I love the Tacoma, but...

I considered a Tundra due to being concerned about the size. I'm coming from an Outback, and I've had 3 Tacomas previously. I know what they can handle. I've had my Tacoma for a week now, and every time I see a Dodge on the side of the road, or a Ford parked in a garage with the bed sticking out, it's confirmed that I made the correct decision. The only thing I miss is dry space...so I'll be getting myself a tonneau/ camper here pretty soon.

 

Trudelta.com is a site where you can obtain actual owners experiences with their vehicle. By joining, you will be asked about your repair record with your vehicle. Each quarter they will send you an email asking if there were any issues/repairs. In turn you can see the results of the responses. One interesting statistic reported by the reporting owners is the 2015 Chevy Colorado had 51 service visits which does not include normal maintenance. The Tacoma had 0. Remember that these are only reported by owners belonging to the site and not everyone that owns that vehicle. Another interesting statistic is the very low repair record of the Tundra. All model years. You can find almost every make and model. They also let you compare the reliability of 2 different vehicles through the years. Pretty eye opening stuff.

 

Lots of people have asked me why i didn't get a full size or (man's) truck. I say, because i didn't need one. My last two vehicles were SUV's which i love, but i hated not having a place i could chuck the occasional dirty cargo such as firewood, dirt, mulch. Hence the Tacoma fit the bill. Same size as SUV, fits in garage, the size is better suited for trails as well as low parking garages/tight parkign areas.

In summary and as others have said, which one suits you?

 

my father now has my old 99 dodge dakota that i had before i got the tacoma. He uses it as a work truck/winter driver. I paid 6k for it several years ago, used the heck out of it, and now he uses the hell out of it. Runs great still and he'll probably give it to another family member in the near future. That truck doesn't owe us a penny. Im loyal to my tacoma, but i can't ignore the fact that there are a TON of old dodges on the road where i live from the 90's.

 

Yep, all brands have their good and bad, there never will be a "best". Heck, the first page of the second gen forum here probably scares the crap out of new owners. Nothing but saggy leaf springs this, rusty frames that, etc.

Treat a vehicle well, it will treat you well.

 

I gave thought to a Tundra, but I could not get past the interior (mainly the center console) of the '07-'13. '14 was more than I wanted to pay and '05-'06, though some of my favorite trucks, were older than I wanted to go.

Next time around will probably be a Tundra or F-150 though

 

Did a lot of research and compared the facts to what best suited me. Love my '15 Sport - Gather facts based on experiences and buy what you want, and then don't look back. No one's opinion will make you feel better about missing something you want or getting something you don't.

 

My Tacoma is a compromise. Running around on the weekends and towing the camper I'd prefer something bigger, but I work in an office, park in a cramped garage (both at home and at work), and have a Southern California commute. Given all that, it is the ideal truck for me.

 

It sounds to me like the only real advantage is that the tacoma is smaller. So it's better on tight trails, crowded streets, and small garages. I live in the midwest (St. Louis suburb), so parking and traffic aren't really a concern. And as much as I love the idea of going on an off-road expedition, the fact is that will rarely (if ever) happen. And I'm 6'3", so extra interior/leg room is always a plus. So I guess I'll be looking for Tundras or F-150's.

Thanks for all the replies.

Final Question - If I "know" the tundra is what I want, why do I still WANT a Tacoma so bad?

 

get what you really want. Its going to suck if you drop tons of money on a tundra, and then begin second guessing yourself about a tacoma. Sounds like your setting yourself up for this. I just re-read your first post and i.m.o i think a tacoma would be great for you. It'll do everything you want it to. You wont regret getting one of these trucks.

 

Awesome. Hope they all got hooked up with a truck upon return.

 

I would recommend buying new if you want a Toyota that's a certified used and a year old. The price will be about the same.

 

Test drive both back to back then decide.

 

The advantage of owning a Tacoma? 20 cup holders and the option of a fake, non functional hood scoop.

 

Because it's the better truck while being much worse. It's more fun. Is it cramped when loaded with passengers? Yes. But that's part of an adventure, isn't it? A Tundra is the big full size that everyone talks themselves into "needing" because they think they might one day want to tow something heavier than 3500 pounds and they want their obese children to have enough room to allow them to keep their fat rolls from touching each other while they drool onto iPad screens crusted with Doritoes dust.

2 weeks ago I made it up to Deadhorse. I camped in the back. It's totally underpowered but that engine is lively and eager, so I don't miss or need a big V8. I've had more fun in this truck then I'd ever have in a full size by a mile, and while it was a compromise to buy I wouldn't trade it for a "better" Tundra or F150.

 

Similar boat as you, I wanted a F-150. No questions asked, always wanted the Ecoboost FX4. However, I wanted to make the best decision possible for me so I made a spreadsheet of every truck I was interested in. Had everything listed from HP, TQ, Length, Height, tank size, MPG's, if it had a huge aftermarket following or not, and etc. Listed Pro's and Con's of each. I park daily in a parking garage at work so I considered the length/height of the garage and spaces in the garage. I paid attention to trucks parked in parking lots everywhere I went. Measured my driveway at least 10 times to see how each truck would fit. In the end, I still considered the F-150, until I was at the Toyota dealer looking at the BR Tacoma. Very happy with my decision regardless of how bad I wanted that F-150. The Tacoma fits me perfect.

I'm not saying you should buy the Tacoma; however you should buy which ever truck will make you happy because you will have to drive it.

 

To put size into perspective. Im only 5'9'' 195, and the Tacoma is a perfect fit. My Dad on the other hand is your height and 215+. Whenever he gets into my truck I ask him if he wants a shoe horn. His head just about touches the headliner and his legs are bent and look uncomfortable.

Someone of your size, I would think twice about the Tacoma.

You want a Tacoma so bad because its the BEST midsized truck on the market bar none. And , just my opinion, BEST looking truck even when thrown in with the full sized.

 

Here's a thought. You can't find another truck on the market with as many cup holders as the Tacoma. This is coming from a '14 reg cab owner.

 

This is exactly what I'm talking about. This is a little bit age-specific, but... Do you remember the feeling you got as a kid when you saw the toyota truck on "back to the future"? How awesome you thought it was? How you thought that it was the coolest truck in the world? How the truck was just perfect in every way? How tough the truck looked? How you thought that truck was unstoppable and you could drive anywhere?

I have this same type of feeling for the tacoma now, even though i know the tundra is a better fit for me.

 

The f150 is good truck up till 50 or 60k,then little stuff will start to go wrong.Sensor and switches,the little things that will make your truck love staying at the dealer.A lot of strange little thinges that you won't expect will go bad. I was always (45 years) a Ford guy.I love the looks of there new trucks but I know I'll never again own a ford.Sick of stuff going wrong.And yes I've owned real Shelby mustangs and a lot of fastback mustangs,cobra jet torino just to name a few.Never again.bought my tacoma.Now my tools are getting rusty