it for a very long time. l wanted a truck that would last.

Each time we were told that Toyota parts were available every where, and that the vehicles were well liked here. Each mechanic mentioned the Tacoma or the Hilux. Each said that they personally preferred the Tacoma. Saying that we couldn't go wrong with a Tacoma.

We looked at a few Tacoma's and settled on our 2012. It was in fantastic condition and only had 129,000kms (80,000miles) for $26,000US.

At first l felt like l had to settle for the Tacoma for ease of repair reasons. l missed my F-150.

After a very short period of time l very quickly started to really like the Tacoma. There was nothing that l didn't like about the truck, and l began to see why these trucks are so popular.

If anything happened to this truck which resulted in me having to buy another one. I'd buy another Tacoma without a seconds hesitation. It would be my first and only go to vehicle.

I wish l had bought a Tacoma years ago.

So I guess l initially chose a Tacoma out of necessity. But I'm really glad that l did.

 

got tired of hooking up my 6x12 utility trailer to my crossover any time i wanted to haul something basic. Also safety concerns with having a kid now and not wanting things possibly bouncing around in the same space.

So finally broke down and bought a truck

didnt need a full size because i dont tow 4k+ lbs with any sort of regularity. I also drive into the city quite a bit and the midsize is great for that. The narrow width, decent turning radius, and (my first) backup camera make parking a breeze even on a DCLB.

Tacomas get some flack because of their midsize status, but they are extremely capable. Pair that with a small utility trailer of some sort and there is very little it cant do.It really comes down to whether you tow or carry heavy payload with regularly. To that end, a full size truck would have been a waste for me personally.

My sis drives a GMC 3500 HD crew cab/LB and pulls a 5-horse gooseneck 10's of thousands of miles per year. She's someone who actually uses the capabilities of a full size truck. She also hates driving around in the city. Trade offs, lol.

 

I did research on the Ford Rangers and found out they have 4 timing chains, are plagued with chain guide problems, and the motor has to be pulled to work on them. I decided I didn't need that kind of headaches even if someone gave me a perfectly good running Ranger for free. I talked to a friend of mine that's a service writer at an local shop and he told me, "If you can afford it, buy a Toyota." 2nd gen was the obvious choice for me because of the access cab doors.

 

It looked cool and had better mileage than my 15 year old F150.

I miss having a full size everyday.

Its a good combination between a truck and a better commuter-like SUV so it suits my needs for now. But I do miss my Ford.

I like the Tacoma but it will be the first and last one I own.

 

I got mine cause an uncle had an 80 model hilux that he beat like a rented mule using it as a farm truck that just wouldn't die. My uncle is dead, and that hilux is still going after 750000 miles. If that's not a good enough reason to get a 4 cylinder Toyota I don't know what is.

 

Thatals incredible!
Yeah mileage and life was another selling point. I just hit 151k last week and ive heard theyll go for 300k.
Its all on how you take care of it and how much you beat on it.

 

Yeah the resale value 100%!

I almost got a frontier and a 2door tundra! I heard Nissan's are good anymore after some merge. That tundra was beatuiful but i need room to haul stuff. Ive got the ext cab which technically can seat 4... I have to move a backpack to have 1 passenger so no haul space was out. I like the size of the mid size for sure tight trails dont scratch as much.

 

I like how a few of the year models look, the NEW ones i think look odd, maybe if they all came withn6" lifts and 37s?

 

I have pretty much only had Toyotas. First truck was a Toyota I bought off my boss at the time, and it went over 300,000 miles, and my dad ended up taking it. I did get a Ford Ranger, and traded that in after 2 years of forking over money , and went to a Toyota extra cab in 89. I have had Trucks and 4Runners, but always Toyota. I love how the 2 gen looks and did my research. Was between my 09 and an 06, but, the 9 felt right and I have driven this thing more that I ever did out of my 4 runners. I find excuses to drive it. Already have mods in mind and doing them slowly.

 

1-I wanted something smaller than the truck I sold, which was a GMC 4x4 crew dually
2-I wanted something bigger than a 1st gen Tacoma
3-It's a Toyota
4- Wanted a tough vehicle that would last. My 1st Toyota was a '76 Land Cruiser FJ40. If I had something even close to that in toughness, I would be happy. I haven't explored the Taco's 4WD abilities yet. Doubt I'll ever do with it what I did with the FJ40.
5-Wanted better fuel mileage than the dually.
6-Liked the looks of the Tacoma better than anything similar.

I wasn't really interested in resale value, because I don't plan to sell it. Ever. I would have preferred a long bed, and was looking for one, but found a good deal on a low miles (60K) in a 2011 short bed model. I'm somewhat disappointed in my gas mileage (18mpg is best I've gotten), but it beats 12 mpg I was getting with the dually. I am satisfied with the Taco's towing ability; 4500 pounds is the most I'll tow. I love the ride quality.

 

I have had great luck with trucks. All were perfectly reliable, cheap to work on when needed:

- Ford Ranger 4.0L (2 different times, '99 and'04) - only complaint was the "rear door ajar" due to terrible sensors for the rear suicide doors on the X-cab. The straight 4.0 was the must-have engine on these Rangers.
- '97 Chevy K1500
- '95 Chevy K1500
- '89 Chevy K2500
- '02 Chevy Avalanche - awesome truck, perhaps the best I ever had, no issues after 75k miles when I sold it. Great for a growing family, but too big after a while when it was just me.
- '05 Ford F150 5.4L - another awesome truck, no issues after 130k miles when I sold it
- '14 Ram 1500 Laramie - sweet truck, just too big (crew cab plus 6.5' bed - HUGE)
- '16 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X - awesome little truck, but just never loved the looks
- '17 Honda Ridgeline - awesome truck, great ride and interior space - but looks inspired no love from me

Which led me to the '15 Tacoma to replace the Ridgeline. Ridgeline is by far the better truck for my needs (99% paved road use), but I simply love the Tacoma more. Life is short, and I refuse to drive vehicles I don't love every day.

 

My 2002 Tacoma's frame split due to rust and I couldn't get it warrantied. I love that truck and immediately went in search of another. I landed on a MGM 2105 TRD OR with 26k. I plan on eventually replacing the frame on my 2002, but until then I'll drive my 2015 until it dies.

 

I was getting married in the next 6 months when I got mine and my Camaro was quickly depreciating. I decided to get something similar in value that would last me another 10 or 15 years, big enough with the double cab that I could put a couple car seats back there if I had to. I love my 12 dclb 4x4 sport.

 

To get Laid. Next mod is a slide out bed.

 

Really? Going to a tundra... Why? Just all around bigger and stronger?

 

Always listen to the little voice!