Thinking of getting a Tacoma...

They have always been on my radar because of their reputation and now I am considering one as my next truck. I have been driving Rams with the hemi for many years now but my lease will be up soon. Once my lease is up I think I want to try and find a used 3rd gen TRD off road. Im thinking a Tacoma will suit my needs as a capable rig for hunting, camping, and minor off roading but was curious if anyone here came from a full size pickup to a Tacoma and how was the switch? I will go and test drive some once its closer to my lease being up. Thanks

 

I downsized from a Tundra with a 5.7 to the Tacoma. Way better on the trails, but you need to be on board with tech/features being way behind anything current. It's not fast, or powerful, but it just trucks along.

Just recognize towing will suck. The nice 4x4 features like the locker and terrain modes are all locked behind 4Lo. No disc brakes in the rear. Fine size for two adults, but carseats would be a challenge.

The roominess and towing are traded for way way easier drivability in day to day life. Parking is a breeze compared to a full size. It's much easier to get in and out of the truck, too. So long as your needs are in line with a midsuze truck, it's great.

Go read up on the automatic transmission behaviors as well. I haven't had any issues because I was prepared for it and knew it would learn in time. Just a bit over 14K miles and it pretty well quit the stuff people freak out about.

 

I'd suggest test driving a few and see how you like it or better yet if you have a buddy that has one see if you can drive it for a day or two.

It's definitely not gona have the power or towing ability of a full size V8 truck but on the plus side it's much more manuverable in tight areas than a full size truck.

I don't do any serious offroading but my 2nd gen has gone everywhere I've asked it to in muddy pastures and such.

I've only driven one 3rd gen just test driving to verify a repair and it seemed fine to me but I know alot of people seem to dislike the way the automatic transmission behaves in the 3rd gen trucks, I think they made some improvements to it in the later year models though.

As with any used vehicle make sure you do a thorough PPI, wheather you do it yourself or pay a shop to do it it can save alot of headaches from issues that may not be aparent on the surface.

 

On suggestion, don't buy one that has oversize tires or other mods. Hunt for the old man truck. You never know how incompetent a previous owner was.

 

Research the available tunes. After a few weeks of having my ‘21 double cab trd sport, I was disappointed with it. I have a led foot and was used to driving v8’s. But After my research, I opted for a tune rather than a pedal commander. I’ve tried three different tunes since and I prefer the ott tune (no affiliation). It gave the truck some bite, gear hunting is gone - i really enjoy it. Suits me well now and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. (I dont tow)

 

Theyre marking down some new 3rd gens, I would jump on buying one sooner than later.

 

You might miss the space of a full size. I’m looking into tundras currently cause the Tacoma is just too small for my family. But other than the size I love the truck. Simple, basic, reliable, and just looks good. I had a 2017 off road and now a 2021 trd pro and the only issue I had was the leaking third brake light on my 2017. You will be happy with a Tacoma if you can get over the fact that it’s small, slow, can hunt for gears, and somewhat uncomfortable on long car trips due to seating position.

 

Had both a 2.5 gen and now a 3rd gen Tundra, you will love the upgrade either way!

 

Thanks for the reply's so far. For me I don't have anything major to tow anymore so that is no issue there. I wont need much passenger space besides when my girlfriend is with me, and maybe a buddy from time to time. My current truck I took the back seat out of my quad cab Ram (the 3/4 size rear doors, not the huge backseat model) for a better system for when out camping and doing things in nature so I feel the cabin space of a 4 door Tacoma won't be too unfamiliar with size (trying to find specs to compare interior cubic feet of the two trucks for better reference). I love my Hemi V8 but also okay with losing that power and torque for maybe a little bit better gas mileage and cheaper maintenance. I like the idea of the Tacoma being a little more cost effective being its a smaller overall truck and especially when out driving out in old forest service roads and whatever back roads adventures I find.
I'm a former mechanic of a few years so I have knowledge around parts and components of a vehicle but no specific knowledge on Toyotas/ Tacomas. I'm of the camp of having a practical rig to get me back and fourth from my adventures and not one to add all the flashy and trendy adds ons to look the part but instead have something reliable and durable. The TRD off road appeals to me from the specs I've read and seems to be pretty capable stock until you wanna spend money on upgrades, etc. I'm just trying to get as much info on making the possible switch so I appreciate all shared input!

 

I ditched my 2013 Ram 1500 (hemi) for my Tacoma. I’m glad I made the switch.

The Tacoma obviously has a lot less power but it’s so much more dependable than the Ram. Everyday I drive my Tacoma I’m so glad I made the switch.

 

I’m happy to answer any specific questions you have about the switch!

 

Ive had a 3rd gen Ram and now on a 4th gen but even though those two trucks were not too bad on dependability since I take good care of the maintenance I still always hear about Toyotas overall reliability and strong running into high mileage which is very appealing.

 

If I was getting a full size it would be a Tundra. One of the older models with a V8. What you will notice going from a FS to an MS is the difference in size. Also nobody complains about the Tacoma being overpowered, overpriced yes.

 

The auto taco sucks because gearing sucks. I immediately had to go to a gear swap. I get the same mileage, approximately, that I got in my 2012 hemi ram. Tech sucks compared to anything else. That being said, I spent my money on mods to make my truck what I wanted instead of repairs. My hemi truck was a lemon

 

I’ve got a ram 1500 as my other truck. It’s been for 3 months now while they try to fix it. The lifters seized up taking out the camshaft and some rocker arms, a known problem since 2012. It took them 11 weeks to get that far. Once the work was done they realized that the damage was more severe and that a new engine is needed. A lot of the time spent so far has been waiting on ram to approve the warranty repairs. I bought the Tacoma because I needed a vehicle that is reliable. I will keep the ram as a work truck when the repairs are done since it will have a new engine. The Tacoma will be used when off work. It's not as powerful as a truck with a v-8, but I knew that. It’s the least powerful vehicle I own. I own a the ram with a v-8, a Mustang GT, and 2 motorcycles (1 dirt bike and the other a super sport street bike. The ram will be used to pull my travel trailer to my camp spot. It’s left there all summer. The rest of the time the Tacoma will be used. You’ll be much better off in the Tacoma then in the ram.

 

Always having a full size is all I've known but at the same time I don't necessarily need a FS. I feel cabin space would be close to what I know now it's just the short 5ft bed seems like one of the biggest changes for me since I'm used to 6.5ft. My plan for trucks is always having a bed cap ( fiberglass Leer/ARE style) for gear storage and having a sleep area too depending on the type of trip I'm on.
As for pricing and that whole used market I'm hoping by July when my lease is up things will get better some and more inventory available to maybe help.

 

Aren’t they all lemons?

 

I will be researching the gearing/transmission stuff to get more familiar with that. I personally don't need or want the latest and greatest tech besides some basic sensors, backup camera, cruise control, bluetooth, stuff like that.

 

Some are lol, my 07 V8 ram had almost 200,000 and was solid before I got rid of it and my 2020 V8 with 30k has been great besides a rear window water leak lol.

 

Sounds like you've got a solid handle on it aside from the efficiency. IDK what your hemi is getting but I imagine it was close to where my Tundra was, and the Taco is a little better but not a lot. It's also generally cheaper to keep what you have than buying something new.

So long as you're not lying to yourself that it's going to save you money, the Taco sounds perfect for what you want. Funny enough, though the Taco is slow, the seating position is half like a car and makes it not feel as slow as it is. I do recommend the power driver seat for adjustment options, though. My buddy that sold me on the Taco by letting Mr drive his stands 6'3" so even if you're tall it's doable. I don't have that challenge though.

The two things I miss from the Tundra are that glorious V8 grumble and growl, and the full roll down rear window. Beyond that, the Tacoma has been a perfect rig for my needs.


I would suggest getting the Softex seats. My brother has them in his 4Runner and they are like leather but super durable. His big ol' dogs are directly on the seats and they have held up great for years.