Short time lurker. Looking at a Toyota.

Hello all ,

Been lurking these forums for a couple weeks now. After seeing a few Tacomas , and reading about them I am thinking about getting one. I am tired of my 02 Silverado 1500 , its on its 3rd tranny that went out a couple months ago , it only has 70k plus change on it , first two covered under warranty , and ofcourse a couple months after warranty expires , boom third one takes a shit.

Anyways , I had a few questions.

Pre-05 do they still have a TRD package with locker?

Which has more parts availability?

Are the pre05's know for better reliability?

Do any of the regular cabs come with v6 or are they v4 only?

I will be using it mostly to commute , and to go out on the check the ranch/hunt. 4wd is a must. looking at no bigger than the ext cab. I might be lifting it later , do not want to run bigger than 31 or 32 10.50's. would like to later add nice front and rear bumpers and a winch

I am leary of automatics , I swore to myself after this I would never get another one , they just cost to damn much to replace and they leave a bad taste in my mouth. Am I really limiting myself to some awesome trucks by not wanting an automatic. Or am I overly cautios

I am thinking pre-05 probably used , looking for less than 60-70k. I am good on my maintenance schedules. Do not want to finance , looking to trade the silverado when I get it fixed. Bonus , my gf family owns a Toyota dealership , and I dont think they would steer me wrong on a nice used Taco.

Any input would be awesome. Thank you.

 

Autos on 05+Tacos are actually better than the manuals. The use the tranny out of the 4.7L Tundra and they're quite beefy.
Yes pre 05 come with TRD and locker.
No clue which one has more parts. I'm going to say 2nd gens do just because.
I think pre 05s are known for more reliability because A) There are far more 2nd gens, and B) Internet has far advanced from the 1st gens. Any issues with those truck would have gone unknown by the community just based on communications available today.
No clue on reg cabs. They don't exist in Canada.

 

Reliability is great in both IMO but 05+ you'll want an auto tranny they have less problems
Yes single cabs only come with I4 no V4
toyota makes great auto trannys so I wouldn't worry about that when looking for one.

 

Welcome!

 

I am on my 3rd Taco, (5 year leases), all 3 were/are TRD OFF ROAD with lockers, V-6 and automatics. The automatics are flawless like the engines.

2001 extra cab (2 door): 136,000 miles in 5 years with no breakdowns, replaced a water pump at 90,000 miles, nothing else failed!

2005 double cab (4 door): 102,000 miles in 5 years with no breakdowns, suspension was too soft and brakes made noise and had ABS issues, replaced the wire harness because air bag light came on... still good enough to go Toyota again...

2010 double cab (4 door): so far 22,000 miles in 1 1/3 year with no breakdowns, no problems or issues and is the best of the three Tacomas in all catagories of off roading and highway comfort. It did have a tranny drip when it was brand new that was fixed at dealer... Toyotas don't drip anything!

In 2009, the Off Road TRD 4WDs began to be equiped with A-TRAC which is an automatic locker system, when off roading in low range... works on front and rear tires and matches tire rotation so no loss of movement when a tire is in the air or in slush (which otherwise would just spin). Turns the Tacoma into a mountain goat!

 

Welcome from Ohio.

I'll leave the answers to the experts...

 

Thank you guys for your help and info. Im still in the process of looking , and getting my silverado fixed. These tacos hold their resale. Having trouble finding a good one for the right price , without 100k plus miles. my budget is top end 20k , would really like to stay at 15k or below with less than 100k miles especially if its an automatic.

Still looking , keeping my chin up.

 

Did they get the kinks out of the 6 speed in the models newer than 05-06 , or do they all have issues?