Any Regrets? I have a few...

3rd gen is not the most reliable…I have had mine in for rear differential howl,random whistling noises ,plastic pieces warping .Right now is the worst time to buy one if you really want one prices are out of control .honestly if I were to do it again I would of purchased a older generation and rebuild the motor .

 

So how many times were you stranded on the side of the road?

While those issues are annoying, I don't feel like they fall into the reliability realm of things.

 

You might regret paying $50,000 for a TRD AC. Which as nothing to do with driving a 3rd gen. The T4R Venture lists for less than 50.

 

If you're really in the process of starting a business? Use your available capital and credit for buying equipment, materials, and paying operating expenses to get that successfully launched before you borrow $50K for something that is not a necessity. It would take an amazing series of woodworking projects to have enough margin that you'd be able to cover your entire hierarchy of needs (food, shelter, utilities, insurance, medical, etc., etc.) and make that truck payment.

I guess my point is (as an old guy) I've seen a lot of young guys in new pickup trucks come and go. I've seen a lot of old guys in old pickup trucks that just keep on showing up on the job every day. Not saying the truck is the make or break on being able to afford to be your own boss....but anyone that gets in business for themselves needs to be mindful of the money going out. Otherwise they're going to be looking for a job about 6 months in to make ends meet.

I realize this is a Tacoma forum not a "how to start a business forum"....which explains why 100% of the responses haven't said "don't do it".

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

So which gen would you consider most reliable? Certainly not a 2nd gen with a rusting frame?

 

I've totally satisfied with my 2020 v6 auto after more than a year. It gets good fuel economy...never saw worse that 19 mpg towing my 5x10 utility trailer or boat. Plant of power if needed to. Its just been a great overall truck. I'd highly recommend one.

 

It seems like that happens a lot in the 3rd gen section. Somehow annoyances have become reliability issues here.

 

Frame rust is only in certain areas.

Diff howl, funky engine performance and quirky transmissions can happen anywhere.

 

Oh the 3GENs don't get to miss out on the rusty frames either. Current Limited Campaign covers 2011-2017 frames.

 

Sorry, can't get on board with statements that trucks get better on fuel over time. That can be attributed to driving habits perhaps.. This isn't 1970.

 

Wait until prices are more reasonable if you can.

 

No it’s 2021. And guess what, engines still have a break in period for the rings and cylinder walls. My Tacoma picked up over 1 mpg by around a thousand miles and continued to improve a little for the next thousand and I’ve tracked my milage from day 1.

 

I regret keeping a optometrist appointment after drinking a pint of cuervo gold, then a six pack of heineken.

 

I have a '21 Off Road 4X4 coming, with some nice options, build date, 7/14. I lucked out here, just happened to be at a dealer that had this in the pipeline. Have had several, Gen 1's, and 4Runners.
This '04, 188K + on the odo, rock solid, will keep it, all required maintenance up to date.
Traded the '18 4X4 4Runner for the Tacoma, received more on trade then what we paid for it in 4/18. In 2006, ordered a new '06 4X4 Sport, kept it 15 months, sold to an individual for $300 less then what I paid.
In some cases, if you look at ROI, where can you beat that ?

B 1

 

I had an 04 back about 2008 and sold it and regretted it ever since. Just got a new 2021 TRD Sport 4x4 and the world feels right again.

 

Best of luck on your woodworking business startup… another woodworker here.

Car payments suck… if you need the cash flow to keep your business running while work gets stable, buy then the cheapest well maintained truck you can…

 

Everyone says now is a terrible time to get one. But May 3rd I bought my first Tacoma. Ended up with the best deal I've ever gotten on a vehicle. Traded in a 2011 Tundra with 100k for 25k. Got a 2021 Tacoma Limited with everything I could ever dream of for 35k. So it ended up being 10k difference.

 

An S&P 500 mutual fund comes to mind. Especially if you consider sales tax, registration, insurance and maintenance (if any) on the truck.

Vehicles as an investment is a tough one. Toyota Trucks do better than most, but prices right now are not indicative of what you're likely to find 5 years from now.

Phil

 

None of that actually impacts reliability, though. The engine and transmission are performing as designed by Toyota. Whether you like the way it performs or not is irrelevant to any conversation about reliability. The diff howl is annoying. I had that on my 2017 TRD OR. Still, we haven't seen rear diff failures as a result and I never felt my 2017 was any less reliable as a result.

 

I regert not getting the new truck sooner. I kept my '96. He likes short trips, '21 likes the longer hauls. If I'd got my new truck sooner, say early 2020 I could have saved some miles on the '96 and maybe got a Quicksand color (my wife calls that color "Taliban") They are an awesome team and I love them long time. It is insane to park one and jump in the other - it's like time travel. Having said that a 3rd Gen not as much fun to drive as the 1st, sorry that's how I feel. Good luck finding a truck now.