Insight/advice for trading in a 3rd Gen?

Clearly you need a car. What car?

 

Prepare to bend over, the car market is going to shit right now and CPO 3rd gens are now in the low 30's high 20's. I'd hate to know what people are getting for them

 

Traded my 17 mustang gt for my 2018 taco and it was a def a change and for sure I miss that raw power that taco lacks. Got me a 5 speed beater a few months back and although it doesn’t have the power the mustang somehow it fills the void of power. 2006 Mazda 3 hatch

 

The v6 is supposed to be a monster!!!

 

If your bank account allows, I would push you towards the TT OVtune setup. It's going to be released any day. I agree with everyone else on going to a car, give up the utility of a truck. The TT is going to be awesome in these trucks.

 

I think you might not love your truck right now because you dont use it as a truck. Whenever I'm offroad and just cleared a tough obstacle, I get the same feeling I did ripping canyons in my frs (catless e85, perfected the car imo)

If you bought a truck to just daily drive when you were used to having fun in sports cars doing something as simple as getting groceries, a truck is gonna be boring. If you don't offroad or haul anything, trade it in. No tune is gonna help.

If it's ONLY speed you're craving but you still need a truck, an f150 with the EcoBoost is perfect. Put on a catless downpipe and tune it to crank up the boost. Those things are fast .

As for selling your truck, carmax is worth a visit. My local one gave me a higher value than any dealer did for my frs.

 

As somebody who wasted so much damn money on fast cars in my 20’s and early 30’s, owning a reliable truck makes owning the car so much more enjoyable. Even if it’s just a POS project car. I was in a caught in a never-ending vicious cycle of getting bored with depreciation machines.

IMO, having a nice car as a primary driver loses its luster with all the junk miles.

 

If your bills are paid and you're comfortable with the financial hit, do it?

Everyone wastes money on something. I doubt a tune on an NA car that yields some minimal fatness under the curve and a bit of top end will make the truck feel spry.

Having traded in some weird stuff before, hit up everyone you can stomach and take the best offer. There's a lot of 'guaranteed online value' type things you can fill out and they may do better than trade-in. Trade-in may, however, get you a tax break.

 

Tacoma's aren't everyone's cup of tea even if Jesus did drive one. I agree you may do better selling it yourself as it is a popular truck. Going to show my age here, but I bought my first truck in 74 and have never purchased anything but a truck new or used. When I feel a need for speed I get one of my bikes out. I may be 65, but I ain't dead yet. But that's just me and my two cents.

 

Trade ins are always losing propositions to the owner. Meaning its a winning proposition to the dealer. If it wasn't, they wouldn't do trades.

If you must ditch it, sell it outright and don't even bother with the OVTune. Unmodified will sell better.

Pro tip. I had a nice street driven auto-x Miata, a Sonoma and a Highlander all at once, with only two drivers. Sports car, little work truck and a nice people mover. My TCO on all 3 was less that most folks paid for one new car. Pristine used and DIY repair/mods is the financial winner for budget minded gear heads.

 

You sound like a young person who is simply bored and you’re gravitating towards something you’ve been passionate about in the past with cars. I’d suggest the same as others and go with a fixer upper.

I won’t get into the economics, I have no idea who you are, how you earn, spend or where you are in life’s responsibilities but there are many entertaining things that people can do that can make you money rather than spend, or at the very least, minimize spending. It’s just finding that “thing” you are just as passionate about as you are cars.

 

Try to sell private party. It will be worth the time and patience to find the right buyer and maximize the Taco's resale value. If the truck/pickup is not suited for your lifestyle you may want to consider a used BMW X5M or Porsche Cayenne turbo. My wife drives an X5 M and it is the perfect blend of SUV/sports car with all wheel drive capability and great acceleration/handing. It wasn't for me since I go off roading and camping with my kids but I do miss the acceleration and zippiness of a sports car.

That being said, the OV Tune and 6spd MT has provided me with enough spirited driving to keep me satisfied (although I can't wait for the OVT twin turbo kit). That kit is really going to transform this engine and provide Raptor-like torque and HP

 

“Funny” really isn’t the right word to use here...

 

Option 1 - Keep the truck and buy a decently nice motorcycle for like $4k. You'll get your kicks here and there and maintain all the function when you need it/weather is bad (assuming u actually use your truck as a truck).

Option 2 - Buy a Forester. I had one before my Tacoma and miss it all the time for the exact reasons you are stating... would buy another one for sure. Responsive to drive, goes just about anywhere, and hauled 90% of what I needed. Fuel efficient, pretty reliable, and pretty cheap. Can get a turbo or a manual, too.

 

Man... I work in ortho trauma and I consistently see bad motorcycle wrecks that are never their fault. If my future kids ever listened to me on one thing, it would be to not get a motorcycle.

 

I mean for sure - taking the safety classes helps a lot in accident prevention but obviously you can only control so much at the end of the day. That being said... you'll find me 2 wheelin' on a back road any chance I get lol

 

One good thing is, Tacoma's have a lot better resale than many other vehicles. I got rapped on my raptor. It would be nice if this thing had trim options with about 100 HP more from factory. Oh well... gotta do your own work to get it where you want it.
I love the size of the tacoma, but the power is just not there. The last gen got better mileage, it seemed... and didn't have all the shit shifting this one does. I was happier with the last gen, than current gen, as far as powertrain goes. Luckily I have a higher HP fun car when I want power, otherwise I'd have to either get rid of my truck or plant some turbos on it.

 

Have it both ways and test drive a Ranger...its a rocket when compared with 3rd gen or any gen

 

This is true - my dad just bought one a couple months ago. Way zippier than the Tacoma's auto. The Bronco will have the same drivetrain so you might want to wait a few months in case those end up being sweet.

 

OP is likely upside down in it so selling will hurt a bit while trading could potentially hurt a lot.

I just wish it wasn't so ugly on the outside and the heater/AC controls weren't a jumbled mass of buttons.