Considering buying a Taco, a few questions...

I have a SR model 4x4 and I don't feel bad or envious when I see a TRD Off Road. I just have a 2.7l 4 banger with a 5 speed manual transmission.

Very happy with it. It's my second Taco and my third Toyota 4x4 truck.

You want to get a 6 foot bed. You will end up a "Truck guy" and you will end up doing "Truck things"

 

I've had a lot of Tacomas in all configs and gens. 2000 AC SR5 4WD, 2008 DCSB TRD Sport Prerunner (what they used to call between 2wd and 4wd), 2011 AC 4WD SR5, 2015 DCLB TRD Sport 4WD, 2016 DCLB SR5 4WD, 2017 DCSB TRD OR 4WD

Definitely go with a TRD for resale purpose, seems that the ORs are holding slightly higher value for the 3rd gens then the Sports, now the DCSB vs. LB dilemma, having owned 2 DCLBs its a love hate relationship, love it when hauling a few bikes to the track, the rest of the time hate the inconvenience of driving it, I definitely know how and it wasn't too much it was just inconvenient more often than not, its long ASF. It also looks really goofy in stock form until you lift or throw bigger tires on it. From a trail standpoint, never got it high centered but sucked in tight turn situations. The DCSB honestly looks the best in stock form, handles the best on the trail and is the most convenient for day to day driving, the one time it sucks is long loads, like buying a new couch or canoe, or multiple dirt bikes in the back, etc. Good luck!

 

I agree with getting a TRD OR, but get the 6 foot box. Its only 6 feet long, if you have any driving skills you can park anywhere with little problem.
Mountain biking, camping, road tripping with your friends the extra foot will come in handy. If you ever plan on sleeping in the back it is way better in a 6 foot box.

 

Used 2nd gen trucks are selling for at or near their new prices...used.

 

Yep! High resale, hate it when your buying, love it when your trading/selling. Almost smarter to buy new if you can.

 

My 29" wheel mountain bike (Cannondale) plus a Giant and Norco fit into my box bed no problems. I just stack them. Tailgate still up to

I lay my bikes flat. No real damages. No need to waste extra cash on crap. Save that cash for tires both for mountain bikes and truck!

 

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet OP, but make sure to find a volume dealer. They are the most likely to go low on the price and definitely towards the end of the month. I would also be willing to drive a little ways and play dealers against each other ahead of time to get the best deal.

 

I throw bikes in my truck bed quite frequently to transport them either to a nearby shop for repairs/service (when I don't feel like doing it myself), or to travel to a nearby recreational area or bike path. If I go long distance I remove the front wheel and attach to an appropriate skewer, or use a receiver hitch rack. I don't think you'd have any trouble getting a 29er into a long bed. Short bed won't work though, not for that.

 

My old shortbed had a toolbox too and I got tired of swapping the box out with the bikerack whenever I needed to haul bikes. Integrating both solved that problem and also gives me additional tie points on top of the toolbox for other loads.

If you're dead set on keeping the wheels on you can install a hitchmount. Some guys have mounted racks to the top of tonneau covers and bedcaps but I prefer to keep the bikes in the bed. With quick release wheels it takes less than a minute to remove the tire and lock in.

I like the roofrack but its limited to 100lbs. I also have a Thule Xporter rack for the bed so the roofrack helps anchor and protect the cab from the longer items like my extension ladders and stand up paddleboards. It also makes a nice grab handle when I'm climbing up the side of the truck to wash it.

You do need to go drive a few though, the engine brings more power as you rev it and the 2 overdrive gears can make for some very unexpected gearchanges. Read up on the transmission operation and experiment with D, S mode and with ECT on and off. The AT is configurable for different driving conditions, once you learn to use them the truck performance really shines.

But it's not for everyone, you really need to decide if you like how it operates before buying. Some people are really unhappy that Toyota went in this direction with the transmission programming to try and save gas. Me, I don't mind it at all.

 

The double cab long bed taco is about as long as a full size truck but it is much more narrow. Coming from an access cab it took a while to get used to. I needed the 6 foot bed. Only about one in ten of the double cabs has a long bed. Like any vehicle a longer wheelbase will make for a less jarring ride.

 

I have the Sport DCSB MT and love it. First - I highly recommend the Tacoma, especially the MT and I will admit I never drove the AT. Secondly - I sometimes wish I had the Sport DCLB MT, due to the simple fact it provides more flexibility in term of space and putting materials in the bed. Thirdly - I do not need the LB that much where I will trade my truck into get it. I have one pint-sized-dictator (toddler), one dog, one wifey, and we have never had a space issue for trips, camping etc... As mentioned, the Taco is a AWESOME truck; hauls, comfortable, reliable, versatile enough where my friend with a 2016 XC-70 borrows it from time to time for dump runs etc...

 

My thoughts on bed length:
You can always MAKE a shorter bed work. You just have to be more creative.
You pretty much NEVER regret having a longer bed. Life is just simpler when you have enough room.

My last truck was an F250 crew cab with 8' bed, about 21' long all told.
The only size issues I ever had were solved by parking 2 rows further away from a stores front entrance. With a new truck you'll do that anyway.

GO LONGBEDS!

 

I live and work in the city, park underground at work, and did want to do at least some off-roading and opted for the short bed. I do many of the same things you do in terms of camping, MTB, etc., You just have to look at the truck as a canvas. If you're looking to just buy it stock, yes - limitations will persist with the shortbed (although you can get those mats and put your front wheels over the tailgate). For me I knew going in that when I bought this I'd need to spend money on modding it to my personal needs. That alone was the reason I didn't opt for a Pro honestly.

In case you're interested my set-up below is:

Truck Covers USA rolling tonneau cover - you can buy it with the yakima tracks pre-welded along with the cross bars to attach. Then any bike carriers/kayak carriers, etc., you want to put up there you can. All while keeping the bed free for all your gear, waterproof, and lockable.

Prinsu rack - Even more storage for gear. In my case, my cab rac is used most often for hauling multiple kayaks for shuttles when running whitewater.

 

I love my Taco, but if I didn't absolutely NEED a truck bed ... I would have gone with a T4R.

 

well going thru the thread and trying to figure out what you actually wanted since you were so vague in your original post.

1. new
2. TRD OR
3. DC/LB
4. quicksand/mgm
5. 4wd
6. heated seats
7. moonroof
8. auto

there is ~ 216 across the usa as of 19-july-17

ranging from ~ 43k to 35k

 

I don't think there is any DCLBs available with a MT

 

This post is kind of refreshing. OP states he has no real need for a truck but wants one anyway, and admits TRD OR is overkill but wants it anyway.

At least he's honest

 

Turning circle diameter

Tacoma DC short bed - 40.6'
Tacoma DC long bed - 44.1'
07 XC70 (from what I found online) - 43.4'

 

Haha, hey, I want what I want! I didn't need my Firebird either, but I bought it bc I wanted it.

I figure if I'm spending the $$, I should get what makes me happy.

I'm sure I'll use the bed pretty often, for camping and biking stuff.

 

That occurred to me, but I realized there's nothing I like about the 4R. I just can't get over the last few redesigns. IMO the last good looking 4R was the early '00s.