Would you buy a 3rd gen again?

Yes because I love it ...

 

You spoiled 'Mericans!

 

Man I would love me a new 2023 Black Pro...

That way I wont have to buy a new vehicle for another 40 or so years

 

Not sure honestly. There’s a lot to like about the truck, mainly the reliability. It gets the job done. Looks pretty good (especially compared to the other comparable generation trucks). Lots of aftermarket support. Ok gas mileage for a truck.

On the other hand, there’s not a lot to love about it. Transmission and engine are meh. It’s not super exciting to drive (yes, I’m aware it’s not a sports car). Tech was outdated when it was made. Seats aren’t exactly comfortable. There’s some space in the backseat, but not a lot.

Like I said, it gets the job done. I had one previously, traded it for a Ram 1500 to get the sexier features, got burned by the reliability of that Ram, and reactively went back to another Tacoma because of reliability. After being in it for quite some time, the things I didn’t like before are becoming more apparent.

That being said, I’m more interested these days in not having a car payment and not having surprise car expenses pop up, so I think I’ll keep it for quite some time. Just understand what it is and what it isn’t and make the best choice for you.

 

It depends on how the 4th gen tracks out.

But, the 3rd gen is a good truck. Just pretty anemic down on the lower end of RPMs.

 

No way, if my 2017 gets totaled or driven to the ground I’m going back to a carbureted vehicle I can work on like a FJ40. For extra gear room on camping trips I would attach an off-road trailer to it also.

 

Yes.

 

I would, but I'm willing to deal with the quirks and shortcomings of the turd gen. A lot of people aren't so if you can, take one out for an extended test drive. The 3.5 has no power down low, early model years had gear hunting issues, ride quality compared to the competition isn't the best, seating position and just the general ergonomics of the driver's seat isn't the best. The armrest on the door is too low for my left arm to comfortably rest on because I have my steering wheel as high as possible. The center arm rest isn't leveled with said armrest/elbow rest on the door so it's just awkward. The steering wheel has tilt and telescoping adjustments but the adjustments are so small it feels like it only moves half an inch in/out/up/down. Compared to my '08 Civic Si, the steering wheel has damn near 5 inches of adjustability and the armrests/elbow rests are high enough for me to comfortable rest on while still being able to reach and hold the steering wheel the way I like. It also has more head room. Hell, it has more leg room in the rear and it has a rear center armrest unlike the Tacoma. The sound system also sucks, the seats aren't supportive, if you get one with leather it's stiff, the seat bottom doesn't extend out far enough, the lumbar is uselessly slow to adjust and it pushes out the entire bottom half of the back rest instead of a pinpoint area to actually support your lower back, and if you get one with leather seats, the bolster of the driver and front passenger seat rubs against the center console plastic. It's not an issue with the cloth seats since there's no friction but leather, or rather pleather, on plastic does cause friction so when it's a cold morning and you drive over a bumpy/broken ass road, you'll hear the pleather squeaking against the center console. I folded up some small, cheap cotton towels and stuffed it between the seat bolster and the center console. Oh, and no fucking rear defroster on any trims or configuration. At all.

All in all though, I love my pos turd gen TuRD Off Road Premium.

 

Last summer my wife and I bought a 2023 tacoma TRD Off Road, so I don't have definite proof that this truck will last. After all, she has only driven it 1,900 miles. But so far I have no complains about it. We decided not to buy the 2024 Tacoma with a turbo engine.

Thansmission: The way it behaves doesn't bother me. I read somewhere that the ECU runs it that way to enhance or save fuel (the CAFE MPG thing), and the software can be tuned.

Engine: It produces enough power for any of the tasks my wife and I put the truck to, including towing.

Brakes: While this Tacoma (2023 V6 model) would benefit from disk brakes all around, I was very careful braking to allow both the pads and shoes to gradually set, all at the same time. I took care of it for my wife, so braking is smooth and as firm as needed.
----------------
By the way, I tried to talk my wife into buying a 2023 4-Runner, but she was dead-set on buying a 2022-2023 Tacoma because they aren't as bulbous at the 4th Generation Tacomas. Also, (4th Generation), I am not fund of having electric grill louvers in from of the radiator, although it would be nice to have during the long Alaska winters If the electric motor fails to open the louvers during a hot summer day, you better park this truck right away and figure a way to spend them manually.

 

Love mine would buy again. A tune makes the trans much better. Only thing I’d do differently is probably have gone access cab.

 

I came from a Ram 1500 as well. That thing sure was comfortable and had all kinds of fancy tech, but good lord those electronics could have been designed by a 5 year old. I bought the truck new and took great care of it, but all the electronics started going at 60K miles. Traded it in for my 3rd gen and never looked back.

The 3rd gen taco is obviously a lot smaller inside and out, and not as comfy for long trips but I love knowing that it will just turn on and go when I need it. Doesn’t matter if I’m on a 7,000 mile road trip or going to the grocery store. Sometimes just getting that Ram out of the driveway was a safety hazard.

 

Yes, I would, it was a self indulgent retirement gift to me.

I bought this truck because it looked cool and with the manual transmission & sport suspension it was entertaining to drive. The Toyota reliability reputation was also a buying point.

Every time I turn the key (yes, an actual key ) it still whispers "let's roll" and I look forward to driving it downtown or 500 miles.

After 5-1/2 years I still look back in a parking lot and think "damn, that looks sharp".

And much to the dismay of my wife I still park way out in parking lots too.
<< Mrs Green

 

Name a mid-sized truck that has room in the back for a full grown adult. I've never understood this complaint.

 

I recently had to pack my Wife & Daughter in the back seat when we went to dinner on a cold night. (SIL sat up front)

Had to move my seat up because I saw there was no room for her knees to sit properly.

I'm 5' 7" and like to sit further back than my wife...I guess I'm a slouch! lol

Those seats are only good for short trips, for sure.

Anyway, I use the back seat for groceries and items I want covered.

When I get my DB Tonneau cover, I can add milk crate style units for stability in the bed and keep groceries from falling around.

 

Most folk don’t go to the interwebz to sing praises or let everyone know they had another trouble free year.

 

Oh, trust me, I know..and so does everyone else who knows me.

But crazier than that is keeping a $45,000 vehicle that you don't like the driving characteristics of because you can't admit to yourself you made a bad choice (and yes, on top of a year of acclimation time, I spent 4 figures trying to patch it up with different tunes, 2-low mods, etc).

Irony being I may have actually been happier with a tuned automatic with the 3.5 torque situation; but I bought in to the "last 6MT Tacomas ever!" and "6MT cures all 3G woes!" hype and went that direction.

OP, obviously it's a polarizing topic. There are hundreds of thousands of happy owners with a gazillion miles of trouble free driving bliss logged..but also, confirmation bias is a real thing too. Decide what is and isn't important to you. Do your homework. Do lots of test driving; it's not 2021 anymore, plenty of trucks around. I'm happy for those who are happy with their 3G, just wasn't for me. Good luck.

 

It's a great truck. Sure, you can read complaints here all the live long day, but think of those as a minute percentage of actual tacoma owners. Everyone's got something to gripe about. Personally, once I tuned the engine it was everything that I needed. The rest of the mods were just for fun or utility.

 

Wish I would have kept my Ram 2500 with the 6.7 Cummins. More fuel efficient, infinitely more comfortable, and better transmission. Tacoma really is a joke compared to the Ram.

 

..and why did you get rid of it in the first place? cost of ownership?