I went and test drove a 3rd Gen..

Regear it if you want low end power

 

Pretty easy answer to your question...

Get it if you like it,

Don’t get it if you don’t.

You’re the one paying for it

 

You can’t have it all in this life. 3G is a heavier, safer, nicer looking truck than the 2G with more options and comforts, more efficiency, and a smaller motor. You lose in the power game, but gain in all others.

 

I never understand these potential buyers, if you don't like how the Tacoma drives then why consider buying one?

If the wife likes a 4runner and YOU like how it drives then buy that instead.

 

Some serious advice- if you needed to sell vehicles to deal with a "financial situation change", you probably need to focus on getting yourself in a much better place fiscally instead of focusing on buying a new truck, especially if youre talking about dumping another 10k into FI and long travel (and the invariable constant money dump of maintaining long travel).

With regards to the 3rd gen, you just have to drive it like a car cause it has a car engine. Its a perfectly liveable truck. If youre looking to stay under 2500 rpm all the time though, its not the truck for you

 

OP - you seem like a 4-Runner guy now that you’re married...happens to a lot of guys, sadly.

 

I don't think anyone buys a Tacoma to have a fast truck. If that were the case we would all be driving raptors. Just sayin!

 

did the 2nd gen have like 3/4" of gas pedal travel or something? step on the pedal the truck will move.

 

I bought a 3rd gen, my first and only Toyota ever, five months ago. The truck now has 3,000 miles, finally. Six hundred miles/month says how meh this truck is to drive.

This is not a driver’s vehicle —is any Toyota...? I have the automatic, so that makes it even worse. Having said that, the driving is ”acceptable” around town, as a Home Depot and grocery getter, and it does fine on the trail. It holds its value, feels quiet, well built, and relatively refined as long as I drive it like a senior citizen.

Two-hundred and forty thousand buyers a year can’t be wrong. Can they? Either way, when it came down to it, I had to talk a friend who owns a 2nd gen out of buying one of these.

If you are in college, you may be too young to want to settle for this truck’s “driving dynamics.” On the other hand, priorities change once you get married... Only you can decide.

Good luck.

 

I would daily the heck out of that thing dude hahaha

 

thanks for the great input guys I'm glad you dropped in to contribute.

 

I drive a lot of different cars "fast" at work, but drive my Taco slow. But I find it more than adequate when I hit it hard!

 

Agreed, the new Chevy 1500 with the 6.2 liter engine is FAST

 

thanks dude. I know they're not trophy trucks.. I thought my second generation had great driving characteristics as far as corner and straight line handling. I know the third generation is not 'worse'. I don't think I'll be disappointed in that, just the power plant really. The amenities are great too. The interior is awesome. I never wanted to get out. I will say I'm pretty disappointed in the cantilever parking brake over the straight pull though

 

astounding

 

Thats something I cannot do so the additional ~$1,000 is a turn off but I think that it would probably we very well spent. I worry about interstate RPM obviously. Ill look into the gear ratios and play around. are you familiar with the TRD sport final drive numbers?

 

The very first line of your thread is taking a shot at the vehicle that most people reading here actually enjoy, and then you ask for their advice. What did you expect?

 

I expected light moods, critical thought, and adult behavior. Then I realized I was on tacoma world.. where every tacoma owner thinks they had an actual hand in the engineering of the truck and any critique of said truck is a shot through the heart.

 

Personally no one cares what you buy

 

I really do not understand the whole 2nd gen is so much more amaze balls than the 3rd gen. Literally, 236 HP @ 5200 RPM and 266 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM for a 2nd gen || VS || 278 HP @ 6000 RPM and 265 lb-ft @ 4600 RPM for a 3rd gen. Yes the 3rd gen requires a bit more RPM at peak power (a whopping 800 rpm for 40 more HP, and 600 rpm for 1 less lb-ft), but to act like the 2nd gen isn't a high RPM truck is a flat out lie (even if you are only lying to yourself). But, you know, its the internet so lets ignore facts here.

If you don't like the truck, don't buy it. Stick with the SOOOO much "better" 2nd gen you seem convinced with anyway. Too many people knowingly buy this truck and then complain it isn't what they want.