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Tacoma or Tundra

roccoracer

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Today I went and looked at buying a Toyota truck. What do you Toyota truck owners think of each truck. If you have a Tundra do you wish you bought the Tacoma or vise versa?
I put a deposit on a 2018 Tacoma SR5 V6 4 door. For the same money I can get a SR5 Tundra with the 4.6.
The Tacoma gets 5 mpg better economy and I like the smaller size. The Tacoma was also redesigned in 2016.
What are your thoughts?
Thank you
 
Get what you feel is the most comfortable.
if you dont need a "larger" bed or interior room go with the tacoma. I might be wrong but the Tocoma probably has a better long term value. If i did not need a bed AND interior room (i have the crewmax) 3 kids and gear. I would be in a tacoma IF they redesigned the seats. I dont like that go cart straight leg feel of the slightly older tocoma....i have not seen anythin g newer than 2015 yet at the shop
 
Do not get the 4.6, if you go Tundara go 5.7. I have owned two of each an '06 Tacoma off road and now a '17 Tacoma sport. Inbetween the two Taco's I owned a '12 off road and a '14 limited. By far my favorite interior and looks was the '14 limited Tundra but for everyday all around use my '17 Tacoma 4 door long bed hands down. I didn't need the towing of the Tundra but the interior room was awesome. But the gas milage sucked and parking it was a pain. The Taco does everything I need it to and is a great truck. It depends on what is important to you, room if you have kids in the back go Tundra. But all around everyday normal homeowners use go Tacoma.
 
Unless you need the Tundra for the added horsepower go Tacoma.

Tacoma is an extremely reliable, high resale value and very capabale truck. I own a ‘17 Off Road that I bought a year ago that has 30k miles on it. Hopefully you did a thorough test drive to ensure you like it.

Feel free to PM with any questions you have.
 
If you tow, go with the Tundra. If you're not likely to do any towing, get the Tacoma.

MPG's between the two are awful, Ford and Chevy are blowing Toyota away in regards to fuel economy. I don't think a couple extra mpg's make the Tacoma worth it over the larger Tundra's. For a mid size pickup, unless it's a 4 cylinder, they're never a better buy over a larger 1/2 ton for the same price.
 
Ford F350 lol.

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If choosing between the Tundra and the Tacoma. I think the Tacoma is cooler looking, better if you are more into practical family use and aren't using it for continuous laborous towing or commercial use. It gets the job done and is cheaper. But the Tundra is the work horse of the two. I don't find it to be as good at lugging stuff as the Fords of it's price range but I do think it's a nice truck and can go mudding with the best of em.
 
There's no point in getting the Tundra unless you buy the 5.7, that's the whole point of the truck.
 
If you don't need a large truck to tow and haul shit get the Tacoma .

I have a 2015 off road. 82,000 miles drives and feels like it did the day I picked it up.

Amazing solid little trucks.
 
Thank you for your opinions. I had a Tundra a couple of years ago, i really liked the truck but it was huge and a lemon. Other than that I have owned nothing but Volkswagens so I dont need all the capability of the Tundra.
One of my main reasons for buying a truck is the ability to keep my fire gear out of the cab and for responding to fire calls. The calls are often on dirt roads and you have to pull off into the woods to park etc. I am an avid hunter and fisherman too. My current GTI is an outstanding car that puts a huge smile on my face every time I drive it but it just doesnt cut it for all the outdoor and fire related stuff. I have several friends on the fire department with 3/4 ton trucks I can use anytime I want for.towing erc if I need it.
 
I had both. My 2007 5.7 SR5 Tundra which I had until 2017, was a great truck, very reliable, and could tow a house, but was a gas guzzler. I now have a better equipped 2016 Tacoma Sport 4X4 which averages around 14-16 MPG in winter and around 21 MPG in the summer. The 3.5 V-6 rated at 278 HP, easily tows my Bass Tracker and is a great daily driver. The Tacoma automatic transmission however, being tuned for gas mileage, shifts up and down often which may annoy some drivers. Depending on your needs, you can't go wrong with either one.
 
Not sure of your size, but I’m 6’6”, and the Taco was a bit tight for my liking. The crewmax Tundra on the other hand, is goddamn big inside. 5 grown men comfortably. The back seat has as much legroom as the front.

If you are worried about mileage however, don’t even think about it. I run somewhere around 12-13 mpg, though admit to a somewhat heavy foot.

My honest opinion as an owner? If you are not sure if you want a Tundra, you probably don’t want a Tundra. Solid, powerful, reliable trucks that hold their value, and I love mine, but they are way overdue for an update. In the full-size game Toyota is well behind the curve. If you did an honest accounting, the Tundra probably wouldn’t come out on top, but if you love the truck, f accounting, just sign on the dotted line.
 
I had a 2014 Tundra SR5 Crew cab. It was a great truck but had two problems:
The floor heat in the winter was miserable. My feet were always freezing. My cousin had one too and complained about the same thing.
The second issue was it wasn't big enough. I felt like my trailer was driving the truck, not the other way around. I've got a 2017 F250 now and that puppy is just right. That said, if you think the Tundra is too big, the Super Duty would be huge. Its a MUCH bigger truck.

In short: If you need the truck to do work, haul a big-ish trailer, carry bigger things in the bed, or drive long distances comfortably get the Tundra (5.7 only, the 4.6 is a weakling). If you don't need to do those things but want a truck for occasional hauling, garden center, bikes in the bed, just want a truck because they're awesome, etc... Get the Taco.

Good Luck!
 
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Thank you for your opinions. I had a Tundra a couple of years ago, i really liked the truck but it was huge and a lemon. Other than that I have owned nothing but Volkswagens so I dont need all the capability of the Tundra.
One of my main reasons for buying a truck is the ability to keep my fire gear out of the cab and for responding to fire calls. The calls are often on dirt roads and you have to pull off into the woods to park etc. I am an avid hunter and fisherman too. My current GTI is an outstanding car that puts a huge smile on my face every time I drive it but it just doesnt cut it for all the outdoor and fire related stuff. I have several friends on the fire department with 3/4 ton trucks I can use anytime I want for.towing erc if I need it.
can't beat a father son hunt and filling buck tags on the same day! Two deer fit nicely in there dont ya think?

From what you are saying here the Tacoma is the right choice. I got my Tacoma for the same reason.....started hunting more and more and getting 2 deer into the back of a Subaru Forester is no fun. Plus now I can hammer down power lines and shit trails when I'm hunting to get to better spots......I hunt fort devens and driving down the old two track trails is as much fun with the Tacoma as the hunting.
 
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Not sure of your size, but I’m 6’6”, and the Taco was a bit tight for my liking. The crewmax Tundra on the other hand, is goddamn big inside. 5 grown men comfortably. The back seat has as much legroom as the front.

If you are worried about mileage however, don’t even think about it. I run somewhere around 12-13 mpg, though admit to a somewhat heavy foot.

My honest opinion as an owner? If you are not sure if you want a Tundra, you probably don’t want a Tundra. Solid, powerful, reliable trucks that hold their value, and I love mine, but they are way overdue for an update. In the full-size game Toyota is well behind the curve. If you did an honest accounting, the Tundra probably wouldn’t come out on top, but if you love the truck, f accounting, just sign on the dotted line.
Im a firm believer ford chevy dodge pay off royota not to make a truck will kick all thier ass.
 
Today I went and looked at buying a Toyota truck. What do you Toyota truck owners think of each truck. If you have a Tundra do you wish you bought the Tacoma or vise versa?
I put a deposit on a 2018 Tacoma SR5 V6 4 door. For the same money I can get a SR5 Tundra with the 4.6.
The Tacoma gets 5 mpg better economy and I like the smaller size. The Tacoma was also redesigned in 2016.
What are your thoughts?
Thank you

I had multiple tacomas. They are great truck.

Bought a ram 4 door when kids came along. Still have it. I did not get the hemi and its been fine. No mds no bullshit.

I get similar milelage with the dodge vs the tacomas with only 2-3 mpg less

The room, ride, comfort and carrying and towing and plowing capacity are all better with the ram.

I would buy the tundra. You never know what youll need the truck for and towing or plowing is tough with a tacoma
 
Tacoma double cab long bed if you don't need to tow much. Proportionally I think they look just right and get good gas mileage. My father just picked up a '18. I'm still rocking a 03 Tundra 4.6L with >200k miles. His 06 Tundra 4.6L went to my sister. Both Tundra's still going strong and purring like happy kittens with standard maint.
 
I had multiple tacomas. They are great truck.

Bought a ram 4 door when kids came along. Still have it. I did not get the hemi and its been fine. No mds no bullshit.

I get similar milelage with the dodge vs the tacomas with only 2-3 mpg less

The room, ride, comfort and carrying and towing and plowing capacity are all better with the ram.

I would buy the tundra. You never know what youll need the truck for and towing or plowing is tough with a tacoma
Depends on what you are towing. My 2015 taco off road towa my 3000 pound camper and I don't even know it's there. It's rated for 6000 pounds towing but have never towed more than my 3000 pound camper.....but I'd say based on my experience with the camper I have.....6000 pounds is doable but it'll work the truck a bit.
 
I just traded in my 2007 4dr Off Road Tacoma; with 11 years of selfless service. I toyed with the idea of the Tundra but it’s too much truck for what I need. The Tacoma did everything for my needs so why bother? So I bought another Tacoma, same model and color but 11 years younger. I hope to get 12 years out of this one.
 
I've driven both the new Taco and the new Tundra. As others have said, the Tacoma, which got a new V6 engine and auto transmission in 2016, shifts up and down constantly at road speed. It's annoying enough that I'd look at a stick shift if I were buying one. Edmunds did a two-year road test and their overall MPG was 18. Otherwise, they're great trucks with the best resale value. The Tundra is a dinosaur, without a restyling in a decade, but they do what a big pickup is supposed to do better than a lot of other half-tons. The 5.7 is a great engine, but thirsty. If you don't need that much horsepower, the 4.6 gets 1-2 MPG more and costs less to buy. Speaking of money, Toyota is offering 0.9% financing on the 2018 Tundras and 3.9% on Tacomas.
As a Volkswagen guy, you're aware they're bringing out a pickup, right?
 
I can say this. I went from a new 2015 GMC with the shake rattle and roll issue. To a 2017 Tundra. MUCH better truck and the power is 1,000 better the the GM. I will NEVER go buy another GM. f*** GM
 
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I've driven both the new Taco and the new Tundra. As others have said, the Tacoma, which got a new V6 engine and auto transmission in 2016, shifts up and down constantly at road speed. It's annoying enough that I'd look at a stick shift if I were buying one.

You must have driven a broken one because I drove my friend's 16 for like 400 miles, with and without load (bed full of computer parts x 3) with no gear hunting at all, and I roaded it at up to 80 mph...

-Mike
 
I bought a new Tundra SR5 in 2003. Nice truck, but bigger than what I really needed. Bought a new Tacoma SR5 in 2010 and I’m still driving it. No complaints. If you plan to use a truck to haul a trailer, as I do, I suggest that you get the factory installed tow package.
 
Still on the first page?
Well. I guess all start.
Why do you all hate America? [troll]
I grew up with a Toyota Truck, it was nice.
Now I have on 05 F150 with 160K miles, runs like a top, no rattles, hoping to go well over 200K with it.
 
I drove a Ford F150 everyday from 1986 to 2013.

Bought a 2013 Tundra Double Cab with the 5.7 engine.

Has 47k on it now, with zero issues so far.

Don't tow, but I do a lot of do it yourself type stuff.

But, it is big and gas mileage is so so.
 
I went from a 5.7 Tundra to a 3.5 Tacoma. Here are some thoughts for you:

I tow a camper. We had a 28' beast of a camper that the Tundra towed effortlessly with a 10000 straightline WD hitch. Yhe 5.7 motor makes gobs of HP, but drinks a lot of gas to do it. The Tundra was comfortable, roomy and quiet in the cab. I found it to be a very capable truck for the 147k miles I put on it.

I traded it in for a smaller truck for a good amount of reasons. The number one being, we traded the camper in for a smaller model. The Tacoma's cabin is a little smaller, but not by too much. It's about the same size my 2000 Tundra was. I can actually reach the glove box now. The interior is comfortable, and the cab is OK for noise level. It tows the new camper very well using the same hitch.

As for gear hunting, yeah, it does it, but not when towing. You know why? Because I actually read the manual and know that you're supposed to tow in S-4, and not D on the automatic. The 3.5 creates its HP at high RPMs, and likes being there.

Other reasons for trading down:

The Tundra, while having an awesome turning radius (no joke) is a huge f***ing truck. I commute on rt 3, rt 4, sometimes 225, lots of backroads through Carlisle, Westford, Concord, etc, and it was really starting to be a pain in the ass on those narrow roads. The Tundra passed everything except the gas station. Over the course of 187 fuel ups, encompassing 54,606 miles (which was from the time I sold my commuter car until I traded the Tundra in), I averaged 14.9MPG. We bought a cap for the Tundra, and I couldn't see a damn thing once it was installed, but it came in handy.

The Tacoma is what I like to call my "mid-life" fun truck at this point. I'm having fun making it mine.

As for the 4.6 V8 - That's a hard pass. it is no more fuel efficient than the 5.7 in the real world, is under powered for the size of the tundra.

Here is some towing data for you with my Tacoma:

CoastieRon's Progression of Idiocy journal & BS

camper-4-jpg.2723603

Of course, that post was before I put the small lift in my Taco. Feel free to read that whole thread, there's all kinds of great information in there.

Here is what my truck looks like now:

9-17-2018.jpg

I'll be honest, the technology put into the 2018s is amazing. A lot of people don't like the Endtune suite head unit, but I don't use the Nav and Apps functions. Hell, I don't use the CD player either. I have gutted the speakers (there are 27-ish audio posts in that thread I linked), added some other stupid things that make me happy, etc. It's a great truck in my opinion, but opinions are subjective in nature.

I have always joined a forum for something that I own, or am on the path to buying. May I suggest joining Tundra Solutions or Tacoma World, and do some reading?
 
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