Considering a Tacoma...Anyone come from an F-150?

I came from F150s to Toyota.First to the 2000 Tundra then to Tacoma.If you liked the F150 you will love the Toyota.Your F150 was 55% American built.F150s noware 60% American built. The Tacomas are 70% American built.I started buying Toyotas because of quality issues.I must admit that Ford has came a long way since 1999.They are much better now but the F150 is just to big now.The F150s and the Tundras are huge.

 

Get the Double Cab! Many folks on this forum, myself included, started out with an Access Cab thinking they could manage, then a few years later get the Double Cab because it is more practical. Besides the extra room, the doors seal tighter and the cab feels more solid.

I had a '99 F-150 that I traded in for my first Tacoma (the '77 in my sig was my first truck, but wasn't called a Tacoma). The '99 had 190k miles and was on it's second engine with other issues piling up. Every vehicle has issues that need to be sorted out. I found that fixing the little issues with the Tacoma was much easier than fixing the "little" issues with the F-150. I no longer need to drive around with a full set of tools, a code reader, and spare coil packs like I did with the Ford.

 

I've had a F-150 in the past, a Dodge 2500 Cummings, and now have a 2010 Dbl cab Tacoma

The Taco is hands down the best truck I've owned! Well, it's actually my wife's truck... but whatever.

Why the Taco? We needed a truck again, and it was going to be her DD so she wanted a midsized that would be easy to drive and park in Dallas traffic, and a crew cab for carrying more than midgets in the backseat. Plus we haul manure, rock, dirt etc from my in-law's ranch fairly often and we tow a 5x8 trailer with our track bikes and gear about 1.5x a month. With the tow package, the Taco handles all of that like a champ

The Tacoma was the only mid-sized truck that met these needs. Oh, and it average 18mpg INCLUDING towing/hauling! The one downside is the 5ft bed .... several times now I've had something in the bed that was 5'2" or so and couldn't close the tailgate. Not the biggest deal, I keep straps in the bed... but a 5.5ft bed would have been nice!

The only problem we've had in 55k miles so far is the infuriatingly annoying fan tick... hopefully it's fixed now with the new improved fan.

The other truck that I was considering (but wife didn't want) was the Nissan Titan. It's the smallest of the "full-size" trucks and would have fit our needs as well.

 

Came from Lariet F150 and love my Tacoma. F150 is a big heavy truck. Triton engine is great but the Tacoma beats it hands down for me.

 

I just came out of a 2004 F150 with 153,000 miles on it. The Tacoma doesn't have as much interior room, but I got the double cab and carry my twin 2 1/2 year old girls to daycare every day with no problems. Move the seat up just 1 notch closer to the steering wheel and no kicking the back of my seat. I'm 6 ft tall if that helps. Only problems out of my F150 was I went through brakes & rotors(my driving style). I would say get a new Taco. Used is expensive and that is great for us! The Tacoma will tow fine, but a 5.4 it is not. There is a reason all of us drive tacomas, they are by far the best mid sized truck around. Hope this helps...

 

I came from a used 99 F-150 4x4 Super Cab 5.4 that I rolled up about 100k of 150k miles on w/o any real issues. Was very dependable but I was looking for a little better mileage (avg 15) and something more family friendly.

I got a used 07 double cab 4x4 off-road with the shorty bed. Now I can easily fit the family in w/o issue - me, wife and a 6 yr old. I added some step bars to help w/the climb up, esp for the little one. Had em on the F-150 as well.

The 5.4 was nice, but I knew I was giving up power for better gas mileage (now getting avg 20). I don't pull enough to justify it though. That power is more of a "want" than a "need." The V6 Tacoma moves fast enough for me.

The Taco has a lower profile cab, so I have to duck down to slide in vs the F-150. Something I have to get used to, but still the Taco has a lot of room inside. The back is plenty roomy as well.

I've driven some other brands; VW, Chevy, Ford and Acura. I've had pretty good luck with them all, but none were perfect. The Taco isn't perfect either, but it seems to have a good reputation for reliability. If you read these forums, you'll see it's got it's own issues like anything else. At least there's a good community here to help you diagnose and fix most anything. I found TW when I was searching for a fix for my broken compass/temp console - which is notorious for failing. About 1/2 hr and a soldering iron and it's good to go vs @$120 new part from the dealer.

The Taco has a lot of nice little storage cubbies around, more so than my F-150 had. Your newer F-150 may have been better than mine in that regard. I've filled the bed a couple times already and sometime think that I should've looked for an extended bed, but it's not a daily thing, so not a big issue if I have to make two trips sometimes.

I'm happy with the change and plan to drive the wheels off of this one, or until for some reason it doesn't meet my needs any more.

 

The access cabs are

Double cabs (and all Tacoma beds) are completely assembled at TMMBC, near Tijuana, Mexico. At least the current ones. Older ones were made in NUMMI in Fremont before the crash I believe.

 

Sounds like you are looking for a Tacoma DC with the SR5 package exclusively, it is a more urban friendly truck and since you dont plan to offroad with it much, why spend the extra $ on a TRD Sport or Off Road? I own a Access Cab but have sat in the Double Cab and they have all the room you need, especially for kids, and are pretty comfy back there. When you haul dirt bikes do you pull them in a trailer or haul them in the bed? If so you may want to consider the long bed option over the short. When I haul my Honda CRF230 in my truck with the long bed I still have to kick it in sideways to get the gate to close and it is a small trails bike. Here are a few pics if you wanna see what I mean

My bike is on the left, and my buddie's Kawi KX125 on the right, this is in a long bed so with a short bed the rear tires would be right in the middle of the gate probably. One other thing, I am a Ford guy too so figured I would leave these here as well!

1967 F250 High boy, it is a work in progress but soon will be my snow plowing/heavy duty working pickup!

And my 1978 Ford Bronco passed down to me from my grandfather, great running old 4x4 and a blast to take wheeling! Thought I would share my pics and welcome you to TacomaWorld, hope to see you in a Double Cab before long!

 

Went from t tacoma to a ford and back to a tacoma. got a 2004 4x4 thinking it was a better truck because it was bigger...well after like 5 window regulators constant ticking, engine cam phasers replaced and sparkplugs being locked into the block, and horrible gas millage i couldnt take it anymore!! and to get rid of the p.o.s. i lost room but gained looks and dependability. couldnt be more happy.

 

I have a 09 Access Cab. I have two kids, a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I'm big, 6'2" 250. I won't lie and say we fit fine and dandy, but we fit. I did have to take the rear headrests out, but older than 09 and you shouldn't have to worry about it. I believe the older Taco's don't have rear headrests, or at least not the behemoths mine came with.

My 3yr old sits behind the passenger seat in a toddler seat the soon will turn into just a booster. The little guy sits in a full blown convertible infant seat, it's huge. I have to sit probably a notch or two closer than I would if I didn't have any kids behind me. Still really comfortable but I do wish I had the double cab.

A buddy of mine has an 06 or 07 with two older kids, 6 and 8. They all fit fine. We will fit much better when the kids are out of their car seats, they're just so bulky.

However. In saying all of that .. I wouldn't put my kids in the back of an access cab older than 09. The safety systems were much improved in 09+ and the rear passenger safety ratings took a big leap from 05-08 to 09+.

 

I traded from a 2005 Quad cab Ram with the Hemi and am really very happy. I haven't really looked back. I do miss the interior space and the sound of the Magnaflow I had put on it, but it's like apples to oranges. I loved the Ram, loved the size and power. But I also love the Taco being smaller, easier to park, fits in the garage much easier and I get about 4-5 mpgs better. Doesn't sound like that much but translates to $30-$40 per fill up. What I'm saving in gas per month is roughly 1/3 of my truck payment. And insurance for me turned out to be cheaper too. I have no regrets.

 

Again, thanks to everyone for their input! Keep it coming!

I took the family to the closed dealer today. The 06 Double Cab Trd offroad wasn't on the lot, so I assume an employee took it home for the weekend or maybe it sold already. But, the 2010 access cab trd sport was there and unlocked, so I got to check out the interior. I was surprised at the space it did have. It appears the full child seat will work fine behind the passenger seat, considering my wife is only about five ft tall anyway. She was a fan of the truck too, and is on board with the trade! I agree, that if the need for rear passengers and car seats existed on a daily basis, then the double cab would be preferred. But, both of my kids will only be in this truck a couple times a month, so I deffinitely think the access cab would be ok for my needs.

I deffinitely liked the look of the truck (I could have done without the dealer hosing the interior with "new car scent" though). Looks like I need to get the Ford cleaned up and see what kind of deal they can cut me this week. If they can work out a reasonable difference, I may be another Taco owner!

Couple more questions....I saw a switch or two on the left dash with the power inverter switch that appeared to have traction control symbols...what might these be? Also, what is the difference in the trd sport and trd off road?

 

The biggest difference is that in 2010 the TRD Off-Road comes with A-TRAC in addition to the elocker in the rear. Search the forums for anything posted by a user named David K, you will find more information than you could ever want about the subject.

The TRD Sport comes with color matched everything and a wicked awesome hood scewp.

 

Went from a 2003 King Ranch to a 2011 SR5. Definately NOT the same truck but it is still just as good. It doesn't feel alllll that much smaller when driving. Interior space is reduced and I don't have a few hides of cow under my butt; but that's okay. MUCH MUCH better mileage. I'm financing my Taco for the same payment I had on my King Ranch so there is a BIG price gap. I'm all for the Taco but I would go for a fully loaded one if you are thinking about it. Kind of wish I had.

 

Had a 2007 king ranch. It was a beautiful truck, all the extras.... but what good are the extras though if they don't work though. It was just problem after problem to many to list, got a 2011 trd sport and haven't looked back! just make sure you get a double cab for the most space, that's probably the only thing I miss is all the room in the crew cab. Wish I had switched to a taco sooner. Good luck!

 

I had a 08 Chevy Duramax LTZ extended cab and it was a fun truck to drive and had every option. But I got to a point where I was not towing much anymore and really didn't need it. I hated paying for $4 gallon diesel and the rough ride that comes along with a heavy truck so I decided it was time to trade it in...one of my buddies had a older tacoma and ever since I drove it I knew I wanted one. My dad is a salesman at a Chevy dealer and the owner is like a uncle to me. I have always gotten good deals there and went through 6 Chevy's since I was 16 (now 26). I told my dad if they had a Tacoma traded in to let me know bc I was interested in one....he tried to talk me into a Colorado (I laughed and said no). So one showed up, 2009 with 20k miles and looked brand new. I jumped on it said good bye to the diesel and have loved it ever since! Do I get crap from my dad about the Tacoma....not at all he will admit they are awesome trucks! I do miss some of the comforts the Duramax had like heated seats and remote start. I missed it a few cold mornings not going out there and having the warmed up seats and truck to climb into. But all that stuff can be done to the taco. For me the taco is a great fit and I don't plan on going back to a larger truck anytime soon unless I buy something bigger that I would need to tow.

 

I just traded in a 2006 Ram 1500 ST for my 2012 Tacoma Double Cab PreRunner. I couldn't be happier. My Dodge only 60k miles, and it was nothing but problems. I had a vibration in the front end, where the dealer replaced bearings, steering pump, etc...and I don't think ever solved the problem. A/C compressor went out, electrical problems, and other minor issues. Finally a few months ago, the clutch and throw out bearing failed. Keep in mind, this truck only had 60k miles, and I towed a trailer with it twice, so the truck was never abused. As you can see in the pic, it was in great shape, and was really used as a daily driver more than anything. I paid $1300 to get the clutch and everything fixed, then drove it straight to the Toyota dealer to get rid of it. The Dodge was a little more shoulder room on the inside, but I don't think it really had much more legroom.

I have a rear facing baby seat that was in both trucks, and dimensions seem almost exact. The only thing that I do miss is the bed size. Not so much the length, but the depth. The tacoma beds are very shallow.

I'm extremely pleased with my new Tacoma. It drives much more like a car, feels very solid, and the 4.0 has plenty of power.

 

Sounds just like my dad, he has a 09 Duramax that he is eventually gonna trade on a V6 Access Cab since we sold our 32ft camper and hardly ever need the big diesel hog anymore! Great solid pickup though, I loved towing with it, our camper loaded down was about 8400lbs and that Duramax made it feel like nothing was back there!

 

I bought a new 05 F150 super crew and loved it except for the gas milage 10-11 MPG is all I could get from it.Took it back 3 different times and had it re-flashed.. It only had 28,000 miles on it when I traded it in on my 2011 tacoma..The Ford is a big ,solid good towing truck but I couldnt keep gas in it.

 

I've had my Tacoma for 2 years now. I bought the double cab because I have a young son that is still in a car seat and he rides just fine back there. He has plenty of room and I can even seat 2 full size adults when I need to. I installed the N-Fab step bars to make it easier for him to get in and out. I haven't had any problems with my truck to speak of. I had the 4 leaf pack put in shortly after I bought it and I had the blower motor replaced when it started to chirp. I love my truck and I'd buy another one tomorrow.