Which Tundra to get? 2008 w/105K or 2010 w/71K & plow?

EDIT - both got sold before I could get there. WOW, but used Tundras (without issues) go fast.


So... my 2000 Tundra is costing me WAY too much in repairs over the last year or two. I found a couple of used ones that are within my price range.

Here's my requirements:
it must tow a 1 ton trailer several times a year to gun shows. (I have a side business - gun shop; I load the trailer up with guns an ammo... but we haven't been able to have a show in VT for nearly a year).
It has to also sometimes tow a 5x10 utility trailer. Most the trailer has ever held was my Gold Wing trike when the transmission died. I'm no contractor...
It has to hold up to 3 adults.
It has to plow my driveway (100 yards of gravel).
And it has to handle some steep, snowy, twisty mountain roads in a northern New England winter.

My current Tundra with the 4.7 does all this with ease; the plow I use isn't a great one (a DR Power homeowner grade plow that mounts on a front receiver hitch) but it gets the job done.

I'll be selling my old 2000 (it still would make an excellent plow truck) AND my 2014 Outback (my current daily driver) and making the new Tundra my daily driver, since most of the time I work from home. So I'm looking to spend $15-20K on a used beast. I'll be paying cash; I hate owing money.

There are two Tundras I'm looking at.

Tundra A: 2010, 4.6L motor, 71K miles, tonneau cover, tow package, Fisher plow comes with it and is already mounted. Seller is a private individual and is asking $18.5K.

Tundra B: 2008, 5.7L motor, 105K miles, frame was replaced in 2018 under the recall, no cover or cap, no plow, dealer with a 30 day warranty is asking $15K. Obviously, I'd need to get a plow for this one...

Trying to get something that will last several years, not nickel and dime me to death, and do what I need it to do.

I'd just like to hear any thoughts you guys might have on which would be a better choice. I'm really not invested in either of these - just don't want to wake up a few weeks later going "Darn, I should've bought the other one!" I'm leaning towards the newer, younger one and going to look at that one first... but... no warranty. I've already told the owner I'd want to have a local shop toss it up on the lift and look at it as a condition of my buying it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

Just based on the info you've posted I'd go with the 5.7, and that is also a pretty good price these days or at least it would be around here if it is also 4wd.

I don't know anything about the plows though, and how expensive/difficult to install/valuable that is to you.

 

2007-2013 are all the same. I can tell you if your going to finance it the banks dont want to deal with anything over 100k. Mine is a 2010 that had 80k on it when i bought it, so far has been a great truck. Things i have had to do since owning it.. 1.) replaced upper / lower A- arms ball joints wheel bearings and axles all in the front. Joker who had it did a 3:1 Level kit on the Cheap and i had spring rub at full drop. 2.) replaced crappy plastic radiator twice then got smart and put a full 4 core aluminum in her. 3) replaced the crappy 3:1 level kit and installed a 5" suspension lift. 4) replaced +18 offset Crappy wheels and went with Fuel 20x10 wheels and Nitto Ridge Grappler 35x12.50 rubber. 5) Upgraded all interior lighting to Led 6) Installed an Android Radio 7) Led low beam high beam and fogs 8) replacing those with Alpha Rex housings 9) installed TMPS that i can check with the android radio to keep an eye on that expensive rubber pressure. 10) When i can find another 5k i will be installing Fox shocks all the way around unless one of you would like to donate a set.

 

If all else is equal I think I would want the big motor over the vintage myself.

I would be more concerned about the condition of the one with the plow though as it has already plowed which can be destructive in itself and often this also includes a lot more exposure to salt which can be terrible too!

So I would certainly get that one in the air and inspect it thoroughly before I would decide between these 2.

For reference I bought a truck last year that had been a dealers lot truck and had also plowed for them. I inspected the hell out of it before deciding to give it a go and that was after a 5 hour drive to see it where I was fully prepared to turn around and drive back if it was not as they claimed over the phone and through pics.

It turned out that mine is not as clean as one that has not plowed and I also used that to drive my final price down and I was and am satisfied that I actually used the history to drive a better deal and it was worth taking a chance on so I did.

And then came the 'Rona.

Trust but Verify!

 

OP, banks might give you a hard time, but try a credit union for financing. I was able to finance my 08 with 225k miles.

go with the 5.7. Better stronger flagship engine and better resale value. Heard some ppl complain about the 4.6 be sluggish at times.

I would find a plow second hand. Of course get it inspected whichever you choose. I came from the first gen world and was glad I joined 2nd gen. Good luck.

 

OK am I the only one that read the OP about paying cash and not financing in the first place?

And forgot to mention in my first reply that I also have a 1st Gen with the 4.7 and trust me the 2nd gen is a lot more truck especially with the 5.7 and this is from a guy who was planning to sell the 1st gen when I got the 3rd Gen and can not seem to part ways with it!

So your towing will only be better with either newer truck although I too have heard that the 4.6 is not as strong as the 4.7 in general.

 

Haha definitely tl;dr

 

Whether you pay cash or finance is not really material except that you can usually get the best deal through a dealer if you agree to take their crappy financing, since they are marking it up and believe they will make money on the loan.

These days I always do that to get the lowest price on the vehicle (if buying from a dealer), then refi with my own much better rate (or pay it off if that is your thing) immediately.
Fwiw I didn't have any problems financing my 2011 with 120k in Sept last year.

 

Few things. First... snow. This is VERMONT. I usually have a white Thanksgiving (hell, sometimes a White HALLOWEEN!) and I usually don't see my driveway until March or April; there's a half a foot of packed snow on it right now and there's well over a foot on the ground as well. It snows more days than not. Even if it's only two-three inches per day.

A mechanic buddy of mine (who's urging me to get the younger truck) tells me the plow setup is about $4K - which is more than the difference between the two before we even talk about mileage or age. I'm not terribly worried about resale value; the Subaru will be the first car I've sold that wasn't ready for the scrap heap since I traded in a '79 Impala in '88. And the 2000 Tundra... although it won't pass inspection due to cancer on the rockers, it's not that hard a fix. I just don't feel like doing it. Not after replacing the alternator, battery, rear axle seals, rear brakes and blowing FAR too much money into trying to fix that [about 20-30 syllables of obscenity deleted] horn button over the last 15 months.

So... new truck.

Bigger engine and a 30 day warranty are the two big selling points of the 2008. BUT... Gojira (that truck in my profile pic) does just fine with a 4.7; I'm not planning on getting a 28' travel trailer or something over 8300 lbs. My truck will have to tow, at most, 3000 lbs. And that's only if I load my utility trailer with a tractor of some kind. My camping trailer is a Bunkhouse and gets towed by my motorcycle.

Sluggishness. Hmm. Reviews I've read say it's slower than the 5.7 but not sluggish. I guess I'll have to hit the gas when I test out the 2010 and see.

Financing... I'm paying cash for it. So financing isn't an issue. I guess it comes down to bigger motor+warranty vs lower mileage+younger truck+I don't have to spend another $2-4K for a plow.

And if we're talking upgrades... the stereo in the 2010 appears to be significantly more advanced than the 2008 - it has bluetooth, and I like my handsfree AND my audiobooks. 2008 will have to be replaced. LED headlights. Possibly a small lift kit but I'm not sure - Gojira has a 2" lift because previous owner used him for going in the woods and loading up with wood. Either swap the cap from Gojira or find a used one. New is stupid money. Maybe add some seriously bright worklights on the hitch for backing up.

Wow. I must be getting old. I can't think of anything else I'd want upgraded off the top of my head.

 

Age... your talking two vehicles that are only two years apart and already 10+ years old. Age and mileage differences are basically negligible between the two. The only thing I'd care about is which one is in better condition and which one you can get the better deal on if both are in good condition... and the 5.7... ymmv of course.

 

It's only a 2 year difference between the two and mileage is close also. Get the one in best condition. If they are similar in condition, I would lean towards the 08 with 5.7 just because I prefer the bigger engine. But since it seems like you may be ok with the 4.6 , it might be better buy for you bc it already has what you want and the plow. Keep us updated what you decide and post pics. Good luck

 

Hello fellow Vermonter. I would probably be grabbing the 5.7 with the new frame under it. Vermont like to lay the salt down this time of year. So new frame would be a plus. Both trucks from Vermont?? Wondering what the frame is like on the 2010.

 

I'm having a hard time ignoring that 33K miles difference, too. I mean, I like big trucks, and I cannot lie... but I'm also a beep chastard and overall, I'm not seeing the monetary advantage of the older truck even with the bigger motor over the long haul.

Howdy! South Starksboro here. Yeah, the new frame IS tempting. They're in NH, actually. Got a bit of a road trip scheduled for Saturday to check them out. So I'll find out what the frame on the 2010 looks like then.