I was planning to wait until this time next year to sell my Jeep and pick up a Taco. I was initially thinking 01 - 04 due to price, but the 4wd double cabs still seem to be pretty spendy. I test drove (shouldnt have because now i want it) an 07 double cab TRD and like it, but they are obviously more money.

Are the 01-04's built better or worse than the 05 and newer tacomas?

I would just like some opinions.

Oh, and I am also interested in a 98+ 4 runner, but know the mechanicals are shared with the Tacomas so I wont go into the tacoma vs 4 runner battle.

Thanks.

 

The 05 and newer i think are more comfortable inside. They are a bit wider and the inside look alot more modern. The 01-04s are great but a bit more primitive although mine has enough creature comforts for me; and you cant beat the 3.4l engine. the 4.0l is great and has lots of power but it isnt as "tried and true" as the 3.4l. I'd get the 01-04 if it were me...

 

OP, just know you cant get a 5speed in an 01-04 double cab.


Other then that my vote is also for 01-04, I like the first gen taco body style alot more.

 

Yea, an auto is a must for the wife as she would drive it too.

I wasnt sure how the powertrain's compared. I know the 3.4 is a good engine, but dont know too much about the 4.0. I think the trannys are different too as the one I drove had a 5 speed auto and the olders have a 4? I remember wheeling a few years back and a guy had a lifted 05 and snapped and axle in the snow, wasnt too impressed with that.

I would agree that the 05+ are a lot bigger, especially the double cab long bed. Thing was huge compared to my neighbors 03 double cab.

 

The 4.0 and 5 speed auto is a sweet combo. 236HP vs 190 in the 3.4 They are quite a bit wider and more comfortable inside. My 06 Taco was a lot quieter on the highway than the earlier ones.

 

I think the 01-04's are superior.

rant on/
IMO '95.5-04 Tacoma's are the LAST reliable and best quality built compact PU that Toyota has ever produced. It's unfortunate knowing they are gone now...just like the 4runner.

The 05+ Tacomas look "nicer" and are a lot bigger but...
For me the biggest issue is all the problems and complaints that ordinary owners have which is nothing compared to the previous generation. There's endless reports of both the 6spd and auto transmissions failing to shift properly. Very cheap quality interior plastics/moldings. Rattling noises and/or vibrations from suspension -fixed by installing rubber washers/buffers between parts?? HVAC performance suffers. Traction control losing all functions. Wind hiss coming through door seals. and more.

Like anything else, 30~ years ago a garden hose reel, can opener, or a kids Tonka toy was built with pride in the USA. Many still exist and see continued use today. Now these products (nearly everything you own) have been outsourced and made in China, Taiwan, and Mexico.

I bought a Toyota because it was built and assembled IN Japan. It's 13 years old with zero problems.
But now it's normal/common for current models to throw dummy lights and have all kinds of problems. Don't know about you but spending $16-30k on a new vehicle shouldn't have any problems within a year or two.

Toyota's are still designed in Japan but many built and assembled in Mexico and the US. Very pathetic! You buy foreign/Japan for reason, only to have it made here and elsewhere. Sad!

You might as well buy domestic.

The main thing I love about the 05+ Tacomas, 03+ 4runners, and 07+ FJ's is the 4.0 engine. I think it's safe to say it's a powerhouse V6 with enough years of proven reliability. But the same can be said for the 4.0 that Ford came out with more than a decade ago.

/off

 

Love my 2002...I wish it was a double cab. If i did for the most part it would be a long time before i consider another truck. I hope to see a 2005+ Taco in my furture.

 

So far this is my 2nd double cab. All I can say, awesome truck! I dont have any space issues, I'm pretty short. The 04 gets a lot better fuel mileage compared to the 02.

The only issue with my double cabs are the crappy leaf-springs. They are pathetic.

 

TTTTT

 

Sorry. It's fixed.

 

Ohhh, Well I guess I was wrong too..

 

No complaints about my 03 DC TRD 4wd Tacoma. I have two friends that have post 05's and they're not nearly as solid, in my opinion. I suppose it depends on if you're gonna wheel the thing. If it's gonna stay on the road, the width and "car-ness" of the 05+ wouldn't be an issue, but if you're gonna wheel it, I think you should look for a 01-04.

 

Definitely the 01-04 Tacos.
They are built way better than the newer tacomas. If you look at the stock specs only its clear, the 01-04s have better ground clearance (12in compared to 9.3), Shorter wheelbase (121.9in compared to 127.4), and narrower wheel track for fitting in tighter spots on the trails (57.5in compared to 63.0). I go off roading with my buddy who has an 06 taco crew cab TRD 4x4 all stock. I have an 04 Taco ext cab TRD 4x4 all stock. I always make it much farther than him on tough trails. His also has less miles (<40k) and has been in the shop already for a alternator problem. I wheel mine more often than him and I have had no problems with my truck.

But it also depends on what you want to do with the truck. The newer tacomas do have a more powerful engine, better creature comforts, Better tow ratings, and more cargo space. Some say they look better too... more modern i guess. But, IMO I love the 01-04 style much better.

I would never swap my 04 for a new gen taco. Period.

Here's where I got my numbers from:
04 Taco Specs - http://www.trdoffroad.com/articles/pdf/04_tacoma.pdf

09 Taco Specs - http://www.toyota.com/tacoma/specs.html

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Still dont know what I want to do. Pre 05 taco double cabs are hard to find and go for a premium it seems.

There's an 01 DC SR5 on CL with 120k, new H20 pump and timing belt for $13k, KBB it and he is about $3k too high, especially considering the economy.

 

go 4 it. talk the guy down. new tacos suck, imo

 

I had an '05 Taco TRD DC. I loved the power and room. It was a little too small for my family of 5...a family of 4 it would be awesome. It towed OK as long as the trailer had electric brakes. Off road it was too big for a lot of the trails I like. Did some damage like this to it:


So I ended up getting my trekker.
Traded the Tacoma in for a Tahoe since we needed room for 6+

If I were looking for a truck to serve as a DD and wheeler, did not need to tow a lot and had little kids I would opt for a 01-04 Tacoma. They hold their value, once reason I ended up with the '05, for only a couple of grand more I got the '05 new...

He probably owes at least that on it...

 

a neighbor of mine works for toyota dealership i parts for 10+ years and he says the 3.4 tacos and runners are far superior and better built than the newer ones. he sees alot of failures and warranty work on them too.

 

Intresting perspective. However I believe many of the 95-04 Tacos were built in the US. Pretty sure mine was made in Ky (its a 99) and has 130k trouble free miles. So I dont really think it has so much to do with where its built, but more with who is doing the most management of the plant. As Toyota builds more plants in the states, there are bound to be more and more US management migrating from the crumbling big three. And I imagine they will try and implement many of the same practices that drove quality down the tubes in detroit. But like I said...many of the earlier US built Toyotas are just as reliable as anything coming across the pond.

On the power issue, I would say its pretty even. 40hp more but the new style has got to be a good bit heavier.

 

There is a reason why I got a 01-04 instead of a 05+; here are my main arguments and experiences:

My best friend has totaled a 2005 TRD SR5 Xcab and is now working on destroying a 2008 TRD SR5 X cab taco.
I'll never forget the first day he had the 2008, five minutes after getting it from his parents:
He went to go plug his radar detector in, only to change his mind about what 12v outlet to use. As he removed the plug the WHOLE outlet came out with the plug for the radar detector!!! Made in Mexico indeed.

My roommate at school last year had an 08 TRD Prerunner. Last winter she placed a whopping 400 pounds of sand bags in the truck bed for better adverse weather traction. Well come March her back end had sagged out so bad that her leafs had gone from a “U” shape into a “W” shape! And the truck had a grand total of 12,000 miles on it. Findlay (worst Toyota stealership ever!) Toyota in Flagstaff, AZ told her that the sand bags wore out the leaf springs, which aren’t designed to handle sustained loads like that. AKA you ruined your leafs with 400 pounds of cargo in a truck that is rated to carry more than half a ton. (1350#) Therefore, since according to the dealer she wasn’t using her truck in a manner it was designed to be used, the leafs WERE NOT covered under warranty. OMG Fail.

Thankfully Big two Toyota in Phoenix took care of her under warranty, as they realized the how lame it was the that leafs failed so quickly. Yet, they too confirmed that the ’05-and-up’ taco leafs are designed for NO LOAD in the bed.

Then there is the whole bed-rail tie down system. Toyota really dropped the ball here with this so-called innovation. Just try and strap down a dirt bike and you will see the things bend in all kinds of ways. Forget about keeping your bike snugged down in your bed too. No matter how tight you get the tie-downs, the bed flexing will still allow the bike to move around enough to make you concerned for your toys.

Having spent many hours driving both the ‘05-and-up’ tacos versus mine, I have to say that I feel like I’m in a car when I’m driving the current generation. Everything from the monster hood (I’m 6’1” so it’s not me) to electronic drive selection switch just screams epic fail to me. I’ll take my mechanical drive select any day over some switch, with a lever you KNOW what drive you're in. And don’t even get me started about what an epic fail the plastic bed is.

Let’s talk about working on the trucks for a second:
Doing the gray wire mod on my truck: 5 minutes.
Doing the gray wire mod on an 08: I can’t even find the correct relay (for the gray wire mod) in any store in Colorado, so that would be five years and counting… (Yes; I know I can get the relay online, but it’s not for my truck, ergo not my problem.) Furthermore, I’m told that the 1GR-FE engines (the 4.0’s) can’t be re-sleeved if you somehow manage to ruin a cylinder bore. The sleeves are encased in the iron block and they cannot be removed. Again; epic fail. In the opinion of every Toyota tech I’ve talked to the 3.4’s are much more bombproof and considered to be an all around better motor than the “four-point-blows.”

So everyone says the ’05-and-up’ taco are faster. I say BS.
I can walk away from my buddy’s 08 taco with my 02. We’re both sporting AEM cold airs and Flow master mufflers. Power to weight, and a manual tranny… and I’ve got a supercharger build planned too…

I could go on for hours with this, I’ve just conveyed a few of my major gripes here.

Honestly man, I’d call the 2005+ tacos Toyota’s version of the Chevy el Camino. They may look like a truck; but they’re really just a glorified odd-looking car, without the potential to be a fire-breathing-tire-toasting-slam-you-in-your-seat V8.

If you gave me $30k and said get any taco you wanted, I’d go find me a 2004 or so that was babied and spend all the money I saved on some choice aftermarket goodies. Supercharger w/ URD goodies, some OME suspension, spray in bed-liner, and some armor sound pretty good to me.

In conclusion, and I can’t believe that I’m about to say this: [read: I LOVE MY TACO, I’m just not a fan of the new ones…]

If you want a NEW truck, look at one of the new Nissan Frontiers, 261HP(more power, torque and payload), Dana 44 out back (a man’s axle), a metal bed and bed rail system (comes with a spray in liner), and a better warranty.

Concisely: 01-04 any day over an 2005+ Now if you could somehow get a 3.0L diesel Hilux from Europe, we might have a choice to make here…
Mmm…diesel…

Just my two cents.

 

I like the 1st gen tacomas so much more than the big and bulky 05+ ones... They completly ruined the small pickup class by making them so big and Ugly... I would never consider buying a newer Taco.. Its really kind of Sad.. Good thing the older tacos last forever!!!