Looking to move to a Tacoma from a F150

I have a 2014 F-150 FX4 with the first gen ecoboost. I’m getting crappy milage and now the vehicle is it of warranty I’m worried about the reliability. I test drove a 2020 TRD offroad yesterday and really liked it. Although the truck did seem a bit smaller than my F150 it drove great. Looking at the 4 door 6ft bed Tacoma is it just me or does the ride height look lower than the short bed? Also wondering if there is anyone else who has made the switch from a F150 to a Tacoma?

 

The Tacoma seemed smaller than the F150 because it is. haha

As for the long bed looking lower than the short bed, that is an optical illusion. A shorter truck is going to look higher at the same height.

 

I've seen a few people on here who have switched. Just get an extended test drive, take it on the freeway, up some hills - just really get to know the transmission and power before you switch. And yes, it will be a bit smaller inside than your F150.

 

That would be a smart choice

 

If you care about comfort and performance, don't do it...the taco is alot smaller, especially inside, and the power you will lose is extremely noticeable. Once you put good tires and any other upgrades on the taco, the gas mileage won't be much different.

 

I’m looking to get out of my Tacoma and into a F-150. The Tacoma is fine, but I want more elbow room.

 

its alot smaller than an f150 by a large margin

I came from a ram and it was a little tough.

I got a tonneau cover and that solved alot of my space problems in the interior.

I have a 3 year old forward facing and a 1.5 year old rear facing in the taco.

its tight but its fine. Graco slimfit car seats for the win.

 

I had a F150 with the 5.0L, which I loved. Great truck, fantastic interior, awesome power.

With that said, my Taco is another level of happiness. Yes, won’t have the power, luxury, or space of the 150, but what it lacks there, it MORE than makes up awesomeness.

The taco is an adventure. It’s a toy. So much personality to this truck. So much that you can do with it. Very very versatile vehicle.
Many many SMILES per gallon.

As much as I liked the 150, I am much much happier with the Taco. Not even a contest.

 

I had a 2010 f150 (first car). Traded to a 2018 f150 that turned out to be a lemon (bought back by ford). After a horror show of problems with that truck I picked up a 2019 tacoma. It's by far my favorite of the 3. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about changes I noticed.

Ford definitely treated me right when I got that bad truck though. Great company and dealership. I just needed a break from the brand after that.

 

The Tacoma is great, but if you're coming from an F150 you might want to test drive a Tundra. Same Toyota reliability, with the room you're used to in the full size truck.

No difference in ride height between the long bed and short bed. Short bed looks taller because it's short. Can always add a couple inches of lift to the long bed

 

Smart guy here.

absolutely. DEFINITELY, pay attention to the vehicle. TEST DRIVE IT. Pay attention. Drive it multiple times if possible.

Tacoma ISNT for everyone, be CERTAIN it is what you want.

 

+1 to that. I was a little iffy after my test drive so my dealership let me take it home and to work the next day. That is what sold me on the truck.

 

Just be sure you know what you're losing going from a full size to a mid size. Power, space, and really MPG isn't going to be THAT great...so just understand that and you'll be happy

 

Trade the Op?

 

My F150 is a good truck. I don’t really need a full size truck anymore. When I bought it I was hauling a small enclosed trailer and some dirt bikes in the back. Reading the forums the eco boost scares the crap out of me on repair cost if the engine goes south. It’s really a tough choice. I love the looks of the new Tacoma. I also want a truck I can drive the piss out of and not worry about anything

 

Get a used Tacoma if gas mileage is your concern.

People will flame because the 3rd Gen gets like 1-2 mpg real world better than the 2nd Gen. But you can’t argue with numbers.

You have to punch the numbers on gas mileage difference over time vs vehicle cost difference and see when you will strike even.


Let’s say a vehicle will get 5mpg better than the other. And you drive 12,000 miles a year at $3 a gallon.

After trading in, upgrading cars will put you another hypothetical $12k in debt.

I’m making these numbers up.. but you don’t have to. Don’t make a “gas mileage sucks” decision based on emotion. Do it on pure numbers.

I bought a Honda Fit for 18 grand when I moved to California a few years ago. I have it to my little brother when I got home.

That Honda Fit saved me $1,800 a year in gasoline. (I was also driving 24,000 miles a year back then so cut than in half for the average American). That’s awesome.

But don’t forget it cost 18k because I was dumb and bought new. So it would have taken me TEN YEARS of driving that car that gets Double the gas mileage of my Toyotas for it to even be financially viable or helpful. It would have taken a normal American 20 years for it to “save them money.”

Changing cars for gas mileage isn’t always helpful unless the new car you buy costs you very very little in trade in. Or better yet you sell the F-150 for a lot and buy a used vehicle for less than that amount.

Sorry for the rant. I just like to pass along logic rather than feelings when it comes to maths. ✌

 

I’ll be going with a 2019

 

I was looking to do the same. I actually had a new ecoboost F150 ordered twice, but then the thought of owning another Ford chilled me to the bone each time and I cancelled. I'm now sticking with the Taco for the long haul.

 

My MIL has a 2016 5.0 F150 crew cab, and I have a 2017 DCSB Tacoma.

The F150 is SO MUCH BIGGER. It's taller, longer, wider, much more space in the cab, and more space in the bed. It's also more powerful.
I get 3-4mpg better and find my Tacoma is a lot easier to live with on a day to day basis. Once both kids are front facing the cab won't feel so tight. I would have liked a long bed in principle, but in practice I've rarely been limited by the short bed.

 

Love the math. Generally speaking, I think this "reason" is a mental justification for a purchase. I hope no one actually thinks they will save money by buying a better MPG vehicle, at least in 99% of cases.

I spend around $2k a year on gas currently. If I double my gas mileage, I save half of that each year. I hope I can double my MPG for like $3k so it pays off in 3 years lol.

I did the math moving from my Trailblazer to my Tacoma. I'll save about $425 each year. Won't even pay for increase in annual tags.

Ride the 38 MPG motorcycle to work. Well I save $2.25 each day roughly in gas vs the Tacoma. Roughly 20 days a month so if I ride all of them (not likely due to weather) I'll save $45. Motorcycle costs $36 per month to insure and register.

These numbers are a whole different ballgame at $6/gallon gas, but as long as gas is cheap, who cares.