On a scale of 1-10, how much do you baby your truck?

I don't understand the people who don't treat them well. They're expensive, and last a long time when maintained, just like our bodies. hah..

 

I probably take care of my vehicles better than myself… but I’m OCD with lots of things I guess….so I’d say a 10..

 

I couldn’t figure out the scale myself so i just answered “none”.

 

Perfect 10 would be the type to be trailered to the car show parked on carpet and only sees the sun

 

Maintenance and taking care of the rig is crucial obviously. But, you get one shot at this life and you better believe I’m gonna make the most of it. Didn’t buy an “offroad” truck to drive around paved roads and pretend.

 

10. Why not?

 

I don’t baby mine at all. Drive it like I stole it is my motto.

 

A solid 7.

I used to wash it monthly but the past 2-3 years I'm really feeling the 65+ age thing.
I try to give it a bit of a wax at least once a year as it is parked outside year-round in Phoenix.
I do keep the interior cleaned up for sure.

I'd take it out into the wild more if I had the chance but with all the house-projects and stuff I can't get away
as much as I'd like to. If I had my way I'd hook up my little camper and just go.... nowhere in particular. The
past 2 and next 3 weeks we'll be finishing up laying floors in the house, damn surefire way to discover you are
not 25 anymore.

I do maintain it as this is an expensive capital outlay and I generally drive my cars for 10+ years, although I
think this truck will outlast what is left of me. My son is keeping his fingers crossed for an early demise.

I've only bought 3 brand-new driven-off-the-lot autos for myself in my 65+ years.
A 1985 Honda Accord ( middle class Mercedes )
A 1992 Toyota Pickup Truck.
This 2021 Tacoma.

I bought my wife a 2017 Subaru Forester, and I do like that vehicle as a general passenger car.

 

10. I live in the rust belt so I always have 2 vehicles going, a princess and a beater. Right now the Taco has the easy life and my ZR2 does all the salt driving and truck work that may cause damage. One day that will change and the Taco will be the beater.





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I drive it like an old guy. Take it thru the car wash weekly. Always park it in the garage. Take it off road. I don't worry about rock chips and desert pin stripes. I clean the engine bay and put way too much thought into accessories and how ill install them before I actually do the work. I have the oil changed every 5k. Tires rotated every 3k.

Guess I'm kind of a bi-polar Tacoma care giver.

 

9/10.
It would be 10/10 if garaged or under a car cover.

It doesn't see off road at all, and so far not even a gravel road.
Anticipated yearly mileage is 2,500 with the other 2,500 annual miles still going to my old 1991 truck.
GEICO requires that I send annual odometer reading because I claim 5,000 miles per year, and have to prove it.

I was a Toyota tech in the last century, so I tooled up as required to service the 2023.
After reading all the horror stories here of stealership fuck-ups, I'm back to doing my own services again.

I fully expect this truck to long outlive me.
It will likely go to my middle grand daughter who bought her first car as a Honda six speed manual.
She did this to make grampa happy, and keep her older sister from ever driving her car.
The access cab has lots of room for gear when we two go to the shooting range.

 

3? Well maintained and heavily used. I hope most of the scratches buff out when it’s time to get rid of it, but I’m not too worried about it.

 

4 for me.

 

Can I ask what you use to touch up any rock chips and do you do the ceramic coating yourself?

 

I am 2nd gen so perhaps I don't belong here but I remember that first year of ownership I was probably a 9. I was washing and vacuuming once a week. There were trails that I wouldn't go down or sometimes I would get out and cut branches back but then you get that first scratch and then the second then you push your truck too far and it falls off the trail and smacks into a tree...

 

Many of us view these trucks like any other tool we own. Do the maintenance and use it for its intended purpose.

 

Probably a 7 or 8. I keep it in the garage, keep up with maintenance, park in specific spots away from people. I only hand-wash it, but not as often as I'd like. Off roading is fun but there aren't many trails near me, so it's on the pavement most of the time. I'm not planning on getting a new vehicle for years so I'd like to keep it as nice as possible for as long as possible.

 

I use Dr. Color Chip.
Ceramic coat with Adam’s
here is a before and after of chip/gouge I have on my door.

 

Gave it the ol landlord special huh

 

Haha, that’s awesome. In person it’s much less noticeable. iPhone camera does make it look like the wall outlet photo.