What would you do different? I'm getting a new truck.

Why aren't you going with a manual on this one? The biggest gripes people post about the newer Tacomas are all with the auto trans, just for a heads up.

 

LOL!!! You say that like it's a BAD thing! LOL!
I specifically bought an AC so I had a great/convent reason for NObody else riding in my new truck, other than me ... And maybe sometimes the wife. (Plus I wanted the 6' bed) ....
Hey ... This is MY truck. The last thing I wanted, was to have relatives/friends over and we all wanted to go somewhere where they wanted to stick they're snot-blowing, seat-kicking, juice-spilling, food-dumping, screaming little shits in the back of my truck.
(This could apply to some adults also ..)
I really like all the extra room in the back of the AC, but so far as hauling around other people/kids/dogs etc etc .. Ain't gonna happen on my watch. It's like having a 2-seat sports car. Sorry! No room for you! Gotta find another way! Sorry!
So far, so good ..

 

You know Ryan I just might if I can get the truck I want. I'm not in the city much where an auto is kind of handy and in driving a car with an automatic I often find myself reaching for the stick....

 

No money constraints and not gnarly off-roading.... double cab, 6.5 foot Tundra?

dare you to test drive one

 

I bet you'd like it better. I miss rowing gears in my old Tacoma. If I didn't get stuck in traffic in town so often I'd switch back in a heartbeat.

 

I don't think I would have done anything differently. Maybe waited for a 2020 so I could have Apple Carplay and the OR cameras? Other than that, it's been pretty sweet

 

I would have gotten an access cab....so I could have come on here and talked up ACs in one thread but then post in here that I wish I got the DC instead.

 

Curious?
Who are you referring to?

I know I’ve stated more than once my opinion. Have not yet changed my opinion. I do enjoy my AC, but I’d rather have a DC.

Here is a link to a post in may of last year. Same opinion. See post #24
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/access-cab-advice.667551/page-2#post-23421648

 

honk honk

lol, its a general joke.

 

Buy a full size :-/ probably the only thing I would do different if I had to do it again.

 

What would I do different?

Very little. I'm in the over 50 crowd and went with functionality and budget. Only requirements were 4 cyl, 5 speed MT, 4x4, long bed, access cab, and A/C. Don't need all of the fancy stuff- I've been driving a 1993 Toyota DLX pick-up 4x4, 4 cy/5speed base model short bed (no air conditioning A/C) for the last 25 years, so my 2017 Tacoma was a definite upgrade. I went with the Access Cab, 4x4, Utility model with a price around 22,000.

With less than 1000.00 in upgrades and add ons that I installed myself, got some of the convenience package and other stuff. Access cab is plenty of room for just me and the wife with plenty of room for stuff in the cab- no kids or passengers. This package takes me on similar roads you are talking about and is just plain reliable, although bare bones. I just couldn't justify the extra 4-15K for some of the other packages that I could use for custom add-ons, took me 6-8 months to find and had to go out of state- weird.

Doing things differently:
- Request tire upgrade instead of the All Season tires that are on it (waiting to wear out to purchase A/Ts)
- Request a dealer bed mat (87.00)
- Possibly the convenience package (intermittent wipers and key fob door locks-- I had to add these after, not hard or expensive, but only having one manual door lock with key was annoying)
- Request dealer all weather door plate sills/covers (mine came with it, but looking at other guys who didn't get it, they have a lot of scratches)
- Upgrade to the better all weather floor mats from the dealer (mine are ok)
- For towing- wish I would have looked to add a tow package- mine came without a hitch, easy install, but still- use it all of the time.
- Super White paint- it has grown on me, but if you don't like looking like the city maintenance vehicles and Orkin trucks, it works well with the black trim utility package for looks and care. Wish I would have gotten Silver.
- V6 vs. I4, I love the 4 cylinder, but the Tacomas are a little heavier than the older Toyotas, I definitely don't do any passing on the highway (still not getting rid of the 4 cyl). Based on your driving, I would defer to the V6 guys, but I should have test drove some of the V6s.

Keep:
Manual Transmission- unless your knees are starting to bother you
Cloth seats- I thought the leather upgrade was pricey, and went with Clazzio Leather seat covers (they look stock and wear well and for only 350ish dollars.)
No tech package/off road package- I have yet to be stuck with 4x4 and stock with mild off-roading in NC- been close because of the crappy tires
No seats in the utility package- more room and easier on the dogs
Long Bed -definitely worth the extra space

Hope this helps and good luck in your search, plain Jane SR 4x4 AC.

SRick

 

I would have bought the manual transmission. I specifically bought the auto so that between the wife and I, we would have two vehicles (she can't/refuses to drive a MT) While that has worked out well, if I totaled my truck today I would buy the MT and deal with the fallout.

Other than that, my truck is pretty much exactly what I wanted.

 

All good.

I do try to give an honest answer when new guys ask for advice. I didn’t really take in to account the people and things I would later carry in my truck. Life is unpredictable sometimes. In 10 years
the niece and nephew out grew my truck.

This whole virus thing really made every thing “hard”. I am having to help keep them/watch them while the online classes are going. They both don’t like riding in the back. Both are over 5’ tall now.

 

Have driven a small Toyota truck since 1984. Have neither a want nor need for a full size pickup. But I appreciate your thought.

 

Only negative with the access cabs (and Ive owned 2 of them plus an fj) is the rear doors opening the opposite way of the front doors and having to open the front doors in order to open the back. Especially in parking lots.

 

I heard that. I’ve actually backed into spots to make it “easier”. That way you can close the front door and still load the truck.

 

Upgrading the shocks can help with that.

 

I believe your thinking of the cab room you gained which is probably 8", you lose more like 13" of bed. So yeah night and day.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with any trim / package. There are pros and cons to them all.

Drove a manual 6 speed TRD OR for a bit. Locker was sweet (pro) but the manual was annoying (con) in the dunes and slow when drag racing mini vans. However, 4.3 gears... (pro)

Got the SR5 4x4 4door cuz it was cheaper at 33k (so that's a pro) but no locker (con).

You can get a SR base 2 door for cheap (pro) but then it's not fancy (con).

You can get a 2wd and built it up for high speed fun + less moving parts (pro) but it can't go to the edge of the earth (con) .


In fact, after very carful analysis, the only trim which is mostly cons is ironically the TRD "pro". The only situation where it makes sense is if you do not care about value for your money and are either an auto blog journalist or you need to flex on your friends, whom are equally clueless about off road suspension options. Even if a TRD-Pro was given to me I would have to spend the $/time and remove all 4 shocks + leaf springs + control arms and replace them anyways. IDK, might be a pro if you can get the "Pro" for a good price? But the shocks gotta go right up for sale, just like any other stock Tacoma.

 

Dare you to fit it through this:




"not gnarly off-roading.".... ya, maybe just buy a fleet van then