Buy preowned advice

Hi, I don't own a Tacoma currently but am looking for a 2015-2017 to replace my 1994 Nissan 4x4 King Cab Hardbody. A few questions that have come up while shopping:

• Does the rear seat in Crew Cab and Access Cab fold up so you can use the floor space?
• Does Tacoma still require premium gas? That seems to be a secret.

 

You don't need premium unless you're running the supercharger. I haven't had a 2nd gen ext cab so I can't answer that but I would assume so since they did in my first gen tacoma.

 

3gen:

Crew cab- seat backs fold down creating a hard plastic surface

Access cab- seats do fold up, but there's a little storage compartment under them. However the Utility SR package deletes the rear seats entirely.

 

I had an 08 and a 15 Access Cabs, there was more room and function in the 08 due to the rear seat design. I think 05-06 V6 was the only ones that required Premium Fuel as they made 245HP vs 236HP from 07-15.

 

Thanks! Also does 2d and 3d gen access cab have doors with latch on the front edge, or do you have to fold the front seats forward? It's another detail they seem to leave out of descriptions.

 

They open clam shell, no need to move the front seats.

 

How hard are rear Access and Crew Cab seats to remove? My concern is getting an 80# elderly dog in without having to lift him so his feet are level with my waist. (I realize a minivan would be optimal but that's not going to happen .)

 

They look like a bitch to remove.

SR w/utility package sounds like what you want.

 

With the rear access cab seat folded up against the back wall vs removed, you're talking about maybe two inches of space gained.

 

Put the dog in the bed..

Unleaded 87 octane for the 3rd gen trucks. I use pure gas in mine, (No ethanol)

 

My 2¢ worth (and keep in mind I'm old); buy a '15--stay away from the '16 and '17...

 

Yeah but try to find one used.

 

Ah, there's some advice! How come?

 

But not in 2d gen? See I've actually been looking casually at them for years, probably since around 2000. The rumor then was the manual said premium.

 

Well, you can spend days reading here in the 3rd gen forum. Lots of love, lots of hate.

Best thing to do is look each over very carefully, then take a lengthy test drive in each sample, and make up your own mind.

I would agree with Cliff, but probably for reasons different than most folks would expect.

I'd also suggest that if a '15 is suitable to you, a '13 or '14 would be also.

There are lots of threads where folks have modified the rear area to make dog platforms and nice storage area underneath. You might like researching those for ideas.

 

Just look up any year and engine (on any vehicle) at www.fueleconomy.gov and you'll see what the fuel requirement is.

 

In the access cab the seats fold up. Then build a flat platform for your old friend to rest on. I am getting ready to tackle this project myself. I would pass on buying a used 2016 and go to a later made 2017. A used 2016 I would run far and fast away. There's usualy a good reason someone dumps a one year old truck. Either way there is no bargan buying a 1 year old used Tacoma.

 

Yeah but a test drive won't tell me about mechanical issues and other stuff that takes a while to emerge. Maybe the forum will help but like you say that's days of reading. That's what I was hoping to hear about, if there's anything not obvious I should be aware of. For example if I had known my 94 Nissan would last 23 years with only minor repairs I would have bought 3 of them . . .

So nobody nobody wants to summarize issues with 3d vs 2d gen? In retrospect I notice I straddled the two generations when I said I'm looking at 2015-2017.

 

I'm noticing 2016 priced very high anyway compared to price of a new one. Like a resale value bubble or something.

 

I already explained that in Post #4, 05-06 required Premium Fuel and the from 07- present is Regular