I’m looking at either a late second-gen or an early third-gen Tacoma. Which one would be more comfortable, and what do you all prefer between the two?
Second gen all the way. Just my take after driving both… the 4.0 engine is better.
Day said:
Second gen all the way. Just my take after driving both… the 4.0 engine is better.
As a third-gen owner, I agree completely. I’d much rather have the 4.0.
Second gen is the best, especially the 2.5 model!
The cloth seats in the second-gen feel more comfortable to me. The 4.0 engine feels smoother and doesn’t struggle as much as the 3.5. But the third-gen handles higher speeds better. Personally, I wouldn’t trade my second-gen for a third-gen, but that’s just my preference.
@Harper
My three second-gens with the 4.0 can easily handle 75 mph and above. I don’t go over 80 often, though, because my fuel economy is best at 75. I used to push it past 80 but realized I was burning a lot more fuel.
@Nakaya
My '13 TRD Off Road with oversized tires and a 3" lift handles speeds like that just fine. I’ve even pushed it over 100 mph once, though that felt a bit intense.
I had the oldest model of the third-gen, but I’d still pick the 2.5 second-gen any day. Better engine, smoother transmission, and it feels more reliable overall.
Dakota said:
I had the oldest model of the third-gen, but I’d still pick the 2.5 second-gen any day. Better engine, smoother transmission, and it feels more reliable overall.
Good to know… kinda leaning that way too!
Second-gen all the way.
I can’t speak for the third-gen, but my 2015 with the 4.0 engine has pretty bad fuel economy. Just took a 350-mile trip and only got about 13-15 mpg going 80-85 mph. Guess I’ll just live with the low mpg for the next 400,000 miles!
@Harley
Do you have 35s on it? My 2014 gets around 19 mpg on average with 33s and a 2-inch lift.
Haru said:
@Harley
Do you have 35s on it? My 2014 gets around 19 mpg on average with 33s and a 2-inch lift.
Nope, just 32s or 33s, about an inch taller than stock. It was a pretty hilly drive though. I’m nearly at 100,000 miles, so maybe it’s time to clean the MAF and replace the O2 sensors.
@Harley
Do you keep a lot of weight in the truck or tow anything? That mpg seems low, especially with those tire sizes. Mine averages 21 mpg before the lift and tires.
Haru said:
@Harley
Do you keep a lot of weight in the truck or tow anything? That mpg seems low, especially with those tire sizes. Mine averages 21 mpg before the lift and tires.
No extra weight really, just a few passengers and some gear. Also, the new tires were a bit overinflated. I have a DCSB 4x4 SR5 with just a leveling kit, and it’s a bit nose up right now. Got around 17 mpg last time I checked in town, but it’s likely the hills on my route from San Antonio to west Texas caused the low mpg.
@Harley
Yeah, I’ve found that going over 75 really hits my mpg hard. My best range is around 75, where I get over 20 mpg on long trips. In town, I’m usually around 18-19.
If you can find a second-gen 2.5 in good shape, go for it!
The 2005-2015 Tacomas with the 4.0 V6 are the best trucks, whether manual or automatic.
Dez said:
The 2005-2015 Tacomas with the 4.0 V6 are the best trucks, whether manual or automatic.
I’ve got three of them! Both of my daughters drive second-gens too. We have a 2006, 2009, and a 2015.
Wow, everyone seems to love the second-gen!