First Time Truck Purchase

Hey everyone. Brand new to the site. I have long wanted a Tundra (or a full size truck in general) and am currently in the market for a new vehicle after totaling my old SUV that I was planning on running into the ground.

I don’t want to spend a fortune, and am looking for something <$20k with around 100-120k on it. I found and went and checked out this one…

2013 Toyota Tundra 2WD CrewMax for $19995 on Autotrader http://atcm.co/S2PVDP/288BD49E

I didn’t have time to test drive it, but from what I can tell, it seemed in good shape. I am not mechanically inclined, so I have no idea what to look for other than aesthetics, unusual sounds and other obvious things. Any advice on if this is something I should pursue further or wait and see what the market provides.

I simply need a daily commuter (10 miles round trip), something that I can use for home improvement projects and most importantly something that is going be cost effective and easy to maintain for many years to come. TBH I probably just need to play it safe and purchase another SUV, but I really want a truck! Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

That seems like a good truck for your purpose. If it lived it's life in Texas it might be rust-free but I'd definitely look at the frame to be sure. Peek under the bed liner at the cross members, too.

Other than that, all the usual checking of service records and such. Good luck.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! Since you're not mechanically inclined, it would be money well spent to pay for a mechanic to check it out for you.

 

Ditto...always test drive or at least eyeball the beast. Any experience driving a half ton truck? Takes some getting used to after an SUV.
Just looked at the link...nice find. That's gonna be a hot mother come August unless you have shaded parking at work...AC is a must have where you are, but you know that. Ask the dealer for the Carfax report so you can check the service history. That's what sold me on the 07 Tundra I bought a few months ago...it was $13K. Well pleased so far...

 

Thanks for the replies. I have never owned a half ton truck, but I have a CDL and have driven many larger vehicles for work, so I am not too concerned about that. Yeah I am not thrilled with the dark gray and black interior combo, but living in the Texas summers all my life, I figure I can handle it. Great advice on having a mechanic come check it out. Is this something that is done regularly even when purchasing used vehicles at a dealership? Thanks again for the responses.

 

Not regularly enough, but yes, it is common.

 

Welcome! Some things to consider in case these might be of importance to you (they were with me). The Tundra in the Autotrader listing looks nice. However, it's a 2WD and has the smaller engine (4.6 vs. 5.7) and shorter bed (due to it being a CrewMax). For me, those were deal breakers but to others, no problem. I wanted 4WD in case I ever need it in the desert or mountains and preferred the larger engine. Nothing wrong with the 4.6 as it's been around for a really long time but if you plan to haul stuff, you might want more power. I also had to have the longer bed to haul dirt bikes, construction supplies, etc. In fact, I find myself oftentimes needing an even longer bed than the 6.5' I have but I make do. Lastly, it doesn't appear this dealer added the CarFax to the listing. If it were me, I'd request a copy of it. If they can't offer you one, I'd pay the small fee to get one so you can see if it's been in accidents, had routine service, where it lived in the past, etc.

I, too, had been driving SUVs for many years until about 2 years ago when I sold my SUV and decided to get a pick-up since they are more functional to me (wife still drives a Yukon XL). I'm happy with my 13' SR5 Double Cab. I will say the gas pedal is very touchy and sensitive, which is annoying. I believe there is a fairly easy fix for that but have not had the chance to dig into yet. I wish the fuel tank was larger, but there is a larger tank you can install from what I've read and I'll probably go for that eventually. The suspension is very firm ...you feel every bump, dip, crack, pebble, etc. My truck has Bilsteins front and rear as part of the Rock Warrior trim so my suspension may be even more stiff than the regular stock but we've test driven a Sequoia in the past before we bought the Yukon and that drove just like my Tundra. My younger kids sometimes get car sick sitting in the back because of the ride. Other than a few other minor annoyances, I really like the Tundra. It's easy enough to work on and I like the simplicity/no frills of the SR5. Best of luck finding something that fits your needs.

 

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, the truck was sold yesterday, so my search continues. I want to find something soon, but I'm going to play the long game and wait for something that fits our needs and is the right condition/price/mileage. Thanks again for the feedback.