Howdy from the Hoosier state

Greetings! I'm currently "pre-taco", doing a lot of research on them as I've never owned a truck before and the choices/options I want are not easy to find to test drive (manual transmission, mostly).

I'm 41, and I've owned five cars in my life - four sticks and an auto. The auto's my current daily driver but I really miss having a stick. I had a serious issue with the auto/throttle response and I almost sold it right there, but was able to fix it with a firmware update. I've never really been happy with it since, truth be told, so I started searching the interwebs a few weeks ago for choices.

My two "must haves" are a stick and some type of cargo space. So it's come down to either "hot hatchbacks" like the Mazdaspeed 3 (I'm too old for that) or a few choices in trucks. Of the ones I've seen I like the Taco by far over the others (FJ, Xterra, etc.) I've ruled out the SUVs and other vehicles that only offer a MT on their lowest trim with a smaller engine. That's not something I really wish to support with my hard-earned moolah. I appreciate the fact that the MT Taco comes with the same engine as the auto, and same trim possibilities.

I've test driven a nice double cab (but auto), and a standard cab (manual), and I'm definitely hoping to snag a Metallic Grey MT 4x4 TRD OR DCSB sometime later this year. Now it's just a matter of patiently waiting to find the right one at the right price that I am comfortable with, and hopefully not have to drive to California to get it (I did that for one car already). I'm in no hurry, and enjoying the research!

It's been an absolute blast for this IT nerd to pour over the forums and learn an amazing amount of information - the good, the bad, and the ugly. The tips, advice, and hard-learned lessons are incredibly valuable resources. The sales drones don't have a chance with me, I seem to already know more than they do. I am very thankful to have found this vibrant and amazing community!

I definitely have a few questions, but I'll post those in the relevant forums soon.

 

COLTS FTMFW!

 

Rohrman usually doesn't carry much in the way of choices. You may want to go a little ways while looking. I ended up in Louisville to find mine

Good luck!

 

Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/65aYP







After a long, strange trip I have finally come out victorious. Say hello to the newest vehicle anyone in my family has ever had (and my first truck)! Check out the ODO in the last pic.

I initially wanted the Grey Metallic, but ended up picking the Silver Streak. I think it'll maintain easier and I already have a black fun car to pamper when it gets caught in rain.

Best part, and I didn't get a pic of it, is that she's a manual! I searched high and low for that, they're getting rarer these days.

First two mods are already in the works - Weathertech mats (I've had them before, love them), and a locking Undercover smooth tonneau cover, color-matched to the body.

I cannot thank the TW.com community enough for your collective input, wisdom, and humor. This community-driven resource is just amazing, and worth the weight of the truck. I just hope I can contribute meaningful experiences back to you guys!

One piece of advice/experience I can share - the website truecar.com absolutely rocks. I saved about 1600 bucks going through it, and finding a dealer only about an hour away. They didn't hassle or haggle, and flat out gave me the discounted price even though they had to swap trucks with a dealer literally across the country. They knew they got my business because of the website, and I was happy with the nice chunk of change kept in my pocket.

 

Great looking Tacoma! Nice color too!

 

Nice! Welcome aboard!

 

The first milestone, hopefully of many more to come!



No complaints so far! I get about 2MPG less than my previous daily, but I'm back on regular octane as opposed to 93, so I'm a good 20-30 cents cheaper per gallon.