How important is mpg? Really? Look in.

The only thing I'd disagree with there is about the back seat. I can fit 2 adults back there just fine so I don't know, you must know a lot of 400 pounders because a regular size adult should fit just fine. I know I do and I'm 6' 230lbs.

Right now, I get 23mpg hwy with approx 500lbs in the bed. I will be leveling but I really don't expect a more than 1mpg drop.

 

....... they did that on xtreme 4x4 last year the said a big full size truck that you already own is better than say a new corola

 

The d-rings on the side corners can't be done (as effectively) with the Tacoma. Yes, I know there's a re-enforcement plate that can be installed behind the composite bed to provide backing for the D-Ring, but I'm not to convinced this is a solid long-term solution.

I don't consider bed size and cab space to be too minor I don't have a trailer, either. It's my future father-in-laws, but I will need to invest in one if I keep the truck. I'm not borrowing something like that every time I need it (and I've needed it a lot lately).

Really in truly, the trailer would solve the load issues, but I still can't get over the lack of space in the AC. I should have learned my lesson from my 96 AC, but nope

 

Nope, I just need a lot of leg room up front, so the seat is back further. Sure I've carried friends back there, but there's no way they're going back there for more than a short jaunt around town.

You can't tell me the back is at ALL comfortable for longer trips for a full grown adult

 

mghpa,i do have the 4.0 in the 4x4 model.use full synthetic oil with a green filter,with 91+ octane.and i dont drive like a youngster.those days r gone(but not forgotten)lol.highway trips not above 70mph most of the time.

 

Lol, I'm only 24, but I still don't drive it hard. I've never run 91, but I might try it once for kicks and giggles.

 

well good for u cause when i was 24 i still had the need for speed.set of rear tires would go about 5000 miles.

 

This is something I argue about all the time...and have issues with but here's my $0.02:
Gas mileage is irrelevant, if you like what you drive and can afford to run it then it doesn't matter. For instance I love to drive the Exped and it gets 12-13 city which is where I mostly drive it but because I love driving it, I don't care.

The other part is more of a my instance, the efficient car is fucked up and where it used to get 20+ it now gets 15.6 in the city with a 4 banger. So the Exped, even though it gets worse than that, it actually does better because it's 2X the size and has 2X the engine.

What I see is that you have a Taco, you only want to upgrade for fear of gas mileage and because you want a larger bed and cab.
The key questions are:
What are you moving that you need more size?
Do you really love the Tacoma to not upgrade if you didn't have to?
I'm sure you can afford the upkeep of the Taco so why blow more money than you already are for just a bit more size? (keep in mind if you lift the Tundra then you would have less mileage than your original guesstimate)

 

I beg to differ. My D-rings are mounted via the giant bolts that hold the bed to the frame (as are many others' here). You could probably pick the freakin' truck up with them (if the rings themselves didn't break first). I'd call that a pretty solid long-term solution.

Back to the original subject... I have an 80-mile round-trip daily commute, so fuel mileage is pretty important to me. That's why I bought a reg. cab 4-banger. It hauls my motorcycles just fine, has enough towing capacity and HP to tow my 17' boat, and is getting 26 MPG so far with only about 3k miles on the truck. Maybe it'll improve a little with some more miles - and I may try synthetic oil in the engine/tranny/rear end too.

It doesn't sound like you really need a Tundra, but who says you have to justify it? If you want a Tundra and can afford to buy and feed it, buy a Tundra!

 

^That's the bottom line, you have to be happy with it when you're paying for it.

No, not for long trips but I don't take many long trips in my truck. I will, however, be taking one next month to NJ but it's just the wife, myself, and 6 month old. My wife will end up riding in the back quite a bit but the front seat will be all the way up. No big deal.

 

I think he was talking about the Access Cab rear seat?

 

Yep. I have an AC...the Double Cab is a whole 'nother ball game. You CAN'T fit ANYONE other than kids comfortably in the back of the AC for long trips. Again, one of the main reasons I'm looking at a double cab tundra.

Right. All Tacomas have D-Rings attached to the frame with torx bolts. I'm talking about D-Rings for the corners of the bed MIDWAY up like on the 1st-gen Tundras seen here:



The d-rings only on the bottom of the bed become an issue when wrapping straps AROUND cargo. I've tightened down ratchet straps around things, only to have it slide down (primarily only on smooth objects, but still), whereas it wouldn't do this with my 96 Tacoma using the side D-Rings. I know there's a d-ring kit for our trucks that places d-rings in the location of our beds show above, but it requires a re-enforcement plate BEHIND the composite to provide backing. I don't trust THAT.

Anyways, that's a moot point, because, yes a trailer could solve that problem, I just wanted to clarify what I meant about the positioning of the d-rings.

Many of you mentioned that cab space and bed space aren't legitimate reasons to switch trucks, but how many of you have Access Cabs? I know I should have thought of this before buying, but it was a STEAL for my truck, and I figured the AC would be big enough. Well, I could use more space for both gear, and people. There's been plenty of times my friends and I have to take another vehicle because we can't all fit in. Sure it's nice not to have to drive everywhere, but there's plenty of times I wanted to take family/friends to my cabin or fishing, etc, and we can't. Two people is it. If I had a double cab long bed, I would probably be fine then, but then again, my truck would have a similar wheel base and turning radius of a Dbl Cab Tundra by then anyways so the size advantage wouldn't be as great.

I KNOW a lot of people drive fullsize trucks that have no business doing so (basically a commute to work and back), but I use my truck almost daily to haul something or someone. I've driven fullsize trucks plenty of times (learned on an 84 F-150, drive my dads F-250 and his 2001 F-150 before that. I also drive 26' diesel box trucks on the side for my dad. I'm used to driving something with some size to it.

Granted, I'm not trying to knock my Tacoma. It looks better interior/exterior wise than any truck out there (besides the new F-150s), it does have plenty of power, seats are comfortable, and I love having the rear locker (although it admitedly gets little use), but I'm offroading less, and hauling a bit more, so my thoughts turned to getting something a bit bigger.

Let it be known, too, that my truck is paid for. The ONLY way I would move to a Tundra would be if I could break even or profit a bit (sell my truck, and buy an 05 tundra at or below what I sold for). I'm NOT entering into payments again.

 

Sounds like you have done your homework & know what you want. I'd say go for it.

I loved my Tundras & the bed in the DC is deep, the tailgate is freakin huge, good thing they did a tailgate assist on the newer ones.

Honestly you will not see a huge hit on mpg nor when buying does it influence my decision.

One of the main reasons I choose the 04 Tundra back then was at the time Toyota had just introduced the new redesigned Tacomas. No dealer would budge on selling them. The tundras had a bigger rebate. As Janster said, overtime the maneuverability & size hampered me (I'm 5'5") & made me slowly get back to a tacoma. There are things I miss off the tundra tho. Roominess on the 1GEN DC's are nice!

 

What were you getting mpg-wise in the DC again? You were 4wd, right?

Maneuverability isn't a huge issue for me. I have a big enough garage, I don't drive in the city much...in fact, most of my commute is going to be all highway soon, so as long as I drive conservatively, I should still get somewhat decent mpg. It will be about 95% highway.

 

The "new" Tundra is a great truck. The best bargains have already come and gone now that production has been cut. But, if you're looking for more room to carry all your stuff, a full size truck is the logical choice. Plus, it sounds like you've got your heart set on it, so you might as well go make yourself happy.

Now I'm going to try to talk you out of it. My philosophy is to make do with less. I do all the stuff you're not supposed to do with my "little" 4cyl Tacoma, and it works out fine. Better than fine, because I save money and gas. I plow lots of snow. I haul firewood. I tow. I go off-roading. The truck can handle the beating. For me, it's the principle. I could afford the extra gas for a Tundra. But I don't want to give one more cent of my money away than I need to...especially to the oil sheikhs in Saudi Arabia.

That's just how I see the world. There are plenty of other vantage points that are equally valid. Both of your options are good, so you can't make a bad decision here.

 

No, actually NO 2nd gen. Tacomas have D-Rings attached to the (truck) frame from the factory. They come from the factory with them installed at the rear corners of the floor of the bed - and I believe they are attached through the composite bed to a backing plate as you described earlier... definitely NOT directly to the truck frame. I'm talking about installing them under the four big torx bolts that attach the bed to the actual truck frame - as described in THIS thread. Those bad boys will hold just about anything. That's what I did... but I only put them on the front bolts to haul motorcycles with... not all four.

I see what you mean about the built-in rings halfway up the bed of the older steel-bed Tacomas. That would be pretty handy. However the Toyota D-rings that come with the backing plate to install on the sides of the composite bed are rated for 300 lbs., so that would be plenty in most cases. I almost went that route, but decided to use the bed bolts instead for the added piece of mind.

No modifications will give you more passenger room in your Access Cab though, so if that's your main problem with the truck, your only option is to get a different one with a larger cab - be it another Taco or a Tundra.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

The bed is one of the top 5 reasons for owning a truck, for me anyways. The puny short bed on my DC cuts it most the time for what I haul. If I need more room, I have a pretty nice trailer. If you need more bed, I say trade up. If it were more interior room, I'd say look at a long bed DC Taco. But what's the point in owning a pick up if it won't pick up what you need it to?

 

Yep, I know about the modification and that they're not up front. I may be mistaken on the rear ones going to the frame, I never looked really close...sorry about that

As for the backing plates. 300lbs rating or not, I would still be a little leary, but you never know.

VTDave, good points.

 

Let me add, too. A double cab longbed Tacoma would be PERFECT for me. If I could swing it, that would be my best option, but there's no way I can do it without entering back into payments. That's one of the major reasons for considering the Tundra...less $$. I would LOVE a radiant red long bed sport, though

 

The Tundra is not a wise decision, research it.