Considering a Tacoma................

[Jarlaxle]

Well...unfortunately, I think I need to seriously consider replacing my Dak. It has 180,000 miles...and more critically, it is rusting away.

(I'm also not enamored of the 3.90 gears and the resulting 17mpg.) Because I want a base-model (4 cyl/5-speed 2WD regular cab) truck, my options seem to basically be a Tacoma or a (rare) 5-speed Ranger.

Anyone know good Tacoma sites? I'm on tacomaworld.com-any others?

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

Well...unfortunately, I think I need to seriously consider replacing my Dak. It has 180,000 miles...and more critically, it is rusting away.

(I'm also not enamored of the 3.90 gears and the resulting 17mpg.) Because I want a base-model (4 cyl/5-speed 2WD regular cab) truck, my options seem to basically be a Tacoma or a (rare) 5-speed Ranger.

Anyone know good Tacoma sites? I'm on tacomaworld.com-any others?

That's a good site for Tacomas

 

[DGS49]

Obviously, taste in trucks is personal, but a Tacoma is not a slam-dunk winner. I assume you know about the unpublicized rust problem, eh? Frames deteriorate quickly.

The Tacoma also suffers from the stigma of being the "go to" truck for people who don't know anything about trucks. Therefore, their asking prices are so high that any possible advantage is more than consumed by the premium you pay to get one.

For example, the son of a friend of mine just sold an F150 V8 and bought a Tacoma to "save gas." But he had to take 6 grand out of his pocket to get the Tacoma. It will take him a lifetime to recover that money in gas savings - much of which are an illusion anyway. In the meantime he is less safe and has about half the cargo capacity that he gave up with the Ford-Toyota switch.

There is nothing wrong with the Colorado/Canyon, or the Nissan Frontier, both of which can be found fairly easily with a 4-banger and stick shift. Even if they cost you a thousand more each year in upkeep (an absurdly high guess), you will save thousands going in compared to a Taco with similar miles.

When I test drove a Tacoma (admittedly only one) I was less than impressed with the body integrity and performance, even though I liked the look of the truck very much (X-Runner).

I ended up reluctantly buying a Ridgeline, and I love it. Functionally, nothing comes close.

 

[pismoe]

I had a black 98 Tacoma with a little back seat , 6 cylinder , auto , had the TRD supercharger installed , spun aluminum Moon hubcaps , some kind of nice retractable bed cover, rhino lined . Nice truck for cruising around in , good looking , fast but not a work truck like my 89 Nissan that I still have . The new Tacomas look big , huge actually compared to my 98 . If I was buying new I think that I'd buy a Frontier Nissan as I think that they are practical little trucks . New Ford aluminum bodied truck makes some sense . I know little about trucks except what I've had and the Nissan has been trouble free since 1989 , I just do regular maintenance . Only has about 150 thousand miles on it and runs excellent !!

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

I had a black 98 Tacoma with a little back seat , 6 cylinder , auto , had the TRD supercharger installed , spun aluminum Moon hubcaps , some kind of nice retractable bed cover, rhino lined . Nice truck for cruising around in , good looking , fast but not a work truck like my 89 Nissan that I still have . The new Tacomas look big , huge actually compared to my 98 . If I was buying new I think that I'd buy a Frontier Nissan as I think that they are practical little trucks . New Ford aluminum bodied truck makes some sense . I know little about trucks except what I've had and the Nissan has been trouble free since 1989 , I just do regular maintenance . Only has about 150 thousand miles on it and runs excellent !!

I love the F150, if I needed a light duty truck, that's what I'd buy. Myself I have a 2014 F250 crew cab 4x4. GREAT truck. It's my second Super Duty.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Obviously, taste in trucks is personal, but a Tacoma is not a slam-dunk winner. I assume you know about the unpublicized rust problem, eh? Frames deteriorate quickly.

Toyota is replacing them.

The Tacoma also suffers from the stigma of being the "go to" truck for people who don't know anything about trucks. Therefore, their asking prices are so high that any possible advantage is more than consumed by the premium you pay to get one.

For example, the son of a friend of mine just sold an F150 V8 and bought a Tacoma to "save gas." But he had to take 6 grand out of his pocket to get the Tacoma. It will take him a lifetime to recover that money in gas savings - much of which are an illusion anyway. In the meantime he is less safe and has about half the cargo capacity that he gave up with the Ford-Toyota switch.

Actually, he might have MORE. Tacomas have pretty good payload ratings...and some F150's have practically none. (A 4x4 SuperCrew can barely carry 1100lbs.) Any Tacoma will have a higher payload than my Dakota, which is rated for about 1100lbs.

There is nothing wrong with the Colorado/Canyon, or the Nissan Frontier, both of which can be found fairly easily with a 4-banger and stick shift. Even if they cost you a thousand more each year in upkeep (an absurdly high guess), you will save thousands going in compared to a Taco with similar miles.

Bullshit. Not even mentioning just how BAD a vehicle the Colorado is, there were very few sold with manual shift. (Most Colorados were auto-trans fleet trucks.) The Frontier was not offered with a regular cab after 2003.

When I test drove a Tacoma (admittedly only one) I was less than impressed with the body integrity and performance, even though I liked the look of the truck very much (X-Runner).

I ended up reluctantly buying a Ridgeline, and I love it. Functionally, nothing comes close.

Yes...if you need half a minivan with half a pickup grafted on, the Ridgeline is wonderful!

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I had a black 98 Tacoma with a little back seat , 6 cylinder , auto , had the TRD supercharger installed , spun aluminum Moon hubcaps , some kind of nice retractable bed cover, rhino lined . Nice truck for cruising around in , good looking , fast but not a work truck like my 89 Nissan that I still have . The new Tacomas look big , huge actually compared to my 98 . If I was buying new I think that I'd buy a Frontier Nissan as I think that they are practical little trucks . New Ford aluminum bodied truck makes some sense . I know little about trucks except what I've had and the Nissan has been trouble free since 1989 , I just do regular maintenance . Only has about 150 thousand miles on it and runs excellent !!

Sounds like you and I had the exact same Tacoma,right down to the Super Charger.
I loved that truck and wish i'd never sold it.
You cant beat a Toyota for longevity,my wifes 4Runner is pushing 250 thousand with nothing more than maintenance.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I'll say this about Toyota Tacoma trucks.
When they changed the body style they screwed up. The engine and chassis are still top notch but they have thinned the body materials to try and keep down the weight.
If all you plan on using it for is a daily driver and hauling around modest loads you cant go wrong,I used mine for it's offroad performance and have since moved on to a jacked up FJ.
Dont expect great gas millage even from the 4 cylinder stick though.

Here's another Tacoma site.
I know it's probably a little off topic but you can get a little insight.
Toyota Territory Off-Roaders Association TTORA

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

Obviously, taste in trucks is personal, but a Tacoma is not a slam-dunk winner. I assume you know about the unpublicized rust problem, eh? Frames deteriorate quickly.

Toyota is replacing them.

The Tacoma also suffers from the stigma of being the "go to" truck for people who don't know anything about trucks. Therefore, their asking prices are so high that any possible advantage is more than consumed by the premium you pay to get one.

For example, the son of a friend of mine just sold an F150 V8 and bought a Tacoma to "save gas." But he had to take 6 grand out of his pocket to get the Tacoma. It will take him a lifetime to recover that money in gas savings - much of which are an illusion anyway. In the meantime he is less safe and has about half the cargo capacity that he gave up with the Ford-Toyota switch.

Actually, he might have MORE. Tacomas have pretty good payload ratings...and some F150's have practically none. (A 4x4 SuperCrew can barely carry 1100lbs.) Any Tacoma will have a higher payload than my Dakota, which is rated for about 1100lbs.

There is nothing wrong with the Colorado/Canyon, or the Nissan Frontier, both of which can be found fairly easily with a 4-banger and stick shift. Even if they cost you a thousand more each year in upkeep (an absurdly high guess), you will save thousands going in compared to a Taco with similar miles.

Bullshit. Not even mentioning just how BAD a vehicle the Colorado is, there were very few sold with manual shift. (Most Colorados were auto-trans fleet trucks.) The Frontier was not offered with a regular cab after 2003.

When I test drove a Tacoma (admittedly only one) I was less than impressed with the body integrity and performance, even though I liked the look of the truck very much (X-Runner).

I ended up reluctantly buying a Ridgeline, and I love it. Functionally, nothing comes close.

Yes...if you need half a minivan with half a pickup grafted on, the Ridgeline is wonderful!

I wouldnt call the Colorado a bad truck, they are fairly well built and of a pretty decent quality, the issues are mostly that the gas mileage isn't even much better than a full sized Chevy , let alone good for a mid sized truck, and the payload capacity is miniscule, and the for not much more money a person ca get into a full sized truck.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I have driven several, and they were AWFUL. They did NOTHING well. Rode like oxcarts, lurched and wallowed like an old Cadillac, every bump sent a jarring slam through the entire wet-noodle structure. (Marks from the bed hitting the cab were common.) And, of course, they have GM's typical Playskool interior and Revell Snaptite dashboard.

 

[DGS49]

Jaraxle, have you ever wondered why you have no friends?

You rail on and on with your totally unsubstantiated opinions as though you were ******* Moses speaking from the mountain top.

Yes, Toyota dealers will - if they can't get around it - replace an occasional frame for a Tacoma. They will also tell you that you need $1,500 in additional work while they are at it. But why buy a truck that has this major defect in the first place?

I've only driven a few GM small trucks, but I do notice many of them being sold with 200,000 and more miles on them, which rather speaks emphatically about whether they are "AWFUL." The 5-banger that you periodically badmouth has no worse record for reliability than other truck engines, and specs out (power, torque, fuel economy) better than most.

The Ridgeline looks better and better as time goes by. When they start selling the re-designed model next year, all of the main features will remain. The fact is that most pickup buyers do not need an 8 foot bed, and they DO need someplace to carry passengers occasionally. With the new requirements for child seats, you can't even legally transport a kid in the back of an extended cab pickup, so crew cabs are almost mandatory for families buying a truck. And when you start looking at a mid-size crew cab, nothing else can match the Ridgeline's cababilities, comfort, reliability, and features.

 

[jon_berzerk]

i would give ford another chance

they have always been good to me

although i liked my last dodge

i will stick with the 4 wheel drive though

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

Tis true about Jarlaxle.

The myth of the superior Toyota is just a myth. No longer true. At one time, it was true but no longer.

 

[SmarterThanTheAverageBear]

i would give ford another chance

they have always been good to me

although i liked my last dodge

i will stick with the 4 wheel drive though

I love my Fords, but I buy the Super Duty trucks, I'm on my second one now , a 2015 F250 Crew Cab 4x4 Platinum Edition

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Ford has improved as far as longevity goes.
Although they tend to get rattles after awhile.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Jaraxle, have you ever wondered why you have no friends?

Clean the sand out of your vagina, Davey, you're projecting again.

You rail on and on with your totally unsubstantiated opinions as though you were ******* Moses speaking from the mountain top.

And sober up.

Yes, Toyota dealers will - if they can't get around it - replace an occasional frame for a Tacoma. They will also tell you that you need $1,500 in additional work while they are at it. But why buy a truck that has this major defect in the first place?

A new frame is not a major defect. (And not "if they can't get around it", they are replacing many frames!)

I've only driven a few GM small trucks, but I do notice many of them being sold with 200,000 and more miles on them, which rather speaks emphatically about whether they are "AWFUL." The 5-banger that you periodically badmouth has no worse record for reliability than other truck engines, and specs out (power, torque, fuel economy) better than most.

The 5-cylinder (the answer to a question nobody asked) is slow, thirsty, and agricultural. It's noisy, shaky (a 5 is inherently unbalanced), and underpowered. The rest of the truck is no better...lousy ride, lousy handling, lousy build quality.

The Ridgeline looks better and better as time goes by. When they start selling the re-designed model next year, all of the main features will remain. The fact is that most pickup buyers do not need an 8 foot bed, and they DO need someplace to carry passengers occasionally. With the new requirements for child seats, you can't even legally transport a kid in the back of an extended cab pickup, so crew cabs are almost mandatory for families buying a truck. And when you start looking at a mid-size crew cab, nothing else can match the Ridgeline's cababilities, comfort, reliability, and features.

How many drums of Kool-Aid can you put in that Ridgeline?

 

[Jarlaxle]

i would give ford another chance

they have always been good to me

although i liked my last dodge

i will stick with the 4 wheel drive though

I have no problem with Ford...but used Rangers in this area tend to be 4WD, and also tend to be beaten to death. Very few are base-model 2WD trucks, and even fewer are manual shift.

 

[DGS49]

Did you ever buy that truck?

 

[HenryBHough]

TakOMA.

LymphOMA
CarcinOMA
BlastOMA
GastrinOMA
NephrOMA

Beginning to get the picture?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Yes: you're drunk.