Looking to buy a 2010 tacoma 4cyl manual , its cheap on gas , is it reliable and does it worth it?
Just be sure to look for frame rot.
1 Like
Most of us here suggest bringing it to your mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection.
1 Like
If I need a pickup I’d want a V6.
Dont need to pull much , my tool basicly
These have been very reliable but you still want to have it checked over, pretty much what i would need as well.
How much do the tools weigh? Also, 2WD only with the 4-cyl. It’ll be a pig with 4WD.
I am going to go against the grain here. While a Toyota Tacoma is a great truck, on the used market they are grossly overpriced. It is not uncommon to see a 20 year old Tacoma for sale with over 250,000 miles, and people still want $5k to $6k for it. For that kind of money, you could buy a newer Ford or Chevrolet with less than half the miles.
The best “bang for the buck” in compact pickups (assuming you live in a region where rust is not a problem) would be a Ford Ranger or Chevrolet S10 from the late 1990s to early 2000s. I see them for sale all the time, in excellent condition with relatively low miles for under $3k. Around here, you can’t even touch a Tacoma for that, unless it was damaged in an accident, has over 300,000 miles, or needs the engine replaced.
Depends on what you consider “cheap on gas”
The 2WD model get’s about 19MPG city and 25 MPG highway, the 4WD model does 17 and 22 respectively. For a truck, that’s not bad. For all cars/trucks in general, it’s merely okay, with the 4WD model being particularly unimpressive in that you’re giving up significant capability for not much gain in fuel economy vs. larger more powerful trucks. Vs. a V8 4WD F-150 or Silverado of the same vintage, you’re getting about 1 MPG better with the 2.7L 4WD Tacoma.
Tacos have a reputation for reliability, paper mache frames notwithstanding.
Is it worth it? I’m of the opinion that Tacos are about the most reliable trucks you can get. However I’ve never bought one, because I don’t feel that their value proposition is particularly good. And I generally buy full-sized trucks for that reason. I feel you get more for your money with full-sized trucks. But I know plenty of people with Tacomas and they all seem to have high opinions of them.
Yes, Toyota has admitte3d to this defect. My son’s Tacoma will get a new frame covered under their warranty.
Need a 4x4 for winter season when roads are discusting other than that its will be on 2wd need is just tool box and misc
This is a myth. When I started driving, in 1996, 4-wheel drive was uncommon even on trucks. And I grew up in Illinois, so plenty of experience with winter driving. The truth is that 4-wheel drive is unnecessary, and actually gives people a false sense of confidence when they would be better off to stay home or find a different route.
If the roads are truly icy or snowy or flooded to the point that a reasonable person would doubt their ability to safely proceed in a FWD economy car, then the danger level is too high, even if you are driving a 4WD pickup or SUV. If having 4WD will make you take trips during harsh winter weather or attempt to cross flooded roads which you’d otherwise not do, then it is an impediment to your safety, not a benefit.
As another person already mentioned, 4WD brings a huge fuel economy penalty versus 2WD. It also makes it more difficult and expensive to replace tires, since all four must be identical. On a 2WD vehicle, tires can be replaced in pairs, or if funds are really tight, just one tire can be replaced as long as the non-identical tires are on the undriven axle.
1 Like
If you want 4WD, take one with the 4-cyl for a long drive in the conditions you usually drive in, and see if you still want it. Comparing to the 6-cyl version by test driving it too can help you make a decision.
Gonna have to disagree. I drove a 2WD 1974 F-100 (390, 3 speed manual, 4.11 gears, manual steering, manual brakes), during the blizzard of 1996. It was a chore. 17 year old me slid off the road twice (but managed to extricate myself both times), during that week. Fast forward 5 years and I was driving a 1995 Bronco, 4WD with a rear LSD. We get another foot of snow, and the Bronco handles it much, much better, sure-footed as a mountain goat. Every truck I’ve gotten since then has been 4WD. 4WD is one of those things that you don’t need most of the time, but when you do need it, it’s invaluable.
The fuel economy argument varies from vehicle to vehicle; on the Taco there’s a pretty big swing, the reason for this is not just the 4WD system, 2WD Tacos and 4WD Tacos are built differently, more so than any other truck (as far as the differences between the 2WD and 4WD variants of the same model go). The 4WD frame is beefier, and the suspension on the 4WD is much heavier as well. The 4WD version can be 900 pounds heavier than the 2WD version (for the 2010 model year), which accounts for alot of the MPG difference. Most other compact/mid-sized trucks don’t have that much variation in weight when you go from 2WD to 4WD. The new Ranger for example only gains about 500 pounds. When you go from a base 2WD to a loaded 4WD model. In most cases going from a 2WD model to a 4WD model of the same truck with the same drivetrain will lose you 1 or 2 MPG overall. It’s a not a huge penalty in most cases.
As for tires; if you’re rotating them like you should be, then they should be pretty close wear-wise. On my 4WD vehicles, certainly I’ve had tires that were worn somewhat more than others, but not to the point where I thought that I was gaining anything by not replacing all four. Like two might’ve been a 3/32’s and the other two might’ve been 4/32’s. I might’ve been able to eek out another 1500 miles before replacing the better tires, but it wouldn’t be worth the hassle vs. just getting all four replaced right then and there. Also part time 4WD systems are tolerant of differing amounts of tire wear. That’s not going to hurt anything. 4WD isn’t the same as AWD, there’s no center diff metering out how much power goes where. it’s a 50/50 split, and since you only use 4WD on slippery/forgiving surfaces there’s enough slipping involved so that the fractions of an inch of difference in tire diameter is a non-factor.
Another benefit of 4WD is that everyone thinks they need it. So 4WD vehicles maintain their value better. When I traded in my 1997 F-150 a few years back. I was assuming I was going to get $1000 for it or near-scrap value as it was rusted out to the point where it was going to be marginal if it was going to be able to pass inspection next time around. And it was a 20 year old truck. I was surprised when I was offered $3500 trade in for it. The salesman said that it was working, very low mileage (for the year) 4WD truck, and they they could ship it up north and get over $5k for it at the minimum. But if were a 2WD truck, they would’ve either declined the trade or given me $1000 for it.
No surprise there . Of course a rear wheel drive pickup which probably did not have the best all season tires would be poor in snow .
And the snowiest section in Illinois is less then 1/5th the amount of snow in the town I grew up in. So I wouldn’t say the 4wd or even AWD is unnecessary. It really depends on where you live. Especially in areas that see a lot of Lake Effect snow.
Here in southern NH we average about 50"/yr…And 4wd isn’t needed. My wife gets by easily with her 07 Lexus and good All-Season tires. However we do a lot of skiing trips to White Mountains. Many areas in the mountains average over 200" snow/yr. Many times we’ve had to travel during heavy snow storms while either going to the ski-lodge or coming home. 4wd or AWD is a necessity.
1 Like
I know it will be harder on gas but i work in construction , site are pretty much all time mud and holes
1 Like
If I remember right, the manual transmission only came on the short bed models. You sure you want such a small cargo capacity when you work construction?
Its just for tools !