Car guy buying a truck?

Hi all -

I've always been a car guy and always thought my next car would be something fast, was very close to putting a deposit down for a Focus RS. However, I recently bought a motorcycle to fulfill my speed needs and the idea of buying a truck to accompany is very appealing..

Anyone else switch over to a truck from car-enthusiast-land? Love it or regret it? My main concerns are that I will miss the performance of a car and also the idea of sub 20's in MPG aren't very appealing (grabbing popcorn for the comments this will create).

I have a very strict manual-only policy when buying a car/truck. So the fun factor will always remain

 

Welcome to TW, 4cyl,5spd, love it, with a v6 you will love it to, just don't get HUGE wheels.

 

Welcome to TW!

You can own both.

 

Welcome, traded my 2014 Camry SE Sport for a 2016 Tacoma Access Cab 5 months ago, never going back to a car, depends on your situation but having a truck comes in handy in many ways for me (Also, I never spent any time on camryworld....tacos are different much more fun to obsess over)

 

Your intended use of the truck is not clear. Do you intend to put the bike in the bed or tow a trailer? If you put the bike in the bed of the truck you may want to consider a long bed.

A truck is not a car. Its center of gravity is higher, the rear is going to be light, do you want a 4x4, etc., etc. You need to test drive what you are intending to drive/buy.

 

Several years back I concluded it is difficult to be highly satisfied with just one vehicle. There are simply too many competing functions, such as driving excitement versus hauling, mileage versus off-road capability, etc.

Back then, I picked up a lightly used Jeep Wrangler after my Toyota MR2 was paid for. Suprisingly, maintaining and operating two cars is not twice as expensive as one, since you don't drive both at the same time.

Today it is a Lotus Elise and a Taco, both in stick shift. I could not be more satisfied.



Welcome to TW and enjoy your pair!!

 

I traded in my Mazda 3 in December for my Tacoma. Don't regret it for a second.

 

The car like mid size truck is the GM twins. The Tacoma, while still have some truck mannerisms, is definitely way more refined feeling than any of my Rangers were. The new Ridgeline is probably even closer to a car like ride but we'll have to wait until reviews come out. Only way to find out is to test drive though.

 

I was always a big car guy before getting a truck. I had a Mustang, a G35 and a couple Corvettes before. Then I decided to try a truck out and I never went back. Can't see myself ever not being a truck guy now, and don't miss fast cars at all.

As for MPG, around town, I routinely get around 20-22mpg.

 

I went from a turbo'd Infiniti G35 (over 400hp to the wheels) to the Tacoma. You have to be prepared for a complete different vehicle. I was tired of not having any practicality. Plus my job changed and when I had the G35, I had a company vehicle for a daily driver. So the G35 was just a toy, now the Tacoma is my reliable daily driver.
Good luck.

 

I've always been a Tacoma guy and have owned an 06 and a 12. I sold my 12 and bought a car. I never realized how much I actually used my truck for things that you just can't do. Mostly hauling things like my dirt bike, tree limbs, and the occasional lumber. I don't think I'll ever be without a truck again. I just sold my car last night and pick up my truck on Thursday.

 

Yea I say if you like speed keep your moto, there is nothing like the rush of speed on a motorcycle. I was always into fast cars and race tracks but as I get older I look for practicality of daily driving and hauling stuff from Costco Lol. So I'm getting a truck that will do daily stuff n haul my bikes n take it off road on weekends.

 

I went from an old school ford bronco to bare bones toyota corolla. It was supposed to be temporary, but temporary ended up being almost 200k miles. Anyway, after years with my tiny four banger I routinely day dreamed about getting a fast car. I ended up getting a tacoma because I now have a little boy who want to go fishing, camping, and four wheeling and a wife who needs garden supplies... also, I finally got my motorcycle endorsement (in my quest to become a legit, rule following member of society) so I have other ways to go fast.

I have 500 miles on my tacoma now and I love it. It takes a little getting used to (parking the new truck vs beat up corolla is way different), but it is a fun vehicle. As a bonus, it turns out that sitting up higher reduces my road rage about 200%.

 

Used to have a 03' s2000, after that a 08' Lexus is350, then a 08' Silverado lifted 6 inches, not the tacoma. Loved my s2000 so much fun but after owning it 5 years it just wasn't practical anymore. I wear a suit to work and I couldn't even hang my coat in there, so I sold it and bought a fully loaded Lexus is350, great car lots of power and fully loaded, until I went camping... I couldn't fit my cooler anywhere besides the back seat. So then I bought a lifted Silverado as my first truck I was in love. A truck that big just commands respect on the road and makes your balls feel huge. After about 6 months of ownership getting 10mpg was catching up, quick. It also broke down on me about 4 times in 6 months. I got a promotion at work and decided it was time for something new. I still wanted a truck/bigger vehicle, I wanted better gas mileage, and I don't tow anything. Decided to go with the tacoma and I love it for the most part, feels like my Silverado and Lexus had a baby and out came the 2016 tacoma. My only complaint is the 6spd automatic, feels underpowered and I sit in too much traffic (socal) to go back to a manual. Also wish I would of got 4x4, but it's a lease that I will probably trade in after 2 years.

Overall think it depends on your daily routine and what your looking to get out of it. On another note all my friends that ride street bikes always drive so slow and I always ask them why and they all say "I've gone fast and I know what fast is and I know I'm not going to get it out of any car."

 

I'm a first time truck owner. All types of cars usually German sedans and Japanese modded sports cars. I've had the Tacoma for just over 2000 miles and love it. The practicality is something I've never had before. When I get back in my e500 I gave my wife it does feel sportier but I can't see myself going back to a car. I might be a truck guy forever

 

Yeah once you get used to the practicality and ability of a truck, it's hard to imagine going back to anything else. lol

 

I guess I'm like most here. I need a truck to do the crap stuff that comes with home ownership (hauling, yard work, etc). I don't need a fullsize, so the Tacoma is a nice compromise and it's super-offroadable for weekend stuff like hiking and exploring. I live in NM, so there's plenty to explore. If I want to drive a car, I have a 550i that satisfies my need for speed and cushy comfort.

I suppose if I had to choose, I've give up the beemer. The truck is definitely more a need than a want.

 

I gave up my bmw 135i 6MT for a TRD OR 4x4 DCSB this month. I owned the 135i outright, but it gave me too much trouble to continue ownership (it only had 16k miles on it). Another way to say it was I walked away from the 135i for peace of mind.

If you make this shift, i think the only way you'll be satisfied is to let go of any pretense that a truck can be sporty. As others have said, the driving dynamics are completely different. I already miss the drive from the bmw, which was easily the most fun car I have owned when it worked. I'm sure I'll angle my way into a sporty car again, but only as a third car (the wife rolls an odyssey, which could not make her any happier).

 

Thanks for the warm welcomes. Glad to know the Taco has a great community. I can honestly see myself buying a truck soon here and then never going back. Need to crunch some more numbers, but may be part of the community soon . Interesting to read everyone's path to a owning a truck. Never known someone who didn't love it.

 

The compromised road-holding is the worst part of driving a truck for me. These are typical skipad values for different types of vehicles:
-Sports car on summer tires ~1g
-Family sedan on all-seasons ~0.85g
-Minivan/crossover on all-seasons ~0.75g
-Pickup on all-seasons ~0.65g (worse on AT tires)

So an on-ramp that I can take at 60 MPH before losing grip in my BMW would be treacherous in a Taco at around 40 MPH. And a RWD sedan will generally tend toward oversteer, which you can fix with more throttle and counter-steering. A nose-heavy pickup will understeer when losing grip in a curve, which sends you into the ditch. That's a big adjustment.

I nearly flipped it the first time I drove a borrowed Chevy pickup on a twisty back road when I was in college. If you are used to cars, trucks seems downright dangerous in a curve. It's also an issue whenever attempting avoidance maneuvers/emergency lane changes/etc. A sedan dodging a piece of road debris may remained composed, but a pickup doing the same maneuver might spin out or worse, flip.

Bottom line, drive much more carefully and defensively in a pickup than you would in a car.