On the fence of purchasing a new Tacoma

Thinking of purchasing a new TRD sport premium. Used to be a ram 1500 die hard until I could no longer keep a transfer case longer then 30,000 kms due to the clutch pack in the transfer case. I moved on to GM and now have a 2022 chev trail boss that has been a complete disgrace right from day 1.
I’m really not a fan of the looks of the tundra a very appealing unit. I have a chance to jump on a 2023 Tacoma sport premium double cab 6’ box and getting an incredible deal for my truck. Can I get some input from some other taco owners, some of my concerns are can size, power loss, pulling capabilities, fuel mileage, (would be upgrading to atleast a 31.7” tire) and overall going from a full size pickup to the Tacoma. I know Tacoma is known for its reliability which is why I’ve gained interest in going this route. Im big into hunting and fishing, I have a 16’ aluminum trailer that I pull that usually has a quad and a sxs on and is under the 6500lb tow rating, and also a 16’ aluminum boat. It is just me and my miss’s so the back seat will be utilized mainly for storage. many input or words of wisdom if there’s a reason why I may regret purchasing a new Tacoma
Thank you for your the time

 

As long as you are content with not being the first one to the top of the hill you’ll be just fine.

don’t spend a whole lot of time reading all the complaints. For every 1 person with complaints are issues there are 5,000 that are happy as clams.

 

Towing 6k lbs with a Tacoma after coming from full size trucks is going to leave you livid

 

You know what Tacoma owners say about fences?

 

I went from a 2015 Ram crew cab to a similar truck as you're looking at. I'm not a tall guy so I like the fact that I can reach the glovebox or passenger's door relatively easily. My biggest issue has been that my quad and snowmobile don't fit between the wheel wells and of course it doesn't have the towing power of the V8. Fuel mileage is about the same as my Ram was with the 500lb sled in the bed or pulling the 2 place clamshell trailer with 2 sleds in it. The Taco is nicer to drive in my opinion and will probably be a lot better after I get the OTT tune done. If you're going to do it I'd say get a 23 or wait until the 25 comes out. I'm not a fan of buying the first model year of a redesign.

 

It really depends on the aggressiveness of the tire, driving habits, hills / no hills, wind, weight of the tire, speed. I went for the 1 size up and got Duratracs (10lbs lighter than ko2s) in the same size and only have seen a 1-1.5mpg loss average

 

Oh shoot, and I have a Honda 420 that I carry around when I’m near baiting and a skidoo I haul around in the winter, I didn’t realize the bed would be that much narrower

 

Going from the stock SR5 tires to a 265/70R17 on am aftermarket wheel I've lost about 3 mpg but it's not a fair comparison since the SR5 tires are significantly smaller and much more street oriented than my Rugged Treks.

 

Get a magnuson supercharger and the Stryker + tune from yotawerx and youll be just fine.

 

Disclaimer: I spent many years working as a Toyota tech and I have an unwavering loyalty to the brand overall, so take my opinion with that in mind.

I have a 2019 Tacoma TRD Sport double cab short bed and I absolutely love it! I also owned a 2010 Tundra with the 5.7L V8. It was a rock solid truck as well. I have no regrets about either of them. They also hold resale value extraordinarily well, so if you decide to trade it in later you don't typically end up upside down on it.

That being said, I would probably give a couple of warnings related to your expressed concerns. These trucks are definitely not fuel efficient. I have an overall average of about 18MPG on mine with no suspension modifications and factory rims and tires. I also don't drive it like a stole it. Additionally, the engine and transmission is not tuned ideally from the factory for performance. The automatics are prone to gear hunting and don't really make their HP and torque at a usable RPM range. However, this was easily fixed with an ECU tune, so I don't consider that a deal breaker. Tuning my truck has made it absolute joy to drive!

My Tundra pulled great! I've not towed with my Tacoma yet, but I have friends that have owned them, and based on their input, I don't expect any trouble there, especially with the improved performance provided by the tune. Doesn't sound like you are pulling anything particularly large or heavy, so I believe you will have no trouble there either.

As for reliability, you would be hard pressed to find Toyota's equal anywhere! It's a good thing for the American 3 that Toyota backed out of the "big truck" market when gas prices went crazy the first time around the housing market crisis. If Toyota had brought their reliability fully into that market, I suspect the domestic brands would be in serious trouble today!

 

It's about 42" between the wheel wells. I made a deck to put my sled on that also acts as a ramp for it. Haven't hauled the quad in it yet but I'm either going to just build something little to hold the front wheels up over the wheel wells or just let it sit crooked.

 

If you weren't towing around 6500 pounds, I would say Tacoma all day. They really struggle when you try to pull close to the max towing capacity.

If you want a bulletproof tow vehicle look at the previous gen tundra. 2014 and up. They aren't the most fancy and get shitty fuel economy but they are dead nuts reliable and tow really well.

I would put them above the 3rd gen in terms of overall reliability.

 

An ECU tune will void all warranty on the engine, correct?

 

A good friend just seized up the engine in his 2022 TB with right around 10k on it. He's not pleased.


Tough call on a 3rd Gen right now. Probably the best year to buy being the end of the run, and buying a 2024 might not be the best idea. But, the 2025 though . . .

 

The interior space will be a little more cramped than a full size Dodge or Chevy, but I like to lean over and touch the passenger door panel (if I can't I think the vehicle is too big for me). So far 6k on my '22 Sport 6' Access Cab 6MT and absolutely love it - zero regrets. It is a well built truck that will hold its value and its got the best looks fortunately!

 

Holding value is a fact, had my truck serviced yesterday at my local stealership and they offered to buy my truck for $30k. I only paid $35k when i bought it. Mind you, it has double that in mods the way it sits, so i told them to take a hike…

 

Excellent use of the rear differential lock.

 

As long as you don’t put a sticker on the engine advertising it, you will be fine.

 

Unsurprising.

Cab? Yeah, it'll feel smaller, but that can be a good thing.

It's a V6.

Trailboss has a V8, but heavier. Power to weight, they're probably similar. Neither are meant for drag racing.

Less. Absolutely.

That'll kill it. Keeping the same size going from 4 to 10 ply, people are saying they see negligible MPG hits. Changing the size of the tires is what kills your MPG, not so much the ply ratings. I run stock/stock/stock with added bumpers, skids, sliders, roof rack, etc and my MPG hasn't changed.

Way easier to live with. Smaller, easier to get in and out, easier to park, easier to maintain, cheaper to maintain, easier to clean, fits in more places.

How often, how far? Are you talking going 5-10 miles twice a year, or every weekend for a hundred/200 miles? 6.5k is a lot of these trucks, it'll do it, but it'll feel it. If you're doing it once, maybe twice, for a handful of miles? Not a big deal. Versus towing it constantly and for longer trips, I wouldn't.

 

The most important thing you can do is take a long, meaningful test drive. Then take another one. I really like my Tacoma but it's important to understand that you get a somewhat underpowered mid-size truck that tries to make up for lack of features with reliability. Just like you noted, compared to a full size truck a Tacoma will tow less, haul less, and have less room.

And Tacomas are not without their issues. The third gen does not seem to have the chronic frame rust issues that the other generations had (though it has had some issues), but I would not trust that Toyota has learned metallurgy - at least not with my vehicle as a test case. If you live in a snowy or salty place and end up in a Tacoma, plan on undercoating the frame at least every year.

Another thing you find mentioned on this forum frequently is that people hate the transmission. It's not that the transmission has reliability issues. Despite being paired with a high revving engine, the transmission consistently fights to get into higher gears meaning that drivers end up with gear hunting when going up and down hills. Personally, I am not bothered by this day-to-day. But sometimes I borrow my wife's 3.5L twin turbo Ecoboost and then it does stand out. You might notice it more coming from a full size truck.


Again, I like my Tacoma a lot. For me, it hit the sweet spot of value per dollar spent, but I recognize its shortcomings. So do a test drive. And then do another.