poll: which vehicle do you think is more reliable? 1st gen or 2nd gen

I would have bought a 1st gen if I could have found a good one that wasn't beat to death. That's the problem in my area. Guys will beat the shit out of it, and then once it starts showing early signs of needing major repairs, they'll sell it.

Problem is it's very hard to pick up on those things. My old truck I knew every single creak and shimmy. I knew exactly when something wasn't quite right. But a new driver would have no idea. So it really comes down to seller honesty. I think we all probably know people who got burned on a used sale when they discovered big problems developing 6,9,12 months after the fact.

 

true that! thats why you find one that was owned by a elderly person, they usually take great care of their trucks

 

Yeah I did once. I found it last year at a Mazda dealer in Denver. It was a 1998 access cab 4x4 - V6, manual, mystic purple mica with only 58k on it for $10k. Unfortunately I couldn't get to Denver for a couple days. It didn't even last that long. Rare rare find.

 

If the first gen was made in Japan I'd say that it's more reliable...but they are both good trucks.

 

Reliability is determined more by the owner than the truck.

 

that is partially true in my mind... cause some trucks just out last, 1st gens have proven themselfs, 2nd hasnt yet but we will see

 

Totally Agree.

 

its kinda hard to say, 2nd gens will last longer.... The first gens and pre-tacos have been out long enough to prove them-self...But the second gens have only been out for hardly 6 years. Get back to me in another 5 years because my 07 has 40,000 and it sounds like it runs better than everyone elses 2nd gen on here lol.

 

I have a 2nd Gen but personally i think the 1st gen is more reliable i also have an '87 and to me thats more reliable than both!!

 

uh oh, for everyone saying the first gens rust... here ya go!
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...-people-get-rust-spots-there-white-tacos.html

so now second gens got it..

 

In 6 years people will be saying the 2nd gen is more "reliable" than the 3rd.LOL

 

because it will be!

 

I jumped from owning 80's Pickups/4runners to a 2006 SR5 Access cab V6 4x4.

The quality is there, Toyota still makes a solid truck, everything underneath is fairly remenecent of an 80's/90's truck. It has nearly 180,000km and in that time it has had:

Rotors and Pads at 156,000
TSB rear springs, The originals were still mint.

Nothing else except Tires, Serpentine belts and wiper blades.


The thing about the 2006 is its plain inside. The interior, while its nice.. isn't like a 89-94 or 1st gen Tacoma. The materials used aren't quite as nice looking, there's plastic where there used to be a nicely stitched carpet panel(door panels mainly). It lacks a sunroof, the seat is missing power options and certain adjustments that im familiar with, although they are very comfortable seats mind you. No defrosting mirrors is one that bothers me seeing as they went to the effort of making them power adjustable.


That said, like always, its still the best "small" pickup you can buy. I know in 8-10 years when it has nearly 300,000km on it I will more than likely be able to sell it for $8-10k still. Nothing has changed drastically enough on them that I can't repair it myself. I do wish the current Hilux was available in Canada.

 

my uncle has an 84 and i have a 04 and there are a lot of similarities.. similarities that do not exist on the 2nd gens..

thats not to say i dislike 2nd gens, toyota has just screwed the pooch in that respect.

plus the mini truck died in 2005.

 

i think both r great! my dad has a 1999 and it has over 150,000 miles on it and it runs fine...well beside the bent frame and the suspension, well i think there is a suspension, it sure rides like there is none haha.

 

gets off topic

EDIT: wrong thread, woops! lol

 

well here it is guys, toyota had awesome rigs in '85 with solid axles and the 22re. the problem is, toyota grew so fast it couldnt keep up, and here we are today. still a great truck no doubt, just making too many that they cant possibly have the same quality. ya kno what im sayin?

 

Pre tacoma Is the most relieable bar none ! No computer and built to last forever. But thats just me . Mine is a 1981 4x4 with 547,000 or so miles on it with the factory engine and trans Mainly stock ground up . Still no issues . Toyota KICKS ASS !!!!

 

oh wow 547k! nice!

 

my first tacoma was a 97lx with the inline 4. i drove that thing for a while and never had any problems. i even used it a couple time down so back roads going hunting by the salton sea, cali. the only thing i had to do before i sold it was change the shocks on it. now i have a 06 DCLB 4wd and i love it too. i think the are both well worth all the time and effort that i have spent on both of them