New to this century, need help...

Hi all,
I have reached the point in my life where I feel that it's time to buy a fuel injected vehicle from this century and really don't know where to start. I know I want a Toyota truck and know that the Tacoma would probably be more logical but am hesitant to get a compact truck. Ive always drove big bad gas hogs and loved them dearly but know its time to grow up now. Although I would love another V8 it's in all honesty not imperative. I can only spend 20K. My other concern is the bed size. I am so not a fan of short beds and have always thought theyre on the boarderline of being useless but what do I know, Ive never had one. What are your feelings in the bed size? Does any Tacoma come in a long bed? Tundra vs Tacoma bed sizes? Its going to be a tough transition between having a car payment AND repairs being 10X more expensive, and out of my skillset most of the time, so most importantly Im looking for a year that's just extremely reliable and steadfast so I can feel love for my new truck like I have my old ones... Anybody feel inclined to convince me to get a Tundra? If not, what do you feel is the best year Tacoma? A good balance between quality and price... Bear with me, these new vehicles are so over my head!

Also, is there a badass sports/offroading package I should be on the lookout for? And are there any equipped with those cages that fold out of the bed to make it longer? Im lost.

Thanks! Hannah

 

A lot of your curiosities could be answered by going to a dealer and test driving both trucks - I don't mean that you won't find great info and advise on this forum, but a lot of it is subjective. A double cab short bed, for instance, sacrifices bed space for a full back seat with doors, and has a tighter turning radius than a double cab long bed - You must ask yourself what is the biggest cargo you'll haul in your bed? Do you live in a city, and occasionally have to fit into tighter parking spaces or parallel park? Will you ever have four adults in your cab at one time? What's the most weight you think you'll tow?

I have a double cab short bed, and when I'm driving in the city, have to make a u-turn, have to park in a small lot, etc., I find the turning radius awesome. I love the full back seat and use it frequently to haul non-dirty cargo. The short bed, however, is pretty inconvenient whenever I am making a lumber run, or have to transport a big sheet(s) of plywood, and it would have been great to have an extra foot of bed length when bringing all my junk across the country. You just have to ask yourself what's your biggest occasional need for towing, hauling, or people transport, and get what can fulfill that within your budget.

You've posted in the 2nd gen forum, so clearly you're looking at 2nd gens, which for your budget and need, is a great place to start.