Is a 2021 TRD Offroad, 2WD worth it?

Go 4x4!

 

That's not how vehicle depreciation works. Depreciation is calculated against mileage, wear and tear, and that sort of stuff. it generally doesn't take into account things like leather seats, 2 or 4 wheel drive and tow hitches and stuff like that.

In the real world, you may get a few more bucks for a 4x4 vs a 2x4, but depreciation is relevant to what the market will bear in terms of a vehicle in the same condition and age. It doesn't care about the specific vehicle or modifications.

Now a dealer will most likely offer you less on a trade-in (depending on market) for a 2x vs a 4x, but that's not how depreciation calculations are made.

 

Buy what you can afford. Don’t let people spend your money for you.

 

I paid 32 for my 2018 TRDOR 4x4 new. For anything other than pavement, soft roading or building a prerunner a 2wd is going to be an exercise in frustration. 36,000 is a hell of a lot to be hobbled and frustrated. A gently used 4x4, while lacking in new car smell is far less likely to be defeated by some wet grass.

 

I got a 2nd gen prerunner and have yet to regret my decision. I'm in socal and the only time i wish i've had 4wd is when my KO2s couldn't get traction in the rain, but thats the tire's fault. Personally, I find going 60mph in the open desert much more fun than going 5mph over some pebbles and wet dirt . Partially joking with that statement... In all seriousness, I haven't needed 4wd yet and yes, I got shit for it by my friends, but on a trip to ocotillo I was the only 2wd and the only truck not to get stuck. If you don't need it, don't get it. Plain and simple

 

Sounds to me like the 2wd OR will more than meet your needs. I'm in Socal as well, had a Gen1 prerunner. I can count on one hand the number of times where 4x4 would have gotten me through something 2wd could not, mostly steep slopes where 2wd lost traction. I was very impressed with where that truck could go. Having a locker would have made it even more capable. That said I was careful about what situations I put myself in. For example, not dropping down a steep primitive road I was unfamiliar with or that didn't have a known exit. But going up something, give'r. If you can get up it you'll be able to get back down it. As for others advice, paying $4-5k more for something because you'll be able to sell it for more doesn't seem like a good financial decision. Take that $4k savings and invest it, you'll come out way further ahead than putting it towards a depreciating asset. Add to that what you'll save on gas, insurance etc vs the 4x4 and you'll come out even further ahead.

I also wouldn't hesitate to buy used if you can find the right deal. A lot of people sell trucks due to changes in life circumstances or because they want a shiny new toy, not because there is something wrong with the truck they had. If you can find a truck that's a few yrs old with fairly low miles and decent price that is a good candidate to buy. A Gen2 that has 80k miles or less, say, would likely have had any major warranty type issues come up already. You could still have major repairs but that's why you have it checked by a mechanic. Run it for 200+k miles and it won't owe you much. Again, invest that savings.

Gen3s are a different story IMO. The market on used 3rd Gen Tacomas was crazy even before Covid, and it's worse now. Don't let the 2 yrs of free service make that decision for you. What Toyota does on those visits is pretty minimal. The value in buying a Gen3 new is the warranty. With all the sensors and expensive modules there is a lot more that can go wrong with the newer trucks. With crazy high used prices on them you don't save much buying used and most or all of the warranty is probably used up.

If I'd found a good deal on a used Gen2 that's what I'd be driving now, something like this one but low 20's - 2014 with 60k miles. Don't think I would have bought this for $26k https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ctd/d/escondido-2014-toyota-tacoma-prerunner/7209416714.html. Here's another one similar to what you're looking at - 2014 TRD OR 2wd 55k miles, $27k https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/ctd/d/bloomington-2014-toyota-tacoma-prerunner/7210935800.html. Question is, is it worth an extra $8-9k to get a truck that is 5-6 years and 60k miles newer? I wasn't able to find a deal that worked when I was looking, ended up going new as the best value.

 

2014 TRD OR 2WD for $27k new? That's nuts!!! I paid $28k for one brand new in 2014.

I wouldn't buy someone's used hoopty. All used cars are hoopties IMO. With the rare exception (like my 2014 actually) of that trade in "barn find" there's a reason someone got rid of the car.

I'm too lazy to search here but you can find any number of "help I have a lemon" or "my Taco got wrecked" threads and usually the prevailing sentiment is "get 'er fixed and then promptly dump that POS ASAP". Who wants to inherit that mess? Me, I'll pay the new car depreciation happily knowing the car and history of the vehicle, and not being surprised by a poorly done "back to stock" truck that has missing bolts, ruined suspension from a former cheap lift, twisted frame from an undisclosed crash, or mysterious electrical short that the previous owner failed to find.

OP make sure that your truck has the automatic headlights! A family member bought a new 2019 white Sport, wanted the same level of "toys" that mine has, but didn't pay attention. He's now wondering how to retrofit the automatic headlights, dual climate. (You can't). He was then disappointed in his truck. Make sure you get what you want! It's your money.

 

Also don’t forget things that are standard on a new 2020+ Tacoma like the power drivers seat and Apple play. Those can be big deals to some people. And I’m not sure about the depreciation vs the initial price difference is really going to be all that different down the road. Whenever you sell your 4x4 will need to be worth at least the initial price difference to really matter. We don’t know your financial situation or anything but a few grand is a lot of money for most normal people.

 

Agreed... price very much depends on the market you are in. It also varies depending on some options that are on a particular truck.

 

I bought a 2020 Super White DCSB TRD OR 4x4 for $35,500 (including freight and rebate) all said and done it was $38,750 OTD. Unless that truck has stuff like premium tech, premium sound, etc that you want, I wouldn't even consider it.

 

It really depends on what you plan on doing with the truck. commuting? I think you will get better mileage with 2wd version. If you are planning to off road some, then maybe 4wd, but I have seen and wheeled with friends that have 2wd with the factory locker that did good. If you plan on doing dune types stuff, then most of those guy are 2wd. In the end it just comes down to personal preference. If you plan on eventually selling it, then personally I would get the 4wd because better resale value.

 

Price seems high for 2wd even if it's a trd. Would advise getting 4wd and shopping out of state. Totally agree with others on resale, you will get dinged for the 2wd.

 

If you plan to tow, get a nice used 2019 4x4. Toyota dropped the transmission cooler half way through the 2020 model year.

 

For that price I say no way.

I paid 33k for my 2018 TRD Off-road 4x4 with only 6k miles on it. It is fully optioned out with tech and premium packages. Right now is a terrible time to buy a new or used Tacoma. If you don’t have to buy right now, I would wait for inventory to replenish resulting in pricing coming back down to reality. Buy what you really want even if it means saving a little longer.

 

LOL, that brings back memories - I had a Grand Wagoneer during the 93 Blizzard! It was an 89 (bought it one year old)...GREAT VEHICLE (I traded an 83). I had just moved near Pell City Alabama (company transfer) after loosing our home in South Florida to Hurricane Andrew (Aug '92). We had 50K in damage during the blizzard and then got moved to Tuscaloosa Al, (March of '94) and our home was hit by a tornado (about 100K in damage). I assumed the storms were following the Wagoneer and sold it...One of the best vehicles I've ever owned.

 

Yeah, even used ones at dealers are going for higher than that right now. It freaking sucks, because in a roundabout way, I do need to change vehicles right now. Just so happens that I freaking love 3rd gen tacomas lol

 

Yeah, I have noticed it has pretty much every single bell and whistle you can think of... only two things missing that I thought were standard on TRDs were the heated seats and sunroof

 

I've had a couple of 2wd trucks so I definitely understand why some folks get them, but now that I have a 4wd, I won't ever go back. Even if you don't "off road" there are plenty of times 4wd is useful.

 

Price seems high to me, but also the 2 years of "free" service should not factor into your decision at all unless you have had a really good experience with your dealer's service department. Otherwise you can expect them to screw up more stuff than they fix while doing the oil changes and tire rotations. I decided after the 1st oil change that I would never take my truck back to the dealer for service, free or not. New is great, but if that is your main reason for wanting new, you're probably going to be disappointed.

 

My dealer has always been really good, I've had a Toyota for the last five years and have always taken it to them for the free service intervals. Never had any issues! When the free service ran out, I did it myself. So its not the main reason, just a nice convenience to not have to worry about doing it.