Should I spend more for a 2nd gen with low miles?

Good to hear!

 

If you are going to buy again in 1-2 years, why not just save yiur cash and stomach your current vehicle for the time being. It might not be the answer you want to hear, but it is the most cost efficient choice and you can get EXACTLY what you want later.

 

I'd pay that all day long out here. I didn't pay much less than that for my traction-deprived Pee-runner with 119k, BUT it had 1-owner and every maintenance record since birth. That truck doesn't pop up for sale too often around here.

Edit: where are you or where is this truck? I wouldn't mind upgrading...

 

Ad for comp sake https://bham.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-tacomax4/6291280054.html

Not mine. Just looking at clist.

 

You need more info on this truck. Judging from the wheels and the lift, the owner could have added a lot more mods and probably took good care of it. Nevertheless, you said the truck is everything you were looking for, so what's the problem? Did you buy it yet?

 

Wow, I should sell mine for 30k. I got 80k miles with 15k on upgrades.

 

I think people (outside of wealthy people who are 100% out of any kind of debt) who plan on buying vehicles every couple years are out of their damn mind. Complete waste of money.

I think you should scrimp and save to get what you really want at the end of the day. I would have a hard time buying a truck I was going to turn around and sell in a couple years. I would just keep what I had until I was ready to get a Turd Gen (which I think you'd be making a bad choice there ). But from a math perspective 2nd Gens maintain their value very well. You could potentially buy this truck and in two years sell it for damn near what you bought it for. I just wouldn't plan to mod the 2nd Gen at all and don't spend any money on a truck you will not be keeping.

I don't have any issues with high mileage trucks. They tend to be taken care of better than low mileage ones and usually those miles are all highway which are much easier on the vehicle than city miles. Trucks with 100K of highway miles are usually in better mechanical condition than trucks with nearly all city miles, especially if they do a lot of short trips all the time.

I would just plan on doing all the fluids when you got it. Which can be expensive. I would do all the fluid changes myself except the Trans. That I would pay someone to drop the pan, replace the seal, and do a flush.

The color is absolutely hideous though LOL

 

OP, you better take some long test rides in 3rd gens before you fork over another 20k to move 'up'.

Some folks get ones they like, some folks would like to set theirs on fire. But test drives of the specific truck (not just trim, the actual truck) is what's needed to make sure it suits you.

If the one you are looking at passes a full on mechanical inspection (and use a trusted independent, not a Toyota dealer for this) including frame, you should make an offer. Every seller expects one.

I'd also be making sure the lift had quality components. And if the seller has the OE bits to give you with it, even better.

 

I had a third gen, I hated the 6 speed auto. Maybe a standard would be better but it was underpowered compared to my 2 previous 2nd gens. I put 60,000 on it and left it all stock. I liked the bells and whistles and the looks. I went back to a second gen 09' with 235,000 miles for $13,500. Better power, same mpg or better. I feel like I can lift this one and still have highway power.

I wouldn't flip it if what you really want is a third gen. I'd wait or get it and keep it. The 2nd gen just seems like a more solid truck to me.

Unless you like throwing money at gas pumps stay away from the tundras. Holy crap the mpg on them is awful. Great looking trucks though, and the ones I've driven drive great. Depends how many miles a day you drive I guess.

 

Mine is a 2011 Double Cab (short bed) 4x4 and i'm sitting at 150,000 miles as of today. The only thing I've had go wrong with the truck was a wheel bearing and the rear wheel speed sensor wiring harness. The wiring harness was my fault as I caught some debris that snagged it coming off the beach a few months back.

Like others have stated, these trucks last a long time if the maintenance has been kept up with. Sounds like the one you're looking at has maintenance history to prove its been cared for so if it was me and I was in the market for a Truck, i'd go for it.

If you're already planning to get rid of it though in a few years, perhaps leasing a truck is a better option? I'd personally never lease a truck but if you like getting something newer every few years that might be your better option.

 

I wouldn't even consider buying a truck if I intended on buying another truck a year later? Why not just keep your current ride and reassess next year. Seems silly to waste money on a truck when you just intend on selling it in a year or two? But.... if I were to buy a truck then have to sell it in a short time, you could do much worse then a Taco, so you have that going for you.