Need advice.. 1st Time Buyer

I agree with the others , too many red flags. There’s some deception going on and you don’t know how far the deception goes. Good decision to walk away.

 

This is the kind of deal you want to find. Although 2012 is the 1 year that has a hiccup with the air injection system, that's not a deal breaker if it's a good deal and meets all the needs.

https://www.auto.com/cars/toyota-tacoma-base-2012-5tfuu4en8cx029114

 

So I called the dealer.. and got the following BS...

• When I questioned the back bumper, he said the original bumpers were made in China and has a tendency to rust so they had replaced it with another one since it was rusted out
• I then asked why he didn’t mention that before when I had questioned the misalignment of the bumper and if the truck had been modified, he told me no prior, today he said he thought I meant if it had been in an accident
• When I questioned the TRD Off Road sticker, he admitted they added it to make the truck “look good” but weren’t selling or advertising it as a TRD OR
• So I then questioned why the price reflected a TRD OR vs a base model, he said all Tacoma’s are priced that way and that was the going price for Base model but I was under no obligation to buy it

At that point, especially after the first statement around the bumper, I was done with him. He is why Used Car Salesmen get a bad rap!

Run hard and fast away from this dealership! So glad you helped me expose the hocus pocus BS going on there. Thanks for everyone’s input!! My search will continue.

One last question.. since I will need the truck mainly for snow/bad weather, I’m seeing some of you recommended me getting the TRD OR vs the Regular Base model 4WD- how critical is that based on my needs? I will be living in the mountains at 3800ft elevation so snow is inevitably. I want to ensure I narrow my search to TRD OR if needed. Thanks again! You guys are the best.

 

The bumper was "rusted out"? More fishyness there. My TRD OR is a '06 that spent 196K of it's life in Canada where they salt the roads. The frame is due to be replaced as soon as I can figure out how to get it across the border, and my chrome bumper isn't rusted out.

Here's a quick lesson on 4WDs. There are many 4WDs on the road that have open diffs on both axles. The differential gears are what allow the left and right wheels to turn at different speeds when you go around a corner. Base Tacomas fit in this catagory. The problem with that is you essentially have a 2WD. If the left front and right rear are high and dry on solid ground, and the right front and left rear are in soupy mud, the 2 in the soup are going to spin gleefully and you're not going anywhere. The TRD sport and TRD OR have various traction aids to apply power to the wheels with traction. The TRD sport is good. The TRD OR is better.

 

To add to this and qualify it a bit, I believe all tacomas from 2nd gen onward have some form of limited slip differential in the rear: first it was mechanical, and now it is computer controlled. Neither is very good, each for their own reasons, but they somewhat compensate for the open differential.

If you are living in a state with a good maintenance budget for plowing roads, the times when you will need these advanced traction features are relatively rare, although they are handy when you do.

Hundreds of thousands of drivers have gotten along just fine on roads with open differentials, compensating with: winter tire swaps in the cold months or M+S rated tires, or in really demanding situations, tire chains. Keeping a full tank of gas and some additional weight in the bed of the truck in the winter also helps, as does having a tow strap, chain or length of sturdy rope with which you can hail help to get out of a jam from a passerby, and if things really get bad: a sleeping bag in the cab is a lifesaver, and should be considered essential in winter no matter what direction you go.

The advantages of ATRAC in the OR trim level are supreme. The advantage of Auto LSD (or more aggressive mechanical LSD, depending on year) on the TRD Sport is good, but not nearly as fool proof. In any of these cases, for on-road driving in bad weather, good tires, good tires, good tires, are going to be your best help. If you are not planning to drive offroad, it may not be worth passing up a great deal on a base level 4x4 on which you can throw some excellent tires.

Finally, the biggest advantage of 4x4 is it sends power to the wheels under your engine, i.e., the wheels with weight over them, and weight over the wheels is a great help. So I personally might not go as far as to say 4x4 with open diffs is only 2WD, unless I also said 2WD with open diffs is essentially only 1WD. That does feel true true in really slippery situations, but it doesn't negate the advantage of 4WD over 2WD, especially given 4WD's use of the wheels with weight.

Also, please don't forget, 4 wheel drive does very little to help you stop any faster. You still just have 4 tires and 4 brakes, and should drive just as slowly in bad weather as a car with 2WD.

 

If you're experienced at 4x4, you can use brake torquing to help with the open diff situation if you're stuck. However, the extra features will make that easier (push of a button vs skill).

Personally, I went with the TRD Off Road because I'd rather have the tools and not need them, than need them and not have them. Any 4x4 will be better than 4x2 though.

 

I'm pretty sure the base Tacos don't have any form of limited slip. The key selling point of the sports was the mechanical limited slip in the early years and the computer controlled limited slip(Which uses the ABS to partially brake the tire with no traction) in the later years. All the TRD ORs have the E locker in the rear, which locks both rear wheels together so they both turn the same no matter what. The later TRD ORs came with TRAC and ATRAC which use the ABS to do computer controlled limited slip for the front axle also.

Where I go mudding with my mud truck (Not my Taco), there's serious mud. Imagine 2 foot deep Quaker Oats oatmeal. I have pulled out lots of trucks that were stuck with open diffs turning 1 front and 1 rear tire.

 

The computer controlled LSD is a function of TRAC, and on some year (2009?) it became standard on Tacomas, TRD or not. The TRD Sport got the button to disable engine throttling in 2WD, but I believe any 4x4 Tacoma driver gets traction control without engine throttling when they switch to 4Hi. Its big brother ATRAC is, of course, in the OR trim only.

I think I may have been wrong though about all 2nd Gens having an LSD prior to 2009.

I got a Sport this time around and I regret not getting the OR for the ATRAC. But like you, I enjoy offroad driving. When I lived in Vermont I had a RWD Volvo wagon with an open diff that did just fine with snow tires because the rear end was heavy. So I think it's a matter of whether OP sees himself wanting to drive in oatmeal and go crawling over big rocks, or just get around on snowy roads without being too inconvenienced.

 

What about this one? Has sticker for TRD OR but I don’t see it listed in the details? Can someone confirm if this is a true TRD OR or is this yet another truck looking fishy?

 

I know being new to 4wd it’s all a little confusing for you. Let’s simplify your situation a little. You are moving to the mountains, 3800’. Don’t know where exactly but 3800’ isn’t that high. You’ll get snow for sure of course but I wouldn’t expect that much. Again it depends on where geographically.
You have various traction options based on the model you get. I would say get a TRD Sport or a TRD OR/off road. The major difference between the Sport and the OR is that the OR has a rear electronic locker which locks the rear wheels. The locker is an option you will probably never ever use. The only time you’ll possibly utilize it would be in serious mud or serious off roading. Sounds like you won’t be doing those. The sport will give you all the traction you’ll need for snow and 90% of off roading. Keep in mind the majority of people who live in snow country don’t even have 4wd vehicles and they do just fine. But 4WD is a great option to have in snow country, I wouldn’t be without it. So get a Sport or get an OR, but a Sport will serve you just fine.
Last point I think the tires you put on the vehicle are as important as what 4WD truck you get. Regular passenger tires won’t get you much traction in snow. You’ll Want AT’s or snow tires. Just something to think about. We don’t want to turn this into a tire thread because you’ll get hundreds of nonsense crap tire opinions.

 

It will be in the North Carolina Mountains in a fairly rural/remote area and home will be on mountain ridge which will be on a pretty steep incline to reach on a gravel road.. we average around 42 inches of snow a winter, not tremendous but definitely will need a 4WD to get in and out.

 

Average of 42 inches of snow is definitely a good deal of snow, and it sounds like you’ll need 4WD for steep gravel incline. I’d say to get a Toyota Tacoma because they are proven to be reliable/dependable. Get as new and as low mileage as you can find and can afford. Get AT tires or snow tires. Finally driving in snow can be tricky especially when you hit ice. 4WD won’t be of help when you are driving along and you hit a patch of ice. Then driving skill is most important. Best thing you can do in snow is slow down. SOS= slow on snow. Let us know when you find another truck you’re interested in.

 

Looks like that one is not a TRD OR

CF Carpet Floor Mats (4pc) & Door Sill Port
DH Tow Hitch Port
FE 50 State Emissions Factory
SL SR5 Package #2 Factory
WI Spare Tire Lock Port

• 5TEUU42N67Z431605
• Model2007 Tacoma
• Grade4 x 4
• ExteriorSilver Streak Mica(1E7)
• InteriorAsh
• Engine6-CYL

• Body TypeAccess Cab
• Drive Type4WD
• Transmission5AT
• Selling DealerToyota of Batavia
• Servicing DealerNone Selected
• Date of First UseJune 13, 2007

 

Just a suggestion, for your needs you may want to consider an all wheel drive mid size suv. Subaru Forester and outback come to mind. An AWD will get you through snow and up steep slippery inclines. There’s no learning curve as with 4WD. It’s always in AWD. You just steer and go.

 

If the choice is only between TRDs, ATRAC is going to be bigger difference for OP in snow, and only comes on the OR.

A 2009 or newer base/ SR trim is identical in traction management to a TRD Sport in 4x4, so for the same price as a Sport, you can get a newer truck with fewer miles with the same snow traction as the Sport, by foregoing the other Sport amenities.

^This. If you don't need a pickup bed, don't buy a pickup just for traction.