Need advice, buying my first tacoma.

I am buying a tacoma, my concern is that if I should buy dealer or cash (owner) I have 22k Max to buy a tacoma cash, but i am skeptical about it. I am looking at a 2012 Tacoma with 115k miles 2wd for 18k, I don't know if is a good deal, and there is also a 2014 tacoma for 24k with 119k miles TRD 4x4 in dealer. What bothers me is that which one is better option, wasting 18k cash, and if the truck is no good and no warranty, or wasting more money in the long run with the dealer's tacoma. Should I get 4x4, I mean I don't live in a snowy state, and don't go off road much.

 

- I’d offer 22k for the 2014 4WD. -


If the 2012’ is a 4.0. V6, you run into the possibility of having the SAIS go out.
2013+ didn’t have that problem near as bad as the 12’.
2012 was the year they introduced the system. It had problems and Toyota fixed it the following year. There is no permanent fix for the 2012 that I know of.
Well there is for the guys that don’t have to pass emissions. And with the way the E.P.A. Is hitting the aftermarket tuners, it won’t be long before that isn’t an option.

 

If I were you. I would be looking for a 2014 or 15 with less then 70k miles. You may have to pay a little more but they will hold there value. Also with interest rates so low why pay cash? The most important thing on Tacomas the frame rust problem. The dealer will treat or replace but there is a time limit.

 

Used car prices have gone through the roof recently (27% increase since last year). Some people are paying as much for a low-mileage used pickup as they would for a brand new one. Toyota pickups tend to retain their value well and also last a long time. I've put a good quarter million miles on most of the Toyota pickups I've owned over the years before selling them to upgrade to a new generation. They are a great choice in a used vehicle if you can find one for a good price and less than 100,000 miles.

The only "problem" with Tacomas now (in my opinion, at least) is that the 2nd generation is much better than the 3rd generation. I've had several people ask me if I was selling my 2006 double cab TRD but there's no way I'd part with it, now or in the next ten years. It's the only pickup I've ever owned since I got out of the Army 40 years ago (and all of them have been Toyotas) that has had absolutely nothing go wrong with it, ever! A lot of people I know with 2nd generation Tacomas feel the same. I never even got the leaf spring recall done as I bolted on a set of Hellwig helpers springs on (fore and aft) and they've done just fine for me for over ten years now.

The big problem to look out for is that anything you are likely to find now for a "decent" price might also have some significant problems that are going to come along for the ride. I'd definitely want to get any used purchase checked out by a good mechanic if you don't have access to a scanner and know what to look for mechanically yourself.

 

The problem is that those 14 and 15's truck are about 30k with less than 100k miles, LOL, expensive for me.

 

If you find a high mileage Tacoma for a decent price that looks clean do a quick compression test on it. A compression tester doesn't cost a lot and is a handy tool to have. Pull a spark plug and check its gap to see if the previous owner changed plugs properly and then check the compression. If the compression is below 150 psi on a 4 liter I'd look elsewhere. Make sure the seller didn't "cheat" too by adding "motor honey" or 50W oil to temporarily hide the wear on an old engine.

 

Regardless of the 2WD's trim model but it would cost more than the price difference to convert the 2WD to 4WD professionally. I choose the 4WD for being newer, dealer inspected, and did I mention being 4WD? Much better resale value and always nice to have whether needed or not.

 

Keep looking. Try looking at the Sr5 4x4 models.

 

Will do, thanks to everyone.