What do 1st gen owners think of 2nd gen trucks?

Exactly as the title says, I was curious as to what 1st gen owners thought of the 2nd gen trucks. Are you a fan? Do you not like them? Why or why not?

 

More powa but too wide.

 

I’ve had both second gen to me is much better also I work on them daily. The second gen has much better design on almost every aspect. But it depends on what your using it for and expectations they both have these places. If you want a mini truck then a first gen.

only things I can think of that first gen has that is better a boxed frame for most of it. The early tacomas have a manual 4wd shifter and manual locking hubs. The suspension on a second gen is far superior and the ride is much better. Less maintenance on a 4.0 then a 3.4. No timing belts

 

They are better than the the first gen in several ways but they will never look as good or be as fun to drive as the last compact pickup built by the company that perfected the compact pickup.

 

I had a 1st Gen, and have driven/borrowed a 2nd Gen.

Would definitely own a 2nd Gen as they're bigger, more comfortable, and have more power.

Driving a 1st Gen is fun though.

 

I have both. Would be hard to pick my favorite

 

One ended in '04, the other in '15.

So the real q is what do 1st and 2nd gen owners think of the 3rd gen? Which is approaching EOL as well.

I like the look of 1st gens, and for my use I would have bought one if I could have found it reasonable and local. Although I found the seats way too hard for the occasional 5 hour run I might make.

 

I like them both.

But I love the 1st gen more. A lot easier to snake around town, park and fit on trails.

 

2nd gen was the ugly duckling to 1st gen owners when it (2g) rolled out, just as 3rd was the ugly duckling to 2nd gen owners when it (3g) rolled out. Endless cycle, will continue with 4th gen.

 

Well the 2nd gen has tougher axles, and AFAIK they resolved certain weaknesses of the first gen like the steering rack and lower ball joints. Also you don't have to worry about valve adjustments and "tune-ups" on the newer engines, though the 3.4 is also pretty bulletproof in that respect other than the timing belt. By the end of the 2nd gen's production run they'd also significantly improved the reliability of the head-gaskets with an Al head and Iron block after the growing pains after they switched from the "old iron" motors like the 3FE.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think the second gen frames might be a bit more resistant to corrosion, at least the later ones.

The advantages of the first gen is that they are generally cheaper, and also much lighter and more nimble on trails. I also much prefer a manual transfer case, especially the J-shift lever. For me a dial will never be as satisfying, and it's also one more thing to go wrong.

If I was looking for a 2nd gen I'd get a single cab 5 speed with the 2TR-FE, since it still more or less has the minitruck dimensions and has arguably the most reliable four cylinder Toyota ever put in a truck. By then they'd ironed out the quirks of the 22re and 3RZ. In fact the 2TR is basically a 3RZ with a more reliable top end.

So overall I'd say 2nd gens are technically better vehicles, but I still prefer the simplicity and sprightliness of the first gen.

 

I've only test driven two 2nd gens, but I wasn't a fan of the 6 speed (at least in the example I drove). If I could get the 1GR, the seats and interior of the 2nd gen, and a cabin air filter with the size and appearance of the 1st gen for me that would be the best of both worlds.

 

I have both. My 1st gen is way more fun to drive. My 2nd gen is my daily, it is way more comfortable has a lot more room and power. Both are great for different reasons. I don't regret getting either truck.

 

I think the 3rd gen is still the ugly duckling, the big problem for me is the lack of space. I grew up driving 2nd gens and now I have my grandpa’s old 2007. When I get in a 3rd gen to bring it into a bay for work it just feels so cramped on my legs.

 

You think a 3rd gen is more cramped than a 2nd gen? The cab is essentially unchanged from the 2nd gen. There is no way your 2nd gen is less cramped.

But if we are taking ugly duckling literally, the 3rd gen “cheese grater” grilles are still questionable. I wasn’t a fan of the early (16-17) grilles, but the later models grew on me.

 

Kinda miss the oil filter on top

 

I have both too. I’m with @07RedTacoDawg and @Tour991 in how I feel about the two generations. I will say my 2003 feels “tighter” than my 2015, and the Gen 2 is more comfortable for a 5000 mile camping trip.

And at 6’ 6”, I didn’t feel I could drive safely in a Gen 3. Too little room, especially headroom and kneeroom.

 

I've had both and bought new. Sold the '14 two years later and kept the '04. I really liked the '14 but I didn't need it. Felt way more comfortable than the '04 though.

Unmodified, to me, they are just about evenly matched when you need to get into 4L and scrape the skids. The 1st gen always had a bit of an easier time in the technical stuff and had less shrub scrape.

 

I have a 1st gen because they’re the best looking trucks to ever hit the road, it’s tough as nails and it reminds my of my ‘86 but with more safety features. I can’t stand the shape of wheel wells on the second gens and don’t care for the carp lip grills on the 3rd gens. Plus the 1st gen is the perfect size small pickup.

 

The 1st gen wins because it is a true compact pickup. The 2nd gen and 3rd are bigger and defeats the hole purpose of wanting a small pickup. The 2nd gen fixed some things like the extremely poor lower ball joint design on 1st gens, but they still didn’t fix other major issues like frame rusting in half. I’ve even seen service bulletins on 3rd gens for frame rust so they still haven’t figured that out. The newer they get, the more car like they get and I’m not a fan. I don’t need all the bells and whistles and tech gadgets in a truck.