buying used taco question (1 Viewer)

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L

laxaholic

Joined
May 10, 2011
Threads
25
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Location
Evans, GA
Currently drive an 01 Land Cruiser.
Looking at a 4cylinder/5speed 4x4 Taco.
Year 2000 with 153k miles.

What kind of mpg does these really get? I was told 20.
How reliable are these trucks?

It seems for the same price, I could find a tundra as well.
Budget about 13k.

How is room in the cab, understand that the back "seats" are useless.

Thanks.
 
laxaholic said:
Currently drive an 01 Land Cruiser.
Looking at a 4cylinder/5speed 4x4 Taco.
Year 2000 with 153k miles.

What kind of mpg does these really get? I was told 20.
How reliable are these trucks?

It seems for the same price, I could find a tundra as well.
Budget about 13k.

How is room in the cab, understand that the back "seats" are useless.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Why are you getting rid of your 100? I've thought about ditching the dcab and getting a 100.
When mine Tacoma was stock I got 20-22 avg. on long trips I even seen a little better than that. Now lifted with 33's and armored I still get 17 avg. These trucks are holding there value extremely well I'd go on and say better than any other Toyota right now. Mainly because of the frame recall they had. So many were crushed that the ones still out there are bringing a premium. Ive owned a single cab and now currently a dcab. The single cab was just to small, no room to even recline the seats. The dcab is perfect is just about every way IMO. I don't use the bed a whole lot so the 5' bed is more than enough and has carried everything I ask it to(washer&dryer, arb bumper, queen size bed, 2 chests).
I'd say if you can get a 4 door opt for that but if not the ex cab will also be a great truck.
 
You can't get a 4 door 4 cylinder in the 1st generation Tacoma. Pretty sure all the double cabs were V6 auto up to 2004. The extended cab gives you the rear jump seats, which aren't useful for much of anything except some in-cab storage.

I think you'll find that the 4 cyl gas mileage is only nominally better than the V6, but you lose quite a bit of performance (may not be an issue where you live). Both the Tacoma 4 cyl and 3.4 V6 are solid, reliable motors though.
 
I am thinking about selling the 100 because of its thirst for fuel, I know a taco isn't much better and that's why I was considering a 4cylinder. I am used to slow...I drive a 100. I would keep it stock. What kind of real world mpg could I expect out of a taco. Both engines. And is it worth getting a taco over a 1st gen tundra?

Thanks for all your help.
 
laxaholic said:
I am thinking about selling the 100 because of its thirst for fuel, I know a taco isn't much better and that's why I was considering a 4cylinder. I am used to slow...I drive a 100. I would keep it stock. What kind of real world mpg could I expect out of a taco. Both engines. And is it worth getting a taco over a 1st gen tundra?

Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

If you're concerned about gas... Taco over Tundra every time.

For reference... A buddy of mine just bought a 2005 ext cab Taco, 5spd 4x4 and spent 15.5k in Baton Rouge. Roughly 55k miles on it.
 
Yeah x2 on what said above. The tundra will have the same motor as 100 series so mpg will be a wash. I'm pretty sure you can get a 1st gen dcab with the 4cyl but it will have to be a Prerunner, no 4wd unless
You do a conversion. The v6 and 4cyl are so close in mpg you might as well get the v6 because performance it much better.
 
The double cabs did come in a 4cyl version. There are plenty of them here in NorCal, but they do all seem to be 2wd. They're not lowriders like the single and ext cab 4cyls seem to always be however, they're taller with the spring on top in the rear. I think they are technically called the prerunner model, but you can't get TRD prerunner with a 4cyl--that's V6 only. Speaking of factory setups of course. A good way to tell if its 4cyl is from the wheels if they're still factory.

Here's a 4cyl prerunner double cab for sale here in CA (2002 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Truck Double Cab ). These are the 4cyl prerunner double cab wheels. The V6 prerunner dcabs mainly came with the 5-star alloys. There's lots more technical differences but that's the basics. Obviously, you can't bank on it having the 4cyl or not from the wheels, but its a pretty good indicator cause who would take the time to swap out the ugly V6 5-stars with the uglier 4cyl wheels? :p
5E35J65M53F43N33Hac6ude16af20dfc51c35.jpg
 
Jacket said:
You can't get a 4 door 4 cylinder in the 1st generation Tacoma. Pretty sure all the double cabs were V6 auto up to 2004. The extended cab gives you the rear jump seats, which aren't useful for much of anything except some in-cab storage.

I think you'll find that the 4 cyl gas mileage is only nominally better than the V6, but you lose quite a bit of performance (may not be an issue where you live). Both the Tacoma 4 cyl and 3.4 V6 are solid, reliable motors though.
Click to expand...

Nope... doublecabs were offered with the 3rz
 
If you are looking to spend around 13K you might want to consider a second generation tacoma. I had an 05 2.7 4x4 extended cab I sold about 2 years ago with 102k on it for $12,800. It sold overnight so in hindsight I probably should have asked more. But the same day I sold it I bought a 112k mile 05 double cab 4x4 with the trd package for $13,800. The newer trucks are noticeably better on gas. I had a 98 V6 4x4/5spd and stock it got 19 on the highway. My current doublecab gets 20 on my commute which is about 80 percent highway. The 05 with the 4 cylinder I had got 21-22 on the same commute with a real 265/70/16 AT tire on it. With the skinny 245/75/16 highway treads it got 23-24.
 
ken_79-fj40 said:
If you are looking to spend around 13K you might want to consider a second generation tacoma. I had an 05 2.7 4x4 extended cab I sold about 2 years ago with 102k on it for $12,800. It sold overnight so in hindsight I probably should have asked more. But the same day I sold it I bought a 112k mile 05 double cab 4x4 with the trd package for $13,800. The newer trucks are noticeably better on gas. I had a 98 V6 4x4/5spd and stock it got 19 on the highway. My current doublecab gets 20 on my commute which is about 80 percent highway. The 05 with the 4 cylinder I had got 21-22 on the same commute with a real 265/70/16 AT tire on it. With the skinny 245/75/16 highway treads it got 23-24.
Click to expand...

19 hwy from a 3.4l? Did it have lift/tires/bumpers/etc? If not something was wrong with it... I can easily get 24 hwy in my 4runner.
 
Mr Chuck Norris said:
19 hwy from a 3.4l? Did it have lift/tires/bumpers/etc? If not something was wrong with it... I can easily get 24 hwy in my 4runner.
Click to expand...

I just sold a 00 4Runner sport that was my wifes DD for 10 years. It rarely got better than 18-19 MPG highway. IIRC they were rated at 20 for a 5 speed but sadly ours was an auto. But the 98 Tacoma in question was bone stock off the lot getting no better than 19MPG on my daily commute. And I do track my mileage regularly. I did wind up putting a 4" lift and 33" tires on that 98 then I was getting 16-17 with it. My father has a bone stock 03 V6 4x4 5speed Tacoma and he never sees 20 either. He has a similar commute and he's a 71 year old dude that rarely ever goes over 2500 RPM or 65MPH. If you're easily getting 24 with your 4Runner good for you but I suspect either something's up with it or you aren't calculating your mileage accurately.
 
I guess in GA it is not a big deal....but Toyota did buy back many Taco's due to frame rot. I would look over the frame with a fine tooth comb!


Zack
 
Zack1978 said:
I guess in GA it is not a big deal....but Toyota did buy back many Taco's due to frame rot. I would look over the frame with a fine tooth comb!


Zack
Click to expand...

That's actually what happened to my 98. I removed the lift and put 31's on it and sold it to my father in 2001. Last winter Toyota bought it back and gave him a little over 10 grand for it with 190k miles on it. He paid 11 for his 03 from the same dealer with 130k on it. The trucks that pass the frame inspection around here get a very liberal undercoating afterwards. And I believe on 01-newer trucks they replace the frames if they are bad. But like has been mentioned already all the trucks that Toyota bought back has greatly reduced the amount for sale so those left are commanding a premium price. To the point where if you are shopping for a nice sub 100k mile Tacoma and don't mind the larger size it's generally a better deal to get an 05-up. Bigger, more powerful, and better mileage for typically only a few grand more.
 
I just got back from a 10 day, 3400 mile camping trip from Indiana to Colorado. 75 - 80 with AC, on I-70 there and back with 600lbs of people and a lot of gear. We were in 4wd every day while we were out there(not constant but over the rough stuff to our camp site etc.) and we got 18.1 mpg. This is in a 03 DC tacoma. I love this truck!

When I drive the 10 miles to school one way I can just get 19 mpg if I am really careful.
 
4 cyl Taco only way to go

Canadian MPG = between 30 and 32 depending on wind and speed.

I bought a 97 5 years ago with 100 km. Paid $12 k canadian. Am very happy with performance and reliability.

Have changed the following over the years:
  • starter
  • steering rack
  • front struts
  • rear shocks x 2
  • steering rack x 2. Think there were quaility problems with aftermarket parts
  • a few miscellanious parts

    I now have 280 km and have gone through one set of tires.

    Cant go wrong. Worst case scenario would be to part it out and make more.

    I understand Tundra's are much harder on fuel. More cylinders always burns more fuel.

    Good luck
 
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