Possible New Tacoma Owner.

Hello all,

So I am hoping to hear from some of the Tacoma veterans on here for some advice on what trim/packages are the best value.

Some background. I’m looking to trade in a Chevy Colorado ZR2. I’ve put 6k miles on it and I have had the worst ownership experience with a Chevy including poor dealer experiences with issues I have with the truck. Interior rattles (with documented TSBs) that dealers won’t fix, uncomfortable seats, and overall interior quality of a soda can filled with thumb tacks. I enjoy the Front and Rear lockers/off-road tech, but don’t think I use it often enough to justify having it.

If you could go back and do it again, which trim/option packages would you pick if your focus was value. So far I’m thinking a TRD Sport 4x4 with some options.

Also, I’m planning on buying used, so what year should I aim for? Which one has the best standard equipment/improvements.

Any advice/tips would be welcome.

J

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld!

Personally I would go for the Off-road over the Sport. They run about the same price in my area, but the OR comes better equipped with the rear locker and crawl control.

 

Originally I thought sport but went off-road and would do it all again. I prefer the benefits of the off-road. From what I heard prior and since the off-road seems the way to go and what is where a lot look for in the used market. Each year tends to add something. If you care of TSS that just started 2018. I thought I would hate it but like it now.

 

Welcome to TW!

Around here, used tacos aren’t much cheaper than new ones if u haggle a bit. I looked at a sport but gravitated to the off road. It just looked a little more rugged and I don’t like fake hood scoops.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Thank you for all the replies.

What exactly is TSS?

Also does the TRD Sport (or any of the non OR 4x4) have any sort of technology to assist with the open differential? I know the big selling point in the OR is the Crawl Control (I know nothing about this tech) and Locking rear diff.

What years have the power sliding rear window?

 

Toyota safety sense. Has brake alert if you aren’t braking and coming up on someone but really it adds adaptive cruiser control so you can set it and the distance and it changes the speed for you down to I think 25 mph where it kicks off. Outside of that if you switch lanes with out signaling it gets mad and it tells you if it thinks you are tired to take a brake. Hi beams can be switched so you leave them on and it will cut them if it sees a car, this is good except in the hills it doesn’t work as well in my experience. Haven’t had experience with pedestrian warning.

Locking rear diff is nice. The crawl control is basically choose what terrain your on and let it go and it does the hard work for you. The MT has clutch bypass and no crawl control. Both have atrac but I don’t know 100% if that’s in the sport or not. I believe it is and that could help a bit. Are you doing AT or MT? Also how new / how many miles are you looking at? What type of off-roading will you be doing ? What state are you in?


TSS
“This equips the Tacoma with Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Sway Warning System (SWS), Automatic High Beams (AHB) and High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC).”

 

Welcome to TW!!

 

Thanks for the information.

Looking at a third gen. So I guess, 2016-2019. Would be nice to get a certified one. Probably 20k miles at the absolute most. But I wouldn’t mind a higher mileage one if it had the features I want with a good price. I hear Toyota reliability is king, so I’m planning on putting 100k miles on it.

Definitely auto. The wife needs to be able to drive it from time to time as she loves her Home Depot spring trips for stuff.

Off-roading, nothing extreme, I go snowboarding in the winter and do come across at times where it is blizzard/heavy snow. My brother has an older Jeep that we take out to the sand dunes from time to time. It has some decent obstacles. I always go in whatever I’m driving.

Would any long time owner be able to comment on some of the quirks and issues that these trucks have? If any?

 

Welcome to TW! I have the Sport with the premium package and love it. Though I don't do much off road.

 

Below 20k miles and 16-current you may be close to the new prices depending on new car tax. These things hold their value like crazy and Toyota has been dealing more with them. Now mine is MT but my off-road was 31.5 and OTD 35. It’s current KBB used price with 18K miles private sale is 32-34. A sport AT with standard equipment 2016 with 20k miles is 30-33. Now this is my zip code on KBB but you get the idea, So it would be a good idea to look at what prices people in your area are paying in the regional forum as you may be very close in price. Now from what you said I would say a sport is good except the sand dunes a off-road with crawl may serve you better and the reality is the price difference is fairly small if you search around and haggle. As for reliability it does seem to have that reputation. Everyone I know that has one has at least 150k and one at 220k and they are still going strong. Not ground braking records but hey they are working up to it. The quirks I would say is the seating position isn’t totally truck like and some don’t like it or get raisers for the seats. On that note only the 2020 really has much of adjustable seats. We just get back and forth and lumbar. The truck isn’t the quickest around. The automatic version has a issue of hunting for gears at highway speeds, and it isn’t the largest cab. That’s all the quirks I can think of at the moment but as I remember them I will post them or others will correct me. That said there are too many benefits to post.

 

welcome

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Hello again,

Been doing some research on these and I think I've nailed it down to the offroad, with just the Tech Package. Don't need the premium package.

Would any of the long term owners be able to chime in and tell me how the interior of the trucks have held up? Any odd creaks/rattles that build up over time? I mean it when the Colorattle (Colorado) of mine started rattle like crazy after just 1000 miles.

Also, how is the infotainment on these things.

 

Not super long term but I’m at 20k off-road with tech in MT and no complaints. Only thing that has pissed me off is how easy the thread on the seat catches on belts when in and out so replacing it soon with katzskin. That said Acceleration isn’t the best and is kinda slow. Oil is a pain to change compared to what I am use to, but not terrible( I see a fumoto Valve in my future). It catches rocks pretty easy for chips. I can’t think of anything else, but hopefully others chime in. I’m sorry man but after 20k miles I still love this truck as much as the day I bought it. Maybe mileage? I get 19 city/local hwy and 20-21 only hwy, but it’s a truck so I’m good with it to the point that I am about to lift and change tires and will probably get a good dip in the mpg after.

 

I've had mine since August. The only real interior problem I've had is a slight rattling somewhere around/in the tweeter on the passenger side when it gets cold (which is not often here in Florida). It's a well-documented issue from what I've seen online, and many people have come up with DIY fixes. It was an infrequent thing this past winter and never bothered me enough to start taking things apart. We'll see how it goes.

Other than that, umm ... sometimes I hear a faint buzz from the passenger side visor if I'm driving on bad roads and I'm listening to a loud song with a good bassline. I think that's about it. I like the interior a lot and am very happy thus far with how quiet and solid it feels.

The Tacoma's current infotainment system (Entune) is generally described on a spectrum of adequate to awful, depending on what you're used to or looking for. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are not yet available but will be with the 2020s.

Personally, I only need Bluetooth and SiriusXM to be happy, so I'm probably not the best person to ask.

 

Purchased. Toyota Certified 2019 TRD OR. Used with 1700 miles

Premium, tech package, tonneau cover, among a bunch of other goodies.

Dealership told me they used it as a demo vehicle.

 

Awesome, That’s pretty low miles even for a demo. Now it’s time for mods....

 

Mods yes. One of the things I knew moving into a Tacoma was the incredible aftermarket support. Compared to the Colorado it’s massive.

I’m already starting a huge wish list.