Thinking of switching to a 3rd gen Tacoma

[Jc12]

8 years of 3rd gens.. and now i can't help myself but consider the new tacoma. I've done endless reading.. and work in the auto industry so am well informed on the 3.5l/atkinson woes.. however i have always loved the idea of a pickup and can't walk away from toyota.

Currently i have a well modded 01 4runner (winch, sliders etc etc) which is the weekend warrior and an 11 GTI which is the commuter (as its much easier to park downtown).I have always enjoyed driving a well refined vehicle and appreciate the amenities offered in the GTI.

I am considering selling the 4runner and GTI and moving into a 17 or 18 tacoma trd sport (prefer manual trans but would need the long box so has to be auto). I drive the GTI because its fun.. and feels modern. I have the truck for exploring and hobbies.. so my thought is by getting a new/modern/refined tacoma i will both enjoy my DD and always be in a vehicle that would allow me to pursue my interests.

My vehicle uses are
-driving to work
-errands/groceries etc
-occasional (twice a month) lumber runs
-ski and road trips
-lots of camping
-hunting trips (4 or 5 a year)
-fishing (12+ trips a year) - i have a 9' jon boat which i currently put on the roof

I love the idea of a pickup bed.. but would miss the security of leaving things inside your SUV.. its so hard to have it all!

Has anyone considered or made this change? Just looking for general opinions to ensure i've thought it all through.

 

[bertfull]

Truck to T4R

I recently went from a '12 Honda Ridgeline to a '16 4Runner. The only thing I miss is the seating capacity. The Ridgeline was definitely bigger on the inside.

 

[ajordan1975]

do it! :cheer2:

 

[JayRolla]

8 years of 3rd gens.. and now i can't help myself but consider the new tacoma. I've done endless reading.. and work in the auto industry so am well informed on the 3.5l/atkinson woes.. however i have always loved the idea of a pickup and can't walk away from toyota.

Currently i have a well modded 01 4runner (winch, sliders etc etc) which is the weekend warrior and an 11 GTI which is the commuter (as its much easier to park downtown).I have always enjoyed driving a well refined vehicle and appreciate the amenities offered in the GTI.

I am considering selling the 4runner and GTI and moving into a 17 or 18 tacoma trd sport (prefer manual trans but would need the long box so has to be auto). I drive the GTI because its fun.. and feels modern. I have the truck for exploring and hobbies.. so my thought is by getting a new/modern/refined tacoma i will both enjoy my DD and always be in a vehicle that would allow me to pursue my interests.

My vehicle uses are
-driving to work
-errands/groceries etc
-occasional (twice a month) lumber runs
-ski and road trips
-lots of camping
-hunting trips (4 or 5 a year)
-fishing (12+ trips a year) - i have a 9' jon boat which i currently put on the roof

I love the idea of a pickup bed.. but would miss the security of leaving things inside your SUV.. its so hard to have it all!

Has anyone considered or made this change? Just looking for general opinions to ensure i've thought it all through.

If your well versed with the 3.5l then why the hell do you want it. It's trash. Get a Tundra or 2015 Tacoma. If you want something new but don't need the bed get a new 4runner.

I have a 2nd Gen and hate it's power delivery and shifting points. The 3rd gen is 10 times worse.

 

[LittleCaesar]

As [MENTION=50342]JayRolla[/MENTION] said, the powertrain in the 3rd gen Tacoma is a joke. I have a cousin who does field surveying work. He had a 2nd gen and liked it enough to put over 300,000 miles on it with having to replace the lower control arms as his biggest abnormal expense. He bought a 3rd gen in April and said the truck had little to no power and transmission issues. Finally he traded it back in to the dealer and bought a Colorado with the Duramax. Night and day difference according to him.

If you want to stick with Toyota, I'd look to just buy a Tundra.

 

[BrianSD_42]

My friend has a 6 speed 2017 and seems to like it a lot so far.

I haven't researched the power train issues described.

 

[JayRolla]

My friend has a 6 speed 2017 and seems to like it a lot so far.

I haven't researched the power train issues described.

Only the auto is an issue.

 

[JayRolla]

As [MENTION=50342]JayRolla[/MENTION] said, the powertrain in the 3rd gen Tacoma is a joke. I have a cousin who does field surveying work. He had a 2nd gen and liked it enough to put over 300,000 miles on it with having to replace the lower control arms as his biggest abnormal expense. He bought a 3rd gen in April and said the truck had little to no power and transmission issues. Finally he traded it back in to the dealer and bought a Colorado with the Duramax. Night and day difference according to him.

If you want to stick with Toyota, I'd look to just buy a Tundra.

Those Colorados are badass.

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

Don't, you'll regret it. I bought a 2016 and the 3.5 with the 6 speed auto is terrible. Got rid of it after 3500 miles and bought my 4Runner. Never looked back, best move I could have made.

 

[John7M7]

I really liked the Tacoma. Then I test drove it.

- Felt underpowered. I currently drive a 3rd gen with E tires, RTT, rack and lift. And still the Taco felt like a dead cow dragged down the freeway.
- The cab (the longest one) doesn't offer much room... ok if alone, not ok with wife and dogs.
- the seat doesn't adjust in height... WTF?! I'm 6'4", couldn't find a comfy driving position. The steering wheel adjustments are very limited too.

Keep your rig or buy a new 4Runner, or even a gen 4.

 

[Hepar]

Do you have an issue with parking two vehicles? Seems like you have a great setup for your situation. I'd hate to go from parking a GTI in downtown Van to a 3rd gen Taco.

 

[Jc12]

i think the 6 speed with 3.5l would be a half decent combo.. If they were to make a long box manual i don't think i'd have to give it a second thought. I went on a extended road trip in a 17 tacoma, it sure wasn't fast but i didn't notice the unusual shifting so many people spoke about (maybe the tsb fixed it?)

Having both cars is a great setup but i don't have parking for a second vehicle.. and it is very very limited around my apartment. For now i keep it parked in storage about 30 kms away and just switch them out for specific trips.

Thanks for all the input - even after reading every other opinion out there i prefer coming back to t4r to see what the 3rd gen owners think.

 

[2ndhandyotaman]

I've struggled with the 'one vehicle for everything' concept for the past few years because of economic reasons. I went from an F350 4x4 and a 2 year old Mazda 3 Sport for daily use then down sized to an old Forester beater for a year, then to a '07 CRV AWD for the 'everything' vehicle. The CRV has been nothing but a let down for the past year. I was struggling again with the best compromise for a single 'everything' vehicle and was leaning towards an x-cab 4x4 truck.

After looking at a newer used Taco and Frontier and not being satisfied with either for various reasons, I just decided to get another 3rd gen to use as a utility/crappy weather vehicle and now I'm looking to sell the CRV and get into a Camry or Sonata for daily use/ good economy.

 

[thecole1098]

Do not trade your reliable, tired and true 3rd gen for a new Tacoma. I work at a Toyota dealership and see so many issues with these new trucks. Besides the power train issues everyone has already mentioned, they have countless suspension related noises as well as recalls for the rear differential leak and the crank position sensor. A lot of them also require re flashing of the ECU because of various issues.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Have to concur with the advice rendered so far. Have a third gen and thinking of a newer car as my daily. Have always liked the idea of a taco but only spent real time in a first gen. Tested a 2018 dcsb mt and just could not get comfy inside (6’2) and thought power delivery sucked-no low rpm torque then rev hang at high rpm. I think you’d really miss your gti as this truck feels like work to get up to speed-def not fun to drive in any way. Just decided to keep repairing my current truck and take over the 5th gen from wife when it’s dead or sold. Prob try to get something inexpensive and sporty-ish like a civic hatch for commuting.

 

[gamefreakgc]

These 3rd Gen 4Runners are some of the most versatile, reliable vehicles Toyota ever made. Anything else will not age as well, you can't duplicate it.

I'm not much of a pickup guy, since I have kids. I had a 91 Pickup (pre-Tacoma) and it was alright, but I only used the bed once or twice a year so was pointless. I love having a cargo area instead. With a pickup, you have to think long-term and if you see yourself seating more than 2 people on a consistent basis. Long trips in a pickup cab (unless it's a monstrous one with a full cab) is not fun.

Though the new Tacomas look pretty sweet. I like the brown colored ones.

 

[Scramble]

Dont do it. Keep the 4runner & keep the DD. Thats what I do. With the money I save on gas with my Accord Coupe, owning my 4runner is free.
Otherwise look at a 4th or 5th Gen 4runner, 2nd gen Taco or Tundra.

 

[T4R2014]

The 2nd gen is dated af and pretty crap, and this "3rd gen" with the same cab and suspension just has a more relevant (but still crap) interior and an anemic V6.

 

[EmDeeAitch]

I checked out the 3rd gen taco at the LA auto show a few weeks ago and wasn't very impressed. I'd keep the 4runner, especially with all the mods you've done to it!

 

[TejasRunner01]

Also it made it on the top 10 worst cars to buy according to consumer reports FYI.