Team DNR

What year 250 is that Ben? Really don't like it huh?

I love my f350 diesel. After 14 years of driving, I can say its the best truck I've ever owned. No mainteance costs, except fluids and filters and one injector wire that broke. I did replace the tires at 40k, but at 75 k it still has the orignal brake pads, front and back.

My truck only has one fuel filter and no coolant filter, btw. It also holds more oil, 4 1/2 gallons! Yep, that is an aggravation, but compared to my gas engine f250 I get 42.8% better gas mileage pulling a trailer that weighs twice as much. If I not towing, I get 100% better mileage than I got with my gas engine F250.

What does **** me off is the price differential, diesel over gas. Wipes out a lot of the economy side of things. Last time in Germany, the most expensive of three diesel grades was cheaper than the cheapest gas grade. Does answer the question as to why so many Europeans drive diesel powered vehicles.

Henry

Ben

iTrader: (33)

I have 250k on mine, so I've been through a few sets of tires and brakes, front hubs and calipers, rear wheel bearings, a fuel pump, and 8 injectors. I rebuilt the fuel pressure regulator for higher pressure and did a couple other things. 2 fuel filters from the factory, but the coolant filter I added for piece of mind. After cutting open the first 2 filters, frankly I think it's a wise investment. I'll put one on every truck I own.

Diesel's great when you're towing. It just ended up being a lot more expensive to own than I was expecting. The fuel savings did not wash out the other extra costs. The 500hp and 1000 lb-ft on tap however is VERY nice. I once had a guy ask me why my Corvette had a truck bed.

natedawg

In Chicago right now diesel is 2.50. gas is 2.80 for 87.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

The guy did not bite on my low ball, so it is all a moot point. Van is still for sale. We will see if he ever comes back and wants it gone.

freedomgli

So here's the deal. Looking for a Harry Homeowner pickup truck.

Needs

• 4-doors.
• Automatic transmission.
• Ability to carry 1 full-size sport bike or 2 small dirt bikes in bed.
• Ability to tow Miata on a lightweight aluminum trailer (e.g. Trailex bolted open deck) but not at same time as motorcycles.

Wants

• Reliability.
• Ease of maintenance.
• Low cost of ownership.
• Comfortable (subjective).
• Backup camera.
• Decent stereo.

Don't Need

• 4x4.
• Diesel.
• Heavy-duty towing capacity.
• Complex components or systems that will be costly to maintain or repair.

Which brings me to the old tried and true Toyota Tacoma, specifically the 2015 Double Cab 4x2 Prerunner Long Bed w/ TRD Sport package. I know that the Tacoma has been outclassed recently by the GM Canyon/Colorado twins, the new 2016 Tacoma is just around the corner and I could probably get a full-size half-ton Chevy Silverado for the same price. But I don't want to buy a "first year" truck that may still have some developmental kinks that need working out and I don't really want a full-size half-ton truck because I believe it has more capacity than I want or need, and I'm not really interested in the domestic trucks in general because I worry about reliability and residual value.

All I keep hearing about Tacomas is they last (frame rust not withstanding and hopefully not an issue on newer models) and they have crazy high resale values. People want way too much for them used, so I'm strongly considering buying new. Same reason why I'm not likely to buy a used 4Runner V8: sellers ask too much for them. With the 2016 Tacomas just around the corner, I hope to be able to snag an even better deal on a now obsolete 2015 model provided they have any left in stock when I'm ready to buy this September.

Will it be a pain to load bikes in the back of a Prerunner due to its higher ride height?

Am I better off getting the short bed and using a bed extender with the tailgate down when transporting motorcycles?

Anything else I should consider?

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

Frontier.

Just as good of a truck as the Taco (IMO) but much cheaper.

freedomgli

What year(s)? What specs? Details man!

robertcope

I had a '97 Taco with the TRD supercharger (and supporting upgrades). It sucked to tow with. The last time I towed with it I had a 30mpg headwind and could barely make 60mph, foot flat on the floor. Of course, the newer models may be better. Tow rig isn't that heavy, small aluminum trailer, 2400lbs car, spare set of tires/wheels, small tool box.

I finally bought an Expedition to replace it and it has been great.

I'd try and find a way to test the setup before buying.

robert

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

Same as you picked for the taco? the 2WD has essentially the same ride height as the 4WD (I've compared them side by side). The 4.0 V6 is of course the one you want. If you look used, you'll want to look at later model ones, I don't remember which year they got to the current spec but anything 2008+ should work.

freedomgli

Maybe I should take another look at the Colorado. MT liked it best.

Comparison: Chevrolet Colorado vs. Nissan Frontier vs. Toyota Tacoma

freedomgli

That's surprising. According to Wikipedia, the 3.4L 5VZ-FE V6 in your truck was rated at 190 hp and 220 lb·ft of torque. With the addition of the TRD supercharger (as installed by your authorized Toyota dealer - meaning no additional mods), you get about another 65hp, which is more than the ~236hp output of the 4.0L 1GR-FE V6 in the newer Tacomas.

Stock your truck was rated at
Max. Towing capacity 5,000 lbs. (*except s-runner 3,500 lbs.)
Max. Tongue weight 500 lbs. (*except s-runner 350 lbs.)

The 2015 I'm interested in is rated at
Max. Towing capacity 6,300 lbs.
Max. Tongue weight 630 lbs.

I can't imagine it's fun to max out any truck's tow capability, but I'm shocked that a truck rated at 6,300 lbs. would struggle to tow 3,200 lbs.

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

Colorado is definitely a nice pickup. I really like the new Canyons we've had around the dealership. Sure spendy though.

rharris19

iTrader: (41)

A guy that races with me has a 2008 Tacoma with v6 and manual transmission. He recently towed a 22' wake boat on a double axle trailer from near Tampa, FL to Houston, TX and he said it was just fine handling it at highway speeds. He is someone with a lot of mechanical competence and would trust to say how well it handled the job.

There are a lot of people on RV forums that tow smaller campers with that body style Tacoma that report good things, but I can't vouch for their opinion.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

The 3.4 was a wheezer. It was reliable but was always out of breath. It never felt like it was making the power they said it made. The 4.0 in my friend's crew cab long bed Tacoma, on the other hand, makes plenty of torque and horsepower (I think it is a broader operating range, or area under the curve). He recently pulled a tandem axle trailer with a Skyline GTR back from Orlando and said the truck was great with it.

midpack

iTrader: (3)

2005 or newer, v6, and whatever options/trim you want. Crew cab will get you 4 real doors and room for a people in the back. King cab will get you rear suicide doors and room for baby midgets in the back. All king cab include the 6' bed. Crew cab usually have a 5' bed but around 2009 or so they started offering "long bed" crew cab with the 6' bed. There aren't many of them out there but they do pop up on occasion.

The first few years had issues with the timing chain tensioner which is a $1k+ repair. You know it needs a new tensioner because it sounds like a super charger. The pad gets worn and out of place causing metal on metal contact that would surely cause a catastrophic failure if left too long (thousands if not tens of thousands of miles).



Up until 2010, I think, they had issues with coolant and transmission fluid contamination. This truck has two tranny coolers, an oil cooler and piping that runs through the radiator. The inside the radiator piping has a tendency to crack and allow coolant back into the transmission. It's very easy to bypass the radiator with 5 minutes and a couple rubber caps. The standalone cooler should be sufficient with the radiator bypassed.

Installing a hitch and wiring is simple and cheap. I paid $200 for a Uhaul hitch and 8 bolts later it was installed. For wiring spend the $70 from a dealer as it will include the required relays, most aftermarket wiring kits don't include the relays and allegedly will cause blown fuses. Relays are installed behind a panel in front of the passenger door. 7-pin trailer connecter plugs in on the frame near where the hitch attaches. The truck is pre-wired for a brake controller and there is a plug under the dash.

I tow a steel trailer with wooden deck and a heavy MSM behind my 2011 SV 4x4 king cab with a weight distribution hitch and Prodigy P2 brake controller. No issues whatsoever towing at the speed limit. Never had any issues passing or being passed by semis, no swaying or anything. I'm really happy with the truck and regret nothing. Living in the St Louis area means my options for nearby tracks are severely limited, it's 3-4 hours away for anything that is not a roval. Towing 6+ hours away is not uncommon (Hallett, Road America, and hopefully Road Atlanta this year). Truck does it no problems, in comfort, and 13-14mpg depending on speed limits and terrain. Actually saw 15mpg up in Wisconsin with their flat and slow highways last year.

Truck gets 19-20mpg on winter gas and 20-21 normally. Driving like grandpa makes little difference in gas mileage, it goes up .5mpg and totally not worth it.

Traction control acts like a retarded bipolar monkey and cuts power soon as tires slip. I frequently turn it off in slick conditions if I'll need to accelerate at a decent pace or if I don't want it to ruin the fun. Snow traction is nonexistent with an empty bed and 2wd.

Like you, I didn't want to daily a full size truck and think this was a great compromise, though I do miss driving a car every day. Tacomas are too expensive, have very light steering, and feel like a camry on stilts. For what I paid for in a 7k mile Frontier would have put me in a 200k mile Tacoma. **** that ****. I'll try to snap a pick this weekend when I head to the track.

codrus

I think you're underestimating the weight of a "small aluminum trailer". You're not going to get a Miata on a 600 pound trailer, the commercial off-the-shelf aluminum car hauler trailers that I've seen are all 1200+.

--Ian

robertcope

Yeah, it's about 1200lbs. I'd guess I tow around 4000lbs with everything loaded up.

Someone else said that the 4.0 is better than the 3.4. I believe that. I'd still want to test the setup before buying.

robert

freedomgli

You may very well be correct. Trailer manufacturers are notorious for understating actual curb weight. Most often they neglect to account for optional extras such as jacks, ramps, spare tires, winches, windshields, tire racks, etc. It all adds up quickly. Not to mention some trailer manufacturers straight out lie about curb weights. That being said, the Trailex aluminum open deck trailers are known to be exceptionally light, especially compared to others like Featherlite. I would imagine it's not difficult to be around 3,500 lbs, especially if you're weight conscious. I would hope that a new V6 Tacoma rated to tow 6,300 lbs. would handle this with ease.

chicksdigmiatas

iTrader: (11)

I just bought (2 years ago) a 2006 duramax. Gets 17 mpg on the way to work and back, and 22 on the highway. Runs 13.9 to boot. Best tow vehicle ever. Plus, it is fun thumping dudes in "fast" cars.

EErockMiata

I just placed an order for a 15 canyon. sle, v6, crew cab, short bed, towing package with brake controller.

I wanted a one car to do it all solution and the canyon fit the bill perfectly. It wasn't cheap 29.5k but the msrp was 32. If I were buying used I'd get the nissan as well. It's a well built no frills truck that accomplishes the same thing for way less money. I drove the taco and I really don't like how it drives and I really don't like the seats. Great truck however, bulletproof.

I like the canyon quite a bit tbh. I don't have one but I did a bunch of test driving. Drives really well and has pretty decent power. I can't believe I'm going to say this but I find the interior on this thing really awesome. Def check one out, but don't discount the nissan comments if you're looking to save a ton of cash.