Purchasing a New Tacoma--what to watch for?

Test it! It definitely has its pros and cons like with any truck. I do love the reliability, the resale value, the amount of mods and the Tacoma community. But yes. Give it a test drive and do all the research. Get you want. Not what’s available! Good luck!

 

My 6MT tows this just fine.

 

OP I came from a GMC Sierra and drive an F250 gasser for work every day. I can't really comment on how well these things tow, but based on hauling 800lbs of gear in the truck on vacation, 3500lbs probably won't be very fun to tow. You'll also notice mpg's drop like crazy, It's funny my F250 will get 11mpg all day long with nothing in it and then you load it down with a few thousand pounds of stuff and a 5000lb trailer and it still gets the same 11mpg.
The Tacoma halogen Headlights aren't super great, not sure what year Superduty you had but for comparison sake I think My Tacomas headlights are dimmer than my 2016 F250 was and by far worse than my 2020 F250 is(but that thing has 4 H13s). Bulb upgrades are easy and cheap though so that's not a big deal.
I'd call my Tacoma more of a toy than an actual truck; awesome for camping, hitting the trails and for running to the hardware store on the weekend. Not great for much else. I only drive about 3000miles a year though so it's perfect for me. That being said If I ever needed to buy another daily driver/commuter it would definitely not be a Tacoma.

Disclaimer: I live at 6000 feet so that doesn't help the mpgs and lack of power.

 

You will be perfectly fine if you choose the MT. The rear diff is geared a bit lower, to your advantage. The reverse sucks though, its very tall. But there is a simple mod to fix it.

Cant speak much on the AT, but i drove 2 AT off roads and they drove fine to me. I dont see why AT would have trouble towing 3500#, thats ridiculous.

 

What a bunch of WAP's in here.

3500# is nothing and any stock Taco will do this with the minimum of issues. My truck has 56k miles on it right now with about 20-25K of that hooked to a trailer in the 3500# range. I am lifted, overweight, no tune and AT and have 0 issues, whether it be in the Midwest plains or the Appalachian mountains.

Is mileage gonna suck? Yes. As it tends to do when towing.
Is the truck gonna need to be prodded along to go? Yes as it tends to do when towing.

I have a cargo trailer and a utility trailer and yes the aero of the cargo trailer is noticeable, but to act like the Taco won't do 3500# and you will be creeping along in the slow lane with your 4 ways on is silly.

I pulled my cargo trailer through West Virginia up 7,8 and 10% grades and did it at highway speeds. I traded in a 1 ton 6.0 liter Chevy and no the Taco doesn't tow like a big V8, but for a midsize truck it tows just like it should. IF OP wanted to pull 6000# then it would be valid to question the Tacoma, but 3500#? Come on.

I will say the addition of sumos or air bags should be considered. My stock DC short bed Off Road porpoised pretty bad stock. Sumos fixed that.

 

An old post of mine. Not opinion. Fact.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/towing-with-2019-tacoma-4cyl-at.684000/#post-24116929

G.

 

Yep this right here.

 

Towed a tuna boat with trailer, 5-6k lbs . Just keep ECT power on and later manual shift mode (S mode). The worst part was not the highway but pulling it out of the muddy back yard over a ledge onto the street. Needed low range and many attempts. It also made me sad I didn’t have a Locker , only one front wheel was rotating and one rear wheel was rotating as I just sat still in 4L lol trying to crawl it out . The simulated auto LSD kept making all kinds of cool robot sounds (like when you are on a plane and hear the landing gear deploy or when the wing flaps move) .

 

Whaaat?

 

Fact of what? That mpg's go down when towing?

I'm stunned.

 

You can. Easily. However this vehicle makes its power at higher rpm. The auto guys like to complain but MT is fine.

Except... when you test drive, make sure you back the manual trans up a bit and notice how tall reverse is. You almost have to slip it to back it up. Enjoy.

 

I re-read OP’s ask a few times. I think he is asking specifically for how to spec a 2021 6MT not whether or not to buy one.

OP, the only option to pay special attention to is the LED headlights. They are a $500 option at purchase and a $1600 upgrade afterward. Stock halogen performance is terrible but bulb upgrades fix that. LED at time of purchase is a complete no brainer to me.

Aside from that you want 3 passengers so that means access cab is out. You have almost no choices left to make other than color but finding an MT in a specific color isn’t exactly easy so you may need to be a little flexible.

Tech package might be the only thing left to opt in or out but I really doubt you’ll have access to two comparably spec’d trucks. If you do, I’d opt in.

Unless you can purchase in Canada, you’re basically looking at an off road double cab short bed 6MT with LED. I suspect it may take some hunting and possibly travel to find one depending on where you live.

It’s a fun truck. I have no regrets.

 

A lot of people here have focused on the towing, but I would be more concerned about the cab space. I love my Tacoma, but if I needed room for 3 adults routinely, I would go with something bigger. The back seat will be cramped for an adult.

 

A few things to look out for:
1) The mod bug - many Tacoma owners on this forum have been afflicted.
2) Serious fun - may cause you to push out daily responsibilities, especially if you live near mud or snow.
3) Lifestyle enhancement - if you weren't into outdoors activities in the past, you just may start. Who has time for new hobbies nowadays?

All kidding aside, as mentioned above, test drive. Ask questions. If you aren't 100% comfortable with the deal, walk away.

 

How many times have YOU towed with your truck? These things suck at towing.

 

If you’re coming from driving a car to the truck, it maybe disappointing. Imagine it’s like a fishing boat. The pickup, and punch and torque is not like a car.

 

Thanks for all of the responses. They are genuinely appreciated. I really should clarify my first post because I think I’ve misled some people. First, the towing is rather rare. I own a utility trailer. I use it probably 5 times a year and drive up to about 20 miles with it. I don’t need towing to be fun, but I do need it to be safe. Second, my commute is almost always just me. I also have a 7 year old that I take to school occasionally but that’s it for the back seat. Wife has a Sienna so that’s the normal family car. I’ve driven an automatic Tacoma and I know it’s no sports car. I used to own a 98 manual transmission 4 runner that I loved dearly. I’m hoping this driving experience might be similar.

So even though the thread got a little sideways with towing, I did learn a few things. LED lights are worth it. Manual transmissions are available only on two configurations: Extended cab, 6’ bed and double cab, 5’ bed. That’s a little weird but ok.

Thanks everyone for your input. I’ll look around and see what I can find.

 

Manual is only available in short bed if you looking at double cabs, and if you plan to transport 3 people, you need double cab.

will you be ok without the v8?

 

Typical TW.. I have a wifey, a 7yo, a doggo, and a 8x14' landscape trailer, which I tow fairly regularly. My 2017 Sport dbl cab with the MT at ~60k has been awesome truck. Very safe reliable vehicle for the family on multiple hour trips, even with adults in the back seat. I have towed the trailer with Exmark(s) mowers, little JD lawn tractors, and larger JD small diesel tractors. I have towed a dump trailer with loam, rock, etc... Overall, towing is great, except backing up with a load, reverse is to tall.

Hope this helps