13th Oct 2015, 18:26

I would rather save for a new full size.

15th Oct 2015, 08:18

It's not anti import, it's more anti small pickups. This may be a great commuter vehicle, but why do people buy trucks? I would rather buy a more comfortable car and have a full size truck. Note there wasn't an import statement or domestic statement on this. You pay insurance and are buying a truck. The versatility of having a full size is great for strength, room and towing. Even if you buy a basic work truck with a 6, it offers more. You can drive trucks to work, but overall most are not as comfortable. If you want small, I would take a more comfortable car or crossover and lay a tarp down in the back. And it can be an import one.

Pay insurance on a truck; get your money's worth with a full size one. And there's no need to trade it often. We have 190k on one with minimal issues. Tires, brakes, fluid, filters and a master cylinder this year. Order one with the tow package and have better cooling and suspension, and a trans cooler. This comment was not anti import; again it's anti small truck.

19th Oct 2015, 16:01

My daily purposes really don't require a fullsize truck. A reliable midsize works for me; it's too bad that the Tacoma has fallen far in that category.

19th Oct 2015, 22:20

A decent car and a full size works best for me. There's never a compromise. I have brought home large items and even moved a couple times. My family and friends have called me to help as well. And we have been invited to dinners etc as a result. You can save a lot of money on delivery charges and catch weekend moving and yard sale bargains off CL for example. The biggest item I have carried is a spinet piano. And you can tow. At least buy a Tundra.

22nd Oct 2015, 22:07

I agree and own a Silverado.

24th Feb 2016, 22:38

And here we are again. It's 2016 and according to my truck's manufacturer's tag it is now 20 years old. I bought the truck over 20 years ago and it's still going strong. Most recently I drove it up and over the Sierra Nevadas some 600 miles. Despite the age and now very high mileage, it runs like a watch, has no squeaks or rattles, and still gets a consistent 27-30 MPG. In the 2-3 years it's been since I last provided an update, the only things that have gone wrong were that the connecting hose to the window washer pump dry rotted. That was a 50 cent piece of new rubber hose and it was fixed. That, and the old cat converter burned out and needed to get replaced.

At this point the truck could probably go another 20 years no problem. Some cosmetic pieces of plastic trim and some areas of the paint are now fading and oxidizing. But for a 20+ year old truck that sits outside in the intense California sun, I'd say that's acceptable.

25th Feb 2016, 09:32

Sounds like the older the better than buying a brand new one today. Lately for fun I have been renting from Enterprise on really long trips. If I have an issue, it's a rental and they don't really cost very much with unlimited mileage.

25th Feb 2016, 23:26

Hard to say. Many back when I bought mine claimed that there would be no way it would last as long as the "old" Toyota trucks of time. The reasoning I heard back then was that the old ones were made in Japan, but mine was made in the US and surely it wouldn't last as long. Well, as it turns out mine has been every bit as good as the old ones, and maybe better.

The thing is that Toyota is very conservative with how they update their trucks. They will keep the same design for a decade or more before making an update. The first gen Tacoma was made from 1995-2005 and then the 2nd from 2005 until 2016. So with fewer changes means designs that are put out that are more likely to be tried and true.

The other thing is that the drivetrains are easy to work on. I replaced the clutch on mine a few years ago and it was seriously a 2 hour job. 10 years ago I replaced the starter motor and all I had to do was stand next to the fender, reach down and unbolt the old one, stick in the new one. Simple. The whole truck is that way, and so even when they need work, anyone can do it and do so easily. So they can be kept running for a long time without a lot of effort.

If I buy another truck, it's going to be another Tacoma. The bad thing is that they don't lose their value. I'd like to get a 2nd gen Tacoma, but the prices are STILL pretty high for a used one.

26th Feb 2016, 13:47

You can find a used 2012-13 and easily still be in only the teens as far as price. The problem we have in the North is severe winters with severe salting and rust. It takes a toll on the chassis and even areas such as brakes and components. Vehicles don't last long. A garage helps. Some people keep vehicles too long. When the engine goes it's to the junk pile. Used 96s here run from 1500-4000k depending on condition and mileage. I'd sell it while it still has some value and update it. But the newer ones seem to have more issues than the past.

29th Jul 2016, 15:53

Honestly there's hasn't been many times that I've really needed a full sized truck. At this point this truck is going on 21 years old, has lost most of its value, and the paint is starting to fade from the intense sun we have out here.

But it still runs fine. I've only had to take it in to a shop once in all those years and that was only because it needed a new catalytic converter as the old one simply wore out. Otherwise the rest of the truck is cheap and easy to work on. When I changed the clutch I also replaced the flywheel since an aftermarket one was only $40, which was cheaper than having the original resurfaced.

If I decide to sell this, I might consider a used Tundra mainly because my Dad has one that he's managed to put around 330,000 miles on so far. There are fleet versions of those that are stripped down and have no frills, which is fine with me.

In regards to rust, I live in California and around here it's so dry stuff just lasts forever. My Mother in law lives in the Northeast and yeah, pretty much all of her cars look like they spent a few years in the ocean underneath from all the road salt.