Looking to buy fairly soon--some questions though

1) Are any of your DCLBs fitting in the garage? I did a quick estimate based off my wife's Highlander (188 inches), and even the DC SB will barely fit in the garage. I know the long bed won't fit. I would like the extra room of a long bed, but I don't want to spend nearly $20K for it to sit outside.

Granted, I live in TX and we hardly get any rain even, but I like to keep my vehicles clean. Watering the yard a couple times a week creates water spots all over. I probably would hardly take advantage of the long bed to be honest. Not a big hauler/tower or anything, but it'd be nice if I needed to move something larger and have that extra roof of a long bed.

2) Does the Auto V6 accelerate well? Can anyone compare it to that of the Highlander? I feel like the Highlander's V6 doesn't really accelerate well when stepping on the gas. I guess best thing to do is just go test drive one.

3) comfort? I know this will vary person to person. I have been pleased with all of the Toyotas I have owned in the past (Camry, had a Tundra for a short time, Highlander). Once again I know I'll probably just have to test drive one.

4) How do the Tacomas drive in rain? I'm going with the DC TRD Sport for sure, leaning more towards short bed. Once again, it doesn't rain much in TX, but I am curious. I don't have much truck driving experience. Just remember was with a buddy once, and we fishtailed-did a 360 on the highway! He may have had really worn tires though-not sure.

5) color choices for '07-'09? I'm sure that's the year range I'd have to stay in to be under $20K. I don't think spruce mica/speedwayblue/MGM were offered in those years is it? Want to know my color choices besides the obvious black/white/silver. If none of those are offered guess I'll go black.

I may have more questions, these come to mind right now. I have been reading here the past couple weeks and have learned quite a bit more--great forum for info! Thanks everyone.

 

I have two Tacoma. They both are v6 and 4x4. They run very good.

About the length, to me, it's better to have a long bed because it looks much better and better for you to carry things but it seems you have a problem for your garage, so the choice is yours.

 

My DCLB does fit in the garage but once it is in not much else will. I would not rule out a non TRD either. for me the it seems pointless to have a truck and a short bed. you might as well and get a station wagon at that point.

But at the end of the day its your truck. test drive a few and see what would make you happy because that is what matters.

 

can't answer all questions, but...

my trd sport accelerates pretty well but it's a manual and I don't mind red lining it every now and then I turn on to a fast highway every day for work and I can outrun the oncoming traffic anytime i want. Can't speak for the autos though, I really have to get the revs up for the truck to respond so I can imagine it would be a lot more sluggish in auto.

At 6' I'm pretty comfortable in the truck, I've done a few cross country trips and never really had any problems thanks to the sport's bucket seats. Ride harshness is a different story but that's just how trucks are and I don't think you'll mind it.

Any truck may have problems with slick roads if there's no weight in the back, but the LSD on the sport helps. I would definitely recommend different tires than what come stock, those things were miserable in any condition. Even with the old tires though, I never spun out in rain or snow (at least not when I didn't want to)

And go for speedway blue! There's no better color IMO when it's shiny (obviously biased), and it compliments a nice muddy splatter very well. The color is available for the years you are interested in

 

I may have to take some time this weekend and see about re-arranging the garage. We have a shelf in front of the cars--could possibly free up enough room for a long bed. Kinda doubting it though. I hear ya though--why buy a truck if I can't put anything in it?

Thanks for the input! I'd like to see speedway blue in person. Not sure if it's something I'd get tired of. Had a blue Eagle Talon as my first car--got kinda tired of the color b/c it was my sister's first and had it in the family for years haha. I honestly won't be doing any planned off-roading in it though .

 

Any other questions, we're here...we live here...you will too...

 

1) I can't answer, I have a short bed

2) V6 does well in my opinion. Takes a half a second to really amp up and respond just by how it feels if you floor it from 0 mph, but it will take off with a jolt after that. That's my personal experience with it in comparison to the older 3.4L V6 for 1st gens. I am no engine guru and have only driven Toyota V6's mainly so that's my non-engine saavy noob take on it. Test drive it like you said and give it a go.

3) I am 5'9" and the comfort level is great for me. I have the TRD so I have the "sport" seats. They are comfortable and supporting. SR5 seats are cushier if you want that. Best thing to do is decide between if you want TRD or non TRD, but also sit in both models to feel the seat difference. Judge the comfort for yourself when you go sit in it. I have been on a 6 hour road trip and had no issues.

4) Driving in the rain on stock tires has been just fine for me. I have zero issues with my 2013 even if it is supposed to have all the increased electronic features. Just don't drive like an idiot in the rain and you should have zero issues. You may spin a wheel if you try to fly out into traffic...but as stated, its a truck so the rear-end is light.

5) Speedway blue was offered then. This should be a good guide. Unless you really want black, I'd advise against it. Black vehicles get hot as hell and are hard as hell to keep clean. (but its a truck so who cares right?)
http://www.cars.com/toyota/tacoma/2007/colors

 

The long bed would fit snugly in my garage with room for some shallow shelving, but I have a very deep garage. Even got some comments from friends and the real estate agent when I bought it, "Man that's a long garage!". I went with the short bed for other reasons, but even though I could fit a LB it's nice to be able to walk around the truck. I hate having a vehicle that stuffs the garage to 99% capacity, and then you have to suck in your belly just to squeeze past the mirrors.

As for acceleration, I haven't driven a Taco w/ an automatic, but I did test drive the FJ Cruiser which has the same engine and I think same tranny? It wasn't very snappy up steep hills. Only partly the engine's fault though- I couldn't coax the tranny into downshifting. My MT Taco is no speedster, but when I bring the revs up to 3-4k range it is pretty quick.

 

I've had both DCSB and DCLB. DCLB is sitting in the garage right now but barely fits. Maybe 2-3" left in the back and another 2-3" to the door. I prefer the long bed.

I've only owned 4x4's and the V6 acceleration is good but quicker with a 2wd. I've also had both auto and 6speed and I think the auto is better for towing/highway driving.

As for comfort, to me it's quite comfortable and feels well planted to the ground though I don't have stock suspension/wheels/tires. As far as rain, I've never had an issue though stock tires sucks - all in the driver and how you drive.

Under $20K for a 4x4 and a color you want can be tough to find. All depends on how much mileage and what kind of condition you are willing to take. I did a quick search on AutoTrader for my area and only three 4x4 came up with about 120-140k miles and all were 2006 (silver/white) that were all about $20K.

 

Sorry, I'm looking for a 2wd though.

I don't think MGM color was around in 2007-2009. Wish it was b/c I'd probably go with that. Can't make up my mind about the years I'm looking for then. Went to a local dealer to try to get an idea of the different ones. All they had was one white on the whole lot! I may have to go through the "color poll" thread on here page by page.

I'd have to pull out the measuring tape or maybe even test drive a long bed home to see if it'd fit.

Man, lot of great replies. Sorry I got busy at work, and cannot comment on each answer even though I did read them all. Thanks for all the input so far though, guys. More is welcome!

 

OP, you say you'd barely take advantage of the LB. Remember to consider the downsides to the LB as well. It definitely has upsides, but it isn't a "free" upgrade, it has downsides too. I got the SB because I knew I'd be doing trails, which can get tight. I've also noticed that even with the SB, sometimes I don't fit all the way into parking spots. I also cut curbs, although some of that is me getting used to a truck.

There's also the question of rarity. Apparently the DCLB is fairly uncommon (?), which puts you in a bad position as a buyer.

They are certainly handy though, if you do really need the LB

 

Yes I'd be doing more city stuff--no off road driving (on purpose anyways). I often drive into busy parking lots, drive-thrus, etc. I'd have to get used to driving even the SB, and it would definitely take some time to get used to the LB. While we had the Tundra, I didn't drive it enough. Oddly enough, my wife did! We sold it b/c we weren't sure if she was going to work come fall (teacher--we have a 1 yr old) so we sold the Tundra as it was an extra vehicle along with an older Camry. She decided to work next fall though so we have a little bit of money freed up. Plan to save most of it though.

 

1. Maybe get the bed extender for the times you'd wish you had the extra foot?

2. The V6/auto does fine for pretty much any driving scenario you'd need on a daily basis. I've never felt that my truck lacked power or acceleration when I needed it.

3. The front seats are great, but in my experiences, anyone over 5'10" is not going to like the backseat. Whoever said they had 3 guys between 6'1" and 6'4" of 240 lbs in the backseat, I feel for those people. There was no way they were truly comfortable. I'm 6'2" and 225, and I can't imagine being back there. I have horrible knees though.

4. No problems driving in the rain, especially with good tires.

5. I'm pretty sure MGM came out in 2009? Gorgeous color.

EDIT: Just an fyi, I had my truck for sale for about a week a few months ago, when I thought life changes were going to require me to sell it. 2009 DCSB Sport 4x4, 100k miles (at that time). Truck is in excellent condition. I was asking $20K for it. There will be owners like me out there who price them reasonably, you just have to look. You'll find one!

 

+1 to this. MGM arrived in 2009

Also on a side note. I drive a DCSB around Atlanta and whatnot. I got to experience driving around the same tight roads in a rental fullsize Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, and though it was annoying at times, I couldn't imagine a long bed Tacoma is harder to get used to. So for street driving, getting used to it shouldn't be hard...its parking it lol. I'd say if you park in tight areas frequently, DCSB will be a bit more manageable.

 

Mostly anyone that would be sitting in back would be 5'10" and under. Yes, you're right, does look like MGM came out in '09! Wish that was in '07 so I could find a cheaper one. Yes I see some on Craigslist that are below $20K, just not what I'm looking for (access cab, not color I like, manual trans., etc.).

Thanks for everyone's replies. There are some great, very informative people on this forum! Glad I found it. Keep the opinions coming.

 

Yes, when I say getting used to driving, parking I mean along with that. For security purposes and weather/water sprinkler reasons, I just really prefer keeping it in the garage.

 

I have a DBLB and I've never found it difficult to drive. It did take some getting used to at first, especially parking, but nothing that I would complain about. Prior to my Tacoma I had an Acura TL so I was definitely used to something smaller.

1. It will fit in the garage, but barely. And I had to do some rearranging. But rearranging is worth it to be able to park it inside.

2. The acceleration is good in my opinion. A couple days ago I passed a slow driver on the highway and one of my passengers made a comment about how quickly my truck speeds up.

3. I have the SR5 seats. I like them. My father has TRD seats. I like those too. They're not quite as cushiony, but they're still comfortable. But you'll just have to try both SR5 and TRD to see which one you'd prefer.

4. I live in Portland, OR where it rains a lot. I've never had any issues with my Tacoma with the stock tires. Like someone else already said, it's a truck so the back end is light. You just have to be a little more aware of how hard you push the right pedal.

5. My truck is Barcelona Red. I didn't really choose this color. It was just the color of a truck that had a good price tag. However, I really like this color. Not too many trucks around here are Barcelona Red.

I hope this helps. Good luck finding a truck!

 

Not much to add, but will say that I'm 6'7" 280lbs with a 36 inch inseam and I fit very comfortably in the DCSB. I don't feel cramped at all, have plenty of headroom and my knees don't sit near the dashboard of the drivers seat. I also find the SR5 seats to be very comfortable.

 

Thanks for the answers on each question, riverdog! Yes re-arranging would be worth it to me. Even though, I'm not 100% sure the long bed would fit. I'll have to do some planning on that.

TaildDrag, you're a pretty big man! Good to hear the SB is comfy for you as well. Appreciate your input!

 

Little bigger than most, I'm not normally at this weight, but working on getting back down to 240ish.

I used to drive a 1998 Chevy with extended cab, and am more comfortable in the Tacoma than I ever was in it, and I have more head room in the Tacoma. Leg room not so much, but still plenty.


Good luck!