Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Toyota question Tacoma vs Tundra ?

This question is strictly about RELIABILITY/LONGEVITY between the two , looking in the used market between the Tacoma V6 auto 4 door cab and Tundra V8 auto 4 door cab , I'm well aware of the obvious room / fuel economy/power differences , I have a current 2001 with 4cyl 5 speed 280k runs strong just need more room, this is going to be primarily a weekend driver also any age ranges better than others ?

I have had both. If you need the room go for the tundra gets decent miles on open road not so great around town. If you can get away with a little smaller the tacoma double cab is tough to beat . I have 2015
limited. I have had 5 Tacomas and 1 tundra . The resale value on the tacoma is so high that with the low financing available you might as well buy a new tacoma. I would get the double cab long bed.
Hope I helped.............

I own a 08 Tundra bought new, and have a lot of experience with the 4.0 V6 in the current 4Runner and previously in the Tacoma. My hunting buddy has the Tacoma with the 3.5 V6. My experience is based on this.

The Tundra has been the best truck I've ever owned. The only non-wear and tear issues I've had have been a water pump around 80K and a starter around 90K.I will say that I've done a LOT of short trips over the years, so that could be a factor in the somewhat early starter replacement. The water pump wasn't a huge deal, but the starter was like $1400 to change (!). That is a known problem with the 5.7 V8; i.e. super expensive starter replacements. Otherwise that's it. The 5.7 is a top of the line engine from Toyota, as it also goes into the $85K Land Cruiser, and is built to last. From what I see, the 3.5 has not been as reliable as the older 4.0, not to mention the 3.5 doesn't seem to have the grunt of the 4.0 (I've driven both a bunch). My buddy has a 2016, and it has been in the shop multiple times since new. It seems to run ok now, but it looks like Toyota had some issues with the 3.5 when they first came out.

If you're going to go used, I had a 1st gen Tundra with the 4.7 V8, and that was super reliable. No problems at all. The 5.7 has way more power and is much more truck, IMO. For a used Tacoma, I'd go with a 4.0 vs the 3.5.

Because Toyotas hold their value so well, for me it has been better to buy new, run them 10-15 years, maintain them well, and get good money when I sell them.

Good luck in your search.

For what it’s worth, I have a 2011 Tundra with the 5.7 engine. It has 160,000 miles on it. I have towed an 8000 pound trailer from Montana to Southern California to Fairbanks, Ak and back to Montana, and to Bella Coola, BC, and back and forth to the Olympic Penninsula. Shook the plates loose in three batteries in a row.
Repairs to this date are a set of rear brakes, a windshield or two and a set of windshield wipers. The truck is starting to develope a minor rattle or two. At 125,000 it was tighter than our brand new 2014 3/4 ton Ford.
Mileage has ranged from 8 mpg towing into a headwind, to 19 on level roads driving 60. Highway mileage is usually 17. That seems to drastically improve, up to about 19 when I get gas south of Montana.

We had a 2007 Tacoma, extended cab 4WD with the 4.0 V-6 and 6-speed manual transmission, We sold it a few years ago with 248,00 miles on the odometer. Other than normal service, the only thing we had done was to replace the middle U-Joint in the rear drive shaft.

We bought a 2012 Tundra with the 5.7 engine and auto transmission which will probably turn 200,000 on the odometer in a week or two. So far, we've done nothing but the routine maintenance. We have used it to pull a 16-ft double axle flat bed for our Polaris Ranger throughout the Rockies. We loaded the truck and the trailer with all the appliances and furniture that they would hold, and my wife drove it up to southwest Wisconsin for one of her friends. Both of us have put a lot of off-road miles on it in some pretty rough and rocky parts of the west.

My wife now wants a new 4WD Tacoma all to herself, but I will be driving the Tundra for at least another 100K or more.

There are people out there who have driven both over 1 million miles.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1+m...008j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?ei=bI...i30j0i8i30j33i22i29i30j33i10.522HHmIFaco


The Tundra had all major original parts when Toyota gave the guy a new one. The transmission needed work at 700,000 miles, but was not replaced.

The guy driving the Tacoma needed a head gasket at 880,000 miles. Technically the engine was otherwise still OK, but he bought one from a scrapyard with 100,000 miles on it and just replaced the engine instead of reparing the one with almost 900,000 miles on it. The current engine has over 300,000 miles on it now including the 100,000 on it when installed.

And FWIW he does 10,000 mile oil changes. The original plugs were replaced at 700,000 miles and the transmission had its 1st service at 400,000. It is still going after 1.2 million miles.

My brother has an 06 Tundra, I have an 07 Tacoma. Both are right near 200,000 miles and neither of us have had any major issues. The 06 and older Tundra's have timing belts that need to be replaced at 100,000 miles. It isn't a cheap job. Starting with 2007 Tundra's they have timing chains that don't need to be replaced. I like the 1st gen Tundra, but they aren''t significantly bigger, nor will they tow more than the 2nd gen Tacoma. Plus you have to deal with timing belt changes every 100K. If I needed more room I'd look at the 07 and newer Tundra.

My 07 with a DC is a big step up in size compared to your 01 truck, but is still a little small. I reached the point 3 years ago where I needed a bigger truck. I COULD have traded my Tacoma and bought a new Tundra or F150. But it I decided I'd rather keep the Tacoma and bought a used 2014 F-150 crew cab for about the same out of pocket money. I looked for a good used Tundra, but simply never found a used one that met my criteria at a price I was willing to pay.

The 4.0 in the 4Runner is different from the 4.0 in the previous generation Tacoma. Dual VVT and more power.

For reliability I'd go with a 4.0 vs the 3.5 in the Tacoma. How it compares long term against a Tundra, don't know.

I have a 2018 4Runner with the newer 4.0 and 5 speed auto. It power is acceptable, but it needs RPMs. I hear the 3.5 has less usable torque, and the transmission is always searching for the right gear for MPG.
I really wanted a new Tacoma but the engine/tranny and poor seat adjustments led me to getting a 4Runner. I also considered a Tundra, but I drive about 25K/year so mileage is important. I am getting around 20mpg with the 4Runner 4.0.

My wife has a 2018 4runner SR5 - That thing is one of the sweetest driving SUV's I have ever drove - get the RPM's up a bit and it has tones of power. Part of the reason we bought it was the known reliability of the 4.0/5 speed transmission combo in the 4 runner. No it may not be the most fuel efficient, but the 4 runner is the most 'bomb proof" reliable vehicle Toyota makes outside of the Land Cruiser.

Now with that said, I drive a 2018 Tundra (we kind of like Toyotas) and so far it is a very solid and powerful truck. No regrets at all (and I came from a 2016 ram cummins).

As far as mileage goes, my wife's 4 runner has 8k miles and my tundra has 22k miles - she averages about 18.5 overall and I average about 16.5 overall. If the Tacoma gets the same fuel mileage as the 4 runner, not sure I would go with the smaller truck for 2 mpg...

(When I tow my 8500 pound toyhauler, I average around -9-10 mpg, BUT with the 35 gallon fuel tank, I don't worry too much about having stops in between my camping/hunting destinations)

I owned both. My gut tells me the Tundra would last the longest. But neither of them get really good fuel economy nor does the Tundra payload compare to the newer F150’s.
My 2017 F150 did a much better job towing my 5,000 pound boat than my 2013 Tundra 5.7 did and the F150 got better mpg’s while it was doing it. 12.5 for the Tundra vs 15 for the F150 over the exact same course.
If you are the type to keep a truck forever the Toyota would be the best choice.

Well I pulled the trigger and picked up a super clean 07 Tundra double cab with 4.7 ,TRD ,SR5 package low miles (89K) ,anything I should be aware of or do ?
Also looking to put a tonneau cover on it ,I would like it to be lockable but don't want a fiberglass one ,any suggestions?

90K was the miles to change the timing belt on my 4.7.

In spite of their advertising, it's not a 3/4 ton.

[quote=Rock Chuck In spite of their advertising, it's not a 3/4 ton.[/quote]

I keep seeing and hearing this.

I have owned both Tacomas and Tundras ( and I currently own one of the latter.) Advertising for either usually catches my attention, whether I am in the market for a new pickup or not.

I have never seen any Toyota ads that even hint that the Tundras are 3/4-ton trucks. They do note that some of standard equipment on their trucks is beefier than that of their Big 3 1/2-ton competitors--apparently beefier enough that the state of Texas registers them as 3/4 ton pickups. But perhaps that is just an excuse for the state of Texas to ding Tundra owners for a little more money--I don't really know.

Have been driving Tacoma for business since 2007. All have been the double cab short bed with TRD Offroad package 4x4.
Generally put about 150,000+ miles on before trading for new.
Change oil and filters at proper intervals and use real gas.
Tires , brakes and batteries are the only things I have had to replace.
Agree that the 3.5 is not as gutsy as the 4.0 but I have a lot of miles on a 2016 without problems.
Great trucks for me and I use them on the road and off on brush control projects.
Mine have held value very well.

Does anyone know what year. Switched from timing belt to timing chain ?

The 4.7L in the Tundra / Sequoia has a belt 2000 thru 2010

The 4.6L and the 5.7L have chains

http://toyota.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7690/~/does-my-vehicle-have-a-timing-belt-or-timing-chain%3F

Folding hard tonneau cover suggestions ???

For us, I think the 3/4 ton BS is rooted in weight of vehicle.

Our class 1 license was traditionally 1/2 to trucks.
And at 5k#, you C ouldnt haul much. Many licensed them a 2. I think 7k.
If you had a 3/4, it probably was over 5k empty, and needed a 2.

However, pickups have gotten so heavy with 4 doors and toys,
that anything but a single cab 1/2 is near or over 5k.

So..........

But just because she's a fat ass, doesn't mean she's a strong worker!