re: New Vehicle Advice Tacoma or 4Runne

Neither. Would special order a crew cab SWB Silverado Custom Texas Edition with a 4.3 V6 engine and 2 wheel drive. Great looking truck. Bullet proof. Loaded up it can be bought straight sale for around $30K. Great gas mileage and won't beat you to death like a manual Tacoma. An the resale on a good looking Ford or Chevy pickup is fantastic. Wonderful family vehicle too. Don't cut yourself short go ahead and get something you will enjoy that is comfortable and a horse and is a deal. The Tacoma is a good, solid vehicle but is not nearly as enjoyable and a small, manual truck won't have near the potential buyers that a full size, good looking truck will have. Texas Edition has some free options like sound system and 20 inch wheels, etc. There are used auto dealers who order a ton of this very model new and put them on their used car lot and mark them up and make several thousand selling a new truck as a used one. And in 10 years you park it and put a sign in it an people will run you crazy wanting to buy it. Just rear back and ask for all the money and people will pay it. A flood of people want something to work with. Big enough to haul and 4 doors so some hands can sit in the back.

Go drive these. The latest models have a sad weak “ adkinson cycle “ engine. They are lame as hell. The engine has to be screaming at 5,500 rpm to get any power. I traded mine off after 3 months. A real POS and that’s coming from a 25 year Toyota truck fan.

Drove my niece's new one and it sucked. Was confused about the lack of low end torque for just normal driving. I like a vehicle that responds. And the Toyo was weak as a day old fart and actually seemed to be struggling. Can't imagine trying to urge one of these things along in city traffic. I'm sure they are built well but I would hate to have to live with on a daily basis. Chevy has done a great job of making the Silverado Custom Edition look like an expensive model yet keep the price to where you don't have to take out a Mortgage. The Custom fly off dealer's lots.

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Rarely go off road,

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haul or tow anything,

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looking for a good reliable daily driver that will last 10+ years.

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Yeah you want a Hyundai.

Why does the 4runner lack so many features?

Does it being a good truck somehow eliminate the need for it to offer modern conveniences and options? It doesn’t even have CarPlay. I think Toyota is ignoring potential revenue by not offering optional adaptive cruise control or lane keep assist. I’d pay extra for those. The nav screen is extremely small, most models don’t have automatic headlights, and the engine could use another 30 horsepower.

Disclaimer: we recently passed on the 4runner Limited because it lacked a lot of features, and still cost $46,000. I liked it, but I felt Toyota was being extremely cheap with it. We considered a Lexus GX, but neither of us could get past the predator grill.

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Would special order a crew cab SWB Silverado Custom Texas Edition with a 4.3 V6 engine and 2 wheel drive

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The new V6 engines in domestic trucks are actually pretty powerful. I think that one puts out about 285 horsepower and over 300 lb ft, with a gloriously even torque curve.

If you don’t need 4x4 and only occasionally tow, that’s a viable option and should save in both upfront costs and real world fuel economy. I think it still has an iron block and a pretty stout design. It’s ideal for 2 wheel drive work trucks that will see a lot of miles.

Ford has a 3.7L V6 that is similar. Ram has a very food 3.6L V6 as well. Both are great for 2 wheel drive work trucks, but only adequate if you regularly tow or want a crew cab and 4x4.

Ford and Chevy will offer a turbo 4 banger as a base engine within the next two years that will supposedly be as powerful as their entry level V8s. I am skeptical about how it could provide good low end torque with a turbo engine. Those usually have to spool up to put our power.

Toyota actually needs to revamp their V6 engines. I think they are trying to consolidate them, which means the 4.0 will eventually get the axe. That engine isn’t powerful enough, but the torque curve and character are more ideal for lighter trucks than their newer 3.5L V6 from the Camry.

Perhaps Toyota will try to compete with the Colorado and offer a small diesel.

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Chevy has done a great job of making the Silverado Custom Edition look like an expensive model yet keep the price to where you don't have to take out a Mortgage

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Not familiar with that particularl model, but I agree that V6 regular and extended cab full sized trucks are ideal for people that spend a lot of time behind the wheel but don’t necessarily tow anything heavier than a fishing boat. The base engines in the F150 and Silverado are more responsive and they are vastly more comfortable than mid sizers like the Colorado and Tacoma. They burn about the same amount of fuel too.

I am considering a V6 regular cab Silverado for a 3rd vehicle. We have a lot of land and occasionally need something that can tow a trailer. Probably don’t need 4x4. Eventually my kids can learn how to drive in it when they get old enough.

They aren’t as cheap as I thought they’d be even with the rubberized floor and regular cab.

What's that a $15,000 difference in price?

Both have great resale.

The guy that I worked with was John Hall.

LINK

I got most of the paperwork done upfront. I got the "deal sheet" with all the costs in advance. I didn't want to get up there and have them try to sell me the tru-coat treatment.

It went as smooth as silk. He picked me up from the airport in the vehicle and showed me all the features on the way to the dealership. Half an hour later I was heading south.

This might be a helpful thread to read too.

4Runner purchase prices

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This is my thinking, also. Really don't need a truck except for the 5 times a year it comes in handy. Never owned a SUV before and worry about missing the ease of hauling something in a truck.

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4Runner with second row seats folded down gives you a nice flat space for cargo and even enough room to sleep. Power rear window is a nice touch too when transporting lumber. Unless you anticipate hauling manure, dirt, over-sized furniture, full sheets of drywall or plywood the cargo capabilities of the two are about the same. Especially if you have access to a small trailer or a full sized truck from family or friends for those rare occasions I would recommend the 4Runner.