New Here...Need some buying advise silverado-Tacoma

^ ^ this....

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i also ran a Tundra for 16 years, do miss the truck, but driving the Taco is fun and the first time I sat in it, I knew it was a solid truck. My opinion only, and have owned several Toyota trucks, the Colorado felt like a clown car and the Ranger was...meh! I'm retired, don't need a full size truck, but if I was a working man again, probably would stay full size just due to power and load capacity. As I've stated before, besides my old sports car, I find excuses to drive my Taco.

 

I love my 2019 Taco, my buddy has a Sierra. We always take the Sierra if his kids are tagging along, otherwise it's the Taco. If I was doing 8 hour road trip and MPG was no issue, the Sierra would be a more comfortable ride, but around town and bouncing over logging roads you can't beat a tacoma.

 

What year and Trim is your Silverado?
For 5 years I had a 15 Sierra with the 5.3 that was great, it just didn't fit down trails/fire roads around here without scratching the shit out of it, plus it was black....which is the main reason I traded it.

The Sierra got better gas mileage on the highway and about the same in the city as my Tacoma.
At a comparable price any full size is going to have better standard features than the Tacoma. However "better" is relative to what you need/want.
Tacoma is miles ahead of the Sierra(or any full size) off-road
Tacoma is a damn fine looking vehicle.
Tacoma took a little getting used to driving around for me, the rear view mirror seems like it's really low in the windshield and the truck feels bigger than it is to me for some reason. It doesn't make much sense but I found my sierra was easier to drive and park in the city.
Tacoma has a very solid reputation for reliability.

Like others have said, make sure you test drive the piss out of a Tacoma, they're perfect for some, not so much for others.

Personally I think the Sierra was a better daily but I have a work truck for that now so the Tacoma is just the weekend toy for camping and playing in the woods which it's perfect for. If I ever moved somewhere where public land wasn't in my back yard and needed a daily driver I would probably go back to a full size.

I really hope this thread doesn't turn in to a pissing contest

Good Luck OP!

 

Ok loaded 16 LTZ crew 40K miles every option 5.3 albany NY they are giving me $32K taking $1500 off plus $1000 rebate... my truck and 10.5K out the door tags tax all in... Sory to be a pain but this is helping me quite a bit/

 

I'd hold on to that LTZ unless it's a rust bucket. 40000 miles is nothing and that's a nice truck to let go for $32K. Just out of curiosity, what does your VIN start with?

 

Go for both, but if one or the other, I'd not let the Chevrolet go for $32K at 40K miles (unless of course you were to sell to me). It's barely broke in. I have the 2012 GMC 2500 with 9,200 miles (not a typo). It's a keeper for me. The small truck is replacing a 98 Honda Accord (original owner) at 388K miles and still going.

 

Vin starts with 3GCUK it is a great truck babied it from day 1 ...mint condition..

 

The engine will piss you off (it’s slow, loud, and clunky) but it’s bulletproof. I came from F150s and have really satisfied with Toyota in general. Better customer experiences and, of course, a reliable truck.

Biggest gripes are mainly that they seem to be perpetually 10 years behind on “standard” technologies. IE they only just put a power seat in Tacoma’s in 2019 or. Sunroof on a 4Runner Pro last year (I think) and you STILL can’t get a power lift gate on one.

Some salty bastards will give the old “a truck is meant to be basic” line. But seeing as it’s 2021 and power seats and the like aren’t exactly new ground breaking tech, I find stuff like that a bit frustrating.

in the end though, you will probably enjoy the truck more than the Silverado (especially at trade in time). I drive mine all over the country (I’m a travel nurse) and have had zero complaints. Plus there’s a ton of aftermarket stuff to help you take it in any direction you want to go. The design is beefy and timeless (IMO) and it will look just as good in 20 years as it does now. Something I don’t think Fords or Chevys can say. The 90s to early 2010s truck designs weren’t my favorite time for American truck design.

PS. Get the Off-road. The Sport guys are always jealous of our crawl control.

 

This.

 

I'm not sure how it is in your state, but in Ohio you only pay tax on the difference between the purchase price and the trade-in value. So at 7% sale tax (Ohio) it's like they are giving you and additional $2100 for your trade. So you would have to sell it outright for $34100 to break even with that $32000 trade-in they are giving you.

 

I drove a silverado half 5.3 ton for 15 years. Great truck. The Tacoma has been good for me but sometimes I miss the v8 and 6ft bed.

 

I am in NY so 8% is $2560 making it $34560 I feel that is very fair . the truck was $55 but with rebtes discounts and GM I paid $47K not that bad for 5 years of ownership . I think it may be a good time to get into a new one for $10,500 total? I will drive it again to be sure

 

Hit up Carvana and see what they will offer if you sell it outright. They have been paying higher than most places lately.

 

Thanks will check that out

 

I came from 2 RAM 1500s, drive a Ram 2500 dually and Ford F250s for work. The cabs in all those vehicles are HUGE, and a nice luxury if you really have a need for them. Personally, I don't miss my RAMs. Sure the cab in the Tacoma is a little smaller but its definitely not a deal breaker. Yes, Tacomas are on the basic side of things as far as available tech but that's because what toyota puts in these trucks, works and won't let you down. I LOVE that reliability. I used to work service at a Dealership, and the only things these trucks ever needed was routine maintenance... it's amazing. If I could change one thing, it would be the fuel economy. Just my 2 cents, but the Tacoma's been a dream truck of mine for years!

 

Park them side-by-side and look for a visual interpretation as well.

Best on the decision.

 

I went from a 2011 Supercrew F-150 Ecoboost with 6 inch lift on 35's to my '21 Taco.

I haven't looked back yet:
- The Taco is much easier to commute with (adaptive cruise, MPG, etc)
- The Taco can turn out of most of the drive-throughs and parking garages I use with ease.
- The Taco can still pull my 20-foot aluminum bay boat and 1,500lb Aliner Camper.
- The Taco has no problem hauling my Miata or parts (seats, tires, etc.).
- The Taco has a bed plug, so I no longer need to plug in an inverter to charge my tools.

Pretty much, the Taco can do everything I was using my F-150 for, and in a smaller footprint. If I ever need to move something large, I can just borrow a family member's F-250. The smaller size plus reliability is why I switched to my Taco.

Some of the issues I had with my F-150:
- 60,000 miles: 4x4 Vacuum pump + lines
- 65,000 miles: Ball joints/struts/etc. (ending up lifting it here)
- 75,000 miles: Stretched timing change
- 78,000 miles: Blown turbo/engine
- 80,000 miles: Transfer case shift motor (would drop me into 4low at speed... the design they use allows water to get into the electric shift motor = rust)
- 85,000 miles: IWE's
- 90,000 miles: Had to drill a hole in my intercooler to prevent the engine from sucking in water
- 100,000 miles: Transmission started slipping
- 130,000 miles: Traded for Taco

Did oil changes every 3,500 miles, along with tire rotations. I also followed the Ford manual for "Extreme use", even though I babied it. The Ford dealer here does not do appointments, so whenever I had an issue I couldn't fix myself, it would sit for a few weeks. Additionally, while I paid for the timing chain to be replaced (out of pocket), the work was never done... Also, the work done on the NEW engine replacement was shoddy at best. The Toyota dealer here has been awesome to me.

If you rarely tow or tow less than 3,500-4,000lbs, the Taco is awesome. However, I do miss my back seat space, sound system/subs, and winch. Taco feels more like my girlfriend's Corolla than my F-150 or Wrangler. I like this, but some may not. Was not a hard switch/transition for me.

 

I'd try to get a good feel for your Toyota dealer too, not just the sales team but service as well. It seems to be kind of hit and miss and around here the Toyota dealers aren't super great....most likely because they don't need to be since 99% of people in CO seem to drive a Toyota or a Subaru.
Look at reviews and if possible ask other people in the area about their experiences with the service department there.

Good thing about Toyota though is hopefully you wont have to be there very often.

 

I downsized from a 14 Sierra all terrain. Loved that truck but it was a hassle to deal with in crowded lots and garages. The only thing I “miss” about it relative to the Tacoma is that I could get 3 in the back comfortably and the rear seats flipped up to create a great flat space. I say could because I only needed that a few times. If you don’t need to fit folks in the back regularly and aren’t hauling/towing beyond the Tacoma’s capabilities, I think you will love the change. My 21 ORD is fully loaded and it’s very similar to the 16 GMs in terms of technology bells and whistles and the way the console screen interacts with the driver screen in the gauges. The rear seat fold down design is far superior to other mid sizes in my opinion. Creates a functional flat space as well, just a bit taller in the cab.

The big piece for me is I find it to be far more comfortable to drive and deal with in the crowded spaces. Doesn’t even cross my mind now but in the Sierra I would actually think about the hassle of maneuvering and parking it if I knew I was headed somewhere super crowded. Both great trucks and that’s not a terrible price on your trade. Given the current market I would say they’ll likely list that truck at 38 to sell it.