Buying Used... What to Prioritize?

I think the value on those trucks is going to drop, it might not be by much. There are a lot of them out there, and the way people trade 1&2 year old Tacomas for the same gen Tacoma, there will be a lot of people going for the new 4th gen. What ever impact the economy plays in the used car market is another factor, that bubble is bound to burst.

I just looked at one dealer site and they are still listing up to $2500 ADM on in transit Sports and Limiteds. Last month they had a Sport AC on the lot listed for MSRP. I wonder what it went for?

Edit I forgot to add it all depends on how many 4Gs and how fast Toyota can pump them out.

 

IMHO. Over buy what you need. Trucks last several hundred k. So one with a premium packages might cost a bit more but over time might wear better. I have a 15 with 150k. Owned it for 4 years and 45k. If you buy parts as they come that is fine too. Reg maint. Couple amz sensor buys. I put on a topper. 3 in icon lift. Trd tires\ rims. From a19. prinsu racks. Bought all used at bottom prices. Take your time and you can outfit it decently. Looking at leather next. Found a one seat set for 900.
If I would redo. 4dr. 4X4 trd. I would look at lowest miles with best package. Receipts. Some fixins maybe on it. Also a long bed. Huge option I wish I had.

 

Also, OP, I bought my '05 about 1.5 years ago? Maybe March of last year? I paid roughly the MSRP for it as a new vehicle but the PO did have it repainted and despite 128k miles it was pretty clean, zero rust, leaf pack recall so new leafs, frame you could eat off. I've probably done more damage to it than the PO did in all the time he had it. Was that a smart buy? Definitely not. My wife hates it. I dumped a lot more on a new suspension which was really unnecessary. But if you can be a bit flexible on some things you can get your must-haves. I wouldn't sweat anything replaceable (brakes, lights, a body panel or two, all interior trim) nor would I really give 2 s's about the mileage within reason, I'd focus on vehicle condition and history.

Last, the 2.7 I4 is super reliable but the 4.0 v6 is way way way more fun (that's what my dad has) so, yeah, both have pros and cons. I wouldn't mind swapping to a 4.0 but I also sort of like my wimpy little truck cause it's the most compact of all the rigs.

 

Something like this would be a decent path too, though many of these TW trucks have mods that the buyer may not like as much as the seller. And I know that's a haul but it'd be an OK road trip and vehicle transport isn't insane. Most important to me is the seller and trust factor. Like I said, go for the older, responsible, dude who is downsizing / doesn't need a 2nd rig or has stopped driving, those are the trucks to buy.

 

A low mile 2nd gen is absolutely worth the 25-35k theyre getting. I dont care about how many years old it is, I care about what condition its in. Personally, I dont care for all the new tech in the 3rd gens, nor do I care for the 3.5L. I bought a 2015 two years ago for the same money I couldve got a low mile 2020, zero regrets. Got the tank motor I wanted, the rugged good looks I wanted, and the reliability I wanted. Would make that choice again 10/10 times.

 

One thing I’ve learned following the Tacoma market for many years is that it is never predictable. It might drop, might not.

If 4G is a dud, values could go up.

I would more focus on pricing of the 4th gen. How much is it going up? Is it worth my money to hold out and wait for the shiny new truck?

 

Open the distance your willing to go. Just did a quick search in Texas found 33 4wd dcsb mileage from 90-120k price range 19.5 -24k a few lower mileage ones in the 27k range.

 

I keep hearing, ask for maintenance records. I've owned my 08 from new. It did get the 2yrs of oil changes and tire rotations from the dealer (which was a waste of my time). Other than that, it has never had anyone under the hood but me. What I've done in the 130kmi is plugs, serpentine belt, oil changes, tire rotation (every 5k), set of rotors/pads and air filters. What else is there to do. Am I supposed to keep a log of that?

 

Was in same boat as you. Wanted the 2nd gen, but they were too much in my opinion. For $5k more I could have gotten a new 2020 Tacoma. But I didn’t like the 3rd gen engine and tranny.
The 2nd gen is more solid. Drives better.

only issues is rust. The bed coming loose….just need to loosen the bolts and put some washers….and random bushings. Like the radiator support bushings go out. But they do on all tacomas.

But the 3rd gens get better mpg and look good with mods.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys, too many to respond too individually now. I've been looking at a wide radius for vehicles and wouldn't mind traveling to somewhere like Texas if I was buying a new truck for a good deal. But I have some sort of mental block about traveling 3 days to save a couple grand on a used vehicle. Idk, I'll have to do the math between the savings for further cars vs the cost of travel and time. Seems like a pretty even distribution of opinions which is about what I've gotten from other internet forums and in person.

 

You don’t need to travel 3 days. Where are you located?

 

Charlotte, NC. The other guy would mentioned Texas, which would be about 2-3 days depending on where it was. I keep my search settings at 250 miles when looking. I'm not opposed to going further but will have to draw the line at some point

 

Look around at dealers in the NC, SC, even VA areas. Shouldn’t need to travel all the way to Texas.

 

For sure. NC and SC seem to be pretty pricey. MD and WV have lots of good deals but that brings the rust issue back into the equation.

 

I would try southern VA (not NOVA). Might find less rust compared to MD/WV.

 

I recently purchased a 2019 Tacoma 4WD Limited as a college graduation present (University of Arkansas) for my son. This was the toughest auto/search I've ever done, spanning all the states in my vicinity (NW Arkansas). Prices seemed to be going up weekly. The one (1) owner, 2018-2022 Tacomas for sale, sold before I could even make arrangements to see the cars. The dealers were loading up on previous rentals because of demand for these cars with moderate mileage, asking $40-$42k with no warranties. Just lunatic crazy. My perseverance finally paid off finding a 2019 Tacoma Limited (4WD, loaded, with factory tonneau cover). One owner from SW Arkansas, (no rust), 37k miles. Just out of warranty. The dealership was asking $39,999, felt fortunate to negotiate price down to $37k. The truck is immaculate, looks like new and mechanically excellent. My advice: You need to be persistent, know exactly want you want (and don't want). You will find what you are looking for. It just may take some time.

 

Minimal/no rust OR frame swap completed post-rust with still minimal/no rust and from there maintenance records. Even if the seller keeps their own spreadsheet because they did their own maintenance and it's built up and recorded to the standard of an anal accountant I wouldn't think a scam is likely; it's still worth confirming with an auto tech through inspection.

Buy higher mileage and/or bring your years back a bit, 2010+ even. In terms of mileage 100-150k(or more) is nothing if you don't see rust and maintenance was kept up. If you like the 4th gen when they're released you'll still be able to sell a 2nd gen off for something similar to your cost to buy even after a few years if you keep it well maintained, or more if Toyota Tax continues to climb. The less tech as more is introduced, the more people get really weird about hating technology and are likely to pay out the for a good, non-techy truck.

Good luck!

 

I wouldn't worry about mileage as long as it was maintained, you can expect multiple hundreds of thousands of miles out of a maintained 4.0L. I'd personally prioritize lack of rust and good maintenance over all else.

 

A note about rust. If the truck has been in the SW since new it is pretty safe. Even MOST trucks in the SE. Salt is rarely used here, but I've still seen some pretty rusty cars that have been in coastal areas. Especially Florida. It's hard to get far enough away from the coast anywhere there.