When to buy a later year 3rd gen?

Hey guys,

Looking at a 3rd Gen tacoma for my next vehicle, but I'm in no rush to buy.

It seems like I can get what I want which is a close to new 2022/23 Tacoma long bed sport or off road for 35k, but wondering if you guys think that number would drop much lower as more and more 4th gens hit the market?

I know this is all speculation on my part, but it seems like prices are very high right now for what these trucks are, and I'd rather wait until next Spring when 2025 model starts coming out, potentially driving the prices even lower.

TLDR: Should I buy a later year 3rd gen next spring, or will they become more and more rare and coveted to the point prices don't drop the way I think they will?

 

I don't think you will see prices drop much,,, or not anymore than market.
LB's aren't common, so be prepared to shop and travel,,, and possibly pay.

 

Yeah, that makes sense, Realistically, what I'm looking for is quite rare in that I want the Xtra cab long bed with a cap, but I wouldn't avoid a double cab if I really liked the vehicle. It's not like there's going to be drastically fewer 3rd gens for sale soon though I'd hope?

 

Better off getting a new 4th gen ..getting a new 3rd gen at this point would be a scavenger hunt .

 

Access cabs aren’t rare, you shouldn’t have to travel to find one for a decent price.

 

I would be buying used, but ideally used with low mileage, like between 20-30k miles max

 

they seem pretty rare with a long bed, I'm in an area with lots of Tacomas for sale and it seems like there are very few access cabs with a long bed for sale at any given time

 

All access cabs are long (6’) beds, only the double cab gets the option for a 5’ bed.

 

All access cab 3rd gens are long bed. No matter the trim. Access cab TRDs are pretty rare tho. Everyone seems to wants a double cab with the short bed.

That said, 3rd gen tacomas will never be rare. There are a metric ton of them in circulation.

Buying a car right now or even in the past 2 years is a horrible idea. But prices will never come down so buy the one you like.

 

Ahhh …u might be able to negotiate the price a little bit . Depends on how many they have on the lot at the time .

 

I saw about a dozen or two 3Gs at one of the dealers I went by yesterday. IDK if I would want to buy from Carvana, but they should still be heavily invested in 3Gs. I see more 4Gs on the road every day. I wouldn't expect a price drop they know what they have.

 

You're asking people to make a prediction about a market, one year out.
Impossible.

 

I say wait for interest rates to drop. Used car rates are stupid this year.

 

I'd go ahead and get what you're looking for and start enjoying it.
The waiting game hasn't worked for anyone since 2020.
I waited two years for the price of pre-owned 5th gen 4Runners to settle a bit, and it didn't end up saving me a dime.

Edit to note: I pay cash for vehicles, so interest rates wouldn't factor into the decision.

 

I'd be buying with cash and a trade in, so not too concerned about interest rates, but yeah.

Yeah, I just figured some people might have knowledge about this stuff that i wouldn't since I'd rather buy cars that just last awhile and I'm not looking to be constantly replacing/upgrading. Figured some folks might work at dealers and would be in the know too, but you're right, you just never know.

 

Also any tips on buying/better time of year/month etc. are more than welcome, or if there's a particular major issue I should look out for with 3rd gen Tacomas, would love to know. I know enough to know I don't know enough about cars to confidently buy used right now, and I'm just trying to learn. Thanks for all the advice so far!

 

Other than frame rust and a clean accident free history...pay special attention to engine leaks....rear main, timing cover, rear coolant bypass pipe. All years are affected by these.

Find a dry one and you're set

 

midsize trucks don't really follow a seasonal adjustment like motorcycles or boats in my decades of experience.

Major gas price changes (think 1.5x) or the economy getting kicked square in the groin is about the only thing that'll cause a huge market swing on Tacomas.

If you've got the money, you plan on keeping it for at least 5 years then I'd vote to pull the trigger within the next X months. Low mileage 3rd gens are likely to retain value nicely compared to their competitors.. especially with the "no 4 cylinder, no forced induction" old schoolers.

 

Prices will drop next year because the trucks will be a year older with an extra 10k miles on the odometer, that's about it. There are about 1.9 million 3rd gens built. In some quarters Tacoma sales exceeded GMC Sierra full size sales, so no rarity to factor there.

 

I've been waiting for gas prices to drop back to where they were in 1997, inflation made other plans.