Talk me down off the ledge (again)

As the odometer in my '09 Tacoma TRD OffRoad nears 200K (196K now), I once again think if it may be the right time to trade in. Still love the truck and the way it looks but it is showing some age. Over the last year or so, the clearcoat started peeling on the roof and hood (I ended up doing my own clearcoat repair after watching YouTube videos. Results were not like new but a lot better than it was). Mechanically, the truck still runs good though the trans has been slipping for a while (normal for a Taco I understand). The rack has been leaking some fluid for a while too but even that doesn't seem too serious. Of course, there are a number of "little things" that I have learned to live with and don't really bother me. On the other side of the ledger, it's the end of the model year (and the end of the 3Gs). Around here, prices have come down to as much as $4K under MSRP. I'm guessing the recommended course of action is to stay the course, make the necessary repairs, if and when they come up, and save the monthly payment. Right?

 

If you have to ask, sell it.

 

Times are not looking good, I wouldn’t be spending $40k on a truck right now. But that’s just me.

 

I can do a huge amount of maintenance for the cost of a monthly payment.

I'm a cheap bastard, so my advice is not gonna be what you want to hear.

You got a cell phone. Towing is only 45 minutes away.

A new truck payment is will be with you for 6+ years.

It's your money, but that $600 a month into a retirement fund will be HUGE in 30 years!

Just remember, every new truck you see on the road is going to be financed. Yet they gonna see you and think, he banking money!

This is a Toyota hoodwink. We buy these trucks because they are quality. Yet we keep them them same amount of time as other brands. Don't fall into this well.

This makes no sense.

The only way to come out ahead is to keep the truck for 15+ years.

Payment free is a wonderful feeling!

 

The A750 transmission isn’t known for slipping.
But that seems to be the biggest issue you have.

I think you should keep it and drive it until it quits.
But for some people, that’s not easy to do.
Some people can’t afford the have a vehicle die on them.

If you think you’d be happier with a new(er) truck.
Then that’s probably what you should do.

 

If the world ends, you don’t have to pay off that $40k!

 

Keep it.

Get it a deep cleaning inside n out. Get seat covers/new mats! 200k miles you're just breakin it in etc.
i was in a similar situation with my '06 with thinking about trading it in at 240k miles but no way, im at 314k miles now and still daily driven. I did add a '21 and i kind of regret having a $600 monthly payment.

 

I have kids to pick up and take places. If it was just me, I’d drive the same old truck around for forever. But as is, I hate the hassle of coordinating tows, rental cars, all the logistics and unplanned expenses, worrying about how I’m gonna get my kids home, all that stuff. Plus not knowing if a mechanic is being honest about things.

And I don’t enjoy working on vehicles, never have put the time and money into learning and buying all the equipment.

So if you were me it’s time to move on.

 

Some people don’t mind car payments. I’m not one of them, but you do you.

 

The last sentence of your post is what I'd do.

 

Personally I would ask a bunch of strangers and do whatever they say

 

Right

 

The answer is never trade it in. Sell it yourself, take it to CarMax, keep it, do anything with it before you trade it in. In reality, you've made it this close to the release of the 4th gen. You might as well wait around and see if the hype is real. The price tag won't be pretty, but on paper, it has a lot to offer. The 3rd gen is fine, at the end of the day, it's just a truck. Newness wears off and you just have an expensive thing in the garage you're afraid of getting the 1st scratch, the first drip of oil, all that. We drive Toyota trucks because they work more often than the comps. Just hang tight for a year. If time goes by and you still want a 3rd gen instead of the 4th, I'm sure people will be unloading their gently used 3rd gens to get the new latest, greatest thing.

 

Or, sell it and buy.. drumroll please... another used 2nd gen in the 2010-2015 model year range, from a 1st owner with low mileage and good maintenance records.

 

Drive it till it dies then part it out for big bucks !!!

 

Keep it and buy a RAM TRX, last year of the hellcat V8.

 

This. People simply don’t understand this and think it’s cheaper to buy a new vehicle. If you’re happy with what you’ve got, keep it and save money. If you need to scratch an itch, buy your truck something nice.

 

By "necessary repairs", are you ready to spend a few thousand dollars to have a reman transmission put in, plus another $1k+ if the rack leak gets worse? If the answer is "yes", then stay the course. If the answer is "no", then sell it while it still runs.