Cars, Trucks and more..

[Linus]

So I'm nearly at a point where I'll pass my license (after 44 years without one, I've reached a point where I need one). And since K uses her car a lot for her commute, I'm contemplating getting a vehicle for myself when I'm at home and need to run errands or whatever.

I've been debating between a small car (fuel efficiency) and a small pickup (I like the idea of roominess and it'd be helpful if we go back to Canada). I'm particularly leaning towards the Toyota Tacoma (my aunt had one and the thing is a freakin' workhorse).

I figure this would be a good thread to discuss car/trucks in general as well as a place for people to get advice (buyer beware!) and ideas for mods/upgrades, etc.

[*Anya*]

My SO has a Toyota Tundra.

It is roomy and powerful enough to haul a toy hauler and Razr. I don't think it is wonderful on gas milage though but it is comfortable for long trips.

She loves it.

[MsTinkerbelly]

We have a 4door Chevy Silverado pick-up, and two Nissan Sentras.

I gotta say, for comfort and the ability to see further in traffic, you can't beat a truck. My only concern about being a newish driver, is that a truck is much different to park and drive than a car. I'm still teaching my daughter to drive our truck, and she has had her license for 2 years.

[cricket26]

i vote for the small fuel efficient car...i have a ford focus hatchback and i love it...it has plenty of room in the back to move things...i have the older model and it has 170k+ miles...but they have a newer model i have been looking at and i may have to go get one! :)

[Talon]

I've found that if you're in an urban area, the smaller the better because of parking and heavy traffic.
Now, if you live in a area w/the> "I just don't give a :bedfuck:" attitude, (as I do), I prefer a big beastly truck..plus its great for transporting motorcycles, parts...ect.

[Degotoga]

I own a Tacoma and I absolutely love it! It's small enough to get good mileage but tough enough to handle all the heavy jobs I need it to do (pulling a boat, camper, a loaded motorcycle trailer, and everything else I've tasked it with) without missing a beat. I feel comfortable loading it up for a trip to the lake or a motorcycle rally, or taking it out for a night on the town (can comfortably seat adult backseat passengers of average height). I'm on my second Tacoma simply because the first one I owned got totaled in a serious accident. They're solid trucks that will last a long time with proper maintenance. Excellent choice, in my opinion.

[Linus]

I own a Tacoma and I absolutely love it! It's small enough to get good mileage but tough enough to handle all the heavy jobs I need it to do (pulling a boat, camper, a loaded motorcycle trailer, and everything else I've tasked it with) without missing a beat. I feel comfortable loading it up for a trip to the lake or a motorcycle rally, or taking it out for a night on the town (can comfortably seat adult backseat passengers of average height). I'm on my second Tacoma simply because the first one I owned got totaled in a serious accident. They're solid trucks that will last a long time with proper maintenance. Excellent choice, in my opinion.

Is yours the doublecab? The research that I've been doing has said that the brakes are touchy but I read one place that replacing the brake pads seemed to resolve this somewhat.

And I live in L.A. (burbs) and our goal is to move to the wilds of Nova Scotia and build a small/big-than-tiny home on some acreage. One thing about this place is that parking isn't that difficult. The streets here are broad and very wide (the drivers are whacky, particularly on the 405). And they are filled with Tacomas. It's the one truck I see the most of besides the F-150s.

In the meantime, I want to see if I can build some kind of garden in the front yard and maybe even a decent shed on the side. We current rent but I suspect we'll be here for another couple of years and being able to do this stuff myself (when at home, which has been a lot lately) would be a good thing.

I admit to being partial to the Tacoma because it's not a beastie vehicle (my BIL has a Ford F-150 Crew Cab and the thing is nearly a monster truck). It strikes me as a workhorse that will just keep going and going and going... As someone who is somewhat short in stature (5'1") I like that part of it. And although family members and friends have recommended VW Wagons, Subarus and other SUVs, there's a part of me that wants a truck because... well... it's a truck! (inner kid-boy glee!)

[Degotoga]

Yes, mine is the double cab. The brakes on my first one were a little touchy at first but I can't say that the brakes were totally to blame. I haven't had any issues with my current Tacoma so I'm inclined to believe a large part of the problem was me adjusting from driving an SUV.

As you previously stated, Tacoma's are workhorses. I've had 8 large bags of mulch and 12 landscape timbers in the bed of mine at one time. If the suspension can't handle the load in the bed, I guarantee it can handle it with a trailer. I accessorized mine so it doesn't look like just a workhorse. The accessories give it a clean, sporty look when it's not meeting the challenge of a heavy task. It's a badass in disguise. :)

I looked at various small SUV's and other trucks before I bought another Tacoma and, aside from the fact that I knew firsthand that they're solid trucks, a big deciding factor was also one of the reasons I got rid of my Tahoe - you're limited on the height of things you can transport (not to mention it was a gas guzzler). I say indulge your inner kid-boy glee! I'd be really surprised if you were disappointed.

Oh, and another bonus, Toyota's across the board hold their value, so be prepared to spend a decent chunk of change, even on a used one. Holding their value is the other bonus, not the large chunk of change. Although it's money well spent, in my opinion.

[DapperButch]

Linus,

Check out www.consumerreports.org and www.edmunds.com for reviews.

If buying a used car, use www.kbb.org for prices.

MSRP is the retail for the car. Get a copy of the "invoice", what they paid for the car. Your car price should be somewhere inbetween the two. 14 years ago when I bought my car :| they said you shouldn't pay more than 1.5% above invoice. I have no idea what it is now, but Edmunds helped me a lot in terms of car buying back then.

If you are going to get a pickup truck, make sure it is 4 wheel drive.

Good luck to you.

[Degotoga]

Let me first say that I'm not trying to start anything here or be disrespectful towards you, Dapper.

Based on my experience, Linus, if you're looking for a daily commute truck, I don't recommend a 4-wheel drive. I do a LOT of highway driving so gas mileage is important to me, and when I did the math before I bought my current Tacoma, a 4-wheel drive just wasn't cost effective, for me (despite me really wanting it to be). If the transfer casing isn't used on a regular basis and/or properly maintained, repairs can quickly get costly.

If you're looking for strictly a workhorse, the terrain calls for it and/or you're not concerned with gas mileage, I wouldn't have anything but a 4-wheel drive. My truck gets good highway mileage, yet is more than capable of handling my weekend warrior activities. It has a solid suspension with good ground clearance that can handle some tricky terrain without your mileage taking a hit.

[Linus]

Let me first say that I'm not trying to start anything here or be disrespectful towards you, Dapper.

Based on my experience, Linus, if you're looking for a daily commute truck, I don't recommend a 4-wheel drive. I do a LOT of highway driving so gas mileage is important to me, and when I did the math before I bought my current Tacoma, a 4-wheel drive just wasn't cost effective, for me (despite me really wanting it to be). If the transfer casing isn't used on a regular basis and/or properly maintained, repairs can quickly get costly.

If you're looking for strictly a workhorse, the terrain calls for it and/or you're not concerned with gas mileage, I wouldn't have anything but a 4-wheel drive. My truck gets good highway mileage, yet is more than capable of handling my weekend warrior activities. It has a solid suspension with good ground clearance that can handle some tricky terrain without your mileage taking a hit.

The 4 wheel drive would be for winter driving when we move back to Canada. :)

I probably should have said in my first post that I have been doing research on places like Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Cars.com, Car and Drive and so on. And that what I am looking for was personal opinion which isn't something that those sites can readily give.

[Degotoga]

I may be a little envious now. I so wish I could justify buying a 4-wheel drive without moving to the Antarctica. Perhaps I should rethink this since I'm not a fan of the Texas heat and humidity. :thinking:

My personal opinion, there isn't a more rock solid truck for the money than the Tacoma. Yeah, it's a biased opinion, but my dad bought one after he saw and drove mine and he really likes his too.

[DapperButch]

Let me first say that I'm not trying to start anything here or be disrespectful towards you, Dapper.

Based on my experience, Linus, if you're looking for a daily commute truck, I don't recommend a 4-wheel drive. I do a LOT of highway driving so gas mileage is important to me, and when I did the math before I bought my current Tacoma, a 4-wheel drive just wasn't cost effective, for me (despite me really wanting it to be). If the transfer casing isn't used on a regular basis and/or properly maintained, repairs can quickly get costly.

If you're looking for strictly a workhorse, the terrain calls for it and/or you're not concerned with gas mileage, I wouldn't have anything but a 4-wheel drive. My truck gets good highway mileage, yet is more than capable of handling my weekend warrior activities. It has a solid suspension with good ground clearance that can handle some tricky terrain without your mileage taking a hit.

The 4 wheel drive would be for winter driving when we move back to Canada. :)



No offense taken, Degotoga. Linus said that part of the reason he would get a truck was if they moved back to Canada. This was the reason I said 4 wheel drive.

[DapperButch]

The 4 wheel drive would be for winter driving when we move back to Canada. :)

I probably should have said in my first post that I have been doing research on places like Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Cars.com, Car and Drive and so on. And that what I am looking for was personal opinion which isn't something that those sites can readily give.

If you want personal, specific reports from owners, check out this site: http://www.truedelta.com/

People list their car and then get a reminder every 3 months to update their mileage and any repairs they may have. Every 3 months I report in on my 2000 Pathfinder. All of the data comes directly from people who own the cars. It is a good place for the personal accounts you seem to be looking for.

Last comment is if you don't want a pickup truck, maybe consider a Subaru Forrester or Outback? They have been around forever and everyone loves them...they are like Hondas...owners buy them over and over again. I think it is helpful for there to be at least one 4 wheel drive vehicle in the family (crossover, SUV, or pickup), if you live where there is snowrough terrain.

Good luck. I love car shopping (I never buy, but I love to look)!

[Linus]

So.. in the end I got a 2014 Toyota Tundra 1794. It drives like a dream and is unbelievably comfortable (heated and cooled seats, for example).

http://www.thevirtualbuddha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/truck2-1024x768.jpg

http://www.thevirtualbuddha.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Truck1-1024x768.jpg

[clay]

Lookin' good there Linus! It is a great looking truck!!

[DapperButch]

Wow! Fantastic looking truck! You have some kick ass forearms too <jealous>!

[Blade]

That's a really nice ride for your first ride. Chuckles..my first ride was a '67 Firebird my parents gave me. It was a nice ride for a punk like me. The first one I bought myself was a truck and I've never had a car since.

I'm driving a Tundra myself now Linus, you'll love it.

[JDeere]

I drive a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 4 Door.

I love my truck but my dream truck is a 77 Chevrolet Cheyenne, I have wanted to do a project truck, for quite a while now.

[Kätzchen]

https://volvoreviewcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/New-2021-Polestar-1-Electric-Car-Review.jpg

[Kätzchen]

Al11089xFVk?feature=shared

I drive an Italian Fiat 500 Sport, but I enjoy admiring all kinds of cars from yesteryear. There’s some awesome cars and trucks in this video about Tucson AZ, with music by Dan Fogelberg. :balloon: