Would you buy again / new?

This is my fourth Toyota and all have been great. Traded in my '05 TRD OR with almost 175k miles for this one. Overall I'm really enjoying this truck. First automatic for me other than a Prius I had. Yes I miss the shifting control of the manual but it wasn't available on a TRD OR AC. I don't find the automatic particularly problematic. It is designed to try and get maximum fuel economy and you can always put it in S and shift yourself.

 

this is my second 3gen Tacoma (18, now 21), if i had a family i would not consider it because of its space

 

This is going to be a weird reply, because I am planning to sell my ‘19 Taco OR to Carmax for almost as much as I paid for it 2 years ago. (Which shows you how these trucks hold their value and how hot the used market is.)

I am getting a new Ridgeline Black Edition—the redesign fixes the design problems, and I am looking for a different experience—more comfortable ride and gas mileage, since I do a lot of commuting for work. I think the Honda 9-speed will be much better than the Toyota 6-speed, at least that’s what I’ve read. I do lot’s of trucky things but no extreme offroading, so I think the RL will work for me.

That said, I had a good experience with the Taco. I will miss it. If you like shifting gears manually, the Taco is the only option out there. If you like real offroading, this truck in the OR trim is the best bang for the buck. The styling is IMO the sportiest out there. There’s a real 70’s truck vibe both inside and outside which most of us dig. It’s simple and clean design.

I had zero issues with mine. A lot of the things people complain about are not a problem with the MT. It kind of feels sluggish if you drive it like a slob, but if you flog it a bit it comes to life. It’s not the fastest midsize truck, but it’s far from the slowest.

Anyway, I’m glad I had mine and could see myself getting another especially if there’s an interesting redesign down the road.

 

I've been averaging 18-19 which is about what I got with a rental 2.7 ecoboost F150. The F150 was a lot faster though.

Honestly (apart from peeling white paint) my biggest complaint are the seats. After long drives I get a lot of pain in my lower thigh because of the seating position. To make it comfortable I'd need to tilt the seat and it doesn't adjust that way.

 

No. I'd buy another used Frontier Pro-4x.

 

I’m sorry but you obviously never owned a 4.0 v6 powered Toyota. Peak HP numbers at 6500rpm don’t mean crap in a truck that spends 99% of its life under 4K rpms. The 4.0 makes peak torque 1000rpm sooner than the 3.5. It has nothing to do with gearing.

 

I’m on my 3rd Tacoma. I’ve also owned (well my wife has) a Sequoia and a 4Runner. Between the 2nd and 3rd Taco I had a domestic 1/2 ton. I came running back to Toyota and plan to stay here.

 

I leased. So I'll let you know in three years if I decide to keep it, give it back for a (hopefully redesigned) '24 Taco or just walk away and get another brand.

Is it just me, or does it seem like most of these gremlins show up in Tacos that people have been modding? No offense, but if someone replaces his stereo, interior lights, adds Raptor lights to his grille, installs a remote tailgate lock, etc., I don't have much sympathy if his electrical system starts giving him problems.

That isn't on Toyota. That's on him.

 

Had a couple pre-Tacomas in the 80s and 90s ( not sure what they were called). All were great except one was a rust bucket, but ran like a champ. Bought a new 2003 Tundra (short bed, step side, access cab, SR5) and it was the best truck ever. After 16 years Toyota bought it back from me and I purchased a 2018 Taco OR DCSB with the gear hunting, hood vibrations. I test drove it and felt the gearing but really didn't quite understand what it was....bought it anyway and after a year couldn't live with it (my bad). Test drove a 2020 about a year later and grinned so hard I thought my face might freeze in that position. No issues with basically the same truck, love it and hope it lasts me another 16 years....if I'm around that long....my cent and a half....

 

Currently own a 4Runner with the 4.0L, but thanks for assuming.

The 3.5L is part time direct injected which is why it makes 42 more HP than the 4.0L despite being smaller. Direct injected engines make their power at higher RPMs generally. The 3.5L makes its power around 3500. What's more is I still get better MPG as well thanks to that gearing.

 

That 3.5 will run circles around the 4.0 once moving and its in sweet area of the power band. Puts you back in the seat. It’s just the couple seconds off the line that the 4.0 has more torque is what people like.

 

I honestly dont get where the lack of power gripe comes from. My 16 had no issues getting up to speed. My 21 is the same. Even with a single car trailer loaded with a 3500lbs car it wasnt a slug. Im not going to be winning any drag races but ive never once thought "this thing NEEDS more power". Ive driven a couple of regeared trucks and while I'll admit they drove better, they didnt drive better enough to warrant the time/money/effort id spend regearing. The procharger would be appealing if it wasnt $8500.

 

Get a problem free Ranger.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/forums/issues-repairs-warranty-tsb-recalls.29/

Amazing.

 

Ive had the 4.0 in the Tacoma and the 4Runner and neither are the torque monsters that TW seems to think they are. For reference, the 4.0 in the Tacoma made peak torque at 4000 RPMs, while the 3.5 makes peak torque at 4600 RPMs. Peak HP is at 5200 RPMs on the 4.0 and 6000 RPMs on the 3.5. Based on what I see people doing with tunes on this truck, I’d argue that the stock tune plays more of a role in the difference people feel than the actual capabilities of the engine.

 

I have had 4 Toyota trucks, each one slightly under powered and not great fuel mileage. My 2021 is a very nice ride, much more quiet and refined than all my other Toyotas, including the Camrys. As long as you can put up with poor fuel mileage(for a midsize truck) and just enough power, then the remaining reliability and resale are off course two of the mainstays of these trucks. If you tow a lot...look elsewhere for a better experience.

 

Got my wife’s 18 t4r and my 18 taco pro, don’t miss my 2nd gen or the wives 13 rav4. Will only own Toyota’s. Ours have been flawless for 500k miles combined for all of them.

 

Although I am only going into my 2nd year and 11,000 miles on my Tacoma, I would definitely buy another.
Only beefs (2)- 1. The paint is fragile, 2. My wife LOVES to drive it!!

 

Not only no, but Hell no. I hated my '19. Kept it for 9 months, and sold it at a $3k loss. Best three grand I've ever spent.

Look, fan boys are gonna fan boy. I get it. But anybody that won't admit that the 3rd Gen Tacoma is flawed is lying to you and to themselves.

The problem is, in the mid truck segment, there are no winners. The GM twins have bad transmissions, the Ranger is outdated and odd (hopefully the '22 will be better...maybe), and the Frontier is a dinosaur (at least until the '22 drops).

Pick your poison. Personally, though, I'd steer clear of the Tacoma.

 

Nope. 3rd gen Taco looks really nice. The gear hunting and weak low end power is a turn off. I'd love a 1st or 2nd gen Tacoma.

Only way I'd buy a new Tacoma is if it were turbo V6 or a V8. Both doubtful with all the electric fanboys.

 

I guess it depends on what expectations of power you expect these trucks to make....there not big block v8's. I haven't experience any gear hunting running 87 fuel once the truck had over 1500 miles. Can't really complain my trucks got ample low end...while its not my 4.7 v8 tundra, its not all that bad. While i never owned gen1 or2 tacoma's, i have owned a few toyota compact 4 wd pickups since the 70's. You want to talk about lack of low end.