Newby looking for my first Taco!

Hi all,

I've been a car/truck nut for most of my 50 years, and I've decided it's time to finally get a good truck. Looking for a "swiss-army knife" of trucks for off-roading, hauling, plowing. It won't be a daily, but more of a toy/tool. I plan to modify it but nothing crazy.

Looking forward to this journey. Trying to decide on Gen 2 or Gen 3 so any pointers would be much appreciated! I of course will browse the archives here.

Thanks!
Chris

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Ahoy there! Taco’s are really not something I would stick a snow plow on if that’s what you thinking. Others will chime in but do plenty of reading on this site b4 you jump into one.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

123Taco - thanks for your thoughts. I've read that before, but hear me out. I won't be plowing commercially, just my own driveway. It's not a long driveway, but it's paved with macadam (gravel over tar) and I can't snowblow. So, the plowing will be very minor. I really want a mid-sized truck rather than full-sized or a Jeep.

I've considered a UTV or ATV, but one of those would sit around waiting for the snow - no other use for one.

So, with that info, any thoughts? ]

 

What’s your budget? I might get flamed here, but what about a current gen Frontier Pro4X? I bet you can a really good deal since the new gen is about to come out. It’s a solid, if dated truck.

 

I'd like to keep it under $20k, but I could go higher if it makes sense.

 

I cannot complain about my 3rd Gen OR towing. Just remember to be smart about what you are towing (keep in mind tongue weight, not just overall capacity). I get about 9 to 12 MPG towing my camper fully loaded and my truck loaded with work equipment. I don't tow past 4th and I keep it to around 65 MPH, though I have pushed it to 72 MPH in heavy traffic with no issues. I make it to NE Pennsylvania in about 2 days from south Louisiana (roughly a 1500 mile trip), and I do it about 3 times a year. I'm still completely stock, though just towing I wish I had the 5.29 gears. I think it would help tremendously with some of the hard climbs I have to do.

 

Thanks - I won't be towing often and nothing really heavy. Possibly a car once or twice, but the cars I tow will be below 3000lb.

 

20k will put you in a 2nd gen with a tick under 100k miles. You will really need to look at the frame thoroughly since your in a cold climate. I’m sure you have seen the threads on here about salt-brine is no bueno! Definitely will need good winter tires and weight in the back side for traction and counter the plow. How much would a decent plow setup cost?

 

That's what I'm finding - right around $19k. Yes, I'm quite familiar with oxide cancer in New England! Many ads point out the "perfect frame" or dealer replaced frame. I'm curious if I would be better off or worse off to spend some more money for a 3rd gen. I've read that reliability of the 2nd gen is better than the newer trucks, but is that really an issue?

 

Welcome to TW!

 

A little update on my purchasing progress - I've decided I want a 3rd gen, so I've added $10-15k to my budget (now $30-35k) This brings in a whole new dilemma for me though - do I pay for '18 or newer for the Adaptive Cruise Control (I have a Tesla with autopilot, and miss it when I'm in my other car) and lower mileage or do I save $5k and get an older model with higher mileage and no radar? I've found a '19 TRD OW for $32k with 30k miles, and plenty of '16+17 models with 80k plus miles for $27k+/-
Any thoughts? This will not be a daily driver. My dilemma is that I don't know if it's worth the extra cake for the newer truck.