Gen1 Tundra vs Gen 3 Tacoma

I've found some posts from people who have made the switch but nothing really definitive. I currently have an '03 Tundra Limited with 150K on it and I'm considering a new Tacoma OR. The looks are better, the size is fine, but it seems a little less refined than my 13 year old Tundra. I'm interested in the driving experience, particularly on long trips. Is it as comfortable and quiet as the Tundra, or will I need to get used to a less comfortable ride?

 

Keep the Tundra.

 

My father had an 02 tundra that I drove for about 6 months before he got rid of it and I LOVED that thing. I would love to get ahold of one in as good of shape as that truck was.

 

find a good, used 2006 tundra LTD with low miles. the tundra you're in was arguably the best engineered pickup made in the last 20 years.

i don't think you'll like the ride of the taco.

 

I love those older tundras, but I gotta say, my new taco is awesome! I did change out my shocks to better ones, but that was only a slight improvement in ride. It was mostly for off-road and lift. I highly recommend a new tacoma if the budget is there.

 

I got rid of my 06 tundra double cab. I like my new tacoma better.
1. I get more miles per my 21.1 gallon tank in the tacoma than I did with my 26.5 gallon tundra.
2. The turning radius of the tundra was horrendous.
3. I felt like i was living in the 90s with that Tundra interior.
4. It wasn't 4x4.

The tundra was super roomy inside and was great for very long trips and the v8 was powerful, however I still like my tacoma better for the reasons above.

 

Unless there is something specific you want in the new truck that you don't already have (4wd, fancy Bluetooth radio, etc), I'd put at least 100,000 more miles on the truck before upgrading.

 

I had an '02 & '05 Tundras and they're pretty much the same size with the Taco. But the MPG on the Tundras were horrible, and I love the MPG on the Taco and it's very comfortable.

Hope that helps
Cheers!

 

Your Tundra had a 26.5 gallon gas tank.

 

There's no way to match the 4.7 V8 like the old school trucks. It's a different era. I'm getting 17-20 with this 4.7 4Runner and it's so nice to hear that V8 when I put my foot into it.

 

I still have my 1st yr Tundra (you see it in the background of my avatar). I've taken both on long trips. My Tundra still shifts as smooth as a baby's bottom. You know of the issues with the 16 Tacoma if you've been on this site for more than a minute. I drive I85 and too often have to put the Tacoma in manual mode. The Tacoma has never been a comfortable truck for long trips - 20+ yrs of jumping out of airplanes made my aching back a good judge of seat comfort. BTW, my neighbor, a Navy Vietnam vet who owns a '00 Tundra and '15 Tacoma, biggest gripe in his Tacoma is seat comfort.
You didn't ask about gas mileage or turning radius, which you'd have to give thumbs-up to Tacoma. However, the square look of the latter also makes it harder to judge parking if you have to look over the passenger front.
I agree with the poster that you should put another 100K miles on your truck. I'll tell you the same thing I tell every shade tree mechanic who asks if I'd like to sell - not a chance I'm selling my Tundra!

 

Keep the Tundra and get the Tacoma also..

 

I bought a 2001 Tundra 4x4 Limited TRD brand new in 2001. Had it for a few years and sold it to my parents who still have it to this day. They love that truck. About the only two weak points on that truck were the brakes (mine were replaced via a TSB which helped a bit) and exhaust manifolds + O2 sensors. When it comes to driving dynamics and ride comfort, I personally like the Tacoma better. It feels a lot tighter to me. The Tundra was softer stock and I had upgraded it to the Bilstein Red/Blue shocks along with a Hellwig rear swaybar which were available back in the day. Turning radius is better on the new truck as well and I like the electronics in the new truck better. The Tundra however it's been rock solid reliable, outside of a battery and general maintenance here and there. I also had a 2005 4Runner Limited V8 AWD and that thing was great. I do miss the 4.7L V8's.

 

My check engine light came on recently for the first time...the O2 sensor needs replacing. 16 yrs running and the only other work I've done was tune-up.

 

Thanks. That just makes the mpg even worse lol