Buy 23 or wait for 24?

Hey everyone just wanted to get some perspectives on buying a Tacoma right now. I recently just got rid of my 2001 Tacoma and am looking to buy a new one. I found a 4x4 V6 SR for $38000 out the door at MSRP coming in October. I put a $500 refundable deposit on the truck but seeing the new one has given me pause. Does anyone think the new SR 4x4 with similar specs (obviously without the v6) will come anywhere close to that $38k price or is this thing going to to be vastly more expensive and over MSRP and even impossible to get a hold of for a while? Also I see that the V4 turbo on the new one is going to have 6500 lbs towing capacity which is the same as the naturally aspirated V6 version I am looking at. Even though they have the same towing capacity will the V6 last longer and be more reliable given it’s not being pushed as hard with a turbo?

 

Lots to compare but in my view the 24 is an immensely more complicated, first of its generation, unproven unknown. Coming from an 04 I jumped on a 23 when I realized they won't be on the lots much longer. My previous thinking was I didn't want a 3rd gen until I realized I didn't want a 4th gen even more due to what's under the hood.

What surprised me is the 23 doesn't bother me at all in the areas where the complaints surface here. And the tech package surprised me as being way more useful than expected and the safety stuff stays out of your way and doesn't have any annoyances at all thus far based on a month of testing.

What pushed me over the edge on the 23 is worst case I could sell it, but afaik it's a keeper like my 04.

You can still get 3.99% financing, which is cheaper than cash. It's a no-brainer to finance right now but of course that may change.

 

It’s up to you. What your use case is and the financials.

Do you want to purchase a brand new vehicle and platform that hasn’t been tested by the general population? Thus making you the Guinea pig?
Until Toyota revises said problem 3 years after production?

Or

Do you want to purchase a 3rd Gen brand new/ used. That has evolved from the 2nd Gen? The engine and transmission has proven itself. Except the rust issues.

 

I had the same dilemma. Pickes up the 22, because it is next to the last year of Gen3, problems have been worked out. 24 will be a basket case. All 1st year cars are. You need to decide between 23 and 26 model years.

 

I'd go with the '23. You never want to buy the first model year of anything. Wait a year or two for the 4th gen.

 

Get the 23, pay it off. By then, the kinks have been worked out of the 4th gen and then you buy one of them. Then boom, you got two tacomas.

 

2024. Don't get the outgoing gen and technology. 3rd gen Tacoma is the least refined and most problematic gen thus far. Toyota has corrected some of it's shortcomings, like the drivetrain.

I would wait until a few months after they hit dealer lots. Gives you time to find out if there are any major issues. Also the markups will get lower, and might be able to get one close or at msrp.

 

I also heard this when I got my 04. Then 05 hit.

 

Not so sure about that. Most of the "problems" are just simply complaints about the way something works as opposed to actual problems.

 

Coolant pipes leaking, timing cover leaks, rear diff howling, drivetrain clunking, ACIS plenum flap failure, transmission shifting with a mind of it's own, engine failures under 50k miles(valves/head), smoking heavily off roading at steep incline, engine has no balls under 3k rpm, fuel pump recall.

I know I'm missing some, these aren't just complaints, they are real issues.

 

my 2 cents, while Toyota does have an amazing reliability history. They do have a history of first model year struggles. The 2016 3rd gens had rear diff leaks, bad transmission running, some steering rack leaks, etc. same thing on the latest tundra generation. 2nd gen Tacomas had the frame rusting problems, and some small odds and ends.
Most manufactures do struggle a bit with quality on those first model year vehicles, Toyota does do better than most.
The 2024 does pick up a lot of updates however with that new interior, standard features and such.

My 2021 Tacoma has been rock solid with no issues at all. It’s also the same reason I just bought my wife her 2023 4Runner. I rather give up a new feature for something that’s built like a tank and I know is proven.

the final thing is cost, you are going to pay more for that 2024 model (even the same trim). Toyota hasn’t released prices yet, but expect a couple grand bump.

 

Can't say I've seen these as common issues at all. The timing cover and fuel pump, yes. But the rest have not been common issues and the transmission is simply a complaint from people who aren't used to it and a lot of these were confined more to earlier models...as I've talked about with early model years.

 

can't realty lay the fuel pump on the model given that it was the part supplier's change and it was across multiple makes and models

 

Well you can type in any of those issues here or on Google and you will find multiple threads discussing them. I'm a mechanic and work on mostly Toyota trucks. It sucks to see it because I love Toyota. The 3rd gen looks amazing, is well laid out, it just has some issues. They don't call it turd gen for no reason.

 

I had the same quandary. So, I found a used 19 to see how the 24's shake out.

 

You sure will. Doesn't mean they're common. This is a forum where people bring their problems. There were also a lot of 2nd gens that were eliminated because their frames rusted too much within only a few years. But I digress. I just don't see how a refined 3rd gen is going to be more problematic than a brand new 4th gen that has not been tested on a large scale.

 

I agree common might be an overstatement. People do come to places like TW to share issues, so I can see your point.

What got me fired up this week was seeing this 60k mile 2018 or 19 Tacoma in my shop. Timing cover is leaking and my co-workers thought it was the power steering pump leaking. I just don't understand how Toyota could just keep pumping these trucks out, with known issues. Because people are going to buy them anyways is why and that's shameful.

 

Yeah, I had my timing cover fixed under warranty. Still chasing issues that surfaced after that repair was completed. First it was a bad O-rings in my fuel rail that caused a large fuel leak when I'd first start the truck. They claimed that wasn't from them and was merely coincidence. Also working on a squeal that only seems to occur at around 1-1200 RPM when under load. The tech already replaced a heat shield and applied belt dressing, both of which did nothing. But I'm rambling at this point.

 

I'd install a continental brand serpentine belt for good measure. In my experience, over half the time it's just the belt.

 

He seems convinced it's heat shield/exhaust related. There are no signs of wear on the belt. It also doesn't seem to match in that it doesn't seem to make noise only on acceleration, engine braking, or all the time. Just between that specific RPM (even if coasting), or lower if I'm on the brakes. A belt likely won't hurt anyway though.