Tacomaworld, the worst thing I could have ever done.

Hi i'm new.

I stumbled across tacomaworld while looking into options for a Tacoma. I have spent hours browsing and I am addicted. When I started looking into options I was more sure of what I want than now. I do have a few questions that I am hoping more of the experts here can answer.

I know I want a Double cab, V6, 4X4 and I will most likely buy new unless I run across a great deal. (i do get $1K off for being a recent grad through TFS). I am not in a hurry, but excited to get started.
So 2012 or wait and see what 2013 has to offer?

I prefer MT I always have plus it brings the price down a little bit.
Color: I would love to black it out, I could do White.
It will mostly be used on the street, some camping and I will probably get a boat in a year or so. the towing package includes a transmission cooler with the automatic only, if I go MT would it be less to just add a class IV hitch? is that easy? does towing package come with trailer brake? Thoughts about towing package?

SR5 vs. OR vs. Sport? I like the looks of the hood scoop and skid plate but neither are a must have. Is the only reasonable/cost effective way to get a hood scoop to get the sport package? I can add a skid plate to an SR5 right? I do plan on putting on a 3" lift. I have never been one to care much about tires and rims I just want it to look proportional with the 3" lift. do I get OR package with 16" alloy wheels? SR5 and upgrade? I will probably de-badge truck and plastic dip rims. Is OR package just overkill for what I would use it for? Thoughts?

I am by nature very cheap, or at least need to get a good deal to justify what I buy. to get a good deal must I take dealer stock? will a 2012 deal get better then the 2013 comes out?

I know a lot of the questions are personal opinion, but I am trying to give insight into what I am thinking and asking for more expert opinion. Thanks.

 

Hi, and Welcome to TW. I haven't been on the site very long, but I'm happy to throw in my 2 cents... Just give this thread about an hour though and you'll have 25 different opinions from these experts! Haha

1st off, some guy posted up his 2013 like 3 nights ago, and it was the first one I've seen. So it appears that they are either already out... APPEARS being the key word there.

1st I'll answer the question about sr5, or, or sport... You're gonna get tons of different opinions, but here is what I've picked up so far along the way. I picked the sport for the hood skewp, color matched grill, color matched rear bumper, color matched door handles, and color matched mirrors. I like the look of the truck painted, but that's just my opinion. A lot of people do like the OR because of the rear locker option. But the more and more I've been on this site, the more people like sr5's. Reason being is that if you plan on modding your truck anyways with wheels/suspension/etc... So most of the time when you do this, you're going to be removing most of the "upgrades" that are going to be on the sport/OR anyways.

And as far as towing package, I got nothin... LOL... I mean mine has a hitch on it, so I'm guessing it has the towing package, but I don't know... Lol. But I wish I would have gotten an manual transmission... Not for any particular reason, but I just like feeling like I have more control over my truck. Anyways, the more I type in this post the more I realize that I'm wasting your time, haha. I did chime in about the sport/or/sr5 though... So good luck!!!

 

I bought a base 4x4 because it's alot cheaper; then I can add options I want.

 

2nd gen?





Welcome to TW

 

I would wait to see what comes out for 2013 for sure. Keep in mind that a 2013 will always be worth a couple of grand more than a 2012 so depending on how long you keep it that might come into play.
I got the stick SR5 then debadged, lifted and changed the seats so I would have been much better off with a Base 4X4. Steves104x4 has it right in my opinion. I would recommend a super basic truck. The navigation on my I phone is better than what Toyota offers. I also like the look of the black fender lip mouldings on a lifted truck.
Good Luck!

 

Welcome to TW. This place is like the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave!

Personally I've gone both ways in terms of what you're asking. My first Taco ('99) was maxed to the hilt with options. My current Taco ('10) is bare-bones. I have found positives in both methods. Because I'm cheap, I'm reluctant to mod the current one as often as I'd like to, so buying everything at once was a good option for me. I like the current setup though because I didn't pay the factory to put a lot of stuff on that I didn't care a whole lot for and would've chose a different option.

 

My opinion - nothing more /less and I went through a similar process in early 2012

I am not a big modder - mostly cosmetic in the overall scheme of things

I do not plan on lifting it and I may swap out the rims to black ones - but that's only because I want to make the truck pure plack/white.

I wanted the rear locker - don't as me why - for some reason I convinced myself I needed it.

I opted OUT of the EnTune crap. I have also debadged it & spent $200 to color match the grill.

Problem with going low end is that you may never mod it and may not be happy in the long run. If you are happy with the TRD options and don't plan on going wild modding it (and in some instances voiding your freshly minted warranty) then I would just buy the truck tricked out with factory / dealer options.

YES you will pay a bit more but at least you don't need to worry when the truck starts vibrating oddly upon acceleration due to the driveshaft angles being off after a new after market lift kit install. Bring it in & the stealer will fix it for you.

Decisions / decisions.

R

 

Thanks so far. good info, and now more to think about. Base 4X4, V6, MT, Black, getting a 3" lift and some proportional tires. Black out and a skid guard. I think I will wait for the 2013, unless an amazing deal comes my way. Keep the opinions flowing.

 

you won't gain anything by waiting for a '13...especially in a base model.

grab yourself a deal on a 2012 if you can.

however, if you want a specific truck it could be a challange.

good luck, welcome...

and don't forget to post pics when you get her...this place is truck porn to most of us Tacoma nutz.

 

buy my truck save yourself thousands modding it its for sale

 

Welcome to where discretionary spending goes to die!

IDK about a trailer brake, it does come with the added cooler, A higher output alternator and of course the hitch, the locker is only available with the OR model, not the sport. The TRD also comes with a DC converter with a 110V outlet in the bed (one of the reasons I bought mine), it's 400 watts but very little amps. TRD shocks are not the greatest and the stock leafs leave much to be desired so a lift with an eye towards improving the weight/towing ability is key if you plan to haul. There can be some vibration issues with a lift, DO NOT do leaf blocks and strut spacers! Don't be cheap here, do much research and if you plan to have a shop do it, take the time to find a good shop. Spend more, spend wisely but spend once!
Lastly, look at what others have done to their trucks on here, you can PM members questions about there set-ups as well, we are all pretty proud of our trucks and most members are only too happy to talk about them.

 

Noo stunt man hans selling? Such a nice truck though.

2012 vs 2013: I say wait until the 2013's come out, then get a 2012. Essentially identical trucks, almost nothing updated. There is a new "Limited" package which looks horrible with chrome everywhere etc. Though the heated seats sound cool. Once 2013's come out if you look hard you can usually get a couple grand off a 2012.

Towing package: In addition to the class iv hitch, it includes a 7 pin connector, bigger battery and alternator. If planning on towing, or camping using your truck battery for stuff, or if you live in a cold climate, I say go for it.

Reasons to chose OR vs Sport vs SR5:

SR5: You want to save money at the sacrifice of options or you want to mod it yourself with lockers etc etc. Keep in mind even modding WONT get you the offroad features off the TRD OR like the Downhill assist, ATRAC, etc. Though locked front and rear you prob wont need them.

TRD Sport: You want a double cab with a 6 foot bed instead of 5. This is the only truck that comes in that configuration. Or you value the cosmetic portion of it (painted pieces, fake scoop) over the OR's wheelin' functions like the ATRAC, locker, etc. You get the same seats and other goodies in both packages.

TRD OR: Pretty self explanatory here. You get a locker, ATRAC, downhill assist, other goodies etc and you don't care about painted bumpers, door handles etc. If double cab you WILL get a 5 foot box though keep this in mind. If you want TRD OR and 6 foot box you need access cab.

Good luck!

 

wut? Sport DC can be had with a 6 foot bed, ask me how i know

 

My .02 cents.


Buy Certified Used with low miles. Why? Better financing, better deals, and BETTER WARRANTY! I got 2.9% with my taco and when I bought the prius the other day I got 2.7%

Get a long bed. I have the long bed sport, and I can't imagine anything fitting in the short bed... everythings already tight as it is. At least I can fit beds and dressers in the back of mine.

TRD's have alot of good options described above me, but if you plan on going crazy and modding your truck, you should consider a base model.... because you're gonna throw out alot of the TRD suspension that you pay for. You will lose the locker or posi if you don't do a TRD tho. Thats a tough toss up.



As a buyer, let me tell you. Your recent grad credit through TFS doesn't mean shit. DO NOT go into a dealership and say "Hey, I get 1k off because I just graduated." That will give the guys room to play on the selling price of the car.

Go in like you have no discounts, don't tell them you have a trade in, if you do. Talk them down on the price of the car, THEN tell them about your discounts and offer them a trade in.

 

Thats what he said

 

I should have read this before going to the dealership. They only had a 4 banger AT prerunner, and V6 prerunner. I test drove the V6 than sat down to talk.

I plan putting 20K down and financing <10k through TFS just to get that $1K off. than within a week refinance about 20-25K through Penfed at 1.5% for 4 years. I sat down with the salesman and was trying to find out about their tier1 and tier 2 financing just to give me an idea of what interest rates would be. (Also Penfed's 1.5% ends at the end of the month, but they likely will extend it).

I was trying to figure out my strategy and I mentioned the recent Grad $1K. They wanted to verify I qualify and asked what school I gave them the name of the university and this is where I think I slipped up... they asked if it was a 4 year degree and I said no it is a doctorate and that I had graduated from Dental School. Fast forward to looking into options and getting an Idea of the price. He comes back with MSRP on a V6 4X4 AT w/SR5 and tow package MSRP $31,159. I mentioned another dealership had emailed me an internet price of the same truck but with OR not SR5 for less. He said that the price gets better (earlier he showed me a paper with $500 dealer incentives). He went and spoke with someone and came back with MSRP - $500 - $1000 recent grad. I was almost shocked. I just got up thanked him for his time left. Really? I guess I need some help with negotiating skills.

So my next question is what should I expect to pay for this truck? I was told MSRP $33,129 internet price $31,129 (I haven't mentioned anything about the $1K recent grad offer)

Tacoma 4X
Model:
Base 7594 - 4DR 4WD Double Cab (V6)
Model Year:
2012
Transmission:
5 Speed Automatic

Exterior:
Black
Interior:
Graphite Fabric

TRD Off-Road Extra Value Package

· Off-Road Tuned Suspension w/ Bilstein Shocks
· Electronically Controlled Locking Rear Differential
· 16" Alloy Wheels with P265/70R16 BF Goodrich Tires
· VSC+A-TRAC in Place of Std. VSC+TRAC w/ HAC & DAC
· Engine Skid Plate
· Front Tow Hook
· 115V/400W Deck Powerpoint
· Fog Lamps
· Remote Keyless Entry
· Cruise Control
· Variable Speed Wipers
· Chrome Grille Surround & Rear Bumper
· Color-Keyed Front Bumper & Overfenders
· Sliding Rear Window w/ Privacy Glass
· Sport Water-Resistant Seats w/ Driver Lumbar Support (Passenger Side Fold Flat Feature Delete)

· Metallic Tone Inst. Panel Trim
· Leather-Trimmed Steering Wheel w/ Audio Controls
· Leather-Trimmed Shifter
· Dual Sunvisors w/ Mirrors & Extenders
· Tailgate-Handle Integrated Backup Camera Linked to Auto-Dimming Mirror
· (Unless Display Audio with Navi Selected)
· w/ Monitor and Outside Temp. Gauge & HomeLink Universal Transceiver
· TRD Off-Road Graphics

V6 Tow Package
· for Off-Road Package:
· Class-IV Towing Receiver Hitch
· Transmission & Supplemental Oil Coolers
· 130A Alternator
· Heavy Duty Battery
· 7-Pin Connector w/Converter
· Trailer Sway Control

50 State Emissions
6-Gallons of Gas
Carpet Mats
Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
Southeast Toyota Distributor Plus
· Certified Technician 46 Point
· Final Quality Inspection
· Digital Picture Asset Program

 

Once upon a time I remember hearing about a car buying service that basically emails what you want to dealerships and they reply with their price and you pick the best price and go from there. Anyone know what I am talking about? is the service worth anything?

 

Oh and back to my original question of what to get. I am not thinking the TRD OR w/ maybe a few minor cosmetic mods for now. maybe a lift once out of warranty. Go ahead talk me out of it.

 

I bought my 08 new. I drove it stock until the warranty ran out. I have since installed my lift. I would be hesitant to install a lift on a truck under warranty. It just seems to me you would be tempting fate.

I think a new Off Road TRD would be sweet.

 

If you can do without 2 of the doors and all the "fancy" sh-t my Reg Cab was $18,500 out the door. You could pay a truck off completely and have 0 monthly payments. $12k buys ALOT of mods; oh and food on the table is nice. If money is no object...please disregard this post.