Buy a new(er) Tacoma, or keep the old one.

Hey y'all, hope this is ok for the general discussion area.

Trying to decide if I should buy newer/new tacoma, or keep my current one, curious what the thoughts are on it.

I've got a 2011 DCLB, base model 4x4, with around 240k miles on it. I bought it a couple years ago, with around 180k on it. At my old job, I drove it for work, doing forestry field work, so there are a lot of gravel miles on it. Now I have a better job with a company rig, but live in a remote area (90 mile round trip for groceries every weekend), and I like to get out for camping trips in remote areas. So I'm not racking up miles as fast, but I definitely need something reliable.

In the last year and a half or so, I've replaced the rear shocks, tie rods, CV axles (That was a hellish project that was way longer than it should have been), rear (drum??) brakes, passenger side upper ball joint and upper control arm, transmissions drain and refill. I do oil changes every 3-4k miles, and I'm trying to get better about checking/changing diff fluids more regularly. The engine seems to still be doing well enough. It feels pretty gutless sometimes, more than I remember it being, but still does the job.

Seems to be a pretty good truck, and as it's a little older, it's a little easier to work on myself. Just not sure if I should try to sell it now and get a little something out of it, or try to run it to 300k and then replace it. I would probably buy a newer used, don't know if I could afford a brand new rig.

But yeah, curious what folks think. Is it better to put money in this one to keep it running, or buy a newer one, especially if I could keep payments roughly the same as they are now. I still owe about 5k on this one.

Thanks!

 

Keep it at least until it is paid off.

 

Compare what you’ve spent on maintenance to what you’d spend to buy a newer vehicle, I bet maintaining the old one will be cheaper.

 

Drive it into the ground.

 

get to 300K and re-evaluate?

 

Do a compression test. If it's healthy, based on your current use model, I'd be inclined to keep it.

Caveat. If this is a salt country truck, the health of the frame is a critical factor.

 

For me I'm sticking with my older one till it dies... which I'm sure I will be in the grave before my truck.

 

There are few joys in this world greater than being completely out from under vehicle loans. Paid mine off this year. One of my philosophies in life is you're always going to be paying out money but when the car loans drop off, it's a bigger reward than you'd think. Second, you're familiar with it and a new one brings a whole new laundry list of stuff to address, if it's used maybe a new list of someone else's headaches.

A lot of people just get bored with their rides and need to get a new car every couple years, it scratches some itch in their life achievements or something. That's cool too, I'm just not one of those people.

 

Hey, thanks for the input everyone, that's all good points. As far as maintenance costs, I guess it hasn't been much lately, I haven't really done much the last six months, I've hardly visited the auto parts store lately, it just doesn't feel right lol.

But yeah, no car loan would be nice, I'll look into getting a compression test done, but might just sit tight on this one for now. I guess even if something major, like a transmission or the engine going out, could get that replaces and still be cheaper than a new truck.

I think the frame is still pretty good. Definitely get snow here (just moved last summer) but I don't think they salt much, it's all so dry you can cruise at 50 on it on the straight stretches.

Yeah I get why people always get new rigs, it is nice, and it is appealing, but I also grow attached to my trucks, so it's more like just want something that hasn't been beat to hell, rather than just need something new and shiny lol.

 

My .02 worth, I have an 09 with 160K + on it. Suspension is spent all the way around getting new suspension, Katzkin seat covers new sound system and some other stuff. I'm looking into keeping for the foreseeable future just rehab like new.
Sounds like you are / have been doing just maintence stuff, get out of dept and roll on.

 

Agree with the comments on how nice it is to have 0 car payments. Hope to be there again soon.

WRT buying something newer, if you buy used you risk inheriting someone else's headaches. If you are buying new, I'd wait until Toyota works out the inevitable bugs with the new 4th Gens (assumption is you are still talking Tacomas, right?). Drive the current vehicle until you hit 300K+ miles, pay it off, enjoy no payment for awhile, and save the money towards a minty new truck. That's just my opinion, of course, but I've had new and used Tacos and 4Runners, all good vehicles, and much prefer new.

 

2 thoughts.
- If you are looking at buying newer or new, by the way pricing is right now I’d just go for new, as the used are holding their value so well, you just don’t save enough to buy newer in many cases. —— but——
- If I was as close as you are to paying yours off, I think I’d pay yours off and enjoy NO PAYMENTS until you are ready to buy again.

 

Keeping my old one...paid off, doing some updates to make it feel newer.

 

Bought a brand new 1992 Toyota Extracab 4x4. Enjoyed it for 14 years and well maintained. Paid if off in 3 years instead of 4. Had to sell it because our first kid came along.

Sold it for really good money at the time. Put the money from that and cash towards a 3 year old lease return Nissan Pathfinder. So no car payment. Great family car. Well maintained from me. Drove it for 15 years. No issues.

Wore that out and bought a brand new 2020 Toyota TRD Sport DCLB 4x4. Did not want a new one. Prices of used ones were damn near new. Bit the bullet and bought new instead. Did not want frigin car payments. Last car payment was 1995.

Interest rates were 1.9% for 6 years. Sucks having car payments but the pain will be over in 3.4 years and I’ll have a great truck for the next 15 years.

Because we got such a low rate we decided not to pay cash and financed instead. But I still hate car payments.

Once were done it will be like a pay raise and or improved cash flow.

Everyone’s situation is different. I would push my luck with your old truck. See where interest rates and supply shortages are headed in a year and then reassess.

 

My 2 cents: You've owned it for the last 60,000 miles, know it's history, quirks (if any), repairs and maintenance records. There's no unusual events or unusual failures that stand out in your above summary: looks like mostly normal wear and tear replacement items to me. Your demands on it are now reduced. Maybe put a little time in to investigate the sluggishness and correct that if you discover something that's causing it. Is it a 4-banger? If it is, it's probably normal for a truck with 240,000 on it and: "it's giving you everything it's got Captain!!" (said Scotty to Captain Kirk, and likely will for another 100,000.) Replace the valve cover and oil pan gaskets when they give up and address anything else as (if) they come up. If it's a V6 with 240K on it: See previous.

Keep it.

 

Keep the Taco till she's paid off, no doubt.

Address the motor sluggishness...may just be the way it is? Could be time for headers, exhaust, cold-air intake, custom tune...tehe. And make sure you keep the frame completely coated with Fluid Film, Wool Wax, or similar.

Most Tacomas die due to rust, believe it or not.

If your transmission is still strong after a couple spill-and-fills, you should be good there. Keep up the spill-and-fills every 4th oil change or so, and you will be good. Make sure to keep your fluid at the correct level by following the factory manual procedure.

(Although I just idle the truck from cold for about 10 minutes, shifting through the gears a couple times, back in Park, leave motor running, then open the overflow plug on the bottom of the transmission until just a slight trickle of fluid comes out...plenty close enough.)

Don't assume the transmission fluid level was correct to begin with.

Keep up with the wear and maintenance items, and your truck will hit 300k in stride!

ToolCat

 

It’s the 4.0 since it’s a double cab long bed I think.

I would keep the truck OP until you at least pay it off, car loans suck.

 

If its still reliable compare what your monthly repairs are compared to a car payment. Most people are just keeping what they have for 12-14 years now because they cant afford new car payments. If the truck is still in good shape over all it maybe worth having everything replaced mechanically and keep going. Even though I can afford a new car I wont be buying anymore. A car payment is almost as much as a house payment now and a car is a disposable product. For me it doesn't make any sense to waste my money like that. I saw these days coming several years ago and now have 2 Toyotas and a Mazda with all having very low miles 2013 - 2020. The plan is to never buy another car. Just keep what I have. I sold my classic car and paid cash for the 2020 new. No car payments.

 

How attractive is a $700 truck payment to you every month for years?