My Nephew recently just lost his father, and as the uncle I'm trying to navigate some male type decisions with him and help him find a truck. He is16 years old and we are looking for a used Tacoma. Is a dealership going to be the best here or would somewhere like direct auto be a good option to look? (located in Houston)

He will never be towing anything other than jet skis and four-wheelers so I'm fine with the payload. He is only 16 so I don't care all that much about amenities or interior options for the most part either.

Might be interested in the TRD sport 4x4 or something similar. Maybe even finding a used one with a 3" suspension lift already on it he would like. We arent looking to have a bunch of expensive body work done to it...if its already on the truck great.

Any help would be appreciated and I greatly value this boards opinion.

I would be careful with the height and type of lift kit. 3" on a Tacoma is normally going to necessitate new upper control arms and possibly some other parts. A lot of people think you can just lift a truck and look cool, but it's not that simple. Also the higher you go the more issues and problems there are generally.

The generally accepted "best" way to lift a Tacoma is to go with a set of adjustable front coil overs or a taller set of coil springs with a shock designed to work with them, i.e. Bilstein 5100s or OME Nitrochargers. In the rear, a taller set of leaf springs like the OME Dakar or similar is a popular way to go. I would stay away from rear blocks and front spacers on a Tacoma.

Mine isn't lifted for now but I have a 2010 TRD Off Road and previously had a 2005. They are great trucks. At 16 years old though, does he just want this as an image thing or does he plan on doing "Tacoma things" with it? I live in Colorado and just went elk hunting a couple weeks ago, for example. Mine isn't a daily driver but I do use it for things that you need or want a truck for. Hope this helps some. I highly recommend Tacoma World as a resource on these pickups. They have a legit wealth of information!

Tacomas prices stay high. What is the budget?

JB said:

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Tacomas prices stay high. What is the budget?

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Yes and theres where I think we might run into problems. Budget is going to be in the 15-20K range i believe maybe a little more.

I assume that will probably push us into the 2010-2014 type year range?

I have a 2012 Tacoma Prerunner I'll be selling in the next couple weeks. The truck has ~136k miles on it right now. It doesn't meet the TRD/lifted requirement but is a clean, well maintained truck that would be a great first vehicle for a new driver.

Green2Maroon said:

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I would be careful with the height and type of lift kit. 3" on a Tacoma is normally going to necessitate new upper control arms and possibly some other parts. A lot of people think you can just lift a truck and look cool, but it's not that simple. Also the higher you go the more issues and problems there are generally.

The generally accepted "best" way to lift a Tacoma is to go with a set of adjustable front coil overs or a taller set of coil springs with a shock designed to work with them, i.e. Bilstein 5100s or OME Nitrochargers. In the rear, a taller set of leaf springs like the OME Dakar or similar is a popular way to go. I would stay away from rear blocks and front spacers on a Tacoma.

Mine isn't lifted for now but I have a 2010 TRD Off Road and previously had a 2005. They are great trucks. At 16 years old though, does he just want this as an image thing or does he plan on doing "Tacoma things" with it? I live in Colorado and just went elk hunting a couple weeks ago, for example. Mine isn't a daily driver but I do use it for things that you need or want a truck for. Hope this helps some. I highly recommend Tacoma World as a resource on these pickups. They have a legit wealth of information!

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We are honestly just looking for a reliable truck that he can occasionally need to kick in 4 wheel drive when needed, take to the deer lease and not get stuck, pull some trailers etc. It might be nice to occasionally go mudding with etc but not a top priority.

Again at the price range we are at we arent really into doing any type of serious modifications. If the truck has a suspension lift that's one thing but we arent dumping a bunch of money to have anything added

Do a basic search on autotrader.com to get your bearings. These listings will mostly be dealer ads. 15-20k looks to get you a 10-15 yr old Tacoma 2wd.

Ideally you find a clean 2nd gen Tacoma 4wd from a private seller for your price range. I think a XtraCab (not full 4dr) would be perfect and those seem to be priced lower because most people think they need the crew cab.

Quit worrying about the lift kit. Its not necessary. Let him save up the cash for the lift and tires and wheels if that's what he wants.

A lift kit is only needed to go bigger than a certain tire size. On a stock Tacoma, that's going to be about a 265/75/16. My truck is basically stock height and I have that size tire on it. Not much point in lifting it if you're not going bigger on tires. It won't perform any better off road, although a stock Tacoma is a pretty capable truck.

A PreRunner will have about a 2" lift from the regular version. If that's good enough for a "lift," you don't need one. My '13 PreRunner sits plenty high. I can easily get under it for oil changes without a jack and comfortably move around without banging hands and elbows.

The "regular version" you refer to is the 5-lug. I was talking about the 6-lug which is the Prerunner and 4x4 models. A 5-lug is way different from the other Tacomas. Just to clarify for the OP.

Guys we aren't putting a lift on the truck. If it's already on the truck great. If not great.

We are not doing ANY work on this truck other than the way it comes from the seller period. Shouldn't have even brought it up lol

https://www.getauto.com/


Go to advance search options and select 4wd when you search


Tacoma's the highest resale value out there

15-20k on a 4wd taco will probably be be 7-10 years old and 130,000 plus miles

It's worth discussing, though.

"Prerunner" and other 6-lug trims appear "lifted" vs the 5-lug base model trucks.

Of the 6 lugs, you can go up to 3" before needing substantial work, as another posted said above.

I bought my 2010 double cab TRD Off Road 4x4 in August 2019. It had 148.8k miles and I paid $15.8k. It was listed at 16.9k at a dealer. All in all I got a pretty good deal by Tacoma standards. The truck had been in a hail storm and the dealer replaced the hood and windshield. They also put new tires on it.

I have done a bunch of maintenance items and upgrades/accessories since I bought it. Overall probably put in just over $2k to get it where it is now. Head unit was about shot so I installed a Pioneer with Apple Car Play. No floor mats at all so I put in Weathertechs front and back. It had a crappy set of aftermarket headlights so I bought a good set of Depo housings on Amazon. Baked them apart in the oven and installed a really good Morimoto HID setup. ****** shifted a little rough so I did a full flush with Valvoline Maxlife full synthetic ATF. New spark plugs, air filters, etc. Toyota replaced the leaf springs under the recall (CHECK FOR THIS) and I had new Bilstein 5100s installed front and rear. The shocks were shot when I bought the truck and so were the leaf springs. It rode like a freaking nightmare when I bought it!

It's almost like a new pickup for me today. It was in decent shape when I bought it but my DIY efforts and money really paid off. I've learned a lot working on these trucks. Like...you can build your own badass set of headlights for $300-400 no problem. No issues with oncoming traffic and lights up the road like a boss! I've probably saved over $1k with DIY on this rig alone. Except for having a shop put new shocks on.

Wow, I said "t-r-a-n-n-y", as in the transmission, and it got censored LOL.

Also OP, once you have a truck in mind, let us know where/what it is.

There's a Texas section of TacomaWorld that's pretty legit as long as you're not an ass. When it comes to inspections, lifts, or general maintenance, we can usually help you learn without ****ing things up.

Naveronski said:

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It's worth discussing, though.

"Prerunner" and other 6-lug trims appear "lifted" vs the 5-lug base model trucks.

Of the 6 lugs, you can go up to 3" before needing substantial work, as another posted said above.

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Yes I understand I was just laughing at the amount of knowledge from these guys and detail. Why I posted here you guys know your trucks

Naveronski said:

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Also OP, once you have a truck in mind, let us know where/what it is.

There's a Texas section of TacomaWorld that's pretty legit as long as you're not an ass. When it comes to inspections, lifts, or general maintenance, we can usually help you learn without ****ing things up.

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Very helpful to know. I'll post some pics too of what we find

Selling my son's 2003 Tacoma 4 door SR5, 2 WD.
16 inch custom wheels with Hancooks 265x70x16
Well maintained and had all the 100k replacement parts done. Really clean, white, with a matching removable Snugtop bed cover, 142,000 miles
seeking $8K. Just west of Katy, Tx

As much as I love my toyota trucks, I couldn't justify the Tacoma premium over the Frontier.

I was able to buy my 16yo daughter a 2 year old Frontier King Cab (extra cab) 4x4 with only 5k miles for $19k. The same used Tacoma was at least $10k more...

And when it came time for me to buy a new truck last year I went and did the same thing... Only my Frontier was 4 door and brand new.

I know of an 07 TRD Off Road 4x4 Crew Cab
180k miles , Silver color ( shocker I know )
$15.5k
excellent condition in College Station

aggiepaintrain@gmail.com

TulaneAg said:

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As much as I love my toyota trucks, I couldn't justify the Tacoma premium over the Frontier.

I was able to buy my 16yo daughter a 2 year old Frontier King Cab (extra cab) 4x4 with only 5k miles for $19k. The same used Tacoma was at least $10k more...

And when it came time for me to buy a new truck last year I went and did the same thing... Only my Frontier was 4 door and brand new.

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The Frontier is a great value, and while the new 3.8L engine packs a bit of a punch, the only thing that deters me is the old archaic body structure, which leads us to the IIHS crash ratings.

Nissan did change the curtain airbags in early 2017ish to offer more protection, but IIRC, the lower firewall showed severe leg and foot injury on both the driver and passenger sides.

Hopefully the redesign that is due addresses these.

I'd keep an eye out for an '08 or '09 access cab V6 with the six speed manual transmission. If you're up for a road trip this could be a good option. 16 year old me would have loved something like this.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=567505647

I must be the only one who doesn't understand the love fest and the demand for these. No way I would pay the kind of money they're asking for something as old and basic as a Tacoma.

TSUAggie said:

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I must be the only one who doesn't understand the love fest and the demand for these. No way I would pay the kind of money they're asking for something as old and basic as a Tacoma.

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you are

TSUAggie said:

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I must be the only one who doesn't understand the love fest and the demand for these. No way I would pay the kind of money they're asking for something as old and basic as a Tacoma.

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Old Tacos are like the Energizer Bunny: they keep going and going.

jh0400 said:

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I'd keep an eye out for an '08 or '09 access cab V6 with the six speed manual transmission. If you're up for a road trip this could be a good option. 16 year old me would have loved something like this.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=567505647

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Damn, mines an '08 with a few more miles. Maybe I should sell it!

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Damn, mines an '08 with a few more miles. Maybe I should sell it!

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And what would you buy that would be just as reliable? and the cost?

aggiepaintrain said:

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I know of an 07 TRD Off Road 4x4 Crew Cab
180k miles , Silver color ( shocker I know )
$15.5k
excellent condition in College Station

aggiepaintrain@gmail.com

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I'll give you an email later this week. Been covered up but will let you know

dubi said:

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TSUAggie said:

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I must be the only one who doesn't understand the love fest and the demand for these. No way I would pay the kind of money they're asking for something as old and basic as a Tacoma.

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Old Tacos are like the Energizer Bunny: they keep going and going.

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Not only that, but they retain the snot out of their value better than almost anything else you'd get for a teenager.

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Selling my son's 2003 Tacoma 4 door SR5, 2 WD.

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He wants 8K. Let's say he gets 7.5 (and he probably will). MSRP on that was 19K in 2003, which is about 13.5 to 14 in today's dollars. Even if the buyer paid full price, they're going to get half of what they paid 17 years later. In 5 years, that truck could still sell for 5 grand.

aggiepaintrain said:

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I know of an 07 TRD Off Road 4x4 Crew Cab
180k miles , Silver color ( shocker I know )
$15.5k
excellent condition in College Station

aggiepaintrain@gmail.com

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truck sold in one day

https://www.machaikford.com/used-Houston-2014-Toyota-Tacoma-4WD+Double+Cab+V6+AT-3TMLU4EN2EM145624

tk for tu juan said:

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https://www.machaikford.com/used-Houston-2014-Toyota-Tacoma-4WD+Double+Cab+V6+AT-3TMLU4EN2EM145624

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Appears that one sold in one day also. Link is dead.