Looking forward to joining the ranks!

Hi all, first time poster here. Long time forum troll

I've had a 2005 Subaru Forester X for about six years and I'm looking to make the jump to a Tacoma for the first time. However, I drove a 1995 Toyota pickup (regular cab, 22RE) from 2003-2010 and I loved it as much as any vehicle I've ever driven. Even though it was a tiny 2WD matchbox truck, it got almost 30mpg, handled well on all terrains, required only normal maintenance and was a blast to drive.

While I love the Subaru, I miss my Toyota. Subarus have great engines but everything else feels like it was made as inexpensively as possible. They dent easily, my temperature knobs broke (which inexplicably requires a full heater core replacement), the cupholders and other plastic interior parts crack/break easily and the upholstery on my driver's seat is thrashed even though I only weigh 170lbs and am incredibly careful with my car.

I do need a little advice, though. We have a little girl who is nearly 3 and plan to have our second baby next spring, so we need a Tacoma that fits two car seats. I don't mind the access cab models because I want a manual transmission and longer bed, but I've read mixed reviews regarding car seats (especially rear-facing) and the access cab models.

Is the access cab in the 2nd gen better or worse than 3rd gen for car seat space? Which models have timing chains and which have belts (my old Toyota had a chain that lasted 160k miles)? Are any models known for chronic problems? Subarus are well known for needing a $2,000 head gasket replacement at around 100-120k miles and I'd like to avoid getting into something like that with a new truck.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Welcome to the club!Get a DC and be prepared for your wallet and bank account to dissolve being a member of the TW forum!

 

Haha thanks! They're a little pricy for what I can afford so I'm definitely waiting for the right deal. I can't believe how well they hold their values! Just finding one with under 100k miles for under $20k is close to impossible.