Should I buy a used 2012-2015 or a new 2017/2018

I rarely have anybody in the back of my DC but its still very useful as a "trunk" if you will lol.

 

I would and did buy new. Used Tacoma's are not a bargain as others on here have said. I looked at 1-3yr old trucks with 30K miles for just under what I paid new.

I also did not really want a 2nd gen. I know many on here love them and good for them. I thought the 1st gen was great looking and then they botched the looks on the 2nd gen with weird bulbous soft lines and its gigantic headlights. 2nd gen is just an ugly truck IMO. I saw many 2015 trucks for sale with 30K miles priced at $33K. Sorry but I'm also not paying that much for dated tech and something that looks like a 13 year old truck even if it is a 2015. Also what warranty because there is none unless you go aftermarket.

*To me* the looks, tech and performance of the 3rd gen are all better than the 2nd gen trucks. I have 10K miles on my 17' and no issues at all. Some have had issues but thats any first run re design. Dont want to deal with potentially spending time at the dealer then dont buy the first year completely re designed model.

 

Warranties generally don’t transfer AND it was a 5 year and or 60,000 mile warranty on a 2013 Tacoma.

Now, in 5 years you’ll get good money out of a 2017. The 2013 will be 9 years old at that point and worth considerably less than a 2017 you buy now. The 10,000 you’re saving now will be gone in 4-5 years.

 

I'll echo what most others have said here. I bought a third gen over a second gen primarily because second gens were way too expensive for a used truck. I'd rather be the guy who drives the thing 100,000 miles and sells it for a $10k delta than they guy who buys it. Oh, and they also get better milage. An important point when considering total cost of ownership. Over 100,000 miles the difference between 17mpg and 15mpg is over $2,300 for example.

The third gen has better safety features which, while kind of a boring point, are not the worst investment if your girlfriend is in the truck with you a lot.

Access cab vs. double cab vs short bed vs long bed? My decision was double cab long bed. I've constantly filled both, sometimes at the same time, so I made the right choice but only you can know what you're taking with you all the time. The double cab is especially nice if you are leaving your bed open for dirt bikes. It gives you a good amount of lockable space. Also, storage space for stuff that isn't appropriate for the bed.

The last thing I'll talk about is the back up camera. If you haven't had one yet, they're magical. I have always been good at parking and backing into spaces. Really thought I didn't need one. But with the DCLB being so long it is so incredibly helpful. Both in parking lots and on trails. When I drive a vehicle without one it feels archaic.

 

So i was loooking at model years 3 to 5 years old and wasnt getting anything mind blowing for anything less than 30. I looked at sr5 sport and or. The closest i found was a 2015 with 58k on it minor cosmetic damage and even then wanted 33.8 for it. So i just bit the bullet and got a 17. Im happy with it. (Only got 6k mi on it) but so far i just need to personalize it more. I was between AC/DC i chose DC because i plan on keeping this vehicle for at least 15 years if not longer. It is my DD and only light OR so far. It does all i need it to do and some extra that is just nice. Long story short AC if you care about a 6' bed or DCLB if you want both. You can always leave the tail gate down to make a SB a tad longer, but we all know its never the same.

 

I think it needs to be said you probably can't fit this all in the bed without doing some damage to these toys.

 

I was looking at the same situation. For me, it came down to being able to get a brand new truck (warranty, 24 month service, etc.) over a truck a few years old for nearly the same overall. These hold their value so well, it just made more sense to get the new one and take the hit w/ the depreciation, but I got the service and a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty on Toyota's nickle, so it worked out.

 

My response to this thread a couple of days ago :https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...coma’s-after-the-3rd-gen-was-released.522599/

I went with the 2015 over the gen 3 for a couple of reasons. First and most importantly, I wanted a thoroughly tested platform, one that's had 10 years to work out all the bugs made sense to me. New models always have unforeseen issues. So far we've seen computer issues, rear diff issues and the 3rd gen billowing smoke out the tail pipe on steep climbs. While the vast majority of owners will never use theirs to do any serious off-roading, I wanted to have that option. I bought my truck to do truck things, and off-roading is one of those. I liked the fact that the 3.5 liter on the 3rd gen got another 2 mpg, but it seemed like the little 3.5 liter had to work really hard compared to the 4 liter to go the same speed. The old saying is "there's no substitute for cubic inches". Well there actually is, but it's rpm, and rpm will always shorten the life of an engine. Next is the aftermarket availability of parts for the 2nd gen. I've saved thousands of dollars simply watching the classifieds for things like my winch bumper, OME suspension, and camper shell, which were all new or in like-new condition for a fraction of the cost of the same item direct from the manufacturer. And lastly, although this was a minor thing, I didn't like the redesign of the front end, grill area. While the rest of the styling is awesome, I think the new front end on the 2016's and newer is kind of ugly. In short, the ONLY things I don't like about my 2015 are the flimsy tailgate and the IFS. Unfortunately I don't see Toyota going back to a solid front axle anytime soon.

 

First, the "old saying" is - there's no replacement for displacement. But I'll give you that one.
There's a few other things i could pick at, but you wouldn't care because you love your 2nd gen and your mind is obviously made up - and there's nothing wrong with that. As we're finding out the further Orange Virus progresses with his tunes, the "little 3.5" is being saddled mostly by it's horrendous OEM calibration. There's also gearing issues on the A/T trucks, in that the OD gears in combination with a final drive of 3.91 don't pair particularly well with a small-ish NA engine (and the tranny wants to get into those gears ASAP). I wouldn't say my M/T 3rd gen has to work really hard to go any reasonable speed. I can cruise along all day doing 60 @ 2K RPM in 6th, up hills, headwinds, no problem and plenty of power to spare.
I gotta say though - "10 years to work out ALL the bugs"?? No way. In fact, some of that 2nd gen shit made it's way into my third gen - creaky ass clutch, kazoo door seals, diff noises (although the diff is different) to name a few.

 

Don' think you can go wrong with either a 2nd or 3rd Gen, get the best deal you can on whichever fits your needs best.

 

LOL, every time I see a thread like this the troll-o-meter starts to spike.

Innocent post or not, it just reeks like an incoming shiticane

 

Sorry that in this part of the country we don't use the exact same wording as 'yall do, lol And I haven't experienced diff noises or kazoo door seals on my 2015, but I have to ask.....what is this clutch you speak of???

 

Right?
Insta -

But it's actually been pretty civil with some reasonable responses on both sides. What the hell?

 

My version has to be right - cause it rhymes!
No y'alls within a few hundred kilometers of my loc . That unit of measure should be a hint.
Real trucks don't shift themselves.

Ha! enough BS for ya yet?

 

IKR, lol.

 

So what are these "kilometers" you speak of....
Yeah I gave up on clutches when I started rock crawling about 20 years ago. My buddy and I built early Broncos from the ground up with all the rock crawling goodies. His was manual and mine was automatic. It seemed like he spent all his time restarting his engine and had a lot harder time finessing his rig through the deep and nasty stuff and had a hard time keeping up with me through the technical stuff. As time has gone on manuals trannies have been added to the same pile as carburetors, 6 volt electrical systems and burlap air conditioning systems. Attend a few rock crawling competitions and you'll see what I mean. OK manual tranny lovers.........let the storm begin!

 

Good job I don't rock crawl then..EH! I'd probably end up boot fucking my truck, which isn't an option since it's my DD.

A good friend and I bought a '69 Bronco just out of high school. 302 4bbl 3 speed manual. Not the original engine, but the rest was. Damn that thing was a POS, but was a barrel of fun. Ah memories

 

What about a 2016?

 

They are total POS.
They break down constantly and shouldn't be driven without a spare CKP and a gallon of diff fluid in reserve.
The hood may fly off with all the flexing.
Kazoo door seals will scare the crap out of your GF/MIL.
I'm sure I missed a bunch.. can't channel Smitty that well.

Oh, they have embarrassing AF creaky clutches and rear leafs.

 

12-15 for the automatic. Either version for the manual.