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Looking to buy first Tacoma, leaning towards 2nd Gen. Have some questions.

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Staggs, Oct 7, 2019.

  1. Oct 9, 2019 at 5:41 AM
    #21
    pgm944

    pgm944 Active Member

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    SE Massachusetts
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    2009 Tacoma Access I4
    Wait for the truck you want...

    I have a 2009 Tacoma "Base" Access Cab with 4WD (6 lug) 2.7L I4 Engine and 5 Speed Manual (117K miles).
    Only upgrade is 17 inch alloy (FJs) rims with Michelin Latitude Tours. I bought it used (2 years with 24K miles)

    It's a great truck to drive. I have no problem rocketing onto highways by winding out 3 & 4th gears to 80 MPH when entering. I've towed up to 3500 lbs and have enough torque (with shifting) to maintain speed on hills on highways. The 4WD is a must (IMHO) as the Tours are grippy on wet, snow and "logging trails" roads. Oh yes, I get 22-23 MPG by keeping the RPM below 2500 (per fuelly calculations). I personally think the I4 is bullet proof, if you keep up on oil changes and don't beat on it.

    4WD gets you the 6 lug wheels, higher ground clearance and solid capability. You can switch in & out of 4WD while moving. 4WD-Low is funky to get out of, but works well in all sorts of situations. The ABS brakes work well, but stock brakes are a bit weak. I will be upgrading my calipers shortly. The VSC has saved me more than once in emergency (swerving) situations.

    Issues I had: Rust... mostly created when I parked the truck for two years by a salt water (air) bay in MA. Toyota fixed the frame for free ($15K of shop work). The front brake calipers are shot (know issue with left one). But other stuff seem OK (ball joints, etc) Oddly, the body panels are in great shape. Rear springs were replaced under warranty recall & (supposedly) reduced bed load capability.

    Additional repair work: I had the clutch replaced by a dealership at 102K miles (pressure plate fingers rusted). Unfortunately, their work only lasted 8K miles before it started intermittently slipping (known TSB). Will replace with a high-end after market one, once I get my money back from them.
    I had to replace a rear bearing (tough to do, as bearing is pressed on the axle shaft). I had the split-driveshaft bearing replaced (probably did not have to that one).

    Other funkiness: Stock radio is terrible. Mediocre sound. When hot, it randomly shuts on/off. CD player skips with bumps. Aux input is barely audible (volume turn ALL the way up). Probably should replace. Battery does not seem to last very long, but the current WalMart is doing great over the prior Interstate. Sat-radio did not have an integrated antenna, so I removed it.

    As my "low mileage" vehicle, I would buy it again.

    EDIT: I added intermittent wipers by replacing the 2-speed wiperstalk with the upgraded one. No other items needed. I added cruise control by adding the stalk & clutch switch. I was lucky as all the wiring was there (Plug'n'Play). I'm in the middle of adding factory fog lamps and replaced the rusted out PIAA ones that was poorly installed.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2019
  2. Oct 9, 2019 at 6:03 AM
    #22
    pgm944

    pgm944 Active Member

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    I guess an additional 5 MPG is nothing.
    That is 70 miles more range with a 15 gal fill-up.
    That is 3Cents per mile less cost at $2.50/gal.
    That is $400 per year, based on 15K miles driven.
    Just sayin' it's not much.

    And I get inquires every time I park it at Lowes or HomeDepot.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Oct 9, 2019 at 6:28 AM
    #23
    spitdog

    spitdog Well-Known Member

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    Your right it’s something, but try using the truck as a truck and a four banger is under power for pulling a trailer or carrying a load at highway speeds, it’s just a mistake unless you want to go to Lowe’s or deliver small items. Most people that own a 4 banger would really be much happier with a 6 and most people that own a 4 will always buy a 6 the next time around for the reasons above.
     
  4. Oct 9, 2019 at 7:00 AM
    #24
    pgm944

    pgm944 Active Member

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    I pull a 3,500 lb sailboat & trailer with a fully loaded bed across the country and had no issues maintaining highway speeds (75MPH) on the hills.
    I do have to downshift the manual transmission on the really steep hills thru WV to get into a better torque range on the engine.

    So yes, not as easy as with a V6 & Automatic with ~270 vs ~190 lb-ft of torque.
    I'll take the yearly MPG savings for the several times a year I tow and need row gears to maintain highway speeds.
    A 4Cylinder-16Valve engine with a 5-speed manual will not meet everyone's expectation, but works really well for me.
     
    Skyway likes this.
  5. Oct 9, 2019 at 7:19 AM
    #25
    Spizike231

    Spizike231 Pickin’ & Grinnin’

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    They make 4x4 PreRunners? Is that what you mean by 6 Lug PreRunner?
     
  6. Oct 9, 2019 at 7:54 AM
    #26
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    No, all prerunners are 6 lug 2WD.
     
    Skyway and Spizike231[QUOTED] like this.
  7. Oct 9, 2019 at 8:11 AM
    #27
    Spizike231

    Spizike231 Pickin’ & Grinnin’

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    Gotcha. Thank you!
     
    Muddinfun[QUOTED] likes this.
  8. Oct 9, 2019 at 9:42 AM
    #28
    Skyway

    Skyway Well-Known Member

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    My radio has that ghost inside of it too.
    Comes on at random when the dashboard gets hot.
    It really freaks my passengers out when that happens.
     
  9. Oct 9, 2019 at 12:40 PM
    #29
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    Wow you guys are good, that is the truck I was looking at.

    I liked it but didnt love it so I figured I should think about it.

    What do you guys think is a fair value for that?

    Thank you for the constructive advice, I really appreciate it.

    I certainly do want higher ground clearance as that will make everything easier for me, such as getting under it to clean it and do oil changes.

    Are there any good websites or stickies on these forums I can read for a crash course on tacomas and the variations?
     
  10. Oct 9, 2019 at 1:34 PM
    #30
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    There is no Tacoma for dummies book. You just have to search and read. You need to decide if 4WD is needed for what you intend to do with the truck. Snow, mud, sand, camping in the boonies, etc. Then you need to decide which is a priority for you hauling lots of stuff, or hauling 3 passengers, or both. Then decide if optimum gas mileage is a concern, or if you want to get up and go when you push the skinny pedal. Then decide if towing a trailer in excess of 1,000 lbs will be in your future. Once you've made these determinations, you can narrow down SR5, Sport, Offroad, color, year, price, etc. When I bought my Taco, I was very specific in what I was looking for, for my needs, right down to color, options, and price.

    If you search for the dealer brochures for each year, that will give you some guidelines on what comes with what packages. Here's the 2006 to get you started.

    http://www.toyota120.com/GenDocs/2006tacomabrochure.pdf
     
    akaewok likes this.
  11. Oct 9, 2019 at 4:42 PM
    #31
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    I would consider driving a base 4WD and then upgrading shocks and other parts over the years.

    I'll have 2 other cars that I will need to spend money on.
     
  12. Oct 9, 2019 at 5:51 PM
    #32
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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  13. Oct 9, 2019 at 5:57 PM
    #33
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    That last one is on these forums.

    Really want to go look at it but hesitate because it has extensive mods.

    But everything else on it checks my boxes even the color.
     
    Muddinfun likes this.
  14. Oct 9, 2019 at 6:38 PM
    #34
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    Emailed all these people,

    hopefully they get back to me.

    Thanks for the help!
     
    Muddinfun[QUOTED] likes this.
  15. Oct 9, 2019 at 6:39 PM
    #35
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    Cool! Let us know if you have any questions about any of them.
     
    Skyway likes this.
  16. Oct 9, 2019 at 6:45 PM
    #36
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    Would mods affect the Toyota Frame recall if my frame were to rust out?
     
  17. Oct 9, 2019 at 7:43 PM
    #37
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    From what I've seen on here, the only thing would be if it has a drop bracket lift, Toyota won't reinstall the drop bracket lift. From the pics, that one doesn't look like it has a drop bracket lift, but difficult to tell for sure.
     
    Skyway likes this.
  18. Oct 10, 2019 at 1:31 PM
    #38
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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    Actually I'm not too familiar with the Toyota Frame Recall at all.

    I understand it is transferable but not sure about limitations.

    -
    The V6 4WD sold. Someone gave him 10,750 today.

    The 4cyl trucks I haven't been able to see.

    I like this 4WD 4cyl but 12500 for a 4cyl with 158k seems excessive even with the plow and new frame. Is this fair? What would you offer?
     
  19. Oct 10, 2019 at 1:38 PM
    #39
    Muddinfun

    Muddinfun Well-Known Member

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    All I see is a white cow standing in a foot of snow.
     
  20. Oct 10, 2019 at 1:39 PM
    #40
    Staggs

    Staggs [OP] Active Member

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