Standard Cab v Access v Doublecab

Howdy All

Getting my first Taco soon, and I'm torn between body styles...

Here are my personal pros and cons to each, I'd love feedback from actual owners

Regular Cab

• + Inexpensive used ($12k for <20k miles, 2006+)
• Great MPG
• I love the bench seat
• - No inside storage space (overnight bag, gym bag, volleyball/bats)
• Might not have power windows which I would have to add

Access

• + Good balance of inside storage and bed space
• Looking like ~$14k for comparable model
• - No space to "lay down" and sleep (I do lots of long driving, and if I'm out and have had some drinks will sometimes opt to rest in my car and be 100% sober before driving home)

Double

• + 4x4 is available (but kills MPG, and do I really need it in NJ?)
• Great sleep space in the back
• Lots of easy to access storage
• Room for passengers (though I don't really ever carry more than 3)
• Resale value?
• - Horrible gas mileage
• Initial cost
• Small bed

Really would love some solid advice from existing owners, let me know if anyone wants anymore details.

 

Access cab here, should have spend a few more $$ and got the 4 dr. I hate the suicide rear doors on the Access cab. Impossible to open and get anything in or out if parked next to someone. Have to open the front doors to open the rears....

IMHO the Access cab is the sweetest looking Tacoma, but I would rather have the 4 door. Better resale on the 4 door also.

 

Thanks for the feedback Motor and LD. I'm going to a dealership right now to closely look at all 3 side-by-side.

Oddly enough the two that I'm really torn between right now are the Standard and Double, but there are some crazy Accesscab deals in the used market right now. Argh!!!

 

I have a double cab and you can not beat it! TONS of extra space.

 

+1

Just got my double cab and I love it to death

 

I have a Double cab and love the MPG's myself. As you noted above that the double cab was horrible...I have to disagree. I get consistantly over 21 mpg with my 4x4. A friend of mine has an 07 access cab 4x2 4cyl. automatic and only gets about 2-3 mpgs better than me...he also wishes he would have gotten the double cab himself. No matter what the up front cost on the Toyota will seem to be alot more but well worth it in the end as your operation cost are so much less...just have to be careful when the mod bug hits though! Good luck with your choice.

 

I have actually owned all 3. 1986 regular cab 4x4 , a 2000 access cab 4x4 and now a 2008 double cab 4x4. When i was single no family nothing better than the regular cab made everyone nice and cosey with a buddy and 3 girls yes it was tight. Then i got married sold the truck and bougth the access cab what the biggest mistake of my life. At least in the reqular cab had a bench seat and could seat 3 comfortably. access cab terrible for anything but transportation turning around to get stuff or lifting the seat for someone to squeeze in those terrible seats. The double cab now that is the ticket with the family, daughter and all her stuff in the back. As far as gas milaeage getting 19 to 20 alot better than the chevy driving before.

All said depends where in life you are, i would not recommend the access cab at all.

Regular cab 16 years old and just having fun, no problem
Double cab- anyage this is the truck i wish i had at 16

 

i have an access cab and it's perfect... i have no problems opening the back door next to people (i can usually open it all the way) and haul motorcycles so i need the 7ft bed, and there was no way i'm driving a 4 door long bed... those are WAY TOO LONG for me. a buddy of mine has the same truck as mine (even same color) but it's a 4 door and the only big benefit i see is if you are planning on hauling people around. i had a 300m before this and whenever me and my friends went anywhere everyone always wanted to ride in my car because it was so comfortable and i got tired of running a taxi service... i can still haul people around with the access cab, it's just better for short distance stuff now plus i love the way the access cab looks i also carry a lot of camera equipment around with me from time to time so it's nice to fold the rear seats down and have a good sized area to haul stuff that i can lock inside the truck

 

I've owned all three styles and for a family vehicle the DC is the best choice but i think i liked the AC the best out of all three for myself. If my DC wasn't the family vehicle i would've probably bought another AC. I liked the extra room behind the seats for all my fishing/ hunting/ tools in the AC and i also liked the full size bed better but since i have one in a carseat the DC was my only choice. If you don't have any kids or if they're out of carseats the AC would be a great truck.

 

Great responses so far! So I just got back from a used dealer, and spent all morning looking at every possible combination...

I'm about 90% to going with a doublecab -- main reason being that the big negative of loosing bed space is negated by the internal storage, and dang that backseat is sooo comfy. The 10% hesitation -- RDM hit it right on the nail, I actually like cozying up with people, and given the option I'd rather not be the driver for the crew.

Keep 'em coming -- the insights from actual owners is the most helpful. Thanks everyone and looking forward to joining the community!

 

Doublecab FTW!! I have 1 kiddo and the cab in the back is good enough for a car seat. Not sure how comfy it would be in an Access cab, but the bench looks so small. I'd rather have extra cab space versus bed space.

 

Own an '08 access cab here with zero regrets.

Having owned a regular cab Ranger, I didn't want to go back to that. Having the extra storage space (still ample in the access cab) and ability to recline the seat to sleep is a big plus. I am single and rarely if ever drive more than one other person anywhere. I also need the extra bed space.


All that being said, I think the double cab short bed is going to be the best for 70% of Tacoma owners.

 

I have an access cab and I like it. Sometimes I wish I had more space of a DC, but sometimes I wish I had a reg. cab. In that sense, it looks like I picked the right truck as it is the best compromise of interior space, bed space, short wheelbase for offroad, and It just looks the best of the 3 IMO

 

It really depends what you needs are. If its usually just you and you dont haul a lot of gear, a regular cab is fine.
If its just you and 1 other person and you haul a lot of gear regularly, Xtracab.
If you have you 2 or more passengers in the truck on a regular basis, Doublecab.
A regular cab does the job just fine for me and I think regular cabs look the best (something about the cab being the same size as the bed just doesnt look right to me), but there really is no right answer to this question.
Thats why Toyota makes 3 different cabs. Different trucks that suit different needs.

 

Huge fan of the firm direction and honest opinions everyone is giving. If I can get afford a Doublecab I think I'll go for it.

Might start another thread on this: there's a 2007 White TRD Doublecab Longbed Prerunner 32k selling for $18k. Very tempting...

 

I love the room of the double cab. I like the look of the access cab better but after spending some time at the dealer waiting for my wife's Camry to be serviced I decided on the double cab. I wanted to be able to carry people in the back and you could not carry anyone larger than a small child in the back of the access cab.

 

Thanks for all the reccos everyone. All of the input helped a lot! I have decided to go with doublecab =)

 

If you get this one, you still qualify for the rear suspension tsb (still under 3 years and 36K for mileage)

 

Lifesaver -- I would have never known about the TSB process. Thanks Simon!