Never owned a Tacoma, is this a good deal?

If you do any driving in snow, you will regret not buying a 4WD vehicle. The last RWD truck I drove was a 1991 Dodge Ram 1500 with studded snows and 300 LBS of ballast in the rear end. Never again. Even with the tires and extra weight, Id get major loss of traction in moderate snow. I lived on a driveway with a 20 degree incline and constantly had issues with the snow. In my opinion, 2WD trucks are great for fleet vehicles hauling supplies around or for guys living in nice, dry climates. Seriously, look around and reconsider a 4WD if you reside anywhere that gets muddy or snowy.

 

im excited for that truck im just a little worried since ive had fullsize trucks that i will be disappointed later on if i go with the tacoma. How is back seat space for kids on the double cab?

 

i live in southern california and make the trip out to our house in lake havasu arizona every few months. It will see packed dirt, a little sand, and boat ramps. no snow as im not a big fan of it

 

No trips to Big Bear in the winter? My 4 year old fits nicely in the back in his booster seat. I can't have the front passenger seat all the way back in this configuration but it works well.

 

Prerunner should be fine in those conditions, others may disagree.

How old are the kids? How tall are they? My brother has a DCLB like yours, and his kids are 11 and 9, no issues. Not sure how it would be if they were 16 and 18 though

 

I used to go to big bear but it is so crowded now in the winter we stopped going. Plus, we have an AWD hemi durango if we decide to go in the snow

 

My son is 7 and about 53 inches tall. My daughter is 16 months. Son sits in a booster seat until hes 57" tall and daughter is in a rear facing car seat

 

Don't buy into the "if you go to the mountains 1-2x a year you need 4WD" crap.

 

you know his height in inches? impressive. kids will be fine back there.

 

It is a little tight with a rear facing car seat, but works in the middle. I haven't tried to put a booster next to a centered carseat though. My wife would ride in the rear passenger side when my kid was still rear facing.

 

haha yea. He loves basketball so he wants to be sure he is tall, which he is for his age. He has me measure all the time

 

I went from a ram 2500 to my Tacoma without any issues. Not quite your height and frame though. Occasionally miss the dodge as it was a really nice truck. I don't know if the 2wd prerunner has elocker in the rear like my 4wd. Chassis and suspension are the same either way just no front drive

 

Here is a pic of the rear facing seat that I was using.

 

Op, check out the underneath that truck. You never know how rusted out the frame is until you look.

 

Prerunner Off Road version has the rear locker, Sport version does not.

 

All I can say is:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/recovered-bottom-of-miller-jeep-trail-socal.456064

Also, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/in-defense-of-the-prerunner.457284

 

Yea, because the OP clearly stated he was going to be off-roading/running trails like that

 

Anyone ever get stuck on a slippery boat ramp in 2wd? Serious question.

 

I think living in CA and the uses you described, 4x4 is not essential. We have a pre-runner and 4x4 and I do live in CA and go to Big Bear, desert, light trails, etc... Rarely have I ever locked the rear axle and have occasionally used 4x4 in trails covered with snow and loose sand. You have to think about how long you intend to keep the truck and future use. For a V6, the truck accelerates comparably to any V6 competitors but it will not compare to a V8. I've also owned a full size Silverado, Tahoe, and K-5. That being said, the Tacoma is not a full size and can feel a bit cramped compared to a full size interior but it will fit your kids no problem. The long bed is nice plus what looks to be a Snugtop and Bedrug is a real bonus. Can't really see in the picture but it looks like it is the TRD suspension (yellow/blue Bilsteins) and the front has some kind of leveling kit. I also bought my truck from Cerritos and under $20k for that truck is a great price as CA trucks even 2wd are pricey and Tacoma's hold their value. I would offer $18k and see what happens from there. I doubt they would move much from that price though. Even at their asking, I think it's a good deal. If you do get it, come back for maintenance suggestion. Also check to see if this is a CA only truck. Out of state trucks can be a problem with rust if coming from a state that sees snow.

The below was done with a pre-runner with rear tires on cables. No issues. No additional weight on the bed but with Duratrac tires.

 

I've slipped with a pre-runner but it also had the crappy oem tires. Auto LSD (trac off) got me out without having to lock. Tires replaced and have had no issues.