Never owned a Tacoma, is this a good deal?

Sport should have a LSD in the rear. Offroad has the elocker.

 

should there be a button on the dash for the lsd or how would i know?

 

did some searching, ill see if the sticker is on the diff housing

 

SR5/Sport/Base should have the button closest to the side mirror adjustment button.

 

Pictures from test drive

 

Definitely a TRD sport. You have the inverter switch and leather wrapped steering wheel.

 

its a TRD Sport
yellow bilstiens nice interior and the matchy matchy rear bumper and grill....

 

Looks pretty clean to me

**Edit. Not the best pic of the frame, but from what it looks like it looks pretty good

 

1 owner as well. Like I said, I think it's a good deal for SoCal truck.

 

As for acceleration and power, it accelerates quickly. Its a snappy truck. Has plenty of power for towing, as long as you are towing within ratings of course. When I load mine up I can barely tell there's anything extra in the truck from a power point of view. If towing real heavy things it will suck gas. Really depends on your towing needs. You may need to upgrade the rear springs if you load the bed with a lot of weight.

The main thing about these trucks is their reliability. Engines and transmissions are bulletproof. You can take it out and romp around in the mountains and not have to worry about it breaking down and giving you future trouble from abuse.

 

I went from a Silverado with the 6.0 L76 to my Tacoma. Couldn't be happier. The only thing I miss about the Silverado is the seating position. For over a 140 hp difference in power the Tacoma feels snappier to drive.

 

Is this truck at a new car dealership? If so, generally speaking, a new car dealer will not put a used car in their lot unless it's in really good condition... Generally speaking. I would double check that all the recall crap has been taken care of too.
Edit saw it was at new car dealer

 

Didn't read any of the other comments but I'll address the kid thing... I love my Tacoma, hence why I this is my 2nd, but I hate it for carting around kids.

If this is your daily driver, grocery getter; with kids in tow... Getting them in and out is a bit of the pain. The distance between front and backseat isn't very much so when your seat is back far enough so that you're comfortable, you'll have child A kicking your seat or child B baby carrier jammed between your seat and the back seat. You won't be able to recline at all.

But if your kids will be in another vehicle for errands like that, then Tacoma all the way!

 

so i went on the test drive. Dealer was very nice. First thing i noticed in both headlights where the amber bulbs are, the lense directly in front of them was cracked. I assume they just got brittle from the heat from the light. easy fix. Second, i didnt see the lsd only oil sticker on the diff. What kind of diff is this, as i did see the traction control button by the mirror adjustment buttons. third, the stereo sounds very very good and all steering wheel controls work with the after market radio. fourth, the backup camera works fine, but jesus its tiny!

on to the drive....ive never driven a tacoma. i did feel like i was sitting up high, like i was in a lifted truck, which i love. The steering felt nice and easy, probably more resistance than stock because of the tires. similar to my 04 silverado that had 33" bfgs. Normal acceleration felt good, when i floored it while rolling, quick downshift and i was off. felt responsive. would give my 04 silverado a run for its money, possibly beat it. Now, oh my those tires are noisy!!!they just hummmmmmm like theres no tomorrow. At first, annoying. after 5 min, i liked it! made me feel like i was in a sweet truck that looks good. besides, just turn up the radio if it gets annoying. turning radius was good. The truck doesnt feel as solid as a full size. I guess the fullsize is heavier and wider so it feels more like a tank. Where as this one feel nimble, agile, light. Thats not a knock, its just different. Overall i liked it a lot and pretty sure I want to buy it. Had to get back to work though because i was on my lunch break!

 

Did you test the A/C blower to make sure it is cold and does not have the dreaded squeak/chirp?

 

There was a warranty enhancement for the headlight daytime running light lens being cracked or melted though I think your truck is out of the warranty period for that. You can find aftermarket for around $200 or search for OEM ones. I've seen them for sale here all the time. 2009 is the beginning of the electronic LSD meaning it's not a true LSD. It uses the brakes to prevent slipping. It does not require LSD additive. If it is aftermarket radio, most likely speakers were replaced. The JBL ones were not that good. The back up camera is small but I've seen them integrated to the stereo head unit. Looks like the original owner took good care of the truck, they even took shaved the badges off. My advise is that if you want to buy it, make it soon and offer low and work your way up. Like I stated above, even at their asking price I think its a good deal but cheaper is better. I know that they don't stay on the dealer lots long.

 

I have a 2009 TRD Sport with the JBL also.

Couple of things to check on:

1. That year they had an issue with the factory jbl amp creating nasty noises similar to a blown speaker. $600 fix through Toyota, $325 if you send it in to jbl. Not all were affected. Mine was.

2. Check to see that they've done the rear leaf spring recall. If it's coming from a Toyota dealership, I imagine they have but..

Other than that, I love mine. I'm 6'3, 225 and have plenty of room. I also have two kids in car seats in the back. No complaining as of yet.

Good luck!
Chris

 

I also live in socal...San diego.. bought the truck in NJ.. lived in South carolina..virginia. now socal..

Mine is a prerunner.. never had an issue with light snow with a decent set of tires..

If you want to add capability offroad.. add a truetrac or locker in the rear for about 1400 bucks installed... well worth it.

I also carry a high lift jack..recovery strap and gear..and a set of TREDS for my offroad adventures...again never had an issue and am very capable...keeping up with 4x4 stock jeeps and such..

It's inevitable you will get stuck offroad.. just go with a buddy or carry a high lift/electric winch if you really wanna get into it.

But normal day to day? I've never slipped on a boat ramp.. never had an issue in snow that I couldn't rock myself out of or use my recovery gear... even foot deep snow in VA one year...

I think a prerunner will suit your needs happily for your occasional trail adventures.. use the extra dough to upgrade the suspension/differential.

 

If it does its a 90 dollar fix with a new blower fan... Good for pointing that out.. but I wouldn't make that a deal breaker

I have swapped that blower motor.. takes 15 minutes max...

 

$17,000 OTD is the maximum I'd pay for it. I got mine for $20,000 OTD and it had 20,000 less miles, 4x4, and manual tranny. Don't ever go by KBB prices, either. Those prices are based off dealer inflation.