Great truck for the price and value

So far I have 2500 miles on the truck and it has been a great experience. I purchased a 2002 xtra cab 4x4 with the sr5 package which includes the cd player, white faced gauges, v6 power, cruise control, bigger tires, and delay wipers. I looked at many trucks but found the build quality of the Toyota to be quite good compared to may of the other brands I looked such as the Dodge and Nissan. Going over rough roads the front independent suspension takes alot of the shock where as in the back it is a bit bouncy but not that bad. The truck heats up very quickly for those colorado winters and that is just a bonus. The Xtra cab is only big enough for smaller kids up to about 8 years old. I wouldnt even think of having an adult trying to squeeze back there.
The v6 seems to have plenty of power even with the 5spd and the bigger tires. I can get up to speed and pass on the highway with ease. I didnt go with the TRD package because I didnt feel that the truck was that different from the package I got except for the $3000 dollar difference. I didnt need power windows, locks, and the locking rear. I have got about 18 miles in the city so far per gallon and I think that will go up when the engine gets more broken in. The cd player with the 6 speaker sound system actually sounds pretty good and the brakes stop on a dime.
The only two bad things I can think of about the truck is the clunky 5 spd. It isnt very smooth going from gear to gear but that also may change with the break in period. Another would be the location of the clock. You basically have to take your eyes off the road to see what time it is because they put the clock almost right behind the steering wheel so it is very had to see.
Those are the things I basically like about the truck. It has good looks, power, and reliablity that I need. If you are looking for a smaller pickup this is the one for you. I found that nobody could beat the price of my truck through Autonation in town. I have not been able to test the 4 wheel drive as of yet and will do another review as the miles pile on.

Updated 3/21/03

My Tacoma Xtra-cab SR5 now has 8000 miles on it and running strong. We have had a blizzard in Colorado with about 40 inches of snow and the truck tracked great. This was the test of the year to see how well the four wheel drive operates. I was pleasantly suprised how nimble the truck manuvered in deep powder. I would say there was at least 30 inches of snow on the ground and I put the truck in four wheel drive low and it seemed unstoppable.

The only thing that I have noticed is the seat squeaks a bit here and there. Other than that the gas mileage has stayed the same at 18-20 miles per gallon. I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought the four door model.


Updated 11/4/03

So far now on the Toyota Tacoma I have over 15,000 miles on the truck. The gas milage has consistantly stayed the same and the motor is running smooth. About the only performance thing I have put on the truck is a reusable K and N Filter. The squeaks have disappeared mysterously disappeared from the seat from my last review. Now I have a slight squeal on my front brakes if I lightly come to a halt. Its not overbearing but just enough to let you know it is there. Its not that much of a problem yet to take it into the dealership as of yet.

I have had this truck for more than a year now and its probably one of the best purchases I have ever made. I am also using a new wax on my car called 5 star shine. It claims on not having to wax your car for 3 years and I was alittle skeptical at first but tried it. I have had it on my truck since June of this year through rain and snow and its still on the truck. It is a bit expensive but those of you who like to keep your car or truck looking great with out spending hours on waxing this is the one for you. My review is on that website as well.

Updated 6/4/2004

The Toyota has almost 23000 miles and running strong. I have had used this truck for various light duties and it is more than capable than handling the workload. Recently I have had 600 pounds of ice in the bed and barely sagged in the backend. I thought the power would get drawn away as well put I didnt feel much of a drain from the load and that was in hilly conditions. The seat occasionally still squeeks here and there but I can live with that as well as squeaky brakes here and there. Things to look for in the V6 model is the upper/lower radiator hoses as well as the area around the water neck and pump tend to leak. I got this tip from a Toyota mechanic and sure enough my upper radiator hose was leaking. Not enough to cause any damage but enough to be visible. My truck was still under warranty so they put a new hose on. So far that is all the troubles I have had so far. Will update in another year or so.


12/7/04

I have 29000 miles on the truck and so far the only problem I have had as of lately is the clutch spring was making an annoying screech every time it was pressed. I took it in to the shop because it is still under warranty and it was repaired within 4 hours. Its hard to believe a six dollar part made so much noise. The 5 spd is still as clunky as ever but I have gotten use to it. It looks like that is just the way the toyotas 5 speeds were designed from 2000-04.

I have recently saw the new body styles for the 2005 tacoma and am very impressed. The truck looks like its a few inches wider and has more horsepower, a 6 spd manual and a cool intergrated bed liner. The downside is the price. The new 2005 are about 4-5 thousand more than they were from the last year. I paid $19999 for mine in 2002 and the same truck for 2005 is $25000. If you want a toyota truck thats not over priced I would suggest the 2004 before they are gone.


4/12/2006

I am glad to say my Tacoma is at 47,000 miles and still running. So far no real problems or repairs except for standard maintainace. My dash is starting to rattle due to a factory flaw. Not sure what it is but I have a friend in the toyota business and he said it is repairable. I am about to get the radiator drained and filled and a new battery put in next year. Other than that I have had no other major maintenaince. I stopped in by the toyota dealership and the sales person said the 4x4 Toyota trucks between 2001-2004 are the hottest selling around. I can sell my truck right now for 6,000 more than what I owe. I dont know of any vehicle that can claim that except for a collector car. This is a great truck to buy. I still highly recommend it.

1/11/2007

Now on the truck I have 55,000 miles on it. I have changed the front pads on the brakes and thats probably about right for someone who drives in the city most of the time. I have also changed the fluids in the rear differential, the transmission, and the transfer case. I will change the oil in the front differential in a few more months. At 60,000 these trucks also need new plugs but will probably spring for some platnums or iridiums so I wont have to do a tuneup for a longer length of time. I have also noticed the battery having trouble with slower startups so I replaced that as well. So far everything is still running smoothly.