New Owner?

Hello.

I'm a potential new Tacoma owner (have a TRD OR DCSB on order), but since there are no 6M/T vehicles in the area to test drive, I'm hoping it's what I'm looking for. While I'm new to TacomaWorld, I'm not new to online forums, automotive or otherwise.

I've been on the fence for a while, and always liked the Tacoma. I have been looking for a replacement vehicle for my current daily-driven Subaru WRX STI. It's got 130K miles, modified, and tends to break a fair amount (I've driven it for about 4-5 weeks total in 2016). I'm keeping the Subaru, and will retire it to weekend / fun duty, while DDing the other vehicle. This will result in a less stressful situation when the Subaru breaks down (I won't be in a rush to get it back on the road).

Prior to my order, my DD vehicle choice was down to three. Requirements for vehicles meant that it had to be available with three pedals, and it had to be able to make it up my steep gravel driveway in the winter which ice is an issue (400lbs of halite is not an uncommon application amount), which meant that it couldn't be RWD (FWD/4WD/AWD only). Any of the vehicles would be equipped with standard tires for spring/summer/fall and studded Nokian tires for the winter:
1) Mazda6. Offered more interior space than the Subaru, gas mileage was pretty good, and still was a pretty fun vehicle to drive (despite being under 200hp). From a financial stance, this is the most practical purchase of the three.
2) Toyota Tacoma. I enjoy fishing and hiking. I have two Border Collie mix dogs, and getting out into nature to let them burn off some energy is a part of life. A lot of places I go are limited maintenance, and unpaved. I've had instances where I've had to either park the Subaru or turn around when the roads were flooded or the terrain got too uneven (not worth losing a $10K+ motor because I pushed my luck and flooded the motor or punctured the oil pan). Gas mileage isn't ideal (I'd be spending about the same as the Subaru, even though I'm only using regular-grade gas), but the additional ground clearance would help. Depreciation on these vehicles is quite good, so I could flip the truck every few years when the warranty was running out, and still have good residual value.
3) BMW 340i / Audi S4. Both vehicles would add interior luxury (I drove my buddy's 3.0S/C S4 and it was really nice), and have decent powerplant that while not on par with the Subaru, would still be able to get up and go. Downsides would be making sure that the vehicles remain under warranty, and would be traded in before it ran out; depreciation would hit me hard, and I'm not sure it would be worth it for them.

Ultimately, I decided to follow through with the Tacoma order because I didn't want two vehicles that were limited ground clearance, and I didn't want the hassle of German depreciation/repairs. The utility of the Tacoma isn't perfect; because I want a manual gearbox, I'm limited to the 5' bed, and it doesn't have the best payload/towing. That said, I have access to full size pickups and a F550 dump truck if I need more in those few instances.

When I spec'd everything out, the TRD OR model actually came out cheaper than a comparable TRD Sport (by ~$100). Despite the fact that I won't be doing any hardcore off-roading, with the additional benefits (better suspension, locking diff, ATRAC), it was an easy decision which model to go with, both for my needs, and when it came time for future resale value.

I lucked out that my State Trooper connections got me in touch with the sales manager at a local dealership, who gave me an equivalent deal (despite me being a civilian). I basically gave him the specifications I wanted, and he came back with the price I was hoping to pay. It was slightly over invoice, but the fact that they're ordering a truck that I can back out on (if I don't like it), and they have to make money to stay in business, I was comfortable with this price; I told him to place the order. As of last week, ETA is late June / early July (I'm not sure how much weight I give that, but we will see).




Specs:
2016 TRD Off-Road 6M/T
Double-Cab Short Bed
Inferno Exterior | Black / Orange Interior
Towing / Performance & Technology / Tonneau Packages
Mudguard / Predator Steps / All-Weather Mats & Door Sill Protectors / Roof Rack

It will be nice to have a vehicle under warranty again, and having the increased truck utility for hauling items/passengers will be nice (I couldn't even fit a 40" LCD television in my Subaru back in the day), and rear passenger legroom is abysmal for anything more than a quick jaunt home from a local bar/pub. While the purchase price (plus tax / DMV) will be close to $40K, and the gas mileage will be sub-20 combined, it's not the most fiscally responsible, but I believe the pros outweigh the cons. I'm also really looking forward to having a sunroof (biggest thing I miss about my first car); I wanted to get the Limited model STI when I bought it (only model that included it), but being a college student at the time, that extra money just wasn't feasible. The other electronic features like Bluetooth, navigation, heated seats, and safety goodies (blind spot, backup camera, etc.) will be a welcome addition, as well.

I have a tendency to tinker with vehicles. It will take some restraint on my part not to turn the Tacoma into the money pit that the Subaru is, since the aftermarket community is just as large (especially with my wholesale accounts and ECU calibration experience). Because warranty is key to me, my modifications will be kept to a minimum. As of now, I plan to tackle only a few small projects which allow for some tinkering/customization on my end, while not affecting the reliability at all:
1) Grille. I don't like all the chrome up front. I will likely go the inexpensive route and paint/dip part of the factory unit to my taste. As of now, I'm planning on retaining the chrome outer ring and the Toyota badge.
2) Window Visors. Because the Subaru has frameless windows, this was never an option for me. I would like to be able to leave my windows cracked on the hot/humid days of summer again.
3) Lighting. I will replace all interior lights with LEDs, and modify a few exterior lights as well. The rear backup lights will be replaced with LEDs, and the H11 lowbeams will be replaced with H9s (~50% more lumens). I'm not a fan of HID / LED kits, even retrofits in vehicles with a projector housing, and it's only ~$25 for two H9 replacement bulbs.
4) Horns. I'll install the Hella SharpTone kit. I have SuperTones in my Subaru, and for under $75 with all the wiring bits needed, it will give me something more to tinker with. I'll paint or powdercoat the housings black to remain more subtle behind the grille.
5) Valentine 1 Hardwire. I haven't quite decided how I want to do this; I will likely fabricate something to attach to the Go-Pro mount, since for the most part, my Go-Pro won't be in the vehicle, and in situations where it is, I won't need my radar detector at that time.
6) Dashcam. For insurance purposes, it would be nice to have that available in the case of an accident where the other driver is denying fault. I've had issues with accidents in the past where the other drivers story didn't match mine, and luckily, the police report sided with me, so there wasn't a drawn-out process. For how inexpensive they are to purchase, it is something I may seriously look into.
7) Tint. I haven't decided for sure I want to do this. NY has stringent VTL regulations on things like window tint and exhaust volume; do I really want another vehicle that opens me up for random roadside chats with the wonderful LEOs in the area? I really like the look of moderately tinted vehicles, though, so we will see what ends up coming of this, and would likely be the last "tweak" I do to the vehicle.

Sorry for the word fort. I can be long-winded at times.

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TL;DR: Potential new owner excited to join the TW community