Thread: What Toy Truck?

The suby is reaching 200k with no signs of dying, but I would like to trade it in while it still has some value.

Looking to get a compact, toy truck. Want a truck to haul the bikes, surfboards, and skis. I don't see myself doing any towing of or heavy lifting so a full-size truck is not needed. I would like to keep the same ease of maintenance that the suby had, only standard maintenance in the 160k miles I have driven it. Also keeping the MPG high would be great too. Obviously 4x4 is necessary, this is tgr.

Tacoma - the standard but more expensive than the competition. Best MPG, best looking, best track record.

Colorado/Canyon - looks like a good truck but I am scared of buying a GM since the bailout. The people bolting that truck together cannot be happy w their employer.

Ranger - don't really know anything about them, but Ford has been killing it lately with all their other cars/ trucks.

Frontier - cheap feeling. My buddy is having problems with his Trans after 20k....

Before I splurge on the taco... are any of the other trucks in the same league?

sent from the future using my mind powers

My father worked for GM most of his adult life. Always rocked Chevy's and GMC's. American car supporter through and through. Harley rider. Go USA, yada yada yada.

3 years ago he bought a Taco and fell in love with it. Splurge, you won't be disappointed.

My wife's uncle bought a new 2012 Taco pretty recently. That damned thing is seriously nice. It's big enough to pull his 18' boat out to the lake easily but small enough to fit in the garage with room to spare for his tools and beer fridge. If I was looking for a small truck I'd seriously consider it.

Have an 08 Colorado, extended cab. At 60000 miles, no problems. 5 cylinder gets decent millage for a truck, and has more pep than a 4 banger. Not much in terms of frills, and not as off-road capable as a taco, but gets the job done.

Drove an 07 Nismo Frontier to about 75k until some drunk chick hit me and totaled it. Loved that thing save for the gas mileage. Pops has a 2010 Taco, sweet truck although I think a bit uglier. I'll be in the market for a vehicle in the next few years and it will either be a slightly used Taco or Frontier. Wouldn't consider anything else.

I have had three 4runners, which share the drive train with the Tacomas. Until recently, they were pretty underpowered trucks, and I envied the supercharged Frontiers. I do not know anything about the Nissan engines though. My Toyotas have not had any problems however.

Originally Posted by nickwm21

Before I splurge on the taco... are any of the other trucks in the same league?

No, nothing is in the same league as the taco.

If your looking for a used truck, the 96-02 tacomas are great in my opinion. I have a 96 4wd tacoma that has been amazingly reliable. I spent a long time looking for the 2.7L 4 cylinder because the early 3.4L 6 cylinders had head gasket problems. The 4 cylinder is underpowered but hasn't had a problem in 16 years.

I've driven 2009 tacoma with the 4.3 V6 for work and liked it pretty well, but the 6sp manual transmission blew up and it didn't off-road as well as my 96. The tranny was replaced under warranty once and the replacement broke less than 2 years later.

Originally Posted by nickwm21

The suby is reaching 200k with no signs of dying, but I would like to trade it in while it still has some value.

Taco looks like a great choice for you but I gotta question your initial premise. Don't know the model and the year but a 200k mile suby isn't going to bring in a big bag of coin, especially on trade after a dealer gets done doing three card monty with the price.

From a financial perspective you might be better off flogging that bitch til it goes tits up.

Originally Posted by Obstruction

Taco looks like a great choice for you but I gotta question your initial premise. Don't know the model and the year but a 200k mile suby isn't going to bring in a big bag of coin, especially on trade after a dealer gets done doing three card monty with the price.

From a financial perspective you might be better off flogging that bitch til it goes tits up.

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^^^This is what I was thinking. We are at that phase with my wife's car.

Taco love is rampant on this site for a reason. I have a 98 with 180k, very few problems, until last week. I hauled 7 kegs in the back and cracked my leaf springs. Moral of the story, don't overload your Taco, but I've been overloading it for years so I had it coming.

I had an old ranger and it kicked ass. Very few probs and cheap to fix. My mechanic loves Ford for some reason. If I couldn't get a Tacoma, I'd go with a F-150 honestly, but like I said before, I haul weight sometimes.

Taco, no question. They hold their values well, but that's for a reason.

The Rangers haven't seen any development in decades.

I just sold my Ranger with 130,000 mi on it. (2wd, 4cyl) Not a single issue with it. I beat the shit out of it in the woods, hauled wood, motos, overloaded trailers, etc. You will have to buy a 2011 or a used one since they are not making them anymore.

We have a 98 4 cyl 4x4 Tacoma that in comparison to my old Ranger feels poorly geared, underpowered and turns like shit. On the other hand it goes basically anywhere I point it in 4x4 and also has had minor mechanical issues in it's 200,000 mile life.

For the money you can buy the same truck for less money from Ford/Chevy IMO. But the Tacoma's are nice.

Originally Posted by Obstruction

Taco looks like a great choice for you but I gotta question your initial premise. Don't know the model and the year but a 200k mile suby isn't going to bring in a big bag of coin, especially on trade after a dealer gets done doing three card monty with the price.

From a financial perspective you might be better off flogging that bitch til it goes tits up.

I have thought of that. kbb says its worth 4k trade in.....

But, I would love to leave it on the side of hw80 with flames bellowing out of the Hood. That would be a proper send off....

sent from the future using my mind powers

Tonka makes some pretty long lasting toy trucks.
Fewer recalls than Toyota Toco's.....Taco maybe good, but probably spend more for even a used one of those. Nissan or Madza also in foreign brands.

Full sized I'd look at any Chevy or GM, small trucks don't have much of an opinion, but many on here like the Ford Rangers.

Originally Posted by nickwm21

But, I would love to leave it on the side of hw80 with flames bellowing out of the Hood. That would be a proper send off....

My girlfriend has a 2004. Tacoma 4x4. Xtracab.....a hell of a great truck!! Solid, very dependable, decent MPG for 4x4, great reputation.


Of all the pick-ups (besides the LR Defenfer pickups, which you can't get in this country), the Tacoma is my absolute favorite. I think it is a way better truck and a way better value than any domestic truck of any size.

But I'd stick with the Tacos between 2003 and 2008...there is just something not right looking about the 2009 - 2012 Tacos...they followed the American. Standard og those sam years of getting huge fenders where they didn't need to be big at all....same with the F-150....they got HUGE in the fender department for no reason. I think the 2009 - 2012 Tacos and F-150s and Dodges and Chevy/GMCs are pretty damn ugly now.

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Originally Posted by zackw

If your looking for a used truck, the 96-02 tacomas are great in my opinion. I have a 96 4wd tacoma that has been amazingly reliable. I spent a long time looking for the 2.7L 4 cylinder because the early 3.4L 6 cylinders had head gasket problems. The 4 cylinder is underpowered but hasn't had a problem in 16 years.

I've driven 2009 tacoma with the 4.3 V6 for work and liked it pretty well, but the 6sp manual transmission blew up and it didn't off-road as well as my 96. The tranny was replaced under warranty once and the replacement broke less than 2 years later.

what he sez kind of

I am pretty sure 02 was the last yr they were actualy made in Japan, modern car assembly lines run for 5 yrs, they start out with a car every 200 ft and after 5 yrears there is a car every 20ft and the last year of any model of any car made on any assembly line is the best version of that car that the line can make, telebabe just bought an 02 4-runer and it has that "made in japan" sticker ... at some point the Taco became a truck made in america by a japanese car company

I think the 3.0L V6 had the HG problems but they fixed the HG problems on the 3.4 ?
in any case the 4 banger 2.7 had 150hp just like the 3.0 V6 that originaly came in Taco's & 4-runners and I thot it was OK but that was in comparison to the 3.0, but wiki has all the shit on what year came with what

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Tacoma

I got a 2010 ranger mostly stripped with air/sat/5spd/ mags/ excab 6600$ off list which worked out to only 19K which is fucking cheap, 13K cheaper than a new taco at the time ... no problems since

edit: the 3rd gen of 4-runer was 95-02 , the 1st gen of taco was 95-04 at which point I assume production came to North America ???

Originally Posted by XXX-er

the 1st gen of taco was 95-04 at which point I assume production came to North America ???

It did. I can assure you that there's no difference between quality of the trucks made in Japan and those in the US. The 2008 I owned was excellent. To clarify, the 2005+ Tacomas are really more assembled here. Engines, transmissions, major electrical components and the like are still manufactured in Japan, shipped over here and assembled.

If you're keeping your truck for any length of time and want it to stand up, the Tacoma is your only choice. Sure, the Ranger is cheap, but it's a really old platform and my guess is that the interior quality will not have the longevity of the Toyota.

Are the Tacomas more expensive? Absolutely, but you get what you pay for and it is very much worth it.

If you want a toy, get a nice rebuilt older wrangler or CJ. defines fun. or drink the kool-aid

Do you really need a pickup to accomplish your goals?

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...RICE-CUT!-5500

Originally Posted by Bobcat Sig

It did. I can assure you that there's no difference between quality of the trucks made in Japan and those in the US. The 2008 I owned was excellent. To clarify, the 2005+ Tacomas are really more assembled here. Engines, transmissions, major electrical components and the like are still manufactured in Japan, shipped over here and assembled.

If you're keeping your truck for any length of time and want it to stand up, the Tacoma is your only choice. Sure, the Ranger is cheap, but it's a really old platform and my guess is that the interior quality will not have the longevity of the Toyota.

Are the Tacomas more expensive? Absolutely, but you get what you pay for and it is very much worth it.

well they still had to completely start building a product from scratch on an assembly line so NO way is the quality going to be what it was on an established line in japan or anywhere

I acknowledge the Taco is a generational leap in performance over the somewhat dated but refined product for the product that it is Ford Ranger BUT so was the price and I couldn't justify spending the extra 13k for my use ... its up to the individual

there are rangers running around out there with 300-400K on them

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Do you really need a pickup to accomplish your goals?

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...RICE-CUT!-5500

I have that same 4runner in green, except with rock sliders and a 2" lift. I have a 4x8' trailer for hauling purposes. It is a fantastic vehicle

If you have the money, the tacomas are the only way to go, if you dont, Rangers are really good trucks, nothing has changed in the past 19 years or so, they are under powered while getting about the same MPG as the Tacoma, but the legendary 4.0L engine in the ranger is bullet proof, the new Rangers have almost the exact same setup as my 1994

I'd definitely try to get a truck actually made in Japan (currently on my forth Yota), the US-made ones seem to have a lot more problems. Not to say the new ones aren't great trucks, but I don't think they're much better then equivalent Fords or Chevies.

Not sure if it's still the case, but for many years all Lexus vehicles were built in Japan by the very best, hand-selected Toyota assemblers, on separate production lines with several times more quality control checks. And every Lexus was track tested to make sure it was 100% perfect before leaving the factory. So even though a Lexus LX450 uses the same parts as an FZJ80 Land Cruiser, the LX was built to a different standard.

^^^Also, with the older, made in Japan Yota pickups, if you paint the first 2 & last 2 letters on the tailgate the same colour as the tailgate it says 'YO'.