I recently decided to trade in my 2003 Toyota Tacoma on something bigger and with an automatic transmission. My old Tacoma came with a V6, manual transmission, and had four-wheel drive. In the 2.5 years that I owned it, I only used the 4x4 twice. I decided to go back to a 4x2 (two wheel drive) to lower my insurance costs and decided for the money it would be a fair tradeoff to get an automatic transmission. I decided to stick with Toyota trucks after checking out new and used Ford, Dodge, Chevy, and GMC models. You just can’t beat Toyota quality and resale value. My problem was that I was torn between the newly redesigned Tacomas and the new Tundras. After much test driving and review reading, I chose the Tacoma.
For 2005, Toyota completely redesigned the Tacoma pickup. It is bigger and better than ever before, and the price still remains relatively the same. I bought a silver Access (extended) cab model with a V6, automatic transmission, and the PreRunner SR5 package. The PreRunners are just jacked-up two wheel drive trucks with the same improved shocks that come on the 4x4 models. Basically, it looks like a 4x4. I think the non-PreRunner trucks look too low to the ground. Also, this year the Tacomas come with a 4.0L 245 horsepower V6 engine, as opposed to the 3.4L V6 from previous years. What Toyota has done with the new Tacomas is more or less take the front end of a Four Runner and put a bed on it.
The new model Tacomas just recently came out and you don’t see too many of them on the road right now. Even most dealerships only have a handful of them on the lot. When I bought mine, I test drove a similar white one, then had them bring in my silver one from another lot. This limited availability has its pros and cons. On the pro side, it is cool to have a vehicle that very few other people around have, and you’ll surely get noticed. That is, if you like that sort of thing. On the con side, limited availability and high demands means the dealer won’t come off that MSRP very much because they don’t have to. I got my dealer to throw in a bug deflector and they came off the MSRP by about $500, which to me isn’t much at all, but I did get $1,000 over the Kelly Blue Book value on my trade-in, so I was happy. I bought this new Tacoma from the same dealership and salesman as I did my old one, so I got a slightly better deal than most people would. Or at least I’d like to think so.
The outside of the Tacoma looks very different this year than from previous years, especially the front end. If you look at the front half of last year’s Four Runner, then you can get a pretty good idea of how it is designed. The front bumper is now entirely color coded to the rest of vehicle and the rear bumper comes in chrome (with the SR5 package) and the fender wells can also be color coded. The low-end model Tacomas come with all black bumpers and fender covers. I’d prefer more chrome in the front end of the truck, especially for the chance that you might bump or scrape something, but that is not an option. All in all, the new Tacoma is bigger and longer than previous models and I would not longer consider it a small truck. It isn’t quite as big as a Ford F-150 or Dodge 1500, but there are only inches difference between the new Tacoma and Toyota’s slightly larger Tundra truck.
If you thought the exterior of the new Tacoma underwent some changes, wait until you see the inside. It is like they gutted the entire thing and started over fresh. Everything is different. The seats are bigger and wider and thus more comfortable. The extended cab models are now four door in that the back panels open up for much easier access to the rear cab of the truck. This feature was long overdue. The front passenger seat also folds forward and has a tray on the back so you can haul more stuff or use it as an extra console. The rear back seats aren’t much more comfortable than the previous models, but adults really aren’t meant to ride long distances in the back of the Access cabs anyway. You’ll now have more storage under the back seat, too.
The dashboard of the new Tacoma is laid out much better than previous models, and you don’t have to look around the steering wheel to see the gauges. The stereo unit is now located on the upper part of the dash and the clock and A/C controls are underneath. For audiophiles, there are currently no replacement faceplates for the factory system, so you can’t upgrade the stereo just yet. I was very impressed with the factory CD stereo in this model and the 6-speaker system with component speakers in the doors sounds very good. I do plan to add an MP3 player later on and connect it to the back of the deck like you would a CD changer. The SR5 model trucks also come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter cover, and it feels much better than plastic or rubber on your hands.
I only have two complaints about the new interior design. First, the top part of the dashboard above the steering wheel juts out too much. If you have the steering wheel pushed all the way up, you might bang your fingers on the dash if you reach for the 12 o’clock position on the wheel. This might cause a safety problem if you suddenly grab for the wheel and your hand catches the dash instead. Second, the center console has a rubber armrest instead of a carpeted one, so your arm tends to stick to it over time. The rubber is easier to clean and will surely last longer than the carpeted one, but it isn’t quite as comfortable.
Even if you aren’t turned on by the new design of these trucks, you should at least test drive one. The performance, handling, and comfort is so greatly improved I think Toyota should have given this truck a whole new name. This is not the same Tacoma as before. The V6 has excellent acceleration from both dead stops and for passing on the highway. It runs nice and quiet, too. Even though the vehicle is bigger than previous models, it turns a lot better and the ride is much smoother than before. A friend at work said, “I bet it rides like a marshmallow,” and I have to agree. I’m still making the slow adjustment back to an automatic transmission after having driven a standard for several years, but I’m getting the hang of it. In short, this truck drives like a car, and that’s a good thing.
If you are in the market for a mid-size truck, I highly recommend that you check out the new Tacomas. For the looks and performance versus price and features on similar model trucks, I don’t think Toyota can be beat.
My review of the 2005 Toyota Tundra:
http://www.epinions.com/content_188133052036
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