Tacoma or Tundra? That is the question... Leaning Tacoma... (F150, vehicle, 2011)
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Recently, I entered the market looking for a truck. My family and I trust the quality of Toyota, so I've been leaning going that route. I've been a Toyota Tundra fan for some time, although I really like the new Sierra look. Anyhow, for some time now, I've been researching everything I can find about trucks. In doing so, I ran across many articles/forums/videos about the Toyota Tacoma. This peaked my interest greatly. I reasoned with myself that I have never needed to haul or tow anything larger than what a Tacoma could handle, so why would I need a full-size truck? I also reasoned that I would like the maneuverability of a mid-size truck as well as a little better gas mileage. As I looked further, I saw how well Tacomas held their value; it was very impressive. Plus, every review I've seen mentions how roomy the truck is even in the back seat (double cab).
So, this week, I called up a friend of mine at a dealership who gave me a good deal on a Double-Cab TRD Sport V6. I gave the go ahead and it's been ordered. To say the least, I am excited. However, there is that little voice in the back of my head asking me if I made the right choice. I'm a practical guy and I don't NEED a full-size truck. Plus, I love what the Tacoma has to offer. However, it's not a Tundra and I don't want to feel less manly .
I'm a little nervous about this decision. Any input?
The Tacoma is a great truck. It is too big now for my tastes, but it is a handier size than the behemoth Tundra, and it's not near as thirsty. Both are built here in San Antonio.
Nobody is gonna question the size of your dong if you drive a Tacoma. They are sweet trucks and more livable than a Tundra. Residual value on Tacos is extremely high too.
$30,000 for a Tacoma? There is no free lunch. You are paying for a high residual up front. You are getting less truck. The double cab Silverado goes for that much. Now, I know people who for them there is no brand other than Toyota. If that is the case then it is an easy decision. Remember that a full size truck gives you much more interior space. You don't need to be hauling brick every day to enjoy it.
I owned an early predecessor to the Tacoma -- an '86 that I bought a year old and drove it for about five years. I wanted a camper so needed at least a 3/4-ton truck or I'd probably still be driving it. I really liked it. It was a 4x4 and had the 4-cyl engine and manual transmission, so it wasn't much of a hauler, but it was a great little truck for town/city driving. Both of my kids were teens at the time, so they tested it as well. It passed the teen test. In fact, my son bought an '88 a few years later and was looking for one for HIS son's 16th birthday a couple years ago. Used Toyota pickups were so expensive he bought him a small Chevy (S10?).
When it was time for me to trade, the car salesman I talked to said he could only give me $XXXX for it as a trade-in but suggested that I list it in the classified ads for his trade-in offer plus $1,000. I did, and it sold before the afternoon paper was delivered to me, cash in hand for my asking price. I don't remember what that price was, and I don't remember what I paid for it, but I know it didn't cost me much to drive it for five years. I still see those old ones like that from time to time and miss it.
The only thing I didn't like about it was that it had the standard cab, as most did in those years. I'd want AT LEAST the extended cab if I were to buy another one, probably the crew cab with a short box.
I've had big GMC trucks when I had a part time landscaping business. For towing, hauling, and people moving they excel. They also can be a pain to park and take up a lot of room in the garage. So, after getting done with the business, I bought a 2011 4 door, Tacoma TRD sport. The Sport mainly for the 17 wheels and the hood scoop, which is just a hood ornament, but looks cool and the 4 door for getting the dog in and out. I love the truck. It's easier to drive and park and feels very solid. It also stills tows a decent load. It gets maybe 2 mpg more than the big truck and at 6'2", the back seat is for kids or adults on very short trips. The resale is like #2 among cars but as pointed out, they are rather expensive to start with.
If you tow, haul stuff or have 4 people in the truck a lot, go Tundra. If like me, you mostly drive it to work and around town, the smaller vehicle is way easier to drive and park. Really the only thing I miss from GMC was the auto 4WD. On winter days where the road changes from bare to sno covered, the auto was nice where in the Tacoma I leave it in 2wd to avoid using it on the dry spots.
I basically traded abilities I wasn't really using for everyday easier driveability. More important to me was still having a truck to do what I needed.
The Tacoma is a great truck. It is too big now for my tastes, but it is a handier size than the behemoth Tundra, and it's not near as thirsty. Both are built here in San Antonio.
Last time I was on a Toyota lot there were quite a few Tacomas made in Mexico......
Tacoma is too much money for too little of a truck. Base, stripper model is like 18k! 2 dr, 2WD, 4 cyl!
Last time I was on a Toyota lot there were quite a few Tacomas made in Mexico......
Tacoma is too much money for too little of a truck. Base, stripper model is like 18k! 2 dr, 2WD, 4 cyl!
I believe many of the double cab Tacomas are made in Mexico. The regular cabs and access cabs are only made in San Antonio, last I heard.
You're right about the base regular cab starting at about 18K. But, a quick check of F150s locally shows one Ford dealer with 249 in stock, starting at $25,065 for a base XL V6 regular cab "Fleet Special". One only at that price. Checking a second local Ford dealer, their lowest priced in-stock F150 lists at 28,940. Again, a base XL regular cab V6.
I've said it before, the full-size trucks are going to be a better value, but the question is whether you need the added capacity they offer. I'm sure you can get a bigger discount on the full-size, but still, you're probably looking at $5-7K more for a similarly equipped model, with a slight gas mileage penalty. Maybe you would be better off spending the additional $$$ on an upgraded smaller truck, rather than a stripped full-size truck, if you don't need the additional capacity and don't want the extra bulk of the full-size.
I just can't see spending that money on a tacoma when you can get the tundra for the same price.
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