2015 or 2016

so I am in the market for a new Tacoma and do love the current body style but also love the new one coming out, am I stupid in buying a 2015? I don't think it's a good idea to buy a new design in first year what you guys think?

 

I was thinking the same exact thing the end of March, until I stopped being the normal me that had to have the latest and "greatest". I say "greatest" because right now in my opinion the 2016 isn't the greatest for my needs. I wanted a bad ass truck (check) and I have always wanted a tacoma, and most of all CHEAP QUALITY PARTS. Of course the word cheap is relative. Though, my meaning is that just look at some of the stickies in the for sale section. The body style and such has been the same for so long that there is numerous people just on this forum that make high quality cheap parts for sale right out of their garage. Some appear to have even become successful off of that business model utilizing this forum as marketing. I change cars every 2-5 years, plan to keep this truck 5-10 years. By that time, the new model will have almost the same backing as the current generation. Then if the new body style has grown on my enough to like, I will trade up.

Oh and you can get a 2015 cheaper of course.Got my TRD DC OR for a few grand below sticker and from what I have read that is unheard of on tacomas (in a sense, there is always those that can haggle a sweet deal).

 

eh, if you like how both look, its still a tacoma so you aren't screwing up either way.

the main thing is that the 2nd gen has a decade of modding work done and aftermarket parts readily available already. with the 3rd gen you are in new territory and it will be 1-2 years before you can do anything to make it not be stock. unless you are keeping it stock anyway, in which case toss a coin I guess.

 

Personally, I'd buy a 2015 because I don't really care for the "baby tundra" look. However, I don't think it's a bad decision getting a 2016, Toyota has always built quality vehicles and even with the changes on the new truck, I can't see any major problems arising, however, you never know...

Also, the 2nd gens are easier to mod at the moment.

 

Why not wait until you can actually test drive a 2016

 

I was seriously thinking about waiting for the 2016's but had concerns about the new model and I knew that the dealers would not be dealing on the new model for at least the first six months. I got a good deal on my 2015 and I am happy with my decision.

 

I was in the same boat in March, but decided to get the 2015 because I wanted one...now! Glad I did, too.

 

I've bought a new truck every two years or so for the past 30 years. So yeah, there's a good chance I'll have a gen3 Tacoma at some point.

 

That will only work if he can test drive a 2016 while he is still able to get a 2015 in the configuration he wants. Depending on what he wants, or how flexible he is about what he wants, that might not end up being true. In many regions Tacomas spend hardly any time on the lot before being sold.

But even if he might not be able to wait for a test drive perhaps he could wait a bit longer to see if more real information about the 2016 comes out.

 

Guess the thread was pointless

 

Buy the 2015. Then, if you find you like the gen3 better next year or two...trade for a new one.

It's really that simple.

 

Certainly not stupid, there are a lot of good reasons to buy a 2015 now. And there are a lot of good reasons to wait and buy a 2016. It really depends on the person and what they care about in their truck.

For me unless the 2016 was going to make a few very specific and significant changes there was little point in waiting to buy. In fact as far as the timeline I am trying to meet for having a fully modified and "built" truck there were many good reasons to avoid the 2016. So I waited just a few months to see the 2016 announcement to verify there weren't any big changes I'd care about and even given the little amount of information available at the announcement it was enough for me to decide buying a 2015 now was the best option for me.

Exactly the opposite would be true for a different buyer.

To rephrase your question I don't think it is necessarily a bad idea to purchase a new design. Sure, you'll probably end up affected by a few more TSBs than later model years of the same generation and that can be a pain to deal with. But if you go in eyes wide open to that fact then maybe there really isn't anything that bad about it.

But there certainly are conveniences to buying an old design. As someone already mentioned, extensive selection of aftermarket parts that are not only immediately available but also have many user reviews and extensive track records of reliability (or lack thereof). There is also the extensive knowledge base here on TW for the old design if you want to do various mods or need to diagnose problems. A great example would be the ECGS bushing for the front diff - that fixes a real problem that Toyota never got around to fixing on the 2nd gens and it took years for people to figure out the problem and ECGS to bring out a solution. There are more minor examples, like how to get the A/C to turn off in defrost more or how to add an ABS disable switch or a hundred other things that someone will have to figure out again for the 3rd gen, do it, test it and post instructions on.

All that's fine and good, but if the 2016 has something the 2015 simply doesn't and that is important to you then maybe you prefer taking the small "risk" of the first year of the new gen.

So no universal correct answer and neither choice is stupid. It really depends on what you need/want more than anything.

 

Hmm... Didn't follow the logic there. But I am slow to catch on sometimes to be sure!

 

Two months ago I decided I was going to trade in my car for a Tacoma. Initially I was thinking I'd wait for the 3rd gen - one of my primary reasons for truck versus car was towing the family camper, and the 2016 reportedly has a better engine and a better transmission.

Then I started thinking about it more. Two times in the past I have purchase a first-year model and it hasn't worked out great. Additionally, the demand was high so the deals were hard to come by and the wait times were long. And, as others have suggested, the 2nd gen has been available for 10 years so there is a large selection of aftermarket accessories and improvements to meet my needs.

I bought in April, I got a solid deal, and I was able to get the exact config I was looking for. Had I waited for the 2016, I would have hopefully owned one by October likely at MSRP pricing and compromised on the features based on what was available, with the added uncertainty around the new engine and new transmission. I gave up the fresh look and some of the more sophisticated creature comforts like auto climate control, but well worth it for what mattered to me.

It really is up to you, though. I'm sharing my perspective but that doesn't mean it applies to your situation. Good luck!

 

Sounds like you'd be satisfied either way.I would buy a 15 because i think the new 3rd gen is ugly outside and inside.Just my opinion.Buy a 15 wait a few yrs for the 3rd gen kinks to be worked out and trade it in for a 3rd gen.Toyota's reliability/dependability and resale value will remain with the Tacoma.

 

2017
Maybe even 2018

 

I was considering the same decision. I don't find the larger grill on the 2016 as offensive as some, and a couple more mpg might've been nice. However, a shoulder surgery made it temporarily difficult to drive a standard, so I just decided to buy now.... going to the V6/Auto config. Shoulder is largely healed now, so I may have used it as more of an 'excuse' to buy rather than a 'reason'.

My tonneau and canoe rack were easily transferred, which may or may not have been true of the 2016. Aside from those items and a mirror with compass/temp, the vehicle is (and likely continue to be) bone stock, so the availability of mods was not a significant factor.

I'm fine with my decision, but I suspect had I waited, I'd be equally happy with THAT decision.

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you decide (with pics, of course).

 

Pure conjecture here. But if you want a truck that can tow, I'd buy now. Smaller motor more revs next year . If a more car type truck is what your after, then a '16 might be better for you. Just a thought.

 

At least as far as specified towing capacity goes the 2016 is suppose to do 6800 compared to 6500 for the 2015.

 

most likely a product of gearing not motor. I believe I read that ToMoCo is changing the ratio for gen3.

But, does the 300 lbs really make a difference?