Regular Cab -> Double Cab, or FJ, or 4Runner

So I reached this point a little quick for my liking, but I got my '12 regular cab 4x4 1 year and 3 months ago, I think to the day actually. Perfect at the time, deemed bachelor for life, fit the budget. Things changed... probably will have kids in next few years, and my truck absolutely eats shit at elevation (5,000+ ft). No power, gas mileage 19-20, constant down shifting and moving to slow lane wears on you.

I have to renew my registration (over $300) before the end of the month, giving me 17 days to make a decision. I've been pretty upset with Toyota as a brand for continuing to make the same mistakes from years past, shitty clutch, wind noise, putting same engines in the taco instead of using 4runner/fj 4.0s... you know.

Buying a DCLB tacoma would make me pretty happy, swap out my black head lights, use my scosche 12+ dash trim, same lift, same wheels and tires which are basically brand new. Gas mileage would probably be equal and it'd be a much more future worthy car. Dunno if my camper shell would fit, an access/dc shell from same brand did not fit (screw up at topper shop), but the reverse should be OK without rubbing, just might have a gap...

An FJ... more power, more capable (though off road is not primary concern, all of my choices would be equally capable on trails I'd be willing to hit), back seats for the very few times I'd need it, and acceptable size for kids anyway should I have them. Swap wheels e-z, I believe at least some of my suspension is identical and would swap, sell off shell and hope dealership didn't penalize me too much for head lights.

A 4runner, #1 choice, also most expensive of the 3. Can't swap 16's, would be a stretch to find one in time, no clue about suspension. Most powerful of all 3.

What would you do? A bed is nice but obviously I had to cover my regular cabs bed to fit anything more than a single bag of groceries if raining. The DCLB would satisfy my dry storage needs with the option of bed should I need it, the FJ would give me least interior room and blind spots/least attractive of the 3 IMO, and the 4runner would just be tits all around but with dealers all asking way over MSRP for the few '14s around, uhg... I can handle an extra $100-150 a month to do this IMO necessary upgrade, but the 4runner could easily exceed that.

Obviously not looking forward to uninstalling all of my mods and getting sale ready but I'm just paying in to a truck that could never last me in the future and may cause me to go insane being underpowered.

 

I think I condensed your relevant points to this.

Until you said that - I was going to tell you you're nuts with new truck envy; and you should just keep your existing truck. But if you really hate it - then you should buy something different. Life's too short.

Sounds like you can't really afford the 4 runner.

Sounds like you don't off road enough to need/want the FJ, which is impractical enough in its own right.

So that leaves you swapping for the double cab. As you say, most of your mods can swap straight over. One exception IMO is your cap. You might make it fit - but the roof line and cap design is different, so it's always going to look kinda goofy - like you're sporting the wrong topper but made it fit. Personally, that would bug the shit out of me.

BUT WAIT: So here's the main thing: I bet you don't still have all your original factory parts in your garage?

If not - then if you're hoping to swap your mods, you're gonna have to buy the new truck and keep both of them (and their payments) while you swap everything over... and that'll make it harder (probably impossible) to get financing on the new truck.

So if you really want to do this - you may just have to eat the cost of your mods and trade in your existing 12 as it sits, and start from scratch.

 

I would say look at 05-08 ish 4runners. Price is nice these days and mine gets pretty good mpg, about the same as my DCSB v6 auto taco did, only its lifted, has a roof rack and 285/75r17 tires.

 

OR consider an Access cab, great untill your kids are too big in 10 years and bigger bed. Also cheaper to buy.

 

bjmoose - have all the stock parts Just would have to strip the plasti dip off stock rims and get a single tire, have 3 with ~10k on them but one got sidewall damage. That'd really just leave the lights that I couldn't swap without owning both simultaneously. Seems like they'd prefer have a) stock lights, and b) brand new lights on the truck... but I guess you can't trade in a vehicle and still mess with it.

4runner is doable if they were selling them for MSRP and if it was readily available. May be a little butt hurt about the wheels not being compatible. If I did the DCLB thing I could swap the shell and see, and if it bugged me... list it for sale and drive around with it until I found a buyer. Something tells me selling a regular cab specific shell would be kind of difficult though.

Konvict, I actually checked access cab prices on a couple dealership sites around here and they're all within $1000 of DCLB. I think I'd rather pay the extra. I have no idea why the prices would be so similar. This 'True Car' price a lot of dealerships are doing is horse shit when it's so far off from MSRP and with no additional features listed to justify. Thank you both for the input.

 

Right, brand new the MSRP is only about $1000 cheaper. But the initial hit on calue is a little higher on an Access cab so buying one say 3 years old can be had at a better price.

The bed on the regular and access cab is the same so you can save your shell would fit DCSB is basically 1 foot shorter.

The newer gen 4runner wheels may not interchange but my 16 inch taco wheels fit on my 2006 4runner

But new, the double cab would be a better value, if you can live with the bed. I couldnt so i traded my double cab for a Access cab.

Either way you will love the 4.0 and get the auto, better mpg

 

Having been through this 5 times now, I suggest that if you are planning to haul young kids in the truck, forget about the Access Cab and FJ. Full-size front-hinged doors are a huge advantage for getting kids and their stuff in and out of the truck. As long as you don't have more than three kids, you will wear out a double cab Tacoma long before your kids outgrow the back seat.

Mike

 

Right, i didnt think of that i dont usually park in spaces when hauling the kid in the access cab.

The rear doors are useless and a PITA in parking spots

Go for the DC tacoma, or 4runner

 

Yeah, I keep forgetting that with the FJ.. access cab I didn't really consider anyway because of small price difference but I guess it suffers from the same thing. Shit, I banged my dad's f150 doors when I was visiting last year because of the open/shut sequence and I generally am very conscious of how I treat a vehicle, especially my dads. I'm sure I'd forget, girlfriend would definitely forget, and while the leg room would probably suffice for young kids... just not worth the pains of hearing doors smash hah.

Konvict, i'm trying to buy new - I got my RC with 1 mile on the clock and it's a great feeling never worrying about what a previous owner did or didn't do. It sucks to flip a car so fast, my first brand new vehicle at that, but I'm seeing this as getting out of an unsuitable vehicle ASAP kind of move before i pay any more on it or re-register. I'm definitely going for an auto... I've driven manuals exclusively for nearly a decade and it never got to me until this truck. Crappy clutch and crappy shifting mannerisms (1st to 2nd especially), coupled with all the damn downshifting I have to do. Also have found that traffic is unavoidable even working 10-6... 1st is too jerky to cruise in on the long (really long) backed up merge ramps, 2nd bogs hard. Screw it, the last thing I need at the beginning and end of every day is a crappy driving experience, time to sit back and relax a little (and fuck a bench seat, I've found that at the 1.5hr mark I can make my sciatica flare up on cue for the next few days)

 

Dealers are really turning down MSRP for 4runners for earnest money ready buyers? Really? They may be trying to hold the line to get more when they can, but in this era of email bidding I just have trouble believing a savvy buyer working email bids between the fleet/internet desks of a couple local dealers can't do better than that.

And if the 4runner IS what you want and tha''s really true, just wait a few months as the supply of 2014s goes up. Yeah, you'll have to re-up your registration. But that's nothing compared to the price coming down a couple of clevelands.

 

I would get a dclb instead, call me bias then. You have 5-seat and a full bed.

I can swapout your headlights with you so you're back to stock...if you're near by though.

Good luck.

 

Double cab, long or short bed as needed, at least you can park the shortbed most places.

4Runner is most awesome of all but does not have a bed. My guess is that if you currently own a RC (like I do) you need a bed or at least believe you need one. I recently got out of an SUV, it was awesome, but a truck it is not.

 

If I was going to get something as a family hauler/DD it would be a TDI jetta wagon. You can always pick up a cheap used truck to play with.

 

There are five VWs in my driveway right now, and I have owned 4 VW diesels in the past. DON'T DO IT!

VW made the best economy cars before unleaded fuel came along. Honda and Toyota own that market today for a reason: They make the best cars.

Mike

 

What's wrong with their new diesels? I got a buddy with a 2011 that he swares by, seems like a really nice car from the trips we've done.

 

This. Suspension and wheels will direct swap (unless 5 lug). I just ran to Moab and back this weekend on my '04 with 285 Duratracs and averaged 17 MPG including three days of crawling.

 

Go with a Tundra if you want power and room. Or go with a DCLB taco or 4runner. Just go look and take them for test drives and then decide

 

Fuel economy on the tundra isn't much to my liking. Not sure what real world mpg would end up being, but certainly significantly less than the DCLB or 4runner. I don't need a ton of power - I'm fine with feeling a trailer or boat behind me should I tow one. I'm just trying to avoid feeling like I'm pulling a boat at all times with the truck completely unloaded

While I do seem like I'm penny pinching, it's mostly because I hate selling things on Craigslist and hate buying things twice that I've just bought. Like I said, selling off a truck you got brand new after just a hair over a year is enough of a hit. I can swing a mid 30's vehicle and would prefer get a new one.

I did some thinking on the way home from work, getting assaulted by the wind, and I'm going to have a really hard time returning the truck to stock in 16 days. If I had gotten my raise at work 2 months ago instead of 2 weeks ago, I likely would already be in a new vehicle. Of the 16 days left, with winter coming on fast, the odds of being able to knock it all out on either of the two weekends between now and Nov are pretty slim. I guess I'll re-register at the last moment, but start uninstalling parts as time allows. I love the idea of 4 doors + bed... DCLB with 4runner 4.0L would be ultimate.. Anyway, TLDR.

 

Dude seriously the tundra gets about what the taco gets and I would totally buy one if I could do it over again. I love my Tacoma but man I almost bought a rock warrior tundra but when I was going to go buy it. They had sold it so I got a Tacoma, but do test drive a tundra before you rule it out

 

Looked at a 2014 tundra this morning while waiting for my truck to get its 20k o/c at stealership. Very nice interior, this one had color matched grill and looked much nicer... gas mileage still a concern. Also had it in for clutch pedal squeak, they ordered a new master cylinder and pedal assembly or whatever. I don't know why the hell that's even necessary, shouldn't they have learned from the last several years of TSBage for this? Oh well, at least they're hurting for it. Unfortunately it would appear as if this is just a band aid and the lovely creak will come back later.

Hope to not be driving it by that point. I did some 6 month evaluation/raise paperwork a couple of weeks ago and saw the wage increase reflected on my last paycheck. I was happy already, but there was also some mention of a monthly bonus which I would now be receiving. I couldn't crunch the numbers at the time nor have a rough idea of what it'd be after tax. Anyway, today I woke up to my paycheck deposit and a second deposit for $470 I thought it was like $100-200 tops... now it's an entire car payment. I'll wait until a 4runner presents itself. While I'll probably miss having a bed at times.. the 4runner seems pretty spacious inside with seats folded down and I'll be sure to add a nice rack on top.

At least I narrowed it down somewhat with the shit doors on the FJ and AC tacos thanks all