School me (please) on buying new Tacoma (1 Viewer)

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FWIW,

I bought a used TRD OR with the short bed last year, after selling my 2007 Tacoma. I got lucky and on an extended work trip I got to have two 2019 TRDOR's as rental cars so I put 6wks in driving them before deciding to buy my own. I also test drove a ZR2, and a Nissan Pro4X which I thought both were cheaply made and not worth the money. The only real competition for me was the Tundra. In San Diego, the local dealers put a 5k markup on all the pro's which instantly turned me off. I thought the Off Road was a good middle ground, some of the cool features, without the PRO price tag. For those that really want to wheel, I think the way to go is to get a SR or SR5 and mod it, but that's just me.

My wife's DD is a 2019 4Runner TRDOR, so it's been nice to compare the 3.5 to her 4.0. Biggest noticeable difference is the truck has quicker acceleration, and better mileage. I also like the interior (stereo, gauge cluster, etc) better than the 4runners.

I have two little kids and use the backseats quite a bit. Kids are fine, most adults are fine as well as long as it's not really long distances. I live in So-Cal so I got the automatic and have been really happy with it, I just did a long road trip up to Humboldt County and back and it was great on the long drive. Gas mileage has been as advertised which is a few mpg over the wifes 4runner.

As for wheeling, I've taken it to the desert a few times, and have been annoyed with some of the nannies in the sand, once you disable them (traction control specifically) truck was great. I did Anza Borrego (heart attack hill, Fish Creek Wash, etc) bone stock, and had no issues (those are very tame areas also)

I looked for a good 6months before finding mine which was a lease turn in at a Subaru Dealer. I setup alerts on autotempest.com (searches craigslist, ebay, cars.com, and autotrader.com) and was able jump on mine pretty quick. Used market in So-Cal is insane for these, good ones were gone in 24-48hrs.
 
How do you do this? I looked all over their site and googled ?


Sorry I was incorrect, I setup notifications on cargurus.com. You need to setup an account, and then go to your account name (Guru9TKLN in the picture) and click the down arrow.

Car_guru_snip.JPG


After that go to "My Account". Then click on "Account" and go to "Settings". There is quite an extensive list of things they will email you about, I went down to "listing subscriptions" and made sure I got emails for everything in there. After that I just did a search on what I wanted and saved it. It's definitely not the easiest of processes but once it's setup and working, you'll get notified as soon as something matching your search posts.

In my case, the dealer got the truck as a lease return and made a quick ad, with no pictures or anything as the truck was still in detailing. Since it matched my criteria I called them and got the details and went down there that day before they could get pictures or anything else up. I know for a fact I beat out 2 guys from Murrieta/Temecula, and a guy that was flying in from Colorado because he only wanted a Cavalry Blue Tacoma.

Hope this helps
 
I have been looking periodically for the last year for trucks (delayed by Covid, a divorce, and being a single parent- I don't want to take my son with for car shopping, since it usually causes impatience or distractions).
Last year I test drove the Frontier, Colorado, F150, Ram, and Ranger. The Frontier seems nice, but my experience (I've owned several trucks and suvs) is that they don't age very well, compared to Toyota. I like Ford's, especially the Ecoboost options, however, have noticed higher cost of ownership and significant depreciation (while I'm planning to keep this new truck a long while, I still feel it prudent to consider).
I have about 2 months, roughly, to research options, before I'd like to buy (Memorial day sales).

I greatly appreciate all the comments, and certainly have plenty to consider.

One thought I've had, is buying an SR5 and building it later, if I choose to, as someone mentioned earlier. Obviously, I need to decide if the approximate 10k difference in price tag is worth it, either by having to build it my way later, or paying the extra for having it built now.

I love the Cavalry Blue and the Hunter Green. However, in playing with the "build it now" function on Toyota website, some of the colors aren't available with some of the options I've chosen.

I'm not incredibly picky about the exact color, since I can always wrap it (and still might, for extra paint protection) in the color I want.
 
We bought a 2020 TRD OR Premium. Short bed auto trans. It is a great truck. I’m 5’10” and 180 and while the seating position is something I will adjust a bit on longer drives, it’s certainly not “weird” for a person of my size. I don’t find the transmission hunts a lot, so maybe they have done the update on mine? I have the service bulletin number so will get my guy to check.

I live on the west coast of B.C. and have done multiple trips over significant mountain passes. A couple of those pulling a 3500 lb Airstream, and I also pulled a 6000 lb Airstream about 40 miles locally. The 3500 lb one was no problem at all. The 6000 lb one I certainly knew was behind me, but it pulled it ok. I would not want to tow it anywhere other than flat ground on calm and clear days. Where they get the 6500 lb max tow rating from, I don’t know.

For me, the locker was a must have, and as this was replacing the 100 series, the heated leather and moonroof were high on the wife’s list. The extra headroom and light that the moonroof adds were a must. We drove an SR5 as a service loaner before buying the one we did, and it felt like a dark cave without the moonroof. It was a ‘19 and I recall the trans being all over the place.

The only other truck I’d consider in this size is the Ranger, and while I did look at one, the long term resale etc kept me with the Tacoma. You really can’t go wrong...
 
My vote is spec and order. Even though you said you'll keep it until it dies, I'd go with the off-road. Life is crazy and you may end up selling, and you'll get at least half of that premium back as it is a more desirable trim package.

Take a bunch of test drives. While I don't believe in wasting a dealership's time, since you are genuinely shopping go drive each trim and see what feels best. Some let you do a 24hr test. When we were shopping for my wife's vehicle we rented a couple vehicles for 2 days from Enterprise so we could "live with it", plus do things like mild offroading that the dealers wouldn't allow. Really helped her choose her favorite.

Good luck!
 
Well bud I will give you my personal experience here, I bought a 2016 DCSB Off-road with a manual transmission brand new in feb of 2016 and I've racked up 176k miles on it and damn this is one impressive pickup! I have only had to change oils and I just did my second spark plug change and my serpentine belt and that's all! Still on my stock clutch and I've been very aggressive with this clutch too. This tacoma is a true TOYOTA as far as reliability. I haven't had one recall at all. And I offroad the hell out of this rig right along side my 82 toyota pickup and my FJ40. I seriously have 0 regrets about my purchase 5 years later. I'm 100% happy that I went with the Manual transmission, best decision I could have made. If you like manuals then by all means get one! You don't hear any complaints against the manual unlike the 1 million complaints the auto gets. I would personally say go with the offroad no question. That factory locker is great. Also the manual gets a real key instead of the auto push button crap IMO.
My ONLY complaint is that I didn't get a PRO version of my 2016 but that's only because toyota didn't make one in 16. I also am keeping my 16 until I die, so I will have it forever. Also the manual has a better gear ratio for the R&P at 4.33 vs the auto at 3.98.
To me the best model is the 16 and 17s because no front tss sensor bull****.
Good luck bud!!
 
Thanks for the feedback @WrathofZelda and @Toyotafan1991. I'm impressed at the miles you've already put on yours!
My friend has a TRD Off-road (2019) and another has a Pro (2020, I think). Those are certainly worth considering, especially resale considerations, IF I ever need to sell/trade.
I am considering all submodels, and will start test driving in a few weeks. I will look into the 24 test drive; I have no clue if the local dealer will do it or not.
Another friend mentioned finding a volume Toyota dealer to buy from instead of a local, since they will likely deal better (lower priced due to sheer volume of sales) instead of single vehicle mark up, and generally have more stock. Do you guys/gals have any insight on volume dealerships? Anyone know of any in CA or surrounding states?
 
It looks like Longo Toyota Dealership in El Monte is the largest 'Yota dealership in the world. Anyone have any insight on dealership buying, or more specifically, whether local Toyota vs volume. Both are a couple hours drive, at least, so distance isn't much of a concern, especially if a few hours driving saves me big $
 
Love thecalvary blue!
And Cement! I looked long and hard at Taco’s a couple years ago but had to get a Tundra so I could put a snowplow on it. Still like the Taco better. I built a Limited for the interior, figured I could mod whatever else I wanted to.

On the lot I found the midwest had the most trucks available, specifically Ohio as I have relatives there.

3500-5000!pounds for towing is a stretch for comfortable towing. Once a year or so is OK and you should consider brakes for even a small trailer. I have a landscaping business and we tow all the time. Everything has brakes.

The Taco just feels nicer than the Tundra. I like the Tundra but I can't reach anything inside the truck or in the bed.
Have a blast!
 
I downsized from a Silverado to a 20 TRD OR. Kids grown .
Back seat was ok for my 2 GSDs. They are now in the rear under the RSI. I can fit 3 grandsons in the back too( not at the same time😉). I have the electric 10 position driver seat which I recommend. Kids over 10 will be uncomfortable in the back seat. I never care about mpgs but scrolling thru the menus while towing my jeep trailer on the 395 I was getting 21 mpgs.
I also have TSB mentioned TSB-0092-20 For A/T ECU - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/tsb-0092-20-for-a-t-ecu.1238656/
Extra add on weight is sliders, bull light bar, rear guard and RSI Smartcap. Mods are Bilstein 5100 all four and Deaver U402 Stg1. For a family go bigger You wont regret it.

PS TW has a 10% good folks-with 90% of those FOS types.
 
I haven't bought yet for several reasons. Lost my job and moved. Still rocking my 1st gen and looking for a job, and quietly shopping online while I wait.

I did a weekend test drive with an SR5. Not bad overall. Rented a new TRD Off-road a few weeks ago, for a weekend. Did mostly highway driving, and some very tame off pavement (I was limited on time and off-road area access). The TRD definitely is the package to go for.

To all who've suggested going with the TRD OR instead of the SR5, you right! While I may not use all the features of a TRD OR, however, I found it far better suited to my needs/wants.

Also, my GF is pretty sold on one also. She's been checking out 4Runners and Highlanders also, but we both are pretty set on TRD OR Tacoma's. So, once I'm employed, we'll probably each get one.

Thanks everyone for the comments.
 
So couple weeks in when our TRD OR and of course more reading after the fact we are pretty pleased with our trim level. Especially reading others various comparisons.

Good luck on the move and job!
 
FWIW, the SR5 Trail Edition for 2022 will now come with a rear Locking Diff, previously only available on the OR or OR Pro ...

Won't have the fancy 4wd electronics or mild lifts of the others, but you'll also save $10K, depending on your package.
 
Unless you special order, you may have trouble finding a stripper model on the lot. These trucks are still selling like hot cakes and dealers want to make more money on high end options. I wanted a base model DCOR, but ended up taking the “technology package”, which includes the radar speed control, lane control and other doodads. I actually like it because it beeps me when I fall asleep at the wheel. At least it didn’t come with side steps.
 
The radar cruise control is pretty slick for long highway drives.
The rental TRD OR I got had it. At first, I didn't know why it wasn't going the speed limit. Then I realized it was the radar. It took a little getting used to, since it occasionally wanted to read on the slower vehicle in an adjacent lane-it was a winding stretch of interstate, so picked up adjacent vehicles on curves.

Out here in CA, some dealerships are marking up anywhere from 5-40 percent due to demand. I have a lead on a dealership not marking up- just need a job before I pull the trigger.
 
That's why I haven't bought yet - I'm not gonna pay more than window for any vehicle.

Also, I'm starting to dig the new 4Runner :geek:
 
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Thank you -- More I didn't know about the OR model ... Only reason I asked is here in So Cal, those models are short-lived on the lot so they're not dealing or in configurations I don't want... Can anyone recommend a South Western dealer good to deal with. I have no prob flying out and driving one home... 🛻
If you do buy out of state, you well have to smog it to get it registered in Ca. Any new car bought in Ca. does not need to be smoged for the fist five years :bang:
 

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