Recommendations on a vehicle - beach

Buying/Selling
1

Hey gang!

I’m looking for recommendations on my next vehicle.

I currently drive a 2020 Subaru Outback with 15,000 miles. I added options when I purchased it and got it at a sweet deal with 0% financing. I owe roughly 15k left.

I just moved Charleston, SC and conveniently live within walking distance to my new office.

The Subaru was purchased in 2020 as a car that will be a daily driver with quite a substantial number of miles added to it daily with commuting.

It serves a great purpose to an extent. I love the car as a city car. I love the AWD and road trip capabilities. I love the adaptive cruise control, huge 12” touch screen display, and all the electronics it has to offer.

However…

It doesn’t necessarily serve my purpose. I’m 6’3” and getting in and out can be a pain. The doors constantly need to be wiped because of dirt buildup. I have a laundry list of complaints, but my main focus is needing a “beach” car. I’m not concerned about gas mileage or needing a family car (no kids and walk everywhere). My focus is on a car that I can take my dogs to the beach and not worry how dirty it gets. It’ll be a daily driver too.

Because of that, I’ve been looking at a Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Tacoma. I’ve owned both a wrangler and truck in the past. I loved how easy the Jeep is to clean, and being in a sandy area, that’s perfect. The manual is fun to drive, and I’m not doing but 5-10 miles a day max. I’ve also owned a Tacoma. I enjoyed the truck and their engines are incredible.

With that being said, what does the community recommend?

Budget is sub 30k. I’ve been targeting 2016-2019 wranglers and Tacoma’s.

It will be a daily driver but I will not be driving much if any each day.

The main driving I do is to the grocery store, restaurants, and then wherever I take my dogs (beaches, parks, etc).

I’m tall as I mentioned before so I do miss sitting up high.

What does the community think? Let’s hear some recommendations and feedback!

Thanks

2

Stay away from the Jeep. Overpriced and unreliable.

Tacoma is fine. Anything you buy, take an extended test drive. A weekend if possible. Rent one if you have to so you don’t make the mistakes you did with the Subie.

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You’re going to pay a premium for a truck right now, whether new or used. You’re probably also going to lose financially on the Subaru, if you trade it in.

I’d live with the Subaru for a while longer, myself.

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I’d get a set of those Weather Tech rubber floor mats to catch the sand, along with one for the back area, and some covers for the back seat. A lot cheaper than replacing the car.

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Tacoma’s a good choice. If you want more room or better hauling/towing capacity, look at Tundras too - they’re close to the same price in many cases because more people want the Tacoma. I agree with @Mustangman - I wouldn’t buy a Jeep.

If taking the dogs to the beach will involve driving on the beach, might want to consider the 4x4 option. Else, if it’s an established parking lot, RWD is plenty, less to break, and often will result in a little higher weight capacity.

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You are going to take a real loss if you trade this now. House prices and used vehicle prices are really at a high level now. Used trucks are even worse .

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you didnt mention if your going to be driving on the beach. here on long island you need a permit to go on the beach. its for fishing only. not sure about your area. also you would need to have extra equipment at all times here on the beach. spare tire, jack, 12inch X12 inch board to put jack on, tow rope, shovel, tire gauge and compressor for when you air down and refill tires and of course fishing equipment.