Which Year Should I get?

T

Time4truck

Member
Hi,

I’ve just joined this forum to learn and hopefully get some advice.

All I ever wanted was a forest green 4x4 Toyota truck. By the time I got old enough for a car payment :), My dream truck got a new name: Tacoma. I absolutely loved my 1999 Tacoma for 12 years. I planned on driving it for 15 years, then getting another Tacoma. Then one day I let the dealer check my frame. I’m guessing you know how that went...

I had 2 weeks to pick a new vehicle. Toyota dealer wasn’t offering a deal or even encouraging me to get another Tacoma, so I worried that they hadn’t figured out the frame issue. I was annoyed that the gas mileage had managed to seemingly get worse on the 2010s... there wasn’t another kind of truck that I wanted... so I bought a Subaru. I know...

So now I’m over it. I want a Tacoma again. I’d like to go new because a) I drive the same vehicle for years, I am not going to get bored and want something else. But b) I’m not mechanical. I don’t know how to fix stuff, so I’m afraid of getting a used vehicle that I’ll have to pay to get fixed.

Im interested to hear what you think is the best year to buy, and why. The more opinions the better. I’d greatly appreciate your thoughts! Have a good one!
 
Welcome to the forum.
There will be plenty of opinions but I’d go with a third gen. And get a Toyota Care warranty since you don’t want to work on them. That’s my opinion.
There’s good and bad in all of the year models.
 
Thank you! I think new, then I think used, I keep going back and forth.

It’s getting hard to find a manual, and I can’t seem to bring myself to go automatic. It’s bad enough that my old second little shifter for four wheel drive is now a dial. I think I’m grieving my old driving experience. Lol
 
Time4truck said:
Hi,

I’ve just joined this forum to learn and hopefully get some advice.

All I ever wanted was a forest green 4x4 Toyota truck. By the time I got old enough for a car payment :), My dream truck got a new name: Tacoma. I absolutely loved my 1999 Tacoma for 12 years. I planned on driving it for 15 years, then getting another Tacoma. Then one day I let the dealer check my frame. I’m guessing you know how that went...

I had 2 weeks to pick a new vehicle. Toyota dealer wasn’t offering a deal or even encouraging me to get another Tacoma, so I worried that they hadn’t figured out the frame issue. I was annoyed that the gas mileage had managed to seemingly get worse on the 2010s... there wasn’t another kind of truck that I wanted... so I bought a Subaru. I know...

So now I’m over it. I want a Tacoma again. I’d like to go new because a) I drive the same vehicle for years, I am not going to get bored and want something else. But b) I’m not mechanical. I don’t know how to fix stuff, so I’m afraid of getting a used vehicle that I’ll have to pay to get fixed.

Im interested to hear what you think is the best year to buy, and why. The more opinions the better. I’d greatly appreciate your thoughts! Have a good one!
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with Subaru. They are solid vehicles. As far as a Tacoma. What’s your budget. 30k? 40k? 50k?
That’s going to determine what year and what options. You say more options the better... meaning? 2018 has the TSS-P safety. Most are automatics. If you get the off-road you get the rear locker, crawl control and multi terrain function. Premium package gets the heated seats, option of leather, sunroof, rear parking sensors.
If you have the money I would get the 2018 off-road. I might even wait another year and see what the 2019 off-road add ons are. The 2019 models are going to be talked about soon.
 
Oh I meant opinions, the more the better.

Options are pretty attractive though... I think I don’t care then I go “ooh look a compass!”

Yeah I’m hoping not to go too far over 30k, don’t want to be a slave to a payment
 
Time4truck said:
Oh I meant opinions, the more the better.

Options are pretty attractive though... I think I don’t care then I go “ooh look a compass!”

Yeah I’m hoping not to go too far over 30k, don’t want to be a slave to a payment
Click to expand...
$30k isn’t going to get many options. Unless it is older or has a **** ton of miles on it. You might be able to find a 2016 off-road premium package with 40k or more miles for around $30k.
You could get a 2018 SR5 4x4 with no options for around 30k.
If you want New and options be ready to drop at least $40k
 
That sounds ok. Pretty in line with my research so far.

I’m not finding SR5’s with V-6 and manual, are they only on the TRDs now?

I loved my old 1st gen, but sometimes wished I’d gotten the V6.
 
Time4truck said:
That sounds ok. Pretty in line with my research so far.

I’m not finding SR5’s with V-6 and manual, are they only on the TRDs now?

I loved my old 1st gen, but sometimes wished I’d gotten the V6.
Click to expand...

If you search around and wheel and deal you could get a ‘17 TRD OR quad cab manual that’s left over from last year for around 33k
 
Time4truck said:
Hi,

I’ve just joined this forum to learn and hopefully get some advice.

All I ever wanted was a forest green 4x4 Toyota truck. By the time I got old enough for a car payment :), My dream truck got a new name: Tacoma. I absolutely loved my 1999 Tacoma for 12 years. I planned on driving it for 15 years, then getting another Tacoma. Then one day I let the dealer check my frame. I’m guessing you know how that went...

I had 2 weeks to pick a new vehicle. Toyota dealer wasn’t offering a deal or even encouraging me to get another Tacoma, so I worried that they hadn’t figured out the frame issue. I was annoyed that the gas mileage had managed to seemingly get worse on the 2010s... there wasn’t another kind of truck that I wanted... so I bought a Subaru. I know...

So now I’m over it. I want a Tacoma again. I’d like to go new because a) I drive the same vehicle for years, I am not going to get bored and want something else. But b) I’m not mechanical. I don’t know how to fix stuff, so I’m afraid of getting a used vehicle that I’ll have to pay to get fixed.

Im interested to hear what you think is the best year to buy, and why. The more opinions the better. I’d greatly appreciate your thoughts! Have a good one!
Click to expand...
Well to give you an informed opinion lets start with a couple of questions

What are you going to be using the truck for?
Your budget? You said about 30k.
Warranty? I.e. less repairs
What technology are you interested in to have in the truck?
 
Tacomania said:
Well to give you an informed opinion lets start with a couple of questions

What are you going to be using the truck for?
Your budget? You said about 30k.
Warranty? I.e. less repairs
What technology are you interested in to have in the truck?
Click to expand...

I haven’t test driven any automatics, but I’ve always driven manuals and have always preferred them. Seems like if I want to go cheaper than TRD, I’ll have to open my mind a bit there.

Access cab and full size bed over double cab and short bed I think.

What will I use her for? Commute to work, hauling landscape supplies and trees, hauling kayaks, towing the occasional rented stump grinder or canoe trailer, the occasional Home Depot run for projects around the house, and I’m no big off roader but used my old four wheel drive in mud and snow. I work in parks, and they don’t always treat my road.

What am I interested in? The Subaru spoiled me with a compass, heated seats, sunroof, defrosting mirrors... looks like heated seats come with premium package, but that’s out of my range I reckon. I’m not huge on technology, all the features sound cool but I’d probably be fine without most of it.

So it seems to come down to either get an SR5 and learn to like an automatic, or go for the TRD but look for a 2016 or 2017?

Thank you for all the feedback!
 
Time4truck said:
I haven’t test driven any automatics, but I’ve always driven manuals and have always preferred them. Seems like if I want to go cheaper than TRD, I’ll have to open my mind a bit there.

Access cab and full size bed over double cab and short bed I think.

What will I use her for? Commute to work, hauling landscape supplies and trees, hauling kayaks, towing the occasional rented stump grinder or canoe trailer, the occasional Home Depot run for projects around the house, and I’m no big off roader but used my old four wheel drive in mud and snow. I work in parks, and they don’t always treat my road.

What am I interested in? The Subaru spoiled me with a compass, heated seats, sunroof, defrosting mirrors... looks like heated seats come with premium package, but that’s out of my range I reckon. I’m not huge on technology, all the features sound cool but I’d probably be fine without most of it.

So it seems to come down to either get an SR5 and learn to like an automatic, or go for the TRD but look for a 2016 or 2017?

Thank you for all the feedback!
Click to expand...
[emoji848][emoji848] I would look at 2016/2017 sport for the bigger engine and more towing capacity. Also can handle offroad better than the sr5. You should be able to find this within your price range.

You might also find good deals with the premium package for the price range. From what you describe it gets pretty cold where you are so heated sets are nice to have. And there is a compass in the information section [emoji16]
 
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