Convince me that a midsize is worth it...

First I'd like to give felicitations to the community here, and I look forward to future blogging on this site with you all.

I am soon in the market for a truck, and I was fixed on a Tacoma. I appreciate the size, look, feel, and capability of it. I talked to a friend who loves his trucks and he made a good point...that for nearly the same price, I can get a full size that has more capability and more space. I guess I'm just seeking input from Tacoma owners here and why you decided on a midsize rather than a full size (or a Tacoma over a Frontier, Colorado, etc.).

I do not haul much, but I do aspire to own jet skis, fishing boats, and I do a lot of camping and other outdoorsy things. Where I live, the best camping/backpacking spots require some (not a tremendous amount) of off-road capability. If I were to buy a Tacoma it would certainly be a V6 4x4.

I look forward to your responses.

EDIT: Wow! I love all the responses. Thanks to you all. I should clarify that, by "capability," I mean a modern full size tows better, has better horsepower, etc. I suppose I should have been more specific there.

 

Test drive all the trucks you are considering and pick the 1 that fits your needs the best.

 

It isn't.

If you want a midsize, though, you won't like a full size, and vice versa.

Tacoma is a Tacoma, if you're not in love with it for exactly what it is then you will also not love the price tag, value, or the teething issues that last a decade.

 

Save money.
Best resale value bar-none.
Good on gas.
Only truck left with manual transmission (not a base model).
Gets the job done 99% of the time. Unless it weighs more than 6k lbs.
Easy to park in the city.
Fits down smaller trails.
Mods are cheaper (usually).
You don’t look like every other bro out there.
You’re part of an elite crew of Tacoma owners.

 

a 5' tacoma bed is pretty small.. consider what you would want to haul in it and if it would fit.

Other than that, unless you are driving 4 adults around all the time, it's a great option.

 

Honestly I say you sound like the IDEAL the candidate for a midsize and not a full size.

Why Tacoma? Frontier is 60 years old, and GM is, well, a GM. Domestic sucks.

 

@Reluctanse and @bradshawnh Thanks for the responses! It is true about saving the actual space. I rented a Chevy 1500 for about a week and driving the thing in the city is such a pain in the butt when I went to work.

 

You can get Manuals in the Frontier and Ram that are not base models, the Colorado/Canyon is only base 2wd.

 

Beat me to it by 1 minute , I was going to say the same things. I type slow

 

Frontier, okay. Let’s not include a 3/4 ton Ram here

 

Welcome!

Forget price for comparing mid size to full size.

What do you want and need? What platform suits it better?

For me, a full size would never fit the trails I go down, and is not as off road capable. Won't fit into the garage. Would be more difficult to park in an urban environment, isn't as maneuverable, and costs more (2nd gen). Plus the Tacoma hauls what I need it to; appliances, multichannel, dump runs, Home Depot runs, furniture, etc.

Benefits, more space and luxury items in the full size.

Choice is pretty clear for me.

 

This thread was over before it began.

 

The OP mentioned Full Size too, so I figure WTH.

 

I’ll make one more comment. The equipment on a full size that prices the same as a Tacoma is very different.

In other words, for any X dollars, you can get a loaded Tacoma, but a base model full size.

I paid $33k out the door for my loaded 2017 TRD OR 4x4 6MT...good luck paying that for any F150 that ISN'T a work truck with vinyl floors, extended cab, and no bluetooth.

 

Very true. I didn't consider that. Thanks!

 

Good luck!

Come back and join us WHEN you get that Tacoma!

 

Oh I'll still be around. I'm saving up my money as we speak and am one for extensive research prior to purchase. Because I don't want to just buy a Tacoma. In other words, you can bet I'm going to deck it out, too!

 

Only you know what you need. No need for other's opinions on the matter. Buy what suits your requirements regardless of brand.

 

How about I don't convince you. Convince yourself. It's your money and you know what you want... ultimately.

Test drive all types and make an informed decision.

Never understood these types of threads. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

For me it was a combination of things, headlined by resale value.

At the time of purchase I transported a lot of important equipment for work, but did that crushing 30K miles per year. I drove a Honda Pilot into the ground (great car btw). When it came time to sell, I was getting nothing for an SUV that I kept in great condition but had a ton of miles on it. Comparable Tacomas built in the same year with the same miles were getting $10K more!

Combine that with the track record of Toyota (in general), my experience with Honda, and the lore of the old Toyota trucks that many consider the greatest trucks on the planet, and it wasn't hard for me to know what I wanted.

For me, a full size was out of a question because of the gas mileage and/or price. My dream truck is a Super Duty Ford F350 Crew Cab with a Turbo Diesel. That truck will rival the gas mileage of my Tacoma.

Those trucks are $65K nowadays.

I spent my entire youth working on Chevys, and I hate them because of it. I will never buy from GM based on my previous experience and their recent history of recalls and poor management.

Japanese manufacturers of just about anything have always impressed me, and my experience with Honda has always been a joy (minus some strange engineering decisions).

I had no doubts about my Toy and seeing the fanfare of previous Tacoma owners, I had no doubt.

That said, I might have been a bit more scared off if I read all the hate on this forum before I signed my paperwork. When I found this site afterward, I was pretty worried but I've experienced zero issues through 16K miles and I am confident I will make this truck last well into 200K and I know I'll still be able to get a pretty penny for it when I want to move on.

As others have said, it depends on your needs. But you can't beat a Toyota Truck in my opinion, even though the price tags are pretty steep these days.

Shop around better than I did. Find exactly what you want and be patient. You won't regret it.