Is 3rd Gen 3.5 Tacoma really a good truck?

Even the guy at discountTire did not know about TacomaWorld, so clearly could not complain here. Many many people who drive their Tacoma and accepts its faults will never officially complain about those faults.

 

Hehe, Money is the problem because we're silly ducks who live in Canada

 

I bought a 2001 in 2001 as my first new car. It felt like a Corolla inside, and I was never a huge fan of it, other than doing 4hi clutch dumping launches, but I now regret selling it 18 months after buying it lol. It would still be "worth" today what I sold it for back then.

 

I enjoy watching people complain that a Gen3 has leafs or c-channel or drum brakes for reasons they don’t even know why. More likely just because someone else here, or on YouTube, MotorTrend, or the Chevy salesman told him it’s been around a long while so it must be bad.

 

nailed it

and sometimes you don't even get the full story of the one side because lots of people know they cheaped out on mods or installs which usually results in issues as well, and don't want to get flamed for it.

 

New hear. So I just wanted to weigh in. I was in the same boat as a few on this forum. 24s were just hitting the lots and 23s had great prices on them. Especially the White Double Cab Sr5s. I guess Toyota ran out of every color but Ice Cap, some such. Used 22 Tundras were at great prices and readily available. I had the itch for a truck for some time, but resisted. Finally the Rav4 hit 60000 and I decided a truck was next. So I headed to my favorite dealership and started test driving. The Tundras are quite nice, quite big and for me a nightmare to park. So then I focused on the Tacomas. The 2024 is a great truck. Drives nice, engine power range is great and is pretty comfy. But the outside is a Tundra/Silverado mesh, with out the Tundra flair. But not bad. The interior reminded my of my 2007 FJ. A bit over done and very polarizing. The seating is still wierd but comfy. The dealer would not even mildly reduce their addendum. So on to the 2023. With so many color choices where to start? White I guess. Pretty everyone hear knows the gen3s. Interior is done well. Enough cup holders to make the soccer dads happy and round AC duct vents. Just like my 2015 Xb. Nice. My biggest complaint are the front headrest. But the seating is comfy. I am 6'4" and like the seats. But the sound of the motor is what won me over initially. Then the power. I was sold. Price was right too. 35 grand for a White Double Cab sr5 V6 with Nice alloys and plenty of options. If they prices were even, then 2024 most likely.
But for now I am really enjoying the lil truck. Plus red light runs with auto Lsd off and ect on is a blast. This lil 3.5 sings at 4000 and above. I now see the love of this motor.

 

There was over million 3rd gen Tacoma sold from 2016-2023. On this forum you will only see 5 page on V6 engine failure issues, total like 20 people or less. So in my idea yes, this is a great truck with modern but still great engine. You can go on Tundra forum and see like thousands of trucks with engine failures just in 2 years, while Tacoma to this day remains rock solid.

I would prefer for Toyota to have kept 4.0L V6 in Tacoma, same as in 4runner but they didn't.. However we still got the V6 so that's something.

The meaning of " TRUCK " has changed now days.. People expect trucks to be luxury, comfy and have big screens inside, which is why they cost so much.. In my opinion this is stupid and only people who want such " truck " are like people who don't need trucks, don't tow, don't carry, don't off road. You don't need to hit 60 asap , its not a sports car. The truck excels at what its supposed to excel at, reliability and capability.

If you need power, you go American pick ups or V8 Tundra.

 

There are still a very few 4x4 V6 3rd gens out there that are NEW. There is a white one identical to mine in Ft. Myers with 150 miles on it. PS... I have had mine about 6 months and have 12,500 miles on it. Not a hiccup...not that I would expect one. i did my research.
https://www.autonation.com/cars-for-sale?mk=toyota&cnd=new&md=toyota^^^tacoma&yr=nomin|2023&dr=four wheel drive

 

You can take the headrest out and insert it backwards...problem solved

 

Haha!

Well to be fair if I didn’t buy a house 8 months ago, I’m pretty sure I would have 2 sexy MT Tacomas

 

Not as easy to live in the truck though. I had a shitbox car when I bought my house so you're up on me already

 

Congratulations on your new home!

I've been waiting (and hoping) house prices would dive a little first but, in the next 4 months i'm gonna have to bite the bullet and buy one anyways... atleast a mortgage, taxes and such are cheaper than rent

 

I bought one last month too or I probably would have as well.

My truck is on 35s, bumpers and armor. I’d like to get another truck for a daily and get some MPG back.

 

Where is the lie ?!

 

^No lie. The Tacoma was liked for its reliability and off-road capability. If you bought a new 1st gen, you'd be stuck with the awful ride and poor brakes for the next 300k miles, possibly 400k miles if you kept up with maintenance

As a sign of progress, today's RAV4's naturally aspirated 4-cyl makes more power than the 5VZ V6.

 

When I bought my 2020 there was one feature that I wanted above all else - reliability. My buddy who is the head mechanic at an independent garage put it best when I asked his opinion- “Don’t be a f*ckn idiot, buy a Tacoma”. I have no complaints. I towed 300 miles with it last weekend and it did great.

 

Don’t forget at the time it was liked for it’ s good looks and still is. My 2004 with 260,000 worry free miles.

 

I always felt the post-facelift 2001-2004 front end to be too soft-looking. However, this was a time when Toyota was producing hideous styling like the Tundra flareside and Camry wagon, so the Tacoma looked good by comparison.

 

That’s why I said “at the time”…

 

Don’t tell that to all the people whose 3.0L leaked oil from the factory, or the people whose frames rusted so badly the truck collapsed under them. Hardly bomb proof. More like Time Bomb, just with a very long fuse.

Toyota has always gone super cheap on lots of stuff. Just a case of what crap they cheaped out on your particular model. Sometimes it’s gaskets, sometimes is frame paint, sometimes it’s leaf springs. Point being, no Toyota truck has ever been bomb-proof. That’s a myth. 1990’s Camry’s on the other hand…….




They could call Ford as ask them how to paint a truck frame if it was about making bulletproof trucks. I digress.