Convince Me why I should get a Tacoma.

Hey, guys. I'm looking at getting a 2nd gen Tacoma with a standard transmission. I currently drive a Honda Fit. I have a pretty active lifestyle and would like to be able to move a kayak. I've also thought about the Nissan Frontier.

But, the Honda Fit is a very versatile (but at the same time, unsafe) car, and it gets great gas mileage. Do you guys know what MPG the Tacoma ACTUALLY gets?

The last reason I want to ditch my fit is that my dad was killed in a car collision a few months ago, and I want to be in a bigger vehicle.

So, why do you think the Tacoma is the right choice?

Thanks.

 

Welcome!

It will get less than a fit that's for sure. To the point you will notice. If gas is a thing why not a 3rd gen?

Google Fuelly & check tacomas

 

Besides the gas mileage and being able to park in tight places I see no upside to owning a Fit over a Tacoma. They are totally different vehicles though

 

No. Don’t tell me what to do.

 

What makes the Fit unsafe and why can’t it move a kayak?

 

Stock Tacoma 4.0 anywhere between 13-17 mpg average.

 

My Tacoma is more or less stock with the 4.0 and I get 18-20mpg highway all day long when I’m not towing.

edit: I don’t think I drive like a grandpa but perhaps some would say I do.

 

Make sure to test drive the manual, the 6 speed tacoma isn't for everyone. I've owned many manuals, but have never enjoyed the Tacoma standard.

Tacoma's are average at best with fuel economy. But they are durable and hold their value.

Biggest problems are frame rot, springs, and bearings.

 

agreed my Tacoma is my first auto because I wasn’t wild about the clutch in the manual, but that’s entirely subjective.

Anyways while I love my Tacoma and it really is pretty much the right vehicle for me, I’d personally only convince someone they needed a Tacoma if they needed to regularly use the bed space, and preferred that bed space to come in a smaller more off-road capable package than a full size truck. Gas mileage for the Tacoma isn’t much better than a full-size. A lot of people get Tacomas (and other trucks) just because they like them and want to, which is fine, but what a truck really offers is a pickup bed, and if you don’t need that sort of thing regularly, I’d argue that there are plenty of other vehicles that may suit your needs better from a standpoint of pure practicality.

 

“Convince Me why I should get a Tacoma.”

- TacomaBoiz

 

I don’t believe your question is worded correctly. Everyone purchases a vehicle for their own personal reasons. If you just need something to haul your kayak around, you can use any vehicle that can support a roof rack, it doesn’t need to be a truck. If you want a 4x4 to get you into areas that a car couldn’t get too, that’s a different thing. You would probably be better off to review your needs, your options, and then ask yourself why you think you need a Tacoma for your needs and make your decision from there. Just my two cents...

 

Comparing a Tacoma to a Honda Fit is like comparing a Yugo to a mustang. They are two completely different vehicles with completely different functions. One is an extremely capable offroad vehicle and the other is an economy car not intended to be driven off pavement. If fuel economy is an issue then the Tacoma is not for you. If you put more importance on an active lifestyle, cycling, mountain biking, camping, boating etc then the Tacoma is for you.

 

Get a ridgeline! If you need convincing for a Tacoma then it isn’t for you! I love my 2nd gen, it’s more reliable and I prefer the looks of my 13 over any 3rd gen

 

They're so much easier to mount a machine gun to.

 

wut?

If you don't ever go offroad, or need to use a truck bed, then just slap a roof rack on the Fit.

With a Tacoma/truck, you'd still need some sort of roof rack or full-height bed rack to accommodate a kayak.

 

1. Well, in general, smaller cars don't fare as well in a collision. And, my dad was just killed a few months ago in a car accident in a similarly-sized car (to the fit), so I would feel much better in a larger vehicle.

2. I can't move a kayak because I don't have a roof rack, and I don't want to mess up the inside of my fit if I put a wet kayak in it.

 

I want a bigger vehicle because my dad was killed in a car accident a few months ago. I would feel safer in a bigger car (according to physics, bigger cars do better in accidents).

I think you could probably fit a smaller kayak in the bed of the Tacoma if you strapped it down (it would hang out of the bed).

 

I wish I could get a ridgeline, but it's out of my price range. I found a good deal on a Tacoma.

 

So sorry for your loss -- I can't imagine.

Vehicle choice is such a complicated subject with so many individual considerations, it's really inappropriate for us to try to talk you into a vehicle. Better to ask us about pros and cons of the various Tacomas over the years -- that's where this group is a superb source of info.

 

I've been driving my 2016 Tacoma for 3 years, drove a 2014 Civic before that, and I have taxied my mum around constantly in her 2013 Honda Fit for the past seven years. I really enjoy the Fit and how quick the handling is and fuel economy is pretty great, albeit not the best (8.5L/100km city according to the gauge cluster) and holy crap it can fit (ha ha) a TON of stuff, at least four times the amount I can stuff in the back of my access cab Tacoma, AND storage is made much easier than a Tacoma because the seats flip down to give much more space than a double cab Tacoma's seats will give. All that being said, I absolutely prefer my Tacoma.

My Tacoma feels safer, handles a lot smoother and is a hell of a lot more stable in turns and high speed applications (over 75km/hr the Fit feels like it's all over the road and gonna fall apart), more comfortable seating for me, better sound and info-tainment system than my mum's 2013 Fit, battery to date has more been reliable vs the Fit's three batteries, soaks up bad roads better, gets me down rough trails/roads safely, can be much more easily taken to a beachy area if ocean kayaking is your thing not to mention the ability to fit a kayak and not have it extend 2' off the front AND back. I want to buy a kayak in the next couple years and my truck would be able to get me to one of the 300 remote lakes in 200km with ease. The only issue I would find with hauling a kayak in a fit vs a Tacoma is that despite my average stature at 5'10 I have incredibly short arms and getting a kayak off my mum's Fit would be leagues easier than getting one off my soon to be lifted Tacoma. The fuel economy in my truck on 255/85R16s (33") is about 16.5-17mpg if I convert from L/100km to mpg. With stock sized tires living within city limits in a small by American standards town I got 19.5mpg. Obviously with a Tacoma you also get access to the full bed which you can equip with a canopy, Softopper, tonneau cover, bed rack or none of the above and haul large items with ease. I can cart around renovation or landscape materials for myself and my mum (currently redoing her garden), power tools, tires, road trip stuff, mountain bikes, sled, dual sport bike for my best friend if need-be with ease. I can tow if I ever need to haul a flat deck or a U-Haul for moving and hell I can even fit a couch and mattresses the next time I update those.

In terms of fuel economy the 3rd gen reportedly gets better but I don't have real world numbers for that, my 2016 is also an automatic not a manual so I also can't speak for auto vs manual.

All in all, my Tacoma is a more comfortable vehicle for numerous reasons - creature comfort, transporting large or multiple items, and feelings of safety. Both are very reliable, my mum's Fit is a damn champ and I know my Tacoma will last years apon years, but my truck is the better option for my uses.