Am considering a new Tacoma 4x4.
Coupla questions for past/present owners please--

What are your likes and dislikes?
What can be expected for gsa mileage in town and on road?
How would you describe the ride on highway?
The general comfort?
Thanks
Terry
My current truck is a 98 Z71

I have an '06 Tacoma 4x4 with the V6 SRS package.

Mostly likes so far, but a few dislikes. Interior plastic trim could be a lot better and there have been quite a few recalls for assorted problem areas. All done promptly and with a minimum of fuss by the dealer. YMMV there, dealers are dealers...

I get around 18 mpg with mine, however I'm not an aggressive driver. I'm the guy in the right hand lane going 1 mph over the speed limit with the cruise control on

Ride is a little bouncy, to be expected from a 4x4. Not nearly as bad as my last 4x4, a Dodge Dakota.

Plenty of interior room for bigger guys, (I'm 6-1, 230) and comfortable seats.

No regrets here, I'm satisfied with my purchase. Most of these guys are, too:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/

What are your likes and dislikes? - Off-road capability, auto tranny, ability to lock the rear differential, gas mileage (compared to my last two F-150's), narrower stance and shorter whellbase (I have the extended cab, not the crew cab)
What can be expected for gsa mileage in town and on road? - 15 town, 25 highway
How would you describe the ride on highway? - Firm
The general comfort? -Great - good seats, but the ride is firm, prolly firmer than your Chev.

Terry,
Get the auto transmission. I drove both before I bought. The auto actually gets better mileage because the standard is geared lower at the top end, and it's actually better off-road than a manual (you can manually put it into any gear anyway, and your left foot is free so that you can have one on the gas and one on the brake to slowly crawl over rocks, etc.). The truck is rugged as hell, and is a favorite of the off-roaders, after the Jeep and the FJ Cruiser. You can't go wrong.

Got a 97 with 176,667 on it.

Reg cab, 4x4, auto.

I also have a 4 inch lift, stainless header (4cyl) and a K&N FIPK II.

I get 17 in the winter (mostly city driving) and 20/21 in the summer - same driving.

Likes - unstoppable, can't get em stuck, hauls everything I need without a spotter to turn the thing around. Fun to drive - lets be honest - it's a giant 4wd go-kart, much like a Jeep.

Dislikes - rough ride - the lift is a puck system which IIRC, raises the spring rate so it shouldn't be all that bad. Lack of room.

Looking at new ones - I'd go V6 with the 4 door. Problem is, that's more expensive than a new F150 with the same mileage. Rather have the Ford's size - particularly in the bed.

I drive a 2008 double cab 4x4. V6 auto tranny. I get about 21 mpg on the hwy and 16-18 mpg around town. Rugged little truck with no complaints from me so far. I plan to put at least 300,000 miles on it. (only 245,000 more to go).

The ride is stiffer than the Chevy that I had.

That's what I didn't like about mine because when driving on two-track roads one side was in the rut and the other on the edge of the hump.

I got the off road package - rear locker is a good deal.

Mines a 2007 dual cab

Anti-lock breaks are good
VSC I could have done withoud

Go through Costco auto program to get the best price, especially on factory add ons.

I got stainless steel tube style running boards - good.

The only sucky thing is the mud flaps,

Spot

Had a '99 4x4 Regular Cab I-4 Auto and an '04 Ext. Cab V-6 Auto.

Likes: Smaller size easier to turn on logging roads; Mileage; Reliability; Build Quality; Lockable Rear Axel; Resale Value;

Dislikes: Mileage; Seats too low to floor;

With the I-4 I got 20 mpg City / 24 mpg Hwy at 65mph or lower anything above 65mph and mileage tanked;

With the V-6 I got 20 mpg no matter where I drove it. V-6 definitely had more power but the Regular Cab was much more nimble off road.

Thanks for to replys
I have been driving 4x4's for a long time, had Jeeps, Fords and Chevys.
Don't do much rough 4x4 stuff anymore.
The Tacoma is expensive, but hell, all trucks are.
I just can't see supporting Obama motors.

I have a 2005 X-tra cab SR5 that just turned 170K. It has been a reliable truck with no warranty or abnormal problems. It does not have either a limited slip or a locking rear differential, but it is the first 4x4 that I have never stuck--and I have put it through a lot of rock crawling here in SW New Mexico and SE Arizona, as well as some really nasty mud in Colorado and Wyoming.

Other than normal maintenance, I replaced the center CV joint in the rear drive shaft at 150K. It did not fail, but was getting a bit loose. Still have the original brake pads. Mileage was not as good as I hoped to get, but runs 19-20 mpg at 75 mph on the interstate and 20-22 mph on the secondary roads at 65 mph or less. I don't pull heavy trailers with it, but do pull a 12 ft double axle trailer with a Polaris Ranger (or loads of lumber) with no problems.

That said, I probably will go with a Ford F-150 of some persuasion when I replace it next year. Looks like I can get a bit better mileage and have more torque for trailering.

Don't kow about the new F 150, but for a few years I drove an 04 f-150 with the 5.4 and could never even get 15 on the hiway, 14.7 was the best.
Hopefully the new ones are better

just got new 5.7 tundra 4x4. looks like 16 is avg, great ride with lots of room and zero financing%/ Just get a couple of dealer quotes and can easily get 5 off sticker

My brother and I are big fans of anything Toyota and the Tacoma is certainly a great truck offroad unfortunately it falls short in 3 areas.

Ride Comfort...most ride especially stiff and with the TRD package it is unacceptable. I think the seats are a poor design and sit too low to the floor, they are borrowed from the Camry

Fuel Economy...My Silverado gets better gas mileage then my Brothers Tacoma V6 automatic city or highway. If you want 20+ get the 4 cyl and a stick.

Dealer Pricing...this past year I looked at a nicely loaded 4 door Tacoma v6 auto for myself. The Dealer was talking high 20's . I ended up buying a used Silverado but I could have bought a new Silverado within the Toyotas price range.

I drove full size trucks for 30 years before downsizing to the Tacoma double cab 4X4 3.5 years ago. I'm very pleased. The smaller size works for me now that he kids are grown and out of the house. It is so much easier to drive around town and park at the mall.

The 4.0 has plenty of power for the size of the vehicle. I gave up 10 hp and 300 lbs of towing capacity over the F-150 I traded in. But it is also 1500 lbs lighter so it accelerates much faster and tows the same loads better.

Fuel mileage is about 20-21 on the road around 18 in town. My F-150 was getting 17-18 on the road but only 12-13 in town where most of the miles are put on the truck. I figure that in the 73,000 miles I've put on the truck I've burned about 1,500 gallons less gas. @ 2.75/gal that is over $4000.

It is the most capable off road truck I've owned.

The cab is a little small and took some time to get used to. I'm 5'10" and have no real problems. If you are a big guy this could be a problem. The back seat is a little on the small side for adults. I would not have bought this size truck when my kids were still teenagers and living at home. That is why I had the 4 door F-150 prior to the Tacoma.

Compared to a full size truck the suspension is a little stiff. I'd compare it to driving a sports car vs the luxury car ride on most full size trucks. But I don't realy consider that a negative. The truck is so much quicker and nimble than a full size it is almost like driving a sports car after 30 years of full size trucks.

So far I've put new front brakes on it, 1 set of tires and changed the oil.

The rear window did develop a leak and rain water leaked into my truck. I was 10,000 miles out of warranty, but my local dealer gave me a loaner car for a couple of days while they replaced the rear window, and detailed the truck inside and out at no cost.

I have the 2006 Tacoma Access V6 4x4 SR5 model. This is my second Toyota truck, first truck was prior to Tacoma and a 1986 truck. Both trucks I had nary a problem except for performing maintenance. My truck now has 80k miles on it.

My '06 truck is not a TRD-Sport or TRD-Off Road. I tested out a new TRD-Off Road and felt they rode too stiff and this is becuase they used suspension (and locker) for off road purposes. I do no rock crawling so did not want the stiffer rode. From what I've heard both TRD-Sport and Off Road suspension are the cheaper Bilstein shocks and will eventually wear out. I got the standard SR% suspension and figured if I truly need a tough suspension or locker...I could buy the after market Old Man Emu suspension and ARB locker.

My truck rides plushy for lack of better term. It rides good but is more bumpy/jumpy on concrete roads but on black top it rides smooth. I change the oil on a regular basis that is the only think I've done to it. My wife likes riding in my truck and my now 9-year old girl and 7-year old boy rather ride in a car like our Honda Accord. But in a 3 hour ride its doable. I really got this for myself and know my kids will not ride in this Tacoma much anyway. My wife has the Accord and will eventually get a CR-V.

When I first bought this truck (Jan '09 with 64k miles) it had the orig tires and they were 245/75/16 and nearly worn out. I drove it on tank-ful trips and I got 380miles a tank with 2 or 3 gallons left in the tank. I typically got 22.5 MPG in mix driving and long trips. Last Feb I got new Wrangler Silent Armors 265/75/16 and I now avg 20.5 mpg in mix driving. Mix driving to me is daily commute to work but got same mpg when I drov eot Outer Banks NC.

All in all I like this truck but I think with every truck you will have some cons. This Tacoma's con is its not a 350hp truck and is not as cushy of seats but on the other hand it is a 4x4 and has its useful purpose. I like the big boys 4x4 but I fail to see the reason to have a V8 when I do not need that much power. If I really needed a 4x4 400hp I would get the appropriate truck. This Tacoma suits my need well.

I have had a '79 ford Bronco and a 94 Grand Cherokees and both were solid 15mpg. F150/Silverado guys complain on the internet of paying $100 to fill up (ouch) but they got a 35 gal tank. My truck fills up a tad over $50 with 21 gal and I can put 375 miles on a tankful and still have 3 gallons left so for me it works. My truck also works as a commuter.

I would get another Tacoma and if the opportunity arises I would probably consider a 4 door Tacoma but will sacrifice about 1 ft bed length. I often times think of the small commuter cars like '06 Honda Accord (I avg 34mpg weekly and have gotten 40mpg long trips) and my wife's '05 Corolla which got 38mpg commuting to work (both of us in mix traffic) but she sold her car and took my Honda so I now drive the Tacoma. Took a bit of getting used to the 20mpg but its better than 15mpg LOL.

I like the V6 very much. Pretty good power for a 235hp motor and I can/have hauled alot of [bleep] in that bed. For me it comes down to what will I used the truck for 75% of the time?

Forgot to mention that my '06 Tacoma has the 3.73 rear gears instead of the 4.10. I think that is why they seem a bit preppy when you drive around town.

I have no experience with a modern Toyota, so can't give an exactly honest answer. I did however have a big part of putting 300,000 miles on an '88 Toyota that dad bought new, and then I used all through high school and college before giving back to him.

After graduation in 2003 I bought a new 1/2 ton GMC Z-71.

The interior room as well as bed room was not even close between the two. The GMC is just so much more comfortable to be in.

The fuel mileage between a 4x4 Taco and my Z71 is minimal, at best just a few miles per gallon better.

The cost difference between almost equally equipped is minimal.

Those three are what made my decisions for me. I still have that 2003. It now has 190,000 miles on it, and the repairs I've done are two catalytic converters and a water pump. The Toyota at that mileage was a rebuilt carb and two starters.

Cheesy sounds like you got good service out of your truck, most of the people I know that take care of their GM trucks get extremely good service out of them and combined with the size,comfort and fuel economy are tough to beat.

Let me just say that if I were to buy an offroad truck only it would be a Toyota and a old beater truck at that. I am not about to run a 30k truck and beat the crap out of it.

I think the Toyota trucks built 2003 and prior are better made trucks then what is currently offered.

I have a '96 taco 4 x 4 extended cab. I-4 auto with lockout front hubs. I put a starter and rear springs and shocks in it. Gets 20 around town , and 25 highway. 93,000 still runs strong and uses no oil. After I changed the rear suspention , it rides a whole lot smoother. I am very pleased with this truck , and plan on putting another 100,000 on it. It will go thru anything.

I had a 06, drove it for a year before I totalled it on ice. Went out and bought the exact same truck (07), so no buyer remorse at all. Got the DC LB 4x4 TRD Sport. Downsized from a F250 diesel, but didnt need a work truck anymore so its just a commuter, family rig, tows the driftboat, and does all the hunting stuff.

Love the size, power, and reliabilty. Off road its pretty impressive. Dont like that its very expensive for what you get, feature-wise. But its more than plush enough for me, and resale is unbelievable, really. But ill probably drive mine for 10+ years. And still sell it for a good price.

I have a 2" lift and 32" tires. I get 17 mpg city/mixed and 19mpg hwy (summer). It was 2mpg better with stock tires.

Highway ride is fine. I drove a F250 for ten years, the tacoma rides like a camry imo. General comfort is just ok, they dont have a lot of options, the tacomas are pretty basic. I would love having heated side mirrors.

I own a 2010 Taco double cab 4x4 LWB TRD Sport and have 8500 miles on it now. I have the JBL sound system, which I�d recommend. The bucket seats suck and as they only have the manual back and forth movement for leg room along with a tilting backrest. I previously owned a 2006 SLT GMC EXT cab and miss the creature comforts (8 way power leather seats). The ride on the Taco is firm, responsive and handling is sports car like compared to the full size GM versions that I�ve owned over the past 20 years. I like the smooth 5 speed automatic transmission and ease of 4H and 4L and VSC. The 4.0 engine is certainly more then adequate. It seems to move through the snow very well. I have not gotten it stuck yet and have been through some deep hard and soft packed snow. I do like the rear seat fold down set-up a lot and the bed has plenty of tie downs (I added 2 additional). It can tow 4500 lbs which is all I need (drift boat). Everything inside the cab is manual for controls, i.e. seats, temp/heater, trip meter, etc. for a top of the line model like the JBL TRD Sport. I added a tri-fold Torza Tonneau cover and OEM Nerf Bars. I get 18 to 22 MPG depending on my driving. I was getting 17mpg in my GMC all the time??? Overall, I�d rate my 8 months of owning and driving a Taco 7.5 out of 10. I like the looks of the truck and it will hold a high resale value. With the Toyota name it should last a long time. I�ve had zero problems to date. If I had to do it all over again, I�d probably buy Tundra. I�m a 6 foot 225 lb guy with mostly in town driving. I do an average amount of off road driving in spring and fall, along with light towing or a drift boat.

I had an 07 Tundra and would never buy another. It was hands down the worst truck I've ever owned. If I went back to Toyota it would be in a Tacoma or 4-Runner. I have actually been thinking about picking up a double cab Tacoma, Toyota dominates the market in that size truck

2009 Tacoma double cab. Generally OK with it, needed a truck that was moderate size, but could still have reasonable seating in the back to haul kids, grand parents, etc. The Nissan rear seating was much smaller. I kinda wish there were a better option on the market but I couldn't find it. Honda Ridgeline wasn't an option: to much vulnerable stuff hanging down, not enough clearance, no low-range.

Mileage 16-18 in town, 20-22 on the road at any reasonable speed, on Revo load-range C tires. Probably could do better on the highway with a lighter tire. The highway tires on the regular version are crap and I got rid of them immediately. The TRD has Goodrich tires that are OK.

I've had some warranty issues: transmission programming sucked (downshifted erratically) and they took 9 months to develop a reflash to fix it, but they did and it's fine now. The heater didn't work well and they had to take the whole dash apart to replace a plastic air door that had the foam insulation falling off. Cupholder broke. The driveline clunks when you release the brakes unless you keep it very well lubed, and even then sometimes. The engine surges slightly when at a stop and will actually pull forward an inch or two against the brakes. I"m used to it, but my wife finds it disconcerting. They also had a recall on the gas pedal, and at the same time reflashed the ECU AGAIN this time to install software that kills the power back to idle if the brake and the accelerator are both heavily applied. They did this right: you can still use power and brake when off road, it only kicks in if the accelerator is floored and the brakes applied. I tested it to confirm that it worked right.

Main complaint: rear springs are too soft. With anything resembling a hunting trip load (well below the max load spec), it ends up hitting the rubber snubbers hard on any sharp bumps. There is a Technical Service Bulletin under which dealers will *sometimes* replace the springs with heavier ones, but you have to demonstrate the problem by bringing in the truck with a measured load and show them that the springs sag. Basically, it's a very front heavy truck, and they designed the spring rates to match and give a balanced ride with the bed empty, which is how most people test drive them. So if you put a load in the back, the rear springs are too soft and it bottoms. I may get around to getting that TSB done while it's still under warranty. Also the leaf springs squeak, sounds like jalopy.

Still, there's nothing else on the market the quite does what I need to here I am. Mine was assembled in Mexico.

I like my 07 Access Cab with the 4cyl. You're right about the rear springs. I didn't hear about the TSB until mine was out of warranty and the dealer here wanted $1,000 to replace the rear springs, so I haven't gone back. I've checked into getting a professional spring manufacturer/repair place to fix it and they will take your truck for a day and build/install a set of rear springs to suit your own load conditions for $425. I may do that one of these days. I'm reluctant to buy some extra leaf kit and end up getting nothing more than a harsher ride.

FWIW, I'd put a set of airbags on if I needed to haul heavy only occasionally. Leaves the empty ride smooth, and just air up when you need the extra spring resistance. JMO, Dutch.

I understand what you are saying because I have airbags on my F-250 and I love them. I may end up doing that to the Tacoma also, but at this point I'm still "shopping".

One other thing about my model of Taco: the shocks are pretty weak and the front end especially is under-damped. Another time, I would buy the TRD model which comes with Bilsteins. I particularly notice it if I go into a deep but smooth hole or swale on a muddy road. On the upside of the bump, the front end of the truck rebounds way too much, the suspension hits the bottom stops, and your head hits the roof. It's kind of a low-rider hydraulic jack effect, which is great if that's what you want. Sometimes this even happens on the ramps going into parking lots if I go in too briskly, or on speed bumps. At some point I will upgrade the shocks, though if I get the TSB done I think that includes new shocks which perhaps will fix the problem. The truck is generally competent on trails but you do have to keep the speed down and watch out for certain kinds of bumps.

Mine is an '08 Taco TRD 4-door and I threw Toyo 265/75 MT's on it. I can't rub tires no matter how hard it's cranked over,or how much daylight I gather beneath same.

All I've done is beat the dogschit outta it and I love it like few other things in this World. Far and away the best crummy I've ever been in.............

Stick, do you have the 5 speed man. or automatic?

6-speed...and having had 5-speeds from inception,I did some humorous things while searching for reverse on the first day..............(grin)

Stick,
how are the 265/75's working out. My 07 is the same truck. Mine came with 265/70's and I replaced them with 245/75's when they wore out partly because I couldn't find any 265/70's I liked. It came down to 245/75 or 265/75 and I was concerned about losing power going to a bigger tire. I could really tell the difference years ago when I replaced the tires on a 85 f-150 I had with larger tires.

2011 Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4 Double Cab Long Bed.
V6, 5spd Auto
850 Miles
15 days old
Mileage not so great 15-17 mpg. should get better once broke in.
Good room in cab for a small truck, bigger than a Ranger, Colorado
Comfortable seats, leather and heated
Very quiet
Rides like a car
Hate the so called adjustable steering wheel.
Radio is ok, had the Bose in my chevy miss that.
Power is ok for a v6.
Trans needs another gear, pulls 2100 rpm at 70 mph.
Easy to manuever and park in tight parking lots.
Great Truck for the money.
Best small truck out there.

This is my first Toyota and so far I like this truck. I looked at these for about 3 months before I bought one. I traded in my 07 2500 HD CC SB (lbz) Dmax for this truck. I miss the big truck room, and power but I really did not need the Dmax anymore. All the 1/2 tons really did not interest me at all. I loved my Dmax, so for me to replace it with a Tacoma was a hard choice. I'm very happy with the truck, the more I drive it the more I like it.

Was pushing rotten/soaking snow with the front bumper for miles,but a few hours ago. It goes like a Raped Ape.

Pard just a coupla weeks ago,outfitted his '10 version of same,with identical skins,due to how mine goes.

Mine FLYS down the road and I rally the [bleep] outta it,at every opportunity............(grin)

I know what you mean, I'm more satisfied with this truck than any I've ever owned. I will probably move up a tire size when these are worn out.

Have an 04 Tacoma TRD extended cab.

Best truck/4X4 I've owned.

I'm 58 and have owned 4X4's since I was 17.

It has a firm ride but handles like a sportscar. I drive country roads to work daily and this truck is a joy to drive through the curves.

If I live long enough to wear this one out, I'll buy ANOTHER!!!! (GRIN!)

Virgl B.

If there was something better,I'd of simply bought it.

There ain't..............

A friend has a 2006 ish HiLux with the 3.0L Turbo Diesel engine and its been a great vehicle. I was surprised (and impressed) that it stil had manual locking hubs...Its a little heavy on the fuel consumption, but otherwise its ideally suited for a stalkers vehicle here in the UK...

A Defender will be better off road, but the Hilux is a more practical and reliable all rounder..

They'd sell like hotcakes here...............

I'm thinking a Tacoma vs. the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon. Anyone own either of the later? Toyota is pretty much proven in the smaller truck world.

Don't see to many of the Chevy?GMC small trucks. I was thinking of the v8 in one. Bad idea?

Still debating ext. cab vs crew cab and auto vs. 6 spd. I'd like to get another standard again before they become extinct!

If you care about reliability and resale value you will pick the Toyota.

Toyota owns the small truck market, for good reason.

I am sure they would...Never could understand why your regulations were stacked to kill the small diesel market..

Europe has similar emmissions and clean air requirements, and while it has killed some of the older diesel engines that were otherwise very good, its spurred on modern replacements..

I have a gut feeling the American regulations are more about protection of the home market than anything else..

In the very small minds of these left wing wack jobs diesel and coal burning plants are one and the same. Pete if Toyota or any other manufacturer were to introduce a small diesel powered pickup or SUV I would seriously be interested in it. On a side note I understand the new Ford Fiesta is made in Europe with a diesel yet we get the gas version here.

Yes, many of the cars over here are available in diesel, even the relatively small ones.

Some vehicles are now getting in excess of 50 mpg with diesels and the days when they were slow and plodding are long gone...

Diesel is $4.02 a gallon here...whattya gotta pay?..............

At an exchange rate of �1 = $1.60, and taking into account a US gallon is slightly smaller than our imperial gallon, it works out in the region of $7.50 to $8 per US gallon...

Given I travel approx 45 miles each day to/from work, and the nearest place I regularly hunt deer is 220 miles away, the mpg a vehicle offers is a major consideration, but certainly not the only one...Also we pay an annual "Road Tax" which is based on engine size/emissions, so again smaller more effiecent engines are attractive from that perspective.

4x4 wise, the largest common vehiles we have on the roads are Discoveries, Land Crusiers (the yuppie version) and Isuzu Bighorns..Pick-up wise, they are all in the HiLux sort of size range, which I guess you guys class as a mid sized vehicle?

The next size up in the UK tend to be "light commercial" vehicles and tend to be used as such, not as an everyday drive by joe public..

I have owned various Isuzu Troopers in the past, culminating in our version of the Bighorn...What I didn't know was the diesel engine in the last version of the Trooper was a new Caterpillar designed "common rail" diesel and it was a heap of junk which we now know had a 75% failure rate before 70,000 miles.

Despite having prevenative work done on it by Isuzu as part of a recall programe, mine went right at the 65,000 miles mark and to rebuild the engine would have cost in the region of $7000 and it was still succeptable to the same thing happening again!

Needing a 4x4 quickly, ( I was going on a hunt) and not wanting to get a loan or anything, I sold the Isuzu for "spares or repairs" and got a little Suzuki Jimny as a temporary measure until I could get something better. That was about 4 years ago, and I liked the Jimny so much I've kept it. Its got 90,000miles on the clock now, and for a little 1.3L rice burner gas engine, its never missed a beat.

Pete,you have my deepest sympathies , 8 bucks a gallon

I knew you boys paid more,but wasn't factoring double. That's rural Alaska pricing,though $8 would be a bargain to some....................

Its $8 a gallon at present and still rising I should add..Its probably gone up $1.50 in the last 12 months or so..

With us the majority of it is tax, which makes it even harder to swallow, and given the state of the countries finances, I don't see any likelihood of the tax being cut in any significant way...

Most places I've been to in Europe have similar prices (not by chance I suspect) although many European countries allow their truckers and other commerical drivers to buy tax free fuel. In the UK, tax free fuel is pretty much only for use in argicultural vehicles for on farm use...

I can understand high prices when you're living in a remote location, not that it makes peoples lives any easier..Been watching "Ice Road Truckers" which was filmed in Alaska. It strikes me as beautiful country but demanding respect if you don't want to end up dead PDQ..

I don't see my pricing going down,any time soon and the brightside of higher prices,is that there's less people out and about. Especially on the water,where it's no thang to burn 100 gallons in a day.

Offroad fuel(farm/water) is taxed less here too....................

My cousin bought the four door Canyon the first year they came out. She must have over 200K on the poor little beast by now. Have not heard of any needed repairs, aside from a couple sets of tires and sometimes an oil change every six weeks (lots of miles).

She is running the inline five cylinder. It has been bullet proof with decent MPG and superior performance.

On my 2nd Tacoma here. 1st was a 4 cylinder, 4 speed, and my only problem with it was not enough compression going down steep 4WD trails,even with 4wd low range.Sold it at 275K miles and it is till going strong.Next one was a 2004 ,6 cyl,5 speed, off road SR5, extended cab.

As some one else mentioned,it's narow stance is aggravating.Especially if you do a couple hundred miles on ranch road two tracks or get into muddy rutted or frozen roads. One wheel fits the ruts and you get banged around a lot.
Except for oil changes and tires and the tire shop keeps breaking of lug studs,I have had very little maintenance on either

BTW, these were my wife's truck.I drive the Dodge mostly. Might have to use the Toyota more though.Diesel is creeping up to $3.20 gallon

I have an '02 with the I-4 and my mileage mirrors this to a T. I haven't done any real off roading yet but have had to use 4hi and 4lo in deep snow and what not. It does ride a little rough but not too bad. I've only had it for about 6 months and so far I really like it.

Are the Tacoma's permanent four wheel drive or selectable?

Mine is selective

As are mine..............

Any ideas why so many makers went to permanent 4WD???

I've had vehicles with both, and much prefer have selectable 4WD, perferably with a manual selection for that and the 4Hi/4Lo as well..

All I found with the permanent 4WD was my front tires wore out quicker...

All while I'm at it, a LSD on the rear axle should be the minimum, but a locker as a standard factory offering would be nice...Electronic traction control is great, but I have much more confidence in a mechanical locker of some sort..

Might be due to the laziness/ignorance of the masses who do not know how a selectable 4WD works. Most newer vehicles have a push button 4WD.

I'm with you Pete on preference of the selectable 4WD. I also prefer front locking hubs as well as selectable F/R lockers.

Build it the way you want like I did....

86 Toyota 4Runner, solid axles F/R with factory toyota e-lockers, dual transfer cases (220:1 crawl ratio), and best of all, a 2.7L 3RZ Tacoma engine.

Very nice looking vehicle and no doubt very capable, but a little too specialised for my use..

It reminds me of some of the Icelandic 4WD builds...

Some are mentioning they don't like the Tacoma seat that sits too low to the floor for them, but I can drive lotsa miles at a whack in my '07 and never feel any ill effects of the seat height. I never thought about it being a problem until I read over this thread again. I drove right at 600 miles yesterday and it didn't bother my back, legs or anything else to do so.

When I had an '03 Silverado diesel with leather and fully adjustable seat, I found that I was using those adjustments every couple hours to stay comfortable, but I have to wonder if I hadn't had that option, would I have really needed it. I think I just liked playing with it and would have been fine without it. The wife did like the heated part, though.

The last truck I had that I remember the seat being uncomfy on long trips was a '85 F-250 with bench seat.

I have been think about getting a Tacoma for a run around truck since diesel has hit $3.44 a gallon and I don't drive my 06 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax that much. Nope I will not part with the big chevy, but I don't need that brute power everyday. I would like a good dependable 4 wheel drive that I can use, running errands and also down on the farm for light work stuff. I started looking on the net for used Tacoma's and I was seeing trucks with over 150,000 miles selling for a good bit of money. I often wonder if they are worth it, but a co-worker has one and he loves it. One thing I was worried about was the room inside of it. I am 6'4" and 230 pounds so I was concerned about the interior room. I guess I am afraid that my crew cab chevy has spoiled me. You taller guys can probably tell me if there is much room in the Tacoma. Your feedback would be appreciated.

If you're used to a full size truck, you'll feel cramped in the taco. You should fit and have enough leg room, but it won't feel spacious.

You guys in the know, I know the newer Tacomas have the down hill assist, hill start assist and some other traction controls on top of the clutch cancel and locking rear diff. I think Toyota added these in the '09 and definitely the '10 models.

I found an '08 TRD 6sp and these only have the locker, and clutch cancel. Truck has 37,000 miles, crew cab. Dealer has $27,488 on it. They have had the truck for months, I personaly think the price is a little high. I have looked at it and it is in fine shape, and has the Toyota certified warranty as well. I have not "offered" anything yet.

My question is, would the added items above make more sense to buy something newer?

Gave less than that for my new '08 Taco 4-door TURD with a can-o-pee..............

Pete what looks specialised? suspensions with lockers are a good thing no matter what kind of wheeling one does, that rig will work in the mud, snow, rocks, sand you name it it will work.

Joe,

I would use mine as an everyday drive and also for long Highway trips as well, so would probably go with less lift ect..

So I'm not knocking your build at all, just I would want something a little more road biased...

Have been through it all and my turnkey Taco TURD with the tire size increase,smokes 'em all................

I don't understand the problem with the seats setting low. I'm 5'10" and have to duck to get in. If the seats were any higher off the floor I'd have to have a T-top and drive with goggles on.

I bought a new Tacoma DC in '05. Went with the 6 spd manual. Best truck I ever owned. Sold it 5 years later due to a divorce.
Only thing I didn't like about it was that electric shift into
4wd. It was extremely hard to get out of 4low. Other than that it was very comfortable and problem free. Am currently starting to look for another one. Will buy the exact same truck in a 2011 model.

My '07 is a little stubborn once in a while getting into or out of low range. But after I re-read the owner's manual it seemed to happen less frequently. I don't know if I wasn't pushing on the clutch hard enough, or what.
Anyway, yeah they can be a little frustrating once in a while...good truck though. Glad to see you're still around. Haven't seen you post much in the last year.
Have a nice day.

SWEET build--------thanks for sharing. I plan to eventually build a very similar rig for a dedicated hunting/fishing/getting in trouble vehicle. My daily ride is a '97 Tacoma 2.7L X-cab 4wd. It's got a 1.5" lift, 31" BFGs and a POR header. Other than that, she's stock, clean, and sitting at 170K. Assuming I manage to keep avoiding stupid drivers, I'll NEVER get rid of that little pickup.

Heck, forget me buying a Tacoma. My brother in law has one (1999 or 2000 extended cab) and I got behind the wheel of it today. While seated behind the wheel my head was jammed against the roof of it. I felt like I was sitting in some toy truck. Don't guess the newer models have anymore room than the 1999 or 2000 Tacoma Trucks?

Yes, the newer trucks are bigger.

Out of curiousity, how tall are you?

6FT. 4IN tall and at this time 226 Pounds. My legs are not that long, but heck I am long from my waist on up.

I'm the same height and weight, but with longer legs. The '05 and newer Tacoma's are bigger inside and out than the '04 that I had.

The new one's have lots more room.

I'm long from my waist down.

The newer ones are really a mid-size. The 02 F-150 I traded only had 10 more horsepower and would only tow 300 more pounds. Back seat room is limited but my 6'4" brother in law rode 3500 miles in mine with no problems on a hunting trip last October.

The older models are no doubt great trucks, but I never seriously considered one because they were just too small for my needs.

I just bought a new Tacoma today.

Biggest POS on the market.....

Should have bought a Dodge....

But whatever......

Cheaper than a woman, whatever it cost.

Amen brother. The money I saved by kicking her out before she came down practically paid for the truck....

What style? Been lookin' myself.

4x4 access cab/SR5. Outside it will be identical to what I traded in. The 2006 I had was a 4 cylinder and I traded for the 6 with the tow package. I should pick it up on Monday, right now I'm driving a frigging Camry till it arrives.

Nice rigs with great resale. I tried for 4 months to find a used one for a beater rig out here and everytime a decent one showed up, it was sold in hours.

Is the access cab the full door?

never mind... I found it.

2 door with the king cab section kind of like suicide doors. They gave me 11,500 for the one I traded in. I had it for 5 1/2 years and paid just shy of $19,000 for it.

I'm surprised at the values they hold. Bought my 06 Tundra (small one) for 19K and used are going for 17K now with same miles.

They gave you a Camry to drive, I'm jealous. My dealer gave me a Corolla to drive. The only good thing was it got like 42 mpg.

You got ripped off smiser.........

Now you know how your dad feels.

My dad is dead, thanks you prick.

Hope your happy with yourself....

I got my $20 worth....

Peeker.................

When I sold my '04 in '09, they gave me $13,100 for it. I paid $18,900 for it new in '04.

have the 07 double cab with the long bed. Great truck. Have 90,000 and no problems.Have never had problems with Toyota's that I have owned. I haul a lot with it and the only complaint is the rear springs are a bit on the soft side.

Gas mileage around 20-22 doing 70 mph.