Why Tacoma

I am new to this forum and wanted to get some feedback. Im in the market for a new truck. Was originally looking at the Raptor, Dodge PowerWagon and Tundra. With two kids going off to college in the next year or so I started to have second thoughts on cost. I happened to run into a guy who had just bought a Tacoma TRD Off Road. He raved about it. After a little research, I started to rethink my decision to buy a full size.
So my question is, why do you guys own a Tacoma vs one of the others mentioned above. Is it mostly
Price
Size
Performance
Dependability (Keep hearing how these things will run well over 300,000 miles

I appreciate any and all thoughts/advice. I have not owned a 4x4 so dont have a lot to go off of.
My goal is to spend more time in the dirt, going camping, even over night type of stuff. I live in Southern California if that makes a difference. Leaning toward the Tacoma TRD Off Road if I do decide to purchase one

 

I had a diesel full size and didnt need it.
Bought one tacoma for a trip and offroad truck and the other is a daily. They are reliable and hold their value really well. I prefer the midsize truck feel. I've had dodges and the quality isnt that great. Raptor isnt anything special other tha suspension and a motor you can never fully utilize. I like the tundra in a crewmax but hate the stupid 5 foot bed. Give me an 8 foot with a real back seat and I'd be in.

 

This is gonna sound crazy but I had a full size Z71 crew cab but we were moving and it wouldn’t fit in my new driveway at the townhouse so I sold it private party and since the Wife works at home we were gonna try just having one vehicle but then one day we just stopped for the fun of it at the Toyota dealer and there she sat, on the showroom floor all shined up so we brought her on home.

 

I'm just a midsize truck guy...they hold there value reasonably well, and it fits in my garage. I won't buy a truck that I can't park in my garage.

 

Fuel economy vs ___, ease of driving, price is still pretty steep though. I bought it because I know it'll last me and I know it'll handle what I throw at it. Plus they look great. I have a 2016 TRD Off Road with the access cab and I love it. I don't need the space of a double cab and it doesn't feel like a limo like I'd imagine any larger truck would. I can parallel park in big city streets with ease if I need to, too.

 

It's all those things, plus for me the Tacoma comes in a stick shifter. That was the icing on the cake over the Tundra (and even 4Runner)

Are you friends enough with the guy that owns the Off Road that you could maybe borrow it for a day?

 

This.

 

Don’t need full size or V8. Better on gas. Holds value better than anything else on the market. Reliability.

 

I don't tow anything more than 4k lbs, I'm average build so I fit perfectly in a mid-size truck, it holds its value way more than any other truck (especially American trucks), it looks good and is capable off-road, has great aftermarket support, etc. etc.

 

For one, don't look at the Tacoma just for fuel economy. You may get decent MPG...just don't count on it.

I chose the Tacoma because I've always loved how they look and how capable offroad they are/can be and you also can't beat the reliability and resell value of a Tacoma!

 

Honestly, for me, it is the looks. The Tacoma is by far the best looking mid-size truck. The Toyota reliability is just the cherry on top.

 

I traded in a full size Chevy 1 ton on my Tacoma OR. Size was the biggest factor for me. Pricewise you can easily get a half tons for less than what a lot pay for a taco or any midsize honestly. I just got tired of dealing with the girth of my full-size.

 

I don't need a full size so they never were in the running. I started with manual transmission truck or SUV. That narrows things down significantly. Tacoma was the obvious choice.

 

Reliability and re-sale value are the reasons you buy a tacoma.

 

I bought the cheapest 4x4 configuration possible because I just wanted an inexpensive, newly-purchased, off-road vehicle (e.g. skid plates, low range, good clearance).
The awesome reliability and resale value are icing on the cake.

 

I was looking for a new mid-sized truck in '16 and the options were a Tacoma, Frontier, the GM twins, or Ridgeline. I liked the Tacoma on both looks and test drive plus my first truck was a Toyota ('84 Xtra Cab SR5), so there was some nostalgia there. The Frontier was old technology and was really noticeable during the test drive. I'm still not convinced on GM's quality, so they were out. The Ridgeline, to me, was a minivan with the back turned into a bed and I could never see myself driving one.

The one piece of advice I would give you is to look long and hard at what you need a truck for. If you do a lot of hauling or towing you might want to stick with a full-size. It seems that a lot of the people that are unhappy with their Tacomas on this forum are coming off a full-size truck and are disappointed that the mid-size Tacoma doesn't "work as hard" as their full size did.

 

Great look, good value, better mpg, good reliability, good after market support and great at off-roading.

 

I had full size trucks previously, but I prefer the midsize trucks. You can get decent gas mileage, they're easier to park in tight spaces, decent room inside, and it'll tow and haul everything I need it to. I don't need a full size and the Tacoma is the best of the midsize trucks, imo. I have been happy with each Taco that I've owned and they've never let me down.

 

I live in SoCal too, and I went with the Tacoma (TRDOR 4x4) over a full-size for a lot of reasons, but the physical size and turn radius was a major consideration. It's just easier to park and get around in the city.

I'd say test drive the Tacoma and make sure you're satisfied with the engine/powertrain. It's not a peppy truck, and you can hear it trying really hard if you stomp on the gas. But it's pretty and tough and has good reputation for reliability (and resale value, but that's never really been a big consideration for me since I always say that every new vehicle I buy is my final one).

 

I was looking hard at full size vs. midsized. While I love all the spacious interior of a full size, I don't tow anything crazy and I couldn't fit the full sized in my home garage, and I work downtown in the city where I park in a tight, underground garage where there are few options to fit a full size. The Tacoma is sporty to drive, handles as tight as most car or small SUVs, has a decent turning radius, and looks better than any midsized on the market today (Ridgeline is a CLOSE second though...no...it isn't....)

Also, with a stock 4x4 OR model, you can get to a lot of cool places without any significant modifications. The aftermarket on the Tacos is second only to Wranglers IMHO so the sky is literally the limit in making YOUR truck YOURS and suited to your needs.