What are you paying for your 2021 Tacoma? (price thread)

If in New England… call Keene Toyota. I live in Mass… had a disheartening 2.5 week ordeal with a Toyota dealer in Dudley, Ma… then another in RI, tell me I had to buy 2K undercoating or they wouldn’t sell me the Taco…

I’m so glad Cathy and Ashley at Keene Toyota gave me great pricing. And, more than that, where upfront and honest with me from start to finish… making it a reality finally.
Think for my 2021 SR5 double cab long bed (cement) with the options I wanted was barely barely over 42k- with all fees, reg. Etc.. inc.

 

I’m looking at a 21 OF 4wd DC SB, premium and tech package 6000 mile from private owner $40,000 What do you think of the price.

 

Did you mean $40,000?

 

Yes $40,000

 

Now that the 2021 model year is coming to an end, I'm trying to see what sold well and what didn't. I'm making a list of unicorn 2021 configurations.

- All Limited Long Bed Models
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma Limited 3.5L V6 Automatic 4WD Double Cab Long Bed - Wind Chill Pearl (@TT63 has the only one on TW)
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma Limited 3.5L V6 Automatic 4WD Double Cab Long Bed - Army Green (@CandlestickBoy has one)
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition 3.5L V6 Automatic 2WD Double Cab Short Bed - Midnight Black Metallic
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition 3.5L V6 Automatic 2WD Double Cab Short Bed - Army Green
- All SR5 Access Cab Models in Voodoo Blue
- All SR5 Models in Wind Chill Pearl (yeah only a hawaii configuration)

 

What? Stupid/Unsafe and can Ligma?

 

So, for context, I have a ~5 year background in Aviation Safety Inspecting. With tertiary focus on Airframes, Pressure/cooling, and Avionics. This is over-kill and over thinking I'm sure to some extent for auto's, which I will admit I only have hobby experience with, but physics are physics. I'm more than willing to be corrected if someone can articulate why I'm wrong. There could be something I'm missing, and I have been wrong before. I also have an un-common amount of experience of things going extremely badly, where reliance on my truck/vehicle became extremely serious.

The main focus of why I consider it unsafe/REALLY stupid is the idea of a Moonroof on ANY truck or higher sitting vehicle, so that will get it's own internet-friendly numbered list. Surface level issues with them are abundant:

1. No one uses them anyway, almost ever. Taco's specifically get roof racks very often even when they aren't bought to be overland rigs. "But Rolyon24, I UsE My MoOn RooF ErrRy DAy" Great, I'm glad you enjoy it and get your money's worth out of it. But the facts are most people forget they have it 9 months out of the year after the first 2 weeks of driving the car. Over the possible 500k+Mile Lifespan of these trucks, that's a lot of time to be sitting under wasted money.
2. Mechanic buddies told me it takes away head room, which as someone who is 6'1" I needed all I could get in my 2008 TRD sport AC back when I had it. GRANTED this is a non-factor for less height-advantaged peoples, and the current models offer driver side electronic seat adjustment which can bring you a lot lower anyways. But most of my shooting/camping/lifting/Vet buddies are on the taller side as well, which in retirement is 99% of the use of my truck. YMMV
3. When they break, its an unholy ritual finding out it's going to cost to fix. Look up Tacoma Kilmat/Sound deadening installation videos, it's a LOT of work getting into the ceiling. That's before you get troubleshooting on the actual mechanism. Don't get it fixed? That's a clear hand-hold for someone to offer you less on re-sale. Not a big deal right now because of the shortage. But it's not like the most popular midsize ever isn't going to keep getting made once Toyota and supply lines can adapt. Someone will get you to move value on it, be it dealer or private.
4. WEIGHT. WEIGHT. WEIGHT. This is a big one. You are putting a 60lb-80lb weight in the very top point of your Up-Off-The-Ground zippy truck. A weight you Rarely use. Can the Tacoma/any other car handle it? Yes, overland instagram chads put roof racks and storage bins up there all the time, which is technically worse because it messes with aerodynamics, of course it can handle it, but WHY add it? Does it still add weight at possibly the least ideal spot? Does it still greatly increase the chances of tipping/rolling compared to not having a $#!tload of weight up there? Does it still, over the life of the truck, waste your gas mileage? Does actually opening the thing seriously/noticeably mess with your Aerodynamics? Yes to all. As a daily driver dad-truck for people who buy Tacos for the sake of it being a cool truck, this is a less-issue. Enjoy your MoonRoof. This is also a reason to remove roof/doors off a jeep, it's not just aesthetics.
5. THERMALS. THERMALS. THERMALS. I have been in situations in my military career where we got stuck in the middle of nowhere, Alaska in a government diesel vehicle that was refusing to start back up in the cold. So personal bias on this. But for anyone who has spent a night in extreme cold, you tend to find out everything you can do to never feel that way for that long again. Heat rises, and in this situation generating heat without the car turning on can prove difficult. Even though moonroofs can maintain a strong seal over the vehicle life-time, its still a hole cut into a large panel of the overall structure of the truck. For all I know the of the glass is better than the metal. But seems are seems. Imagine having a blanket that doesn't cover your bed, not tucked around you for the sake of example; Some heat will escape out the sides, sure (normal windows). But cutting a hole in the top of it directly over you, and replacing it with a sheet of plastic and a tiny piece of cloth. You're going to get much colder from the hole with a band-aid over it right over your chest. Because we live on earth in this plane of existence, we know its inefficient. If you have experience shelter-building or backpacking trying to squeeze every bit of warmth out of the least amount of material, those same laws apply to our trucks.
6. SAFETY. Don't cut a hole you don't 100% need into the body of a metal chassis that is liable to go up to 60-90MPH on regular basis with a hope and prayer that safety systems can still stop you from dying if you slam into anything. Don't fill it with glass in a truck designed to go off road and could roll over. I can't believe how many people I explain this hatred to hear that reason and go "oooooh, yeah that makes sense." If you can't suss this one out on why that sounds like a bad idea, I can't help you.

Avoiding the package gets me away from a MoonRoof. But other aspects are just as useless, though less egregious. That alone makes it not worth it. I'd rather get clazzio seat covers over the cloth instead of OEM leather for my dog alone, easier replacement/warranty and still protects seats, they look just as good as OEM to me. I also do a lot of swimming, like a lot. So pool chemicals/salt water will always be a factor in my truck, people are quick to think water-based paint is bad and PPF their rides for $4,000+ and then do nothing to protect interior. Dust also settles really bad into the cloth seats over time if you are off road a lot, but cloth stuffs much easier into a skin-like cover like the Clazzios. The JBL audio technically lets you upgrade speakers higher if you want. But even the "premium audio" is absolute trash compared to even a $150 easy DIY plug-and-play set on the stock audio, wasted money unless you are an extreme audiophile who wants to splice in to set up a subwoofer that is just going to blast into a plastic seat backing and rattle if you actually try to womp. Even then, that's a lot of extra money and work for low practical return. Many average Taco buyers stick with stock speakers and think they are great. The advanced camera system actually seems pretty cool, but I don't even use cruise control and it took me 5 years to trust the sonar parking/back up camera on my Altima. Can't justify the $3,500 MSRP bump that does, let alone what the "features" will command from dealer mark-up. For that money I can get Nitro gears, seat covers, dual battery, on board air, new speakers, undercoat, ETC. Which all GREATLY increase the functionality of the truck day 1. While avoiding features I actively despise. Not everyone buys these trucks with the plan to take them apart by hand and mod the hell out of them. But over the years I hear taco owners make slight gripes about the hood-scoop being non functioning and 'Messing with the Aeros' and stifling gas mileage, which is technically true, but laughable compared to a MoonRoof's long term impact.

 

" This is over kill and over thinking " ya think lol
I do agree that a lot of people don't use their sunroof, I'm one of them. I also have never had one breakdown or leak etc.
Life is too short to be over thinking that much about a truck imo. I live in Canada where it snows quite a bit and track salt/gravel in but I've never wrecked an interior with dust either.
I just think you should buy what makes you happy and don't worry that much about damaging it. Just do regular upkeep and cleaning and you'll be alright !

 

Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. This mindset has been marvelous to me so far, and led to me being able to retire very young. Hence all the free time to geek out over a truck I don't have yet haha. But I fetishize about my truck lasting 1,000,000+ plus Miles so i'd rather over-do than under-do.

But you are correct. Not everyone cares/worries about these features. Not everyone is as hard on vehicles as I am. To me the value of getting the parts I know I want instead of features I don't care for is important. To some people getting a pro is worth it for the hoodscoop alone and being able to call it good. It's not like people with a moonroof are doing something extremely wrong. It's not like they bought a Chevy or something. My preference's fall in line with the endless Long bed vs Short bed debate. Someone could make the counter argument easy to me that the weight of a DCLB and mods negates the weight issues of a MoonRoof anyways. There are far more important deciding factors when it comes to a vehicle.

 

So Mason, please don’t beat around the Bush — just come right out and tell us: Do you or don’t you like moonroofs?

 

Love 'em. 10/10

 

YUP.


Shhhh, just let people enjoy things haha

 

I put down a deposit on a 2021 TRD Sport 4x2 with an OTD price of $39,228. Basically the only option it’s arriving with is all weather floor mats for $329. No dealer installed options. This is basically MSRP. I’m assuming this is the best deal I’ll get in the current market? I got them to drop the $1,000 mark up.

I’ve never driven a Tacoma but really like the trucks. There aren’t any in the area for me to even test drive. I secured financing but I’ll see if they want to beat the rate of 2.99%. Truck should arrive in about a week.

 

I would consider that an extremely good deal considering the bubble. I shopped around quite a lot here in CO and by far the best deal I got was through a friend getting a factory allocation for exact MSRP. No dealer installed options which is almost surprising for any Taco, dealers can advertise no market value mark-up with them. Granted we don't know where you bought. Region can play a big factor.

 

Sorry, I'm in metro Atlanta purchasing from the dealer in Newnan, GA. Hopefully test drive will go well. I have everything in writing from the dealer with the OTD price so I think it should be a smooth transaction with minimal hassle.

 

First it was moonroofs, now you're bashing hoodscoops haha !
You're not the only one who retired at a younger age ! I did at 55 which is fairly young these days.

 

I sold my 2011 sport with 200k on it and only replaced a resistor for the blower motor plus brakes and tires etc.

 

Sold my 2008 Sport at I want to say 90k miles to my Brother in law before I went into the service. I know he's done some minor work on it, but he's got it at just under 290k miles. Granted he lives in Northern Wyoming where you have to drive like 50 miles to get to a grocery store. They will last long regardless, but I always want to make sure my gear an last 'longer' ;D haha

I will never not loathe artificial hood scoops. Regardless of how cool they look on 3rd gens! The scoop on my 2nd Gen drove me nuts, I was a kid still and didn't realize until after I got the truck it didn't actually help.

Congrats my friend, retirement eludes many regardless of age these days. First retirement started at 25, Second retirement came through at 26 some months later. Currently 27 and just cashed out of all my stocks/holdings since my first 2 retirements adjust with inflation anyways, and retirement #1 covers Children's college and health care forever. Working DoorDash once or twice a month for Earned income so I'm not dead in the water on my IRA (not sure if there is a Canadian equivalent). Make some money on the side helping friends with projects. It's a good life.

 

Do you analyze a piece of ass the same way ?

 

100%, if she isn't capable of birthing warrior babies. She gets none of this.

Like I said before, if its worth doing, its worth overdoing ;D

In the interest of keeping the thread on topic though. All my research and talks with my Broker points to 2021s still ruling production. 0 pool whatsoever of 2022s and none in sight. Hoping TRD off-roads don't go over MSRP too much. Still don't know if I can nab the 2021 I want before they re-tool the production plants.