Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A couple of Tacoma questions

Ain’t gonna happen ‘till 2020 but I’ve been out looking.

First question.... AWD/4WD has little impact on mpg and doesn’t cost that much more. Is there any downside to having it even tho you rarely need it?

Second question...... Two major dealers, lots of Tacoma’s and only 4 door versions on the lots. The four door version has a 5ft bed, sorta like an open-topped trunk. The “access cab” version has a 6ft bed which is prob’ly more like a truck. Can four people really fit in the access cab version?

As for the second question, four lender to medium build people can fir into it. They must be limber to go and out fo the back. I am too fat for the back seat, but it is a great truck. Ask Tikkanut.

4wd will help your resale immensely. My nephew has an "access cab". I wouldn't want to be back there for any amount of time. More about storing extra stuff, than people.

Hi BW,
I have an 06 Tacoma with access cab. There is no way you can use the back seat for adults. My 8 yo old Grandson sits back there when I have my older Grandson along. It's very tight.
It is a great spot to keep rifles,coats, binos etc and still have it locked up in the cab.I live in SE Wisconsin and probably only need 4WD 4 to 5 times a year. But it sure is nice to have when you need it!!. Plus resale/trade in will be higher if you ever sell. If you decide against 4 wheel drive I would definitely recommend you get the Prerunner. It is up higher like the 4wd so ground clearance is much higher then a regular 2 wheel drive.

I have a heavy foot and in summer I get 19ish. In winter its around 16. I bought the truck with 60,000 miles and its been a great truck.I now have 168,000 on it.

I hope that helps.

Bill

All I know is that they're apparently bomb proof. You never hear a bad word about them.

I have a 2010 access cab, my daughter-in-law is 5'4" and she doesn't fit back there for more than a few minutes. It's more like you put stuff there. For hunting that's where the gun/bow does while driving, golf clubs go there etc. It's a 2 person truck.

They make a 4 door with a 6' bed. I've had a 4 door with a 5' bed since 2007 and it has been the best truck I've ever owned. BUT.... I wouldn't put 4 adults in mine let alone the access cab. If I were considering the 4 door with a 6' bed I'd just buy a 1/2 ton. The wheelbase and overall length is within 2-3' of a 4 door 1/2 ton. Price is about the same as is fuel mileage.

No downside to buying a 4X4. The slight cost up front will come back when you sell or trade.

I love my little Tacoma. It is 11 years old with 190,000 miles on it and I've spent very little on it other than fluid changes, brakes and other parts that aren't supposed to last forever. I fully expect to get at least 300,000 miles before any major repairs.

But if you need to haul anything, tow over 5000 lbs (I know it is rated for more, but 5000 is the realistic limit), or try to put more than 2 adults in a truck you need a bigger truck. My youngest had just graduated HS and I no longer needed the room in 2007. I now have 4 grandkids and for other reasons now need a bigger truck. I bought an F150 crew cab 4X4 2 years ago that fills that need much better than the Tacoma. The old Tacoma was worth more for me to keep it than I could have gotten in trade so we kept it too. It is now my wife's daily driver around town. It is perfect for her. She isn't comfortable in a bigger truck, but uses it to pick up stuff for her gardening and crafts hobbies and there is room for 3 grand kids to ride with her comfortably. At least until they get a little older.

I prefer the access cab. Got an '09 Tacoma and could probably count on the fingers of one hand the times that I've had an adult in those little back seats. You can do it but it's not comfy. Kids don't mind, though. Most passengers I almost always have is one so for me it's all good. Access cab is good for putting rifle cases and range stuff behind the seat. I like having the extra cab room without having a big 4 door cab that is more than what I need. Got this one new and it now has almost 212,000 miles and still runs perfectly. Thinking about running this one until 250 thou. just so I can say I put a quarter million miles on it. Might as well because at 212K my trade-in value is about gone, anyway. ETA: Mine's 4wd.... Never been stuck and its been in some deep snow so it's worth it only if you're in a snow belt or you sometimes encounter muddy or other off road stuff.

I have a 2017 access cab, 6' bed, 4x4. Four wheel drive comes in handy for me on muddy/snowy jobsites and use it occasional.

Can't imagine adult in access cab, I bought a version where all the seat belts and seats were factory deleted.

You can get a 5 or 6' box with a double 4 door cab; you my not see on a dealer lot depending; but they are out there.

First Toyota after owning a Ford(which was terrific) and wanted something smaller, very satisfied.

The extended cab version is so a single guy does not have to pile his crap on the passenger seat.

I have a 92 regular cab for commuting. It takes me five minutes to clean the passenger side if Momma intends to ride with me. I really wish I had waited for an extended cab. And the back seat is a great place for gun cases to ride. But not adult humans. For that you really need the crew cab.

Two 4 dr short bed Taco trucks in my garage (SBDC)

'05 is the wife's daily driver...auto...bought in '05 w/7K miles

Mine is a '14 DCSB 6 sp MT...now with 77K miles..both 4.0L & 4x4

I'd bet the dealers in the Rocky Mountain States have very few 2wd Tacomas

For resale....IF you ever decided...4x4 double cabs sell fast....for the cost diff.....

its a no brainer......much more usable space......average size adults can seat in the back

3rd generation Tacomas have the new 3.5L motor..good bad or ugly ? not sure

Tacoma's will hold value much better than other similar sized trucks.......in 2020.....

who knows what they will offer...pic 1 is my '14 Tacoma....pic 2 is a newly refurbished '91

that we just finished...answer to your ? get the 4 door & 4x4...I luv the 6 sp MT in mine !

pic 3 older pic of the ole '05

I wouldn't put adults in the back unless they were unusually short and slender. And I wouldn't make them ride there for longer than a couple of hours unless they owe you money in which case they probably won't say anything bad to you.

I have a 4 door 4x4 with a 6 foot bed (long wheel base). I will not do that again.

I will also never have anything without a 6' bed, so that means my next one will be access cab. The long wheel base is enough of a PIA in tight spots that I don't want one again.

I also will not own a truck that I can't sleep in the bed. Fugg a bunch of 5' beds, they are gay or great for midgets.

Heavy traffic. You've been warned.

Go back and read Marshhawks post.Best advice. We are on our 2nd extended cab,6 ft bed. Would not have 4 door.They are too uncomfortable for adults and even kids,Extended cab gives much needed storage.I put a carpeted plywood deck back there for the dog and easy storage.
No matter what you decide, if you find one you like, buy it because it won't be there tomorrow

The Tacoma is the ONLY Toyota that did not have the check mark as a recommended vehicle in the last Auto Issue of Consumers Reports (April). For the mileage numbers that Marshhawk listed, I'd get a full size 1/2 ton. I have a 6 1/2 foot box on my four door F150 and don't like the wide turning radius, but that back seat fits people and the gas mileage would be similar.

That's exactly what I did.

Taco's have gotten bigger over the years but there's no way in hell an adult could fit in my gen 1 extra cab.

The Tacoma I don't get is the Prerunner

No offense to anyone that owns one but its like "I want it to look like a 4wd without the 4wd"

I have a 2014 Crew Cab TRD offroad with the 5 foot bed. It is comfortable for 4 normal adults, 5 if they're not too chubby. As long as people in the front seats are thoughtful / cooperative, there's plenty of knee room and the back has as much head room as the front.

I don't really care for the 5 foot bed. I can sleep in it with the tailgate down, barely. I believe it's 80 inches from the front wall to the edge of the tailgate with the gate down. That isn't much margin for pillow and sticking my feet out straight as I like to do. The truck is 40-42 inches or something like that between the wheel wells so a sheet of plywood won't lie flat in the bottom. Longer bed won't help with that.

I looked at the access cab. That's a no-go for adults in the back. The little cramped seats won't cut it. You could put kids back there maybe, or a small adult for a little while, but it's not great. My previous truck was a Nissan with the King Cab which is their equivalent. Both provide a good place for a modest amount of gear ... duffle bag, rifle, etc ... pretty securely locked up.

The final item for me is automatic vs manual transmissions. I wasn't able to find what I wanted with a manual transmission in either Nissan or Toyota. That is pushing me back in the direction of a Jeep Wrangler and a trailer for the extra gear or, if I have to go with an automatic, moving to a half or 3/4 ton truck. There are too many losses in the compromises that go with small trucks and automatics IMHO.

I really wanted a new Tacoma for hunting, but they don't have much interior room for people and equipment. The bed does not carry much. So I punted and got a 4Runner and a trailer that holds twice as much as the Tacoma. EZ to park and turn around. I have a tow hitch basket for whitetail to keep the blood and fur out of the cargo area. I am really happy with the suggestion from my hunting buddy. Getting near 22mpg.
I just sold my 2001 Tundra access cab that is very similar in size to the new Tacomas. For me it was a upgrade in utility. (Loved my old Tundra).