Which is best:Tacoma or 4-runner for single mom drives lots!

Wut lol

 

Selling on Craigslist is a joke, NOBODY pays what you list your item for-- even if you list it at a low FAIR price

You may have to check other areas, hell even other states that are close by. I couldn't find any good stock Tacomas here in Washington. I searched nearly all day, every day for a month and finally found the one I currently have just south of Portland, OR. My Dad was the same way, he found his in San Francisco, CA after another month and a half of searching.

I don't know a whole lot about 2nd Gens (2005+) and what they go for, or for that matter really anything about the private market on em (Craigslist). Prices/availability for Tacomas differ by state & area. For example, there isn't squat here in Seattle or south of Seattle, yet there were a lot of Tacomas up near the Canadian border (Bellingham, WA) and down in the Portland, OR Craigslist ads.


1997-2000 Toyota Tacoma, TRD, SR5 sounds like what you'll be looking for. When you find one that you like and inquire about it, there is quite a few things to look for when the time comes for that as well.. GOOD LUCK. Feel free to ask more questions if you have em. TW is happy to help.

There isn't that much more room in the backseat of a double cab vs. the backseat of an extended cab -- when it comes to fitting more people (since she could potentially be hauling her kid & a friend or two).

The only positive of a double cab is that the backseat passengers don't have to burden the front seat driver/passenger by folding their seats forward and climbing in/out of the back that you would get with an access/extended cab.

The only pain in the ass with an access/extended cab is when you have to fit a baby car seat in the back seat & have to do so while awkwardly leaning over the folded front seat.

 

Thanks again, I will ask you more when my buying time arrives!

 

Why not just get a regular cab 4x4

 

easy. 3rd gen 4runner.

 

The Ext vs Dbl cab space assessment is just plain... wrong. Sure, maybe if you're talking about pure sq footage and thinking what's a few extra cubes of space?... but the rear passenger seating area of an ext. cab is far from what the double cab offers. I've hauled myself and three grown adults plus my child in his car seat on 3 hour drives with the canopy loaded to the gills no problem. Sure the two adults in the back were better friends by the end of the trip, but try doing that in an ext cab. (your friends would now be enemies)

My honest opinion based on prices of the vehicles in my area and the fact that i've been a passenger and driver in all three is get a 4Runner. The interior of a Limited 4runner is far superior to even a double cab limited. Far superior. The leather seats and dash trim of the 4runners in your price range is a huge upgrade. You're going to be putting on some serious miles, comfort of yourself and your passengers should be a primary concern.

Plus, in my neck of the woods, you're talking a minimum of $10K for a 4x2 double cab Tacoma with 150k+ Miles add about $3K to get 4x4 and lower miles. 97-99 4runners and 96-2000 Tacomas go all day from 7k-9k usually with only sub 100k mile vehicles reaching the top price points.

Honestly, if i had a 'do-over' i'd have bought a Ltd. 4runner and bought a trailer for when i needed to haul. Would have saved me $5k and i'd still have a trail beast.

 

Given her situation (hauling her 11 year old son & his friends) I doubt she is going to want to sandwich them in the back seat. Probably having 1 seat belt per kid is going to be the best bet in more scenarios especially with highway driving. I agree that if you're packing as many people in the back then a double cab would be better, but that's not the case here.

Prices are going to differ greatly across the country. With time and many views of ads, you'll see a trend for your area (and surrounding ones as well). With that it'll help you make a better more informed decision

 

You make a good argument and I just took a peak at the CL ads in my area and I found a '01 Limited 4-runner with 120k miles (less than my sequoia even) going for $6300. I'm thinking I am going to get about 8k for my sequoia so it would be nice to save a bit to set aside for maintenance.

 

Hard to beat a 3rd gen 4Runner for the price! The trucks are more money, especially for a Double Cab (useable rear seat). The trucks are US made, the 4Runner is Japanese made, and that year 4Runner is well known for being one of the best vehicles Toyota has ever built.

If MPG is a top priority, and you still want an SUV, think about a Highlander or RAV4. The newer RAV4 is actually pretty roomy inside. Plenty of space for four adults. I rented one for a week a few years back. Full time 4 wheel drive, 4 cylinder engine. A little sluggish, but still got 22 MPG or so with mountain driving and a heavy foot (rental car!)

 

Yea, I think I am just gonna continue to keep my eye out for Limited 4-runners and Tacomas TRD SR5s with access cabs and see what is available when I have the cash in hand and ready to buy. I must say that a 4-runner for less money than I would spend on a Tacoma is awfully enticing right now. Plus as I mentioned, I loved my '97 Limited 4-runner.

 

I agree, I think an AWD RAV4 is the right vehicle for her. Small, nimble, good on gas, reliable.

 

As a parent myself, I am glad I went with a double cab instead of an access cab... the extra space works out when her close friends from school end up needing a ride... initially i figured an access cab would be fine since i only had the one kid at the time, but had the foresight to say "What if?"

12 years and 300,000 miles later, I have a fun weekend toy and a daily driver that hauls both my kids or my older kid and her two best friends.

As for MPG, you can always regear.

 

I don't understand. You have no job. You're a full time mom and student. You're worried about mpgs. Is it cheaper to keep the tank or buy a new to you vehicle? The choices you present for what you want only get you maybe 5 more mpg. Does that 5 mpg save the few thousand that you're going to spend?

 

i would go with the double cab as well. Its a little more spendy, but it will be reliable for a very long time, and being a parent, shit can always happen, you want that full back seat for carrying people should that need come up.

 

Actually.... yeah in her case it does matter quite a bit.
86 miles a day for commuting to classes x 20 days in a month = 1,720 miles
300 miles once a month = 300 miles
Occasional months for multiple visitations = 600 miles

= 2,620 / month

Roughly 31,500 miles a year


.....that's a metric fck ton of miles.

In the end it's all about what she loves cause she's gonna be spending a looooot of time in her rig



Sounds like everyone loves double cabs, oh well, what does a bachelor in his twenties know about kids diddle squat

 

Ummm you don't go to classes 30 days a month usually only 20 or 16

 

Whoops

Edited it, 31,000 miles/year is still a ton of driving

 

Ha! You just freaked me out by looking at the annual miles I will be driving! Thanks for that! I am pretty certain now that I am gonna go with a 4-runner.

 

Your loss

Jk, feel free to still ask questions in this thread