New guy, looking to buy a tacoma.

Hey everyone-

Glad to join here, and looking forward to viewing what everyone has done and shared on the tacoma's they own.

I do not currently own a taco, but plan to buy one with in the the year. I currently drive a 2011 Nissan. Pathfinder with the 4.0 v6 in 2wd. I use it to tow a 3,600# travel trailer(camper) which is about 4,000# plus 500 in the cabin when traveling. The pathfinder is adequate; however I do not like having 2wd with a LSD in the rear. The car was originally for my wife, but after a year she got a new one due to a longer commute to save on gas.

I am looking at selling my pathfinder later this year to pay her car off and plan to purchase a double cab tacoma. I am current looking at dcsb v6 auto trd off road with tow package as my top choice. I rarely go off road so I cannot justify the lower mpg from 4x4. However the locker does interest me as being an alternative in the event that I do need it ( even if is only for low speeds). I have only gotten stuck once with my LS rear end in two years; however a locker would have easily gotten me out. I am also open to a long bed or 4x4 if the prices is right.

So first thing is do those with 4x4 how does your mpg look on average. I know everyone one is different and elevation plays a roll also. But just looking for a feeler. I currently average 17.5 mpg and do 80/85% city driving. When towing I am around 9/10 mpg which is a result of the pathfinder not having a torque converter in the even gears therefore I end up using 3rd gear (of 5 with OD) a lot because the roads to the camper ground I go to is pretty hilly. I believe I have looked and this isn't an issue with the tacoma, and many just say to turn OD of and go. I would likely get a scan guard or like item to monitor teams tempt later on to do further towing. However currently my trips are on e a month and 50 miles each way max.

Looking forward to reading and learning more and open to any opinions on things to look for or avoid and if a 4x4 SR5 long bed might be better than the off road sb I am looking at. I have to have tow package double cab v6 auto for sure the rest is nice to haves. I am thinking about going new, because I typically buy 1-3 year old vehicles however with the resale value the way it is on taco's and interest rated new seems like a better value.

Thanks for reading this long first post. I was previously considering just getting a used frontier but after further research I feel a tacoma is a better truck and choice all around.

 

Mpg difference between the prerunner and 4wd is negligible. If you're worried about money, up front cost of a 4wd vs a prerunner is what will cost you, not the gas.

 

Will just having 4x4 as an option really decrease your fuel economy if you keep on 2WD any way? I have the Off-Road package on mine, and I JUST got it and it's may, I haven't had the chance to use it in the snow with the A-TRAC or locking diff. But I feel a RWD with very little weight in the back is going to be a nightmare in the snow without 4WD. I would go for it!

BTW, still on the fill-up from the dealer, so haven't been able to calculate my avg mpg yet

 

This.

I get around 20 mpg highway. (4wd)

 

Thanks everyone. I believe I am dead set on the dcsb off road prerunner because of return on investment. However if I find what I think is a good deal on a dclb 4x4 I may go for it. However my issue is with resale value as it is buying 2/3 years old barely saves me any money over new. The dealership locally quoted me $30,031 out the door for a dcsb trd off road with entune and tow package. I feel like that is a pretty good deal. But open to hearing what others came out for new or used.

 

I got a 2005 DCSB OR PreRunner with 79k miles for $15k it's the best investment I've ever made. Although it was private party. I have yet to see one that cheap again. I like to think I got a good deal.

Gas isn't an issue. I have 3" lift with racks, softtopper, and larger tires and I'm getting roughly 16 city 19-20 highway. A lot people told me the racks and softtop would affect the mileage drastically but it didn't.

 

Sticker price is $31/31.5k. I would be out the door for 30k which is 6% tax plus the tag title and destination fee and any dealer paperwork fees. So I think out the door for 1k less than msrp isn't half bad.

If I went used it'd be 2010 or newer and 45k miles or less but those are all 20-25 here in mid Georgia. So I feel new is more cost effective. But would only get 4x4 if it were a used truck because of the extra $ up front.

 

I have owner 10 vehicles in the 10 years I have been driving and only one has been from a dealer. So I don't mind private party at all and normally find such good deals I am still up in a years time or lost so little that I just go ahead and switch again.