Advice from trading Tacoma for Tundra

So, as the title states I'm thinking about trading my Tacoma for a tundra and I'm trying to get some advice from you knowledgeable tundra owners. I currently own a 2014 4x4 Tacoma Double cab which I love but I feel that I need more space. I am moving back home in a few months after getting out of the military and will be having kids soon and I just feel that I need more space and it wouldn't hurt to have a higher towing and payload capacity. My questions are more geared towards how similar the Tundra is to my Tacoma, how spacious the cab is for families, and what years I should look for. Unfortunately where I'm at I can't test drive a tundra so that's more why I'm on here asking for advice.

This truck would be my daily driver and would be our camping and towing rig. I would eventually have to haul kids around too. Would need to have 4WD for the snowy winters and wouldn't be around a big city or need to park in any tight spaces. As far as towing, I'm just looking to tow some jet skis, snowmobiles, and a dump trailer, won't be towing anything heavier than that. I would also love to do some light off-roading similar to my Tacoma.

I've been looking online at 2015 to 2019 tundras around 30k - 50k miles only in the CrewMax 4x4 config, usually SR5 package in color white. Is there a reason to get a specific year? And what are the differences between say a 2014 and a 2017? I don't want anything older than 2014 and I'm looking more towards the newer years. It looks like I can get about $27k for my Tacoma, would it be a bad idea to look into trading my truck into the dealership? From what I've seen online the trucks I'm looking at in the config I want go for about $30k-$35k with about 30k-50k miles. Does that sound about right? And what do you think is too high?

Thanks!

[EDIT] Is there anything wrong with looking at Tundras in the 60k-90k mileage range?

 

I recently made the jump from Tacoma to Tundra and couldn't be happier. I too wanted a larger cab. I wanted the Crewmax, though on here the debate rages on DC vs CM. I think both would work. DC provides a larger bed than the CM. Year wise, the Tundra added Safety Sense in 2018, pre-collision stuff. In 2019 Toyota removed the external transmission cooler. Lots of threads about that. One thing to keep in mind in regards to payload and towing, it isn't a huge difference between the two trucks. You gain about 2-3K towing, and a few hundred payload. Towing what you mentioned you will be fine. All add ons, steps, mats etc reduce payload. I like the power upgrade, size upgrade, and roomier interior. If you could at least spy the DC vs CM IRL, that would help. Also, google rear seat leg room. That will give you an idea. The DC adds a few inches over the Tacoma DC, the CM adds nearly a foot. The CM also has the sweet large roll down back window. Lots to consider, but I am glad I made the jump.

 

I appreciate the response! I'm only looking at CrewMax Tundras wouldn't even consider a DC personally. Honestly, I don't care too much for the safety sense features and I'll probably just stay away from the 2019 Tundras if the 2014-2017's are the same I'd rather just save the money and get something a little older. That roll back window is pretty cool! I appreciate the feedback I'll more than likely make the jump as well. Did you sell your Tacoma privately or trade it in?

 

I only wanted the Crewmax because I wanted a truck I could fit in and be in the back seat for a longer drive. I traded in to dealer because during this whole COVID thing, they shut down production of trucks and Tacomas were gone quickly. None of the dealers around me had any so they strongly incentivised me to trade in and I did better than selling privately, factoring in taxes etc. Plus I got a smoking deal on the Tundra I am in. I think you are in the right ballpark year wise. The one thing to keep in mind is that these trucks hold value well, so you may not notice a huge price decrease from one year to the next.

One thing, depending on where you are, it seems that in most places I have searched, the SR5 DC TRD OR package is the most popular. The more popular, the more available inventory. More rare finds tend to fetch a higher price. I know you are looking CM. I am not completely sure, but I wonder if the SR5 CM is less common, therefore harder to find and slightly pricier? I haven't scoped it out too much but truck for truck, trim for trim, the CM is pricier new to begin with (by a few grand).

 

The Crewmax is definitely nice to have the extra space in the back. I've got two car seats in mine and on long road trips, my wife sits in the back as well between the car seats so she can take care of the kids. She says it's still pretty comfy and she has plenty of leg room. The extra room also makes it easier for her to climb in and out (going over a car seat).

I installed the ESP Longbox for storage, and now that I have two car seats, I can't really use it because it's too much of a pain to remove a car seat just to get in there. So, I would recommend not installing any under-seat storage in the rear if you are going to have car seats, since you'll have the car seats for a few years.

 

I appreciate the response, I'm glad to hear it'll be roomy enough for two car seats. I could imagine having under seat storage would be awful to try and access with car seats.

 

2016+ with 'SR5 upgrade package' come with 38 gallon fuel tank.
Basically any 2016+ with bucket seats and floor console shifter

 

crewmax, 5.7L V8, 4x4 and the bigger tank. If you plan on upgrading it, then get the SR5 as mentioned above.

 

Good to know, why 2016+?

 

If you're looking for more interior space, a Tundra CrewMax will not disappoint. I've previously had a Tundra DoubleCab, which I thought was quite spacious, but the CM takes it to whole new level, and depending how it's optioned, and year (I've got a second gen so it might be different) but you can only get a moonroof and one piece rear window that goes all the way down on a CM (not all of them have it though). Great air flow without the noise when you open those two. Between that and the limousine-like space, that was reason enough for me to get a CM. I didn't care so much how big the bed was as I was more concerned with towing capacity, which is fairly similar between a CM and DC 4x4.

I don't have kids, but I've heard of people who do, who went from a Tacoma to a Tundra CrewMax and noticed they could not reach back to smack (errr... gently touch) their little darlings in a Tundra CrewMax. Not sure about a Tundra Double Cab, which is kind of in the middle. But in a Tacoma they could reach back to the rear seat. I just wanted maximum interior space to feel comfortable on long road trips whether by myself, with my dog, with a human passenger, or if I want to take a nap or sleep in the cab overnight while travelling without the travel trailer. I got limo tint over top of the factory tint on the rear windows (legal everywhere), so keeps the interior a bit cooler, and nice to be able to keep valuables somewhat hidden in the interior, best on the floor in the back seat area.

If you go off-roading, obviously the Tundra bigger, I've heard people say the extra width is definitely noticeable going from a Tacoma to a Tundra. I've driven Tacomas, but never owned one, but I'd have to agree. Neither truck is very fuel efficient, but the Tundra is even less fuel efficient, even more so if you're tempted to do a lift and put on some nice All-Terrain or other more aggressive tires. And if you like the power and torque of the 5.7 V8 which many Tundras come with, and you like flooring it to feel and hear the raw V8 power, you'll notice the lower MPGs and pay for it at the gas pump. But, don't let that discourage you from an otherwise great truck. I had a hard time choosing between a Tacoma and Tundra too. Pros and cons to both. For my needs, there more pros than cons to choosing a Tundra, so that's what I went with.

 

I appreciate the response, I definitely want the extra space of the CrewMax!

I plan on doing only some light off-roading shouldn't be anything it can't handle. I'm hoping it doesn't feel huge and sluggish I don't think it will considering it is bigger and heavier but does have the v8. I'm not worried about MPG i get about 15-17 with my Tacoma now so I doubt it'll be that big of a difference with a tundra unless I'm flooring it or towing like you said. I really don't want to get rid of my Tacoma but I can't justify having such an expensive truck that I really can't have more than myself and one other passenger in.

 

The worst gas mileage I've seen was probably about 8 or 9 miles per gallon and that was towing my travel trailer uphill on steep mountain roads in the Rocky mountains against strong winds, on aggressive Terrain tires using the Tow/Haul mode with a bunch of stuff in the bed of the truck. Otherwise I get about 10 or 11 MPG towing. A bit better when not towing, but I have All-Terrain tires. No lift, and I'm a pretty easy going driver. I think I should be getting 15 MPG, maybe 18 under ideal conditions in a fantasy world, but never seem to, so I just don't check, it's too depressing and takes the fun out of it. I just put gas in the truck when it needs it.

That said, a 5.7 V8 in a bigger, heavier truck will get worse fuel consumption than a Tacoma, but I've heard other Tacoma owners say it's only slightly worse and worth the tradeoff for what you get in the Tundra. If you're a hardcore off-roader, a smaller, lighter Tacoma is better, but you're not going to be doing that. You're more like me, an occasional light off-roader, so a Tundra is fine. My current and past Tundra both had/have stock ride height but good All-Terrian tires. I got E rated for towing, so stiffer sidewalls, a bit stiffer ride and a bit higher fuel consumption. But, it's a truck and its meant to be worked. If you get larger than stock size tires, that will hurt fuel consumption too. Sure looks cool though, and if you need the extra lift when off-roading, it helps. I like the stock tire size and stock ride height to preserve the maximum towing capability.

I don't think you'll find the 5.7 V8 sluggish at all.

 

they come with the bigger gas tank option. 2014 and 2015 do not. Now if you find a great deal on a 2014 and 2015 you can always replace the gas tank later on, this is not a deal breaker imo. Couple people here done it.

 

Let's not forget the most important thing.... on the Crewmax, the entire rear window rolls down!

 

You'll get bent over on trade most likely, the highest offer I had was $23k after hunting around the dealerships and ended up selling private for $27,900 about 4 weeks after initially advertising it. If you're in a bind and need to sell it asap then a trade will be the better way to go though. I had a 2015 TRD Sport DCLB with 42k miles that was immaculate. The Tundra is an all around better truck, I smile every time I drive it, I stare at it when i'm walking towards or away from it.. I wish I had decided to get it sooner (my husband told me to get the Tundra, I didn't listen.. he was right..)
-More power (obviously) and a much smoother ride than the Taco.
-I just towed 7,400lbs of my tractor and trailer down to Mass and barely felt the thing behind me.
-I'm only 5'3" but I felt like I was getting into a car/half laying down in the Taco. The Tundra is so much more roomy inside, although yours will be even more so, I opted for the double cab for the longer bed. Just my husband and I, no kids or pets, and I got spayed so that isn't going to ever happen.
-The 4' between the wheel wells in the bed is god damned amazing, I had sheets of osb in the thing like 3 days after I bought the truck.
-The 38 gallon tank is the ballz.

The 2018+ has the LED headlights and fancier dash and personally that is what swayed me to that year. But the 2018 was also the last year of the inferno and I wanted the TRD OR double cab with no rust and low miles so it took me 6 months to find the truck I wanted. I have a couple of buddies with the 2016/2017s and they bitch about the headlights not being bright enough, I've only ridden with them a couple times and honestly wasn't paying attention.. I just got it because I thought it looked cooler.

For a comparison (idk the exact config you're looking for..) I got a 2018 TRD Off Road, double cab, 10k miles, one owner, no accidents for $32,500 out the door. Paid book because they knew what they had, hard to find year/color/config.. Financed at 1.9%

Don't settle, get exactly what you want!

Edit: I am getting the same gas mileage in the Tundra as I was in the Taco.. 17-18mpg.

 

Yeah, yeah.. rub it in why dont ya? (We all make sacrifices.. I needed the longer bed)

 

Yeah! I mentioned that too. I wasn't sure if that was standard on every Crewmax or not, but mine has it, along with the moonroof, which makes for a very nice airflow without much noise. I've had so many people jealous when they see my entire back window rolled down.

Fortunately, I did not need the longer bed. The bigger cab was more important and when I found out I could get a rear window that rolls all the way down AND a moonroof, I was sold. My last Tundra was shortbox Double Cab, it was nice being a Limited, but I have to say, my SR5 Crewmax is my favorite. I don't need the longer box, just a 4x4 and the towing capacity which is similar across all of the models as long as they are a 5.7 V8.

 

To be honest, I would go for a 2020.

If you plan on keeping the truck long term, the simple things like proximity entry, push button start, and Apple CarPlay make a big difference in future proofing the rig for a decade.

Lots of Platinums for less than $50k, and with new vehicle finance deals you should be able to get a great interest rate compared to used vehicle financing.

With how good Tundras resale is, unless it is an absolute screaming deal on exactly what you want, you can get a great deal on a new vehicle that is exactly what you want.

I wouldn’t worry about the Safety Sense system on the newer trucks. I have it on my 2018 Platinum and you don’t even know it’s there. You can turn it off, and it does not come back on unless you turn it on.

2018 Tundras came with a new more modern and better looking instrument display, and have the truly amazing LED headlights.

Another option for you could be a 4Runner. I love my 2020 Pro. Tons of room inside, and can easily tow what you are looking at.

For reference, have owned 2 tacomas, 3 Tundras, and a 4Runner. Tacoma’s were least favorite of them all by a mile.

 

Hopefully I can get a good price for my truck selling privately. I have a 2014 4x4 off-road 50k miles KBB says $28k private. I'm thinking I'm going to like it more than the Tacoma. as far as the 2018+ having LED headlights I'd probably just get aftermarket anyways so I'm not too worried about that but I'd have to see what the difference is between the dashes. From what everyone has told me it sounds like I'm looking for an SR5 CrewMax with the off-road package In white. I really want cement color but it's a little too hard to find or too expensive so I'm going to just go with white which is a good second choice and they are easier to find. Seems like you got a really good price the truck is 4wd right?

Only thing I might settle on is white over cement because it's not worth $8k-10k for a color.

Thanks for the reply!

 

I really can't see myself getting a 2020 just because I'm trying to only pay $3k-$5k on top of my Tacoma to get an upgrade. It seems like the SR5 CrewMax Off-road package is what I'm looking for and they go for about $33k with 30k-50k miles and that's just about $5k over my Tacoma. A new Tundra is close to $42k at base and I just can't justify spending another $10k-$15k for that. I don't care much for proximity entry, don't like push button start, and I would gut the entire sound system so the apply car play wouldn't matter for me personally.

My budget is probably $35k and re-sale is great but I like really basic features so I can get it a lot cheaper than new. I'm interested in safety sense since I will have kids soon but I have no idea what it is or how it works. That's the only reason I'm specifically looking at 2018's. I would probably get aftermarket headlights anyways but I am curious what the better looking instrument display is. Not interested in a 4runner the back seat is barely bigger than the tacoma and my wife has a highlander so all good there!

Thanks for reply!

 

You'll love it compared to your Taco, these trucks are gorgeous.

I looked at the cement ones as well when I couldn't find any inferno ones for awhile (it was choice #2) but my husband told me to be patient because if I didn't get the orange he didn't want to hear me whine about it being the wrong color every time I got in my truck. And I 100% would have.
The cement was just as hard to find though anyways so I totally hear ya on that. Aftermarket headlights are always an option too.
The Off Road has the rims, suspension, TSS, and some other doo dads and crap I can't remember.
Mine is 4WD, correct.

I looked at a 2020 TRD OR in the voodoo, exact same config truck as my current one aside from the color and it was $12k more.. I couldn't justify that much more for the same vehicle. Plus, orange..

Good luck on your hunt and sale!

 

I made the transition from my 2015 Tacoma to a 2018 Tundra last month. Here's what I've found:

Tons more interior space, even the double cab seems to have ton more room; width, height, length, everything. I sit much more upright and my legs bend down as opposed to straight out like in the Tacoma. The larger bed was a must have and I appreciate the larger bed and height. Holds a ton.

The Tundra is thirsty but only gets slightly worse gas mileage than my Tacoma. It's a fair bit quicker too.

The Tacoma was much more nimble off road. I've been camping and could certainly feel the difference with the size and agility.

I opted for the 2018 as it had the features I wanted. I had to search a bit and buy a one-way flight to pick the Tundra up, but did get aa great deal because it was a small town dealer.

All in all I really like the Tundra. I've been driving Toyotas for 20+ years. I've owned T100s, Tacomas and now a Tundra. Can't go wrong. Good luck!

 

Yeah I think I will love it too!

I LOVE cement color but I just can't justify it. Goal is to go back with two paid off vehicle's as the wife's car and my Tacoma are already paid off so white is probably the color I'm going to get. I would more than likely just find the best deal I can and do aftermarket headlights. I've been wanting to do a full suspension on my Tacoma and would definitely do the same with the tundra so to me the best deal I can get regardless of package is probably the best bet. Just wanted to make sure there isn't anything I should specifically look for or any features that are a need. I would get aftermarket wheels as well so I don't care what they have on there haha! I plan on doing either a new suspension or leveling kit, new wheels, and bigger tires. Sounds like you got a really good deal on your truck with only 10k miles! I've been looking at 2014-2018 with Crewmax SR5 30k-50k miles and they are going for a few thousand more than what you got your truck for.

Thanks!

 

Thanks, I think the space is the main reason but I also like the idea of a more powerful and beautifully sounding v8! I don't care too much for bed space but I would like more towing and payload capacity. If I need to tow anything crazy or need a longer bed my Father and Father-in-law have F350's I can borrow.

I would imagine the gas mileage is similar I mean getting 15-17 now with my Tacoma that really is not that great.

I will more than likely have to just find the best deal I can and buy a one way to pick it up and drive it back.

Thanks for the insight!

 

Im 16-18mpg (this trip was city/hills). If youre not heavy on the pedal or loaded up its not bad at all.

 

That is ridiculous to me (in a good way) because I get about the same in my Tacoma... People always complain about how the tundra has the 'outdated v8' and the MPG is bad, but I've driven jeeps my whole life until I got my tacoma and my MPG was about 10-13 then I jumped to 16-17 and that wouldn't be a downgrade at all that would be right in the ballpark of what I'm happy with. I'm not buying a tundra for MPG!

In your opinion is there anything wrong with looking at Tundra's with higher mileage say 70k-90k instead of 30k-50k? I know they run forever but I worry someone wouldn't have cared for it properly at higher mileage.

 

I hear the Morimoto LED headlights are very good. I just ordered a set for my second gen Tundra, haven't installed them yet, but it should be a very good upgrade both in terms of modernizing the looks and more importantly, the quality of the light output. I think it costs about $1000 for third gen Tundras, but a worthy upgrade, especially if it will save you a few thousand dollars over buying a newer truck if it was just for the LED headlights.

 

My husband bought his first-gen Tundra at 120k miles and hes now up over 300k without anything but normal routine maintenance. I wouldn't personally have bought anything with over 40k miles or multiple owners just for that reason, a lot more time for someone to beat/neglect the truck. But you could also get lucky and find a one-owner that was cared for.. all personal preference.

 

Good to know, I've heard these engines are also very indestructible like the Tacoma.

 

My double cab Tundra has more leg room than my dads 07 Tacoma double cab and its much wider as well. If you care about bed space I would say you will be fine with a double cab. I fit a car seat in mine just fine. As far as what you should be looking for I say get a 5.7 sr5 or limited with the TRD off road package. That is the best bang for your buck. 2016 and newer will come with the bigger fuel tank which you want. 2018 and newer will come with TSS if you want that. I think you will be happy with the upgrade. The only thing you will hate is no auto up windows only auto down on the passenger side. I know it drives me insane every time I drive my wife's 4runner that has auto up/down on all 4 windows. First world problems..