Would you buy again / new?

I may be in the honeymoon phase, only having my Tacoma for a few days. I came from years of BMW's and before them a 1998 Ford Ranger. I wanted a truck with a manual transmission and options are limited: Tacoma or Gladiator - I wanted something I knew would be reliable so that left me at Tacoma. It has limitations, but really what I am asking of it? Get me out of the Wisconsin snow, carry some yard waste, pull a small trailer, and bring stuff home from Home Depot. Really that is it - I am not expecting to be fast, smooth ride, or handle like a BMW. I expect it to be a midsized truck.

 

Thanks TW for the Monday morning entertainment...

I personally never owned a FJ or 2nd Gen. However, when I was looking to buy I originally wanted a used truck due to potential cost savings. This was late November 2016 and went to drive a 2015 DCSB MT OR Tacoma, w/ ~30k mi on it. I really liked it, but would not budge for less than I think 29k to 28k. I then test drove a 2017 DCSB Sport MT for shits and giggles. HANDS down a the 2017 is a better truck and came home with it. Yes, I sucked it up and spent ~3500 more for the 2017. 62k miles later I still love it.

Now, I have driven and towed with multiple 2nd gens over the last ~10years+ and many times with my taco. I will take my truck over those trucks any day towing the exact same load, my tractor with my trailer.

Overall, my opinion, no concrete facts and I am not some butt hurt 15yo internet warrior

 

Nope, I’m sorry. Everybody knows the 4.0 is a torque monster and proper truck engine.

 

Mondays and Fridays are the best times on this forum

 

I'd buy a ridgeline

 

I'm not sure yet have not owned it long enough. Ask again in ten years.

 

I'm with you , mine is perfect the way she sits and I got most of the winter grim off her today .
If I wanted a V8 truck , sports car or turbocharged whatever that's what I would have bought .

 

Yep.

I never had power complaints, even on the stock tune. Tuned it drives like a raped ape. I will keeping my taco till the wheels fall off, I love it. The only thing that will make this truck an absolute dream for me, would be 8-10” more leg room in the back. I sit pretty far back and the room in the back room is pretty much non existent. But then again I barely have passengers in the back so it’s not a huge deal at all.

 

I hate to be the one to tell you this my man, but if you think any Tacoma runs like a raped ape somebody needs to take you for a ride in even a stock new Mustang lmao

 

Exactly! 100% agree with all this.

someone made a good point earlier—a LOT of 3rd gen buyers seem to have come from cars or at least other makes and models, not from older Tacomas. So they have different expectations. And they rightfully wonder why something so basic costs like $40k

Plus more 3rd gen Tacomas were sold than any other gen, on average (average yearly sales). It’s not even close, so you’ll be getting a lot more voices. The angriest voices are usually the loudest.

 

Change your oil yet?

 

Sir, you can’t compare mustang to a v6 NA taco.

I feel very confident driving my taco around the city. Have you driven a full Otto cycle tuned MT taco?

 

Big fan of my pro and its been trouble free for 46k miles except for TSS garnish recall, fuel pump recall, and creaky clutch pedals. None of them were big deals and fixed quickly - mild inconvenience at worst.

However, not going to lie if they didn't offer it in a manual I would be driving something else. Glad they do and will enjoy shifting my own gears while I still can.

 

should add a poll.

 

Does OV TUNE switch it from Atkinson cycle to Otto cycle?

 

Bought 2020 TRD OR in Dec 2019.

I would absolutely buy another 3rd gen, but I would probably land in an SR instead and build it up myself with what I wanted. I like the push button start but could live without it. The power sliding rear window is freakin' cool, I could live without it, but I DO feel like if I didn't have that, I wouldn't use the slider window nearly as often as I do with it.

I hate the power seats though.

 

If I had a time machine I would buy new again . In 2018 our sr5 4dr 4x4 auto was 33k. Even at that time it was close in price to what used ones were going for.

In 2021 I wouldn't buy new or even used at these prices. I would either pay more for a EV pick up or just wait for the $39,000 cybertruck or cheaper alternative to come in 1-3 years (ford? toyota?). You have to be really really in love with just the looks or name of a taco to pay these prices for what you get. There is nothing special about this body of frame truck with suspension /axle /engine/ tech that is unchanged for decades. Yes it's tried and true and reliable but at 40k for a new base one, that's an extremely shitty value. A base 4door 4x4 taco should be 25-30k max (even with inflation now days). Trd Pro even with all the little mods should go for 35k.

 

Or drive it until 100k when its a roll of the dice if the engine will blow up or not.....

 

40k for a base one? I see loaded Premiums in the 40 range, but I got my well-equipped 2021 TRD OR manual for $34k. Older trucks were selling at the same price point (or higher in some cases), so I felt like this was a really opportune time to buy new actually. Prices on new ones are not inflated, except out west where gouging is taking place.

Even back in 2012 a new fully loaded Tacoma approached 40k, so new Tacoma prices haven't crept up that much. I do agree there is nothing *too* special about a body on frame mid-size truck with outdated tech lol. But for you to say it's an "extremely shitty value" ignores the resale value (best residuals of any car of any make) and dependability aspects of these vehicles.