The: "You bought your Tacoma because" Positive Thread.

It's the only game in town. Loved my 2nd gen and just won't go GM or Nissan. Had the Ranger been around in 16, I might have given it a look.

Love my Tacoma!

G.

 

• Can't fit a full size truck into my garage.
  
• My 2015 Colorado had the same, or worse, transmission shifting issues as the AT Tacoma. Nothing I tried fixed it.
• The seats in the Frontier didn't work for me, and the manual tranny felt rubbery.
• Ford failed to realize the demand for mid-size trucks.

 

I had a new SR5 4x4 back when they were first sold in the USA during my college years in the high mountains of Colorado. Always knew I’d get a new version and got I ‘17. Yes I’m a bit older but age is just a number.

 

Had a 2011, which our son now drives in Alaska (140,000 miles on it), bought a 2013- loved it, but then I sold my business and was going to have to work in downtown Chicago with little bitty parking garages, so in Oct 2016 sold it and got a Jeep Wrangler- I'd had them years ago and liked it, but missed the truck. Decided to retire next year and just picked up a 2018 4WD Sport- best truck ever.

Lots of storage nooks and crannies, more than enough power- I tow a boat- mileage is OK (I average 21.5-22.3 regularly). Rides very well, and I love the composite bed. I'm sure that in about 4 years our son will be driving this one up in Alaska.

If there is anything to reincarnation I want to come back as one of my kids.

 

My 2005 Dakota was getting worn out and there is no aftermarket support for those trucks.
Our first Toyota is our 2015 Rav4 and the wife liked the Hot Lava color. So naturally, I had to get an Inferno Tacoma. I thought I was going to miss out on Inferno but things fell into place and I happened to come across one. I knew I couldn't wait any longer, so I bought my Tacoma because it's a great truck and the timing was right. I love the aftermarket support and the dependability of Toyota. It also helps that I work for a company that gets employee pricing on Toyota vehicles.

 

I had an 01 TRD OR that I had no issues with so buying a couple of new 2018's was a no brainer. Having said that, I still like my 01 better than my 2018's. It feels more like a plain simple truck that will last forever.

 

A couple reasons.
* My Jeep Patriot was falling apart and was perpetually stinky, from wet boating gear in the back (I loved driving it with the 5MT though).

*Toyota reliability. My wife's first Corolla was embarrassing to drive, but made it over 300k miles.

 

Had a 2014 f150 "tremor" which was a sick truck but being a regular cab with bucket seats suuucked.

Everything about the taco fits me just perfect. Manual transmission was a big seller even though I lost a shit ton of hp and tq coming from a 4.10 rear end EcoBoost lol. 3rd gen taco is all I wanted in a vehicle.

 

No need to get up. I’ll show myself out.

 

It's very interesting that many are following past positive experiences, and several of us older guys returned again to Toyota as an option.....I mentioned when I was young I had several Toyotas...which got me thinking of life's progression (vehicle wise)....

I worked almost full time through high school and the first Brand new vehicle I bought was a 1979 4x4 PU 20R/4spd as my first brand new truck ('72 Chevy 4x4/'76 Blazer/'77 Powerwagon previous)...then traded up to 1981 SR5 4x4 22R/5spd (totaled while parked).....went to 1982 GMC as replacement for a year, then went back to 1983 SR5 4x4 22R/5spd which took me through college and first "real" jobs....then:

1986 Silverado 4x4 shortbed - POS
1987 Corvette Z51 Callaway/ 1974 Jeep CJ5 combo (summer/winter) Single guy fun years.
1988 Chevy s-10 blazer (single guy getting responsible but poor choice of vehicle)buys first house
1989 Toyota SR5 X-Cab 4x4/5spd V-6 (single guy responsible vehicle)needs truck around house
1987 Chevy Blazer (setback in life vehicle)-job downsizing/economy tanks.
Got Married - Bought brand new 1994 4-Runner SR5 V-6 5spd.
1995 GMC -POS bought back under lemon law (purchased for truck camper while wife drove 4runner)
1993 Dodge Cummins single cab 5spd to replace truck camper pos truck above/wife new Nissan Maxima(opened first own business)
1999 Dodge Cummins quad cab auto/wife New Nissan Pathfinder (car seat years)
2001 Dodge Cummins quad cab short bed 6spd H.O. Sport (best truck ever 168K Miles zero issues)+ wife 2000 Excursion 4x4 Diesel (t-boned by semi @ 65 mph everybody walked away) (late car seat years)
2002 Chevy Suburban Kid mobile for years/Wife Volvo XC70 - 180K +miles each(cookie crumbler, youth sports, non stop driving years)
2006 Dodge Cummins Crew Cab Short Bed/wife BMW 328ix(kids driving own cars)
2015 Tacoma TRDOR 6spd/wife Honda Accord (kids to college)
2017 Ford f-250/wife Honda CRV (work truck needed building 1500 sqft. house addition/ADA remodel by self- moving disabled mother in-law in for full time care)
2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD OR DCLB / wife 2018 4runner TRD OR Premium (will run these into retirement)

Nobody probably cares (especially younger guys at this juncture of their life)- but it's funny how life circumstances and positioning often dictate vehicle choice and correlate to those periods.

Anybody else make their Tacoma choice after a similar progression? What has your vehicle evolution looked like?

 

yeah man turbo subarus are a money pit , it felt like a gamble every day i started it up, but it was a fun experience

 

...bought an '18 TRD OR DCSB as a daily driver capable of going on the 4x4-only beach by our house. Cross-shopped Outbacks and Wranglers. Even the wife thought the Outback was too boring. She loved the Wrangler but hated it on the highway. Plus, miserable quality killed it for me. My first choice was always the Taco.

Our son has a 2008 Tacoma we purchased as his first vehicle when he was in high school He still has it and loves it. Zero issues with it.

 

We bought the 2018 TRD Off Road because 2-footitis caused out upgraded travel trailer to be too much for our Ford Escape. I also could not fit a full size pickup into the underground parking at our apartment. The truck met all our requirements and it was available. We sit slightly higher so a bit more visibility plus I think it’s the best looking truck of all the ones we looked at.

One drawback is that it doesn’t tell you when you’re in speed camera zone. Only had it for 8 weeks, already got a photo radar ticket.

 

I get a stipend from work. Live in Austin TX and have a home in another state.

I own two FJs and two BMW (one each in each state).

I wanted an automatic because I drive in traffic. I would never buy a full size pickup.

The Tacoma fits the same need as the FJ and was $15k less than equiv 4runner.

 

I bought mine because I've always had a taco around. had an 88 manual(sold when I got married, she couldn't drive it)
bought a 00 tundra(drank fuel) sold it and bought a 94 taco automatic) Sold it when I moved to NC a few years ago, I missed having a truck.
Bought a 2016 long bed. I love the truck.

 

Been wanting one since 2012. Finally pulled the trigger and haven't looked back. I had my vision of owning and driving one, the moment I sat in it exceeded my expectations.

I got tired of throwing wet stuff in my car and gear tearing up the inside (like snowboard edges). I'm a big fan of, "It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it". I like knowing I can turn the Tacoma into a closed SUV, but not the other way around. The overall practicality/utility is what drove me to it. Not huge into offroading, but once again, I like knowing I have the capability.

If I'm really watchful, I can get 22-23 mpg most of the time which is way better than the other SUV I drove.

It is a really weird feeling, but I feel invested in the Tacoma. There are some very minor issues that I come across now and then and I have an innate feeling to want to fix it, not just think to myself that this is a POS and it is broken, should've gotten a different vehicle, etc. Most if not all the issues have a fix here on TW. The issues I speak of are like small rattles, etc. I don't have any of those big time issues about transmission or anything like that.

It is more than just a vehicle to me. Feels like a lifestyle/attitude that matches me.

 

Had a BMW 2011 335D which I loved. But was approaching the 100k mark and I had to pull extended warranty claims on nearly $6k of work to it. Fought the warranty company and BMW tooth and nail for a month to cover shit. Was up in Lompoc to go see a rocket launch and on the way back, I drove past the local Toyota Dealer and 5 hours later with some heavy negotiations, they took my trade in, brought down the price of the truck a lot (new) and I drove home with a new TRD Sport. Had nearly 280 miles left to go on the BMW before it hit 100k. I believe I got a good deal.

It was either the Tacoma or the F150. Tacoma won.

 

For 20+ years have had company truck, used it 100% for everything, never cared for transportation. Got laid-off. Needed wheels. In 1996 looked at a taco but did not qualify...Got taco now.

 

I got my Tacoma OR DCLB because it was time to sell my 1998 T100. The rust above the rear wheels was getting pretty serious. I test drove a Tundra but that was way more truck than I needed. Didn’t want a Ford, Chevy, Nissan, etc. The Tacomas finally grew in size to be about the same dimensions as my beloved T100. I do give up a bit of bed width, but the technology, mpg, and other features make up for that.

 

Negligent driver made my decision.