new member, looking to buy a 2nd gen soon

Hello all!
I'm new to this forum. I've been looking at tacomas within about 1000 mile radius of where I live (NM). I've mostly been looking at 2nd gen. Right now I have my eye on a 2007 DC SB TRD off road, about 127k miles; and a 2013 DC SB SR5, about 125k miles. Only about $2500 difference in price. I haven't really been able to decide one way or the other. One has the TRD equipment (though I'll be replacing the suspension), but the other is much newer.
I'll be putting OME suspension on whatever tacoma I buy, along with an ARB (or similar) front bumper with winch, as well as an overland rack in back, an above-vehicle tent on the rack, and some weatherproof equipment drawers in the bed (my wife and I are planning some long back-country camping trips, and possibly a trip down the americas).

 

If you're going to end up throwing lockers and new suspensions on it, I'd go with the newer and cheaper version.

Same reason I went with a sport instead of Off-road for what it's worth.

 

Personally I would go for the 2013. They're similar on miles, but I'd actually prefer one that racked up that many miles in 6 fewer years. To me that says:
-probably lots on easy highway driving
-minimal down time (meaning no time for gaskets/seals to dry out and leak)

On top of that, in my experience, high mileage drivers like that often do a better job of sticking to a maintenance schedule. That's not always the case though, so see if there's service records.

Bottom line I think it's hard to make a bad choice, if the price is right.

 

Sport vote for what you're going to put into it!

 

My vote is to the 13'. I wouldn't let the e-locker sway you to the older truck.

However. Your prolly better off trolling the for sale section on here and getting one that's already got some stuff on it. Not to mention you can see the history on it here.. Just saying.

 

Welcome!

 

Thanks for the advice everyone! The 13 is not a sport, it's a base sr5, so it has none of the trd stuff (which doesn't really bother me). The one thing that worried me about that truck is the carfax showed basically zero service records. That could mean the guy did no service to the truck, or maybe he did all his oil changes at home. Fluid flushes likely have not been done. Who knows whether other wear items were taken care of or not. The older truck has much better service records on the carfax. There is also another 07 that just popped up for the same price as the other 07, but 20k fewer miles, and it's a TRD sport. It has immaculate service records (every single service done, at every correct interval). At the moment, that's the one I'm leaning towards.

Is the timing chain tensioner on the 4.0 a mechanical or hydraulic unit?

Edit: never mind about the 2007 sport, it just sold, a day after it was listed.

 

Ended up buying a 2012 DC SB TRD sport, good service records, with about 89k miles. Next week I'm flying to Houston to pick it up. I'm relieved to be done searching, especially after a fiasco that happened with San Antonio Dodge Chrysler Jeep (tried ripping me off multiple ways, then sold the truck out from under me after I provided a deposit and bought a flight ticket to fly there the very next day). I'll make a separate post about that criminal dealership later.

 

Congrats!

 

Congrats on the purchase of the truck and welcome to TW!

 

Welcome!

 

Thanks folks!