Going from 3rd Gen Tacoma to 1st Gen Tundra, who's done it?

Can’t say I don’t try to understand.

 

True that.

I'm not a mathematics man, nor do I claim to be. I am from KY. I'm lucky I can count all 12 fingers.

All vehicles depreciate. Some slower than others. Can't say I've heard of a vehicle only losing 3k except in a few cases. BAT.com

 

I've had 3 Tacoma's and I'm on my second 1st Gen tundra. I casually shopped for 3 years for the right 2005-06 DC tundra while I was driving my 2003 AC tundra. I had almost resolved to a Long bed crew cab tacoma, but just couldn't get over the asking prices. I figured that I'd scale back all the stuff I haul and re-think my truck usage. Then my current 2006 DC fell in my lap and the rest is history. Coincidentally my friend was shopping Tacoma's at the same time I was, and he pulled the trigger on a 2nd Gen tacoma long bed crew cab. He brought it over so we could compare trucks, needless to say I am SO SO glad I held out for the tundra. It's amazing how much roomier not only the cab on the tundra is, but the bed is as well. The Tacoma for him was the right choice, as it's really just a commuter, with occasional short trips with his wife 2 young kids to the beach, or local outdoor activities, kids sports, etc.
I work various types of residential construction, I have 2 boats that I yank all over the place fishing and camping, and it seems I'm always hauling something for someone somewhere. 4 adults can roll in my truck comfortably with no problem, even for a decent trek. . . the back seats of the tacoma IMO are really just for storage, or very small people/ young kids. Don't get me wrong, Tacoma's are cool . . . but my opinion is that they are 'barely a truck'.

 

Yeah. When sitting in the Taco, my legs are extended straight forward. Its like I’m sitting up in bed. Pass.

 

If you plan on having kids, then get the Tundra. I can’t speak for the 1st gen Tundra roominess, but I can only imagine it’s better than a 3rd gen Tacoma. I owned a 3rd gen Tacoma for about 3 months after coming out of a 4th gen 4Runner. I really wanted to get back into a pickup, so I rushed and didn’t do all my research and thought the Tacoma would be fine for wife, 2 kids and outdoor gear. I was wrong. Now I’m in my Tundra and love it (plus I missed the V8.)

 

Things my 2006 Tundra has that I wish my 2017 Tacoma had:

A interior that 4 (5 if one is slight in build ) full size adults can actually travel in comfort in. It actually fits car seats just fine too. You can put carseats in th Tacoma, but it's cramped AF for the driver if you have to put two in.
The smoothest V8 to ever grace a pick-up truck with reasonable power/torque by any measure.
A transmission that is well geared to the power/torque production of the engine
An actual solid "TRUCK" feel.....the Tacoma felt like one of it's grandparents was a Camry.
Good visibility out all sides.
An engine bay that is relatively open and easy to work on.
An actual full size steel bed.
Relatively uncomplicated but easily upgraded electronics.
Systems, that in general, are more home mechanic friendly (I realize this is simply a function of age)
Full roll down rear window
Column shifter....center console shifters look cool, but are a massive waste of space on an AT vehicle.

Things my 2017 Tacoma had that I wish my 2006 Tundra had:

An Active Warranty!
Massive Aftermarket Support
Great Brakes (this can be fixed on Tundra)
Vehicle Data (Much of this can be added to the Tundra and I have)
Smaller turning radius
Rear Locker (this can be added to a Tundra as well)
MT option....I had an AT. This is the ONLY thing that may have prevented my "backward" move to another FGT. If I'd have gotten a MT when I bought the 2017, there is a decent chance I'd still have it. I missed the MT so much, I ended up buying a MT 3rd Gen 4Runner which I still have.


The one thing I'm torn on is the fancy electronic tractions/stability/crawl control features of the Tacoma. On a new vehicle, they are great from a functional standpoint (if you don't believe it, check this out...Tacoma Craw Control), but on an older vehicle, they will be stupid expensive to fix...just look at the unfortunate FGTs with VSCs that go bad. When that system goes out, it's expensive to fix and the new Tacoma version is miles more complicated and involved...so, in the long run, I'd prefer not to have it and just go with lockers/LSD/traction boards for traction assistance when needed. This would not be an issue on a MT obviously.

Coming from someone who has owned three 1st Gen Tacomas, three 3rd Gen 4Runners and 3 FGT and one 3rd Gen Tacoma, I can say without reservation the 3rd Gen Tacoma was my least favorite. I went directly from a 2005 Tundra DC that I totaled to my 2017 Tacoma and realized it was a big mistake within a month. I was going to trade it in on a 2019 4Runner or Tundra, but after test driving those extensively I knew I needed another FGT (I might have bought a 2019 4Runner if they were available in MT)...So I found my current 2006 and sold my Tacoma to Carvana and I'm still exceedingly happy with that decision 2 years later.

 

This is what my buddies did. They rushed in without thinking. One buddy really was impressed with my 2002 after a couple hour drives in it. He was a car guy and wanted a truck. He broke wood and went on a fast flurry back in 2012 to find the perfect used truck which he ended up driving 8 hours away to buy. He and his gurlfren got some nice Tattos on the way there, though.

He traded it in a year later on a New Rocks Warrior that he said had a ‘squeaky noisy’ dash interior.

 

The Taco does have a much better Turning Radius compared to my Battleship Turning Raddyii in the 2002.

 

As an additional bonus, some of the early year Tundras like mine don’t have a black box recording your driving habits or possibly where you were like later models.

 

I had a 05 Taco 4.0 TRD/Off Road SR5 with 112k which I sold it to a nice Police Officer LT from North Carolina for his son that just turned 16, he drove a 2018 beautiful red Limited with every bell and whistle. The Tacoma handled great except the feeling that I had to keep my foot in it to feel like I was moving. It was also like getting into a cockpit, my 08 Tundra Limited (127k) is like getting into your favorite recliner. Plus the heated seats and JBL sound system is nice. I got a couple more MPG with the Taco, but driving the Tundra is smooth and VERY peppy. I actually changed the pedal back to factory (pre-cut) which helped.

 

This was the main reason for keeping my 2002 as I had recently Purchased an Underground Bunker with Built in Garage. My problem now is I just found out about Smart Dust (Smaht Dust in Bostonian). I heard those chem trails are the activator and you guys saw them on that pic posted a while back near my facility. I’m having buyers remorse now.

 

I have done that before about 6 months ago and they banned me forever hahahahah

 

I figure it would be a Hornets Nest over there.

I’d be all over another Model Used Same Size Toyota Truck if it was a V10, larger interior, and more tow/haul for le$$ than the 1st Gen Tundra.

 

Yeah I can feel their pain. I had a 1st gen Tacoma that I loved but had to get the 4Runner when we started having kids. Once we got the wife into something other than a Corolla, I was able to get back to a truck. Honestly didn’t think I could afford a Tundra, so I just looked at Tacomas without doing much research. Dumb mistake, but with used prices so crazy over the summer, I got back what I paid for it.

 

Wait a minute...am I crazy to believe this??

I probably am, but what the heck, I’ll ask about it.

my truck (being it’s “newer”, a 2006) tracks me??

 

One of the main reasons I never bought a Tacoma.

I had three Frontiers. I went to the first gen Tundra for mostly the same reasons Tacoma owners buy them...price, greater comfort, larger rear seat (Double Cab), greater towing capacity. I almost didn't buy because it's so long but now view the 6 ft. bed as a plus (BMW bumpers and 7 ft. fishing poles lay flat!). The build quality and materials of the interior are great, before later cars and trucks went cheap.

I seriously considered the first gen Tundra after my friend brought his 2004 Sequoia on a fishing trip. It has 220k miles and he said it was very reliable.

I would like to get over 20mpg on the highway but oh well...

My wife has an RX330 and she loves it. Can't get her into a newer vehicle. The Toyotas of the 80s through 2000s are great!

 

Having owned two Tacomas (1997 and 01) prior to my 3 Tundrad (01, 2010, and 2018), and having bought a 4R for the wife...... if you are looking to get out of the Tacoma for a cheaper and better family suited vehicle, then the 4R is the way to go. Legendary 4.0 / 5 speed, anvil reliability, Japan build quality, and am very surprised at how much room it has. Especially in the cargo area.

1st Gen Sequoias also seem to be a good bit cheaper than comparable 1st Gen Tundras if you don’t need a full bed.

 

A 2006 truck isn’t going to have GPS built into it but it may have the black box which records how you were driving. (i.e. how fast you were going, throttle position, brake application, use of seat belts, etc.). Typically those things aren’t reviewed by law enforcement unless someone dies at the scene of an accident.

 

I would buy an old T100 before buying a Tacoma.

 

Bought my first truck ever 4 years ago, a 2000 SR5 with 198K. I've all all the issues in bold - the brakes are just brakes. Gotta do them every so often.

The exhaust manifold has a small crack in it and it closes up enough after it starts to warm up (like 20 seconds) that it's always passed VT inspection. Still haven't replaced it...

The rear axle seals. Yeah... my mechanic didn't have the tooling necessary to do that job, so it went to Toyota for that. Plus rear brakes (wheel cylinders were rusted enough that they had to be replaced, too) and the transmission was serviced. THAT cost me $1400.

Also, I've heard it said that the alternators go between 200K & 250K; mine just died.

BUT it's never stranded me and I don't treat it gently. It plows my 100 yard long driveway all winter long. It tows a heavily loaded enclosed trailer to gun shows for me, usually in crappy winter weather, frequently up and down over a mountain pass with 20% grades.

The ONLY time it's ever gotten stranded is if it slides off the driveway when plowing. Now, that said, the front quarter panels are rusted through as is the corner of the driver side door, so I decided to replace it with a newer Tundra; there's a 2018 in the driveway now.

 

Not sure about this. The number of advantages between a Taco and a FGT Tundra exists. Between a newer Taco and a T100? not so sure. Some size definitely. But power? Neither offer a V8. Cab availability? No double cab in a T100 and the extra cab was small. Even weight carrying capability has to be almost the same as the newer Taco's. And styling, well that's subjective but T100's were so blah I never even looked at them. The cab is a wider and the seating position more upright.

 

T100s have over 2000# payload cap, new tacos max out at 1600#

 

T100 and the Tacoma from 1998 have virtually identical payload figures.

 

Newer Tacomas do have lower payload, but do offer more room tech and power. Although I can't figure out why they always feel so slow. Most of us are using these trucks as dailys. I wouldn't daily an old T100 over a more modern Tacoma from the last 6-8 years. I would daily my first gen over any truck available today. Cause I already am.

 

Ironically, I do have GPS built in. Even worse I’m guessing?

 

How do you know that for certain? Got a link to show?

 

Im dyslexic apparently and thought it said 3rd & 1st gen Tundras and wrote a big thing up about my 3rd gen vs my husbands 1st gen. Disregard, Im blonde..

 

The GPS doesn't bother me; I willingly carry two with me at all times. Work cell phone and personal cell phone.

The black box... now THAT bothers me.

 

The black box is without a doubt a violation of the constitution. Unfortunately we (as a nation) have already given up our right to privacy and we did so willingly.