Talk me in to/out of a 3rd Gen.

I am nearing the point on pulling the trigger on a new TRD Off Road, I am dreading the payments but I think it is time.

Tell me what you like.

Tell me what you hate.

Anything to look out for? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time!
Mark

 

Love how it looks. And it runs fine, nothing will knock your socks off though. Truck does much better off road in stock form than I thought it would.

Hate:
This forum will make you think you drive the biggest POS ever produced.

 

Don't listen to any of us. Get it or don't get it based on your own needs/wants/desires. If it scratches all your itches, we'll simply help you come up with new and varied ways to spend money on it.

 

Love mine but this is my first.

 

Don’t do it...

If you need a bunch of strangers to help you make a financial decision, you should proceed with extreme caution.

Anyway, good luck with the new Taco.

 

I just recently bought my first taco and haven't regretted it. CaptAmerica is right, there are a lot of great ways to spend your money on it.

 

Just get what you want

 

Amen.

 

Same here.

 

I have had Toyota pickups, and I went from the 2nd gen to the 3rd a couple months ago. I love this truck, from its looks and how it handles. I say, drive it for a couple months or more, and then, see what mods you would want to do, for how you use it. Lots of good things about the truck, and IMO , no real drawbacks to it.

 

I do not need help from strangers with the financial decision. I am looking to see what you all like or hate about them. I am looking to see if there is anything I have not considered in my research. I am looking for any info that may make my test drive more informative and worthwhile for me.

Thank you though!

 

Rent a 2020 off-road from your dealer. Drive it for a day or two. Might save you headaches later. Most taco owners who complain here didn’t spend time with it on the road during test drive. Don’t misinterpret me. I love mine . Wouldn’t change it for any other at the moment.

 

Everybody’s experience with their tacoma largely depends on ones expectation . I’m satisfied with my 2017 but some are not. Best way is for you to rent a 2020 tacoma of the same trim you plan on acquiring. Take a road trip . Places you plan on using it. That way you experience it yourself and decide accordingly. Might save you $$ in the future

 

Double-cab long bed unless you're building a rock crawler. You'll appreciate the extra bed length.

 

I've a 2018. 2 things I don't like.

Reverse in the manual...I will never need to go that fast backwards, but I'd like to go slower without slipping the clutch.

The change in acceleration at 3500rpm, it makes the truck less smooth (this is a minor quibble)

Everything else is good enough.

 

First time owner here. I arrived at the Tacoma by a process of elimination.
I wanted a manual transmission, reasonably trail ready vehicle that would fit into my garage, could also serve as a highway driver across a mountain range without killing me with the mileage, had good reliability (that also means not too much fancy, fragile tech stuff that I wouldn't use anyway ), could be used for sleeping in / on, wouldn't break the bank and could be serviced almost anywhere.

There really wasn't any other option that I could see. I only did minor modifications to get me anywhere I want to go in a an acceptably safe way. And I am learning more and more about how infinitely customizable this thing is.

Personally, I'd wish for even fewer electric motors (power adjustable seat does nothing for me) and more ruggedness. But that's me. I don't care much for creature comforts but hate tiny little plastic pieces that break when you look at them.
I'd probably drive a Lada Niva if that were a viable option.

I agree with the reverse being awkwardly geared. But then that's not that much of a problem for me since I don't tow stuff.

Be aware of the fact that this is really mostly a 2 people car. The rear seats are not suitable for even mid-size passengers on long drives, much less 3 people.

 

I've always had toyota's since 78 but never a tacoma till now. In the past toyota was always good taking care of warranty issues and even out of warranty if a big issue at least till 2012 when they are claim their no longer giving the store away. Still i stayed with them knowing their vehicles are pretty sound with good resale. My 2020 v6 sr5 ac is quiet and runs well, and gets good fuel economy for what it is. The only fault i can claim its hasn't near the ride, quality and compliance my 2001 tundra had.

 

Make sure you get the long bed! I just got mine last month and it's already been useful on more than a handful of occasions

 

Had a 2018 Pro Taco.
Got rid of it for a 2017 Pro 4Runner.

Definitely prefer the 4Runner

Why:
- Taco just doesn't work for my lifestyle. Having a dog take up the back seat makes it impossible to transport other things I don't want exposed to the elements (even under a tonneau cover)
- My MPG on my 4Runner is about 0.5 MPG better than my Tacoma (negligible).
- 4Runner forum is active, but definitely not to the degree of this one
- Aftermarket support, from what I've found is significantly better on the Tacoma
- Headlights are both dogsh*t - replace ASAP [I have loved my plug and play Supernova V3's - they've been replaced by SV4's on HeadlightRevolution, though).

It's going to be up to you, your lifestyle, your wants, and your budget though.
My Taco was great, but just didn't fit the lifestyle.

 

My only "mandatories" were 4x4 and manual transmission. That limited me to the dinosaur Frontier or unreliable/unforgiving Wrangler. Tacoma won by default. It's a solid truck, but you get stuck with too many sensors and automated nonsense. Also, the 3.5 needs a little boost. If you get intake/exhaust/OVTune on 91 octane, it's got enough pick-up to be fun. What else are you specifically looking at?

Test Drive: make sure you get a feel for the cruise control and pre-collision automatic braking. Those things drove me CRAZY and unplugged all the sensors. I have constant error messages. Just be aware of those things. Hell, you might like 'em.