Going back to 3rd gen?

[lunchindabox]

Just curious since I see a lot of dudes (and dudettes) who bought a 2nd gen Tacoma (2005+) and ended up going back to 1st Gen (1998-2004)
Many more love the 2nd gen, but there is a cult following for the 1st gen in terms of Tacoma.

So, anyone regret moving to 4th gen and gone back to 3rd?
Let's not turn this in a flame war over which is better- but if there are regrets on the 4th, I'd be interested to hear why.

 

[JustSomeName]

never owned a 3rd gen, just the 4th, but one thing I envy is that the 3rd gens have MUCH more options in terms of performance parts available to them compared to 4th gens.

 

[NJshadow93]

never owned a 3rd gen, just the 4th, but one thing I envy is that the 3rd gens have MUCH more options in terms of performance parts available to them compared to 4th gens.

Yeah but those performance parts bring it up to the performance that stock 4th gens have, such as the supercharger.

 

[zopperman]

I had a third gen. I'd consider getting one if I were to make it a dedicated crawler, but as far as a DD, there is no comparison. The 4th gen is just so much nicer, but still rugged enough for what I need it for.

 

[04rnr]

Sometimes, I wished I still had a 3rd gen, more so MY old 3rd gen, but that's ONLY, when wheeling...
For daily driving, cant beat the V8 :eyebrows:
In a perfect world, Id have a G37 coupe and a built 3rd gen, but we all know, the world aint perfect lol

 

[WXman]

Weak engines, less room, more rust, no financing for something that old, fewer still on the road to scavenge parts from in the future.. no thanks I'll keep my 4th gen.

 

[1fast_e]

Had two third gens prior. Should have sold my last one to buy a Titan(only lasted three months). I was almost going to sell my fourth gen and find a clean 02 but after putting a lift on it I love it and havent thought twice about keeping it.

Good luck on your decision

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Weak engines, less room, more rust, no financing for something that old, fewer still on the road to scavenge parts from in the future.. no thanks I'll keep my 4th gen.

Weak engines? No that's the 1st & 2nd gen 3VZE.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Well, considering my 3rd gen was payed off before it was totaled, yes. It other terms of space, comfort, power, no. Don't get me wrong I love 3rd gens but I like the space my 4th gen has. Now,'if I were to do it all over again, I would have gotten a Sport Edition or Limited 4WD, and still a V8 for the sole purpose of wet traction.

 

[WillK]

Yes, Gen 4 is bigger, more power, smoother drivetrain. But Gen 3 is way more cool looking. Stock, modded, lifted, doesn't matter. It wins hands down in the cool to drive dept.

I do like my Limited V8 w/ NAVI though...

 

[04rnr]

Weak engines, less room, more rust, no financing for something that old, fewer still on the road to scavenge parts from in the future.. no thanks I'll keep my 4th gen.

Weak engine: the 3.4L is a VERY good engine.
Less room: I like the "less room" better on the trails, you can get more places.
More rust: only cause its older, your 4th gen will have just as much rust, when its that old.
No financing: true.
Fewer still on the road: really, come to Colorado, all you see are 3rd gens, and parts are soooo available.
:wave:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

We have a ton of 3rd gens and 4th gens in my area, hell actually seen a few 2nd and 1st gens also, which surprised me. I am acctually in the process of looking over a used '97 we got I wanna get for my friend to replace his '95 Pathfinder. The 5VZ-FE isn't as powerful as the 1GR-FE, but its a tried and tested motor that holds up really well on its own. I have to admit I almost wanna buy the 3rd gen for myself, its a bit smaller than the 4th gen, but somehow it doesn't seem that much smaller. The inside is a bit more plain inside, but I can see it growing on me. The nice thing is that stock its got better ground clearance and will easily take bigger tires with almost no mods, its also a little more rugged out of the box because of the nice chrome metal front and rear bumpers that will take small impacts better than our plastic bumper skins that sometimes don't even need an excuse to peel off! LoL

I honestly would like a 3rd gen (have been wondering if I should get a 1st to turn into a crawler/open top runner) but I love the 4.7L in my 4th Gen and its much nicer/modern feeling interior. But then again there was a guy who fit a 2UZ-FE in a 3rd gen... hehe

 

[redbull9944]

I LOVED my 3rd gen. I ultimately decided to upgrade because I wanted something newer with more power. My '04 now has more power, more lift, bigger tires, and just as clean. I love it just as much.

I would consider getting another early 3rd gen to beat on again. I would definitely choose a 3rd gen over any other vehicle to make a dedicated off roader. It was an awesome car, but I'll never daily drive one again.

 

[redbull9944]

I also forgot to add that I have to agree with previous posts. That 6 cylinder was damn near indestructible.

 

[zopperman]

I also forgot to add that I have to agree with previous posts. That 6 cylinder was damn near indestructible.

Mine went to 350k, after blowing the head gasket at about 300k (I think, don't exactly remember)

I got rear ended and it bent the rear axle somehow

STILL sold for 4500 in '10 - needing a new engine and rear end.

 

[redbull9944]

Mine went to 350k, after blowing the head gasket at about 300k (I think, don't exactly remember)

I got rear ended and it bent the rear axle somehow

STILL sold for 4500 in '10 - needing a new engine and rear end.

That's kind of sad, but still awesome at the same time. The 3vz-fe (if that's correct?) is also a non-interference engine, so if the timing belt goes your engine will still be ok. Lack of power pushing little 32's is what upset me, but it was still understandable and took me on long trips just fine.

 

[zopperman]

That's kind of sad, but still awesome at the same time. The 3vz-fe (if that's correct?) is also a non-interference engine, so if the timing belt goes your engine will still be ok. Lack of power pushing little 32's is what upset me, but it was still understandable and took me on long trips just fine.

Yeah, definitely mixed emotions.
I don't think the timing belt was ever done on my 3rd gen either, but i may be wrong. It was my dad's before it was mine.

 

[preacher35]

My sister had a 3rd gen. No way would I stepping back to an a 3rd gen (less power and very dated interior). I'm actually considering purchasing a second 4th gen (probably a low mileage 2009) to stick in the garage and keep until my current 2005 SE dies (which at 96k miles, ain't gonna be for a while). I really do not care for the 5th gen's boxy/utilitarian look.

 

[JET4]

I had a 99 lifted it and put 33" tires on it. Gave the 99 to my daughter and bought a 07 for myself. Lifted the 07 on put 33" tires on it.I realy like the looks of the 99 better. Thinking about trading with my daughter. Only reason I haven't traded with my daughter is I also like the looks of the new 5th generation.

 

[awdjunkies]

Ive had every gen except the 5th and yes, the 3rd gen, even though it has a less-powerful engine, can do just about everything the 4th gen can and more. I love the fact that with the limited trim level, the body cladding makes it look even better. I also love the fact that as mentioned, it(3.4L) is a non-interference engine. Heck in the 3rd gen side of the pond, there is a traveling gentleman who has something like 600k plus(I forget what the actual mileage is) miles on his rig, on same engine and most of the parts are still factory. Of course within anything, maintenance is lucrative to it's health.