Noob to Tacos - looking forward to the experience...!

Hi all - I'm also brand new to this "community" of course, looking forward to the interactions and wealth of information y'all have to share!

I've owned pickup trucks continuously for almost 45 years now, full- and mid-sized, new and used, all GMs. At my age I'm getting to the end of the reasons why I really need a pickup anymore, but historically as a landowner who had horses (wife's passion until she passed) and who did a fair amount of wood cutting for heat, mostly from my own property, a pickup was almost essential. Besides - a man's gotta have a truck, right...?!? For many of those years, my truck was my everyday ride. I most recently had a '14 GMC Sierra SLT that was a wonderful truck in mostly great condition with very low miles and I had no intention of trading it...but it developed enough frame rot that it wouldn't pass inspection anymore...so queue the Taco! I traded the Sierra on a new "blue crush" Limited so the new experience has begun! I have no interest in off roading - except for the first and last 0.3 miles I drive every day from my landlocked property to the main road I'm strictly onroad. That lane can be a real challenge in the winter so all of my vehicles, at least those with 4 wheels, are 4WD/AWD. My son recommended I look at Tacomas and based on the reliability (net of their own frame issues way back, LOL!) and resale value I decided go with the Toyota vs. other brands this time.

There were a few options already on mine from the factory, like AVS, "Rigid" foglights (why?), bedliner, and some other minor stuff, and I added a number of other options that were installed by the dealer before I "picked it up" (LOL!) so at that point it was just a nudge under $60K on the sticker, the most expensive vehicle I've ever purchased! I added the lighted front badge just because, the safe in the console (I carry so the safe helps keep me legal), the rear step, and some lesser items. The dealer offered me $18.5K on the trade and I didn't dicker at all like I always do so they wouldn't take a closer look at it and see that frame problem! I financed the rest with Toyota at 4.99% and intend to have it paid off within 2 years. I could have sold stock to pay cash but with the market on fire at the moment it makes more sense to leave my money in there; whatever I end up paying in interest will be a good bit less than what I'm earning at the moment with the investments.

Anyway - that's my story. I have some questions that led me here for the appropriate main forums but I will search for anwers before posting anything I consider "new".

Thanks for reading...!

 

Welcome nice truck. Be sure to click on the 'Forums' tab up top and select 4th generation tacomas when you're ready to ask questions - you'll get a much quicker response.

 

Welcome to TW!