Which is the better truck?

[zff]

....or.... ....or....something else???


I don't really know anything about trucks, so I'm hoping someone here can educate me. Everyone tells me Toyotas are the best, but used Toyotas are considerably more than comparable trucks from other manufacturers. Are they so much better that they justify the higher price?

From what I've seen on Craigslist, the two trucks above go for about the same price. The Nissan would be newer and have slightly fewer miles. Both are V6s, but the Nissan has a bigger engine and 75 more hp.

Given that that Nissan would be newer and way more powerful, would the Toyota still be the better purchase? Aside from the Tacoma and Frontier, what other comparable trucks are there?

My requirements are:
$15K max
Reliable
Decent HP
Seats 4 adults in reasonable comfort
Not full-size
Not 4wd

[Act162this]

just my .02 from experience w/ both Nissans and Toyotas -although i don't own either a Taco or Frontier myself -

my nissan (maxima) and others in our maxima club had nothing but problems with our maximas. The Titan, while popular, is one of the worst-rated trucks on the market (i think the only thing rated nearly as poorly was the Dodge Ram).

my friend's Nissan Hardbody (the model before the Frontier) gave him nothing but trouble, from the timing chain breaking, 4WD system going out, tranny breaking, poor brakes, all kinds of electrical troubles, and leaks, it was just the definition of POS beater.

our friends with Tacos (model pictured) have nothing but praise for their trucks, haven't had any major expenses or repairs other than consumables (brakes, oil changes, tires, etc...).

Toys do tend to keep their resale value as well, hence, the higher resale value.

Unless you really, really need that extra 75 hp for hauling/towing, you probably won't even miss it. I've never heard anyone with a V6 Taco complain about being lacking in the power dept unless they were really just looking for a LOT more power - at which point, most traded up for the v8 iForce tundras or put a TRD s/c on it.

after going through all kinds of troubles with my maxima from the day i bought it new, i don't think i would purchase another nissan product anytime soon (except a GT-R, if i could afford it and actually thought i'd get up the guts to drive it).

[Act162this]

oh, we used to have a 3G 2WD T4R, similar model and motor to the taco pictured, and it was pretty much solid. used to haul hundreds of pounds of sound equipment, construction stuff, or whatever, and it never complained going over the Pali, on the freeway, etc...

if we didn't trade it in to get my wife her new T4R back in '06, i'd still be driving it.

the thing was mech. sound, but the paint was faded and peeling, and we still got a good trade-in value for it (way more than i expected).

found it driving around once, and found out that toyota sold it for quite a bit more than they paid for it. they just repainted the hood and roof, took off the lava lining on the bumpers and rockers, and sold it as is for a nice profit. they do tend to hold their resale value, even if they're almost 10 years old.

[zff]

I've had similar experiences. I had a '90 300ZX that broke down all the time. I also had an '83 Celica that I abused and it ran like a champ.

I like the Tacoma, but that's mostly because of that episode of Top Gear where they tried to destroy a Hilux and couldn't.

[Act162this]

ah, i was thinking of the TG episode when i saw this post. iirc, they sank it in the ocean and it almost broke free and floated away, but the kicker was blowing it up.

[Act162this]

i have wanted to blow up the @#$#$ maxima on more than one occasion.

[rlranger]

when it came for me to buy a new truck it came down to a 06 tacoma and the 06 frontier, it was pretty even for me between the 2 but i went with the frontier because 1) it had the smallest bed "hey ranger im moving and i need help moving my couch to the new place can you help, NO my truck to small" and 2) it had the most room in the cab

i haven't had any real problems except the fan belt otherwise its serve me well

[Act162this]

oh, good point.

never thought about the friends calling me up to use the truck thing - my rationale was solely work-related (had to be a crew cab for the family, yet still be able to carry a 4x8 plyboard in the bed).

that, and anything my wife could drive, she might decide to liberate from my possession like what used to be my new T4R. i figured if i got something she'd be afraid to drive, i might be able to keep it for myself...

[zff]

The new models are really tempting. The 2005+ Tacoma seems to get univeral stellar reviews from just about everyone, but I think it's a little too big for me.

My driveway is wide enough that I can park my truck off to the side and not block in my cars. But my driveway is shorter on that side, so if I park my truck there, it sticks out and blocks the sidewalk. So what I do is park further up the driveway so I'm actually on the side of my house, between my garage and the neighbor's stone wall.

I don't want to block the sidewalk because it forces the first grader aged kids in my neighborhood to wander into the street. The space on the side of my house is 77" wide. My Mazda is 70" wide, so it's easy. A current-gen Tacoma is 75" wide, so I don't really want to deal with that squeeze every time I park. I also don't want to park it on the street or have to block one of my cars. The 05+ Frontier is 74" wide, so while it's still a squeeze, at least it's slightly more managable.

What ever happened to compact trucks? The Ranger is the only one left, and Ford already said they were gonna discontinue it. The Tacoma and Frontier are mid-sized now, and the mid-sized ones are like full-sized ones now. I wish there were more compact trucks to choose from.

[Act162this]

yeah - the new taco is actually pretty big - relative to the previous model. i think it's the same with the T4R - my wife's 4G seems to be much wider than her 3G. parking in tight spaces is a little harder, and the turning radius is a bit worse which also makes parking more difficult, but other than that, it rides better, carries much more, and has more creature comforts.

[Outsider]

That's true about the compact trucks turning into mid-sized. On top of that parking spaces all over the place seem to be getting smaller, especially in town. Last Toyota pickup I had was an '86. Good, reliable, and most importantly, brainless...no computer. Fixable by any half-decent backyard mechanic.

The quality of local compact trucks in craigslist has gone down, and the prices up. I scored a couple of good trucks over the years just by asking, or leaving a note on it. Back then it was more about looks. But nowadays looks/cleanliness according to age tells a lot about the owner. If you see a nice older, any kind of car/truck...9 out of 10 times it belongs to somebody's grandpa. Most likely a one-owner, and well maintained. That's what I would go after. All they're gonna do is either laugh at your offer (not in a sarcastic way), or say...yes. If they laugh, it's more likely because they're flattered and took it as a compliment.

[Act162this]

even the full-sized trucks are getting bigger and bigger. the tacos now are like the T-100 or 1G Tundra, and the tundras now are just really big. i don't think they'll even fit into a parking garage unless you get the base 2WD version.

i'm still considering a used truck, maybe a 4WD 1500, maybe the F-150, or last choice would be Tundra. has to be crewcab, and space enough for materials, tools, etc... (i say used because they're a little smaller than the monsters they're putting out now - i can't see driving the full-sized new truck on the narrow side streets we have to go on).

[zff]

Yup, seriously, the new Tundras are monsters. They look like full ton trucks. This is only what, the 2nd gen Tundra? Man, what are the 3rd and 4th gens gonna look like?

[zff]

I've been doing a lot of reading on trucks in the last few days, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna buy a Toyota. It's what I wanted the whole time anyway. I should just buy the truck I want and be satisfied, rather than buy something else and always wonder if I should've bought a Tacoma.

Time to hit up Craigslist.

[spider_monkey52]

Originally Posted by zff

I've had similar experiences. I had a '90 300ZX that broke down all the time. I also had an '83 Celica that I abused and it ran like a champ.

I like the Tacoma, but that's mostly because of that episode of Top Gear where they tried to destroy a Hilux and couldn't.

i want a 300zx so bad lol favorite obtainable import ever.

as for the trucks although i'm a nissan lover i prefer the toyota. if it went down to tundra vs titan though, i would be split down the middle

[Act162this]

Originally Posted by spider_monkey52

i want a 300zx so bad lol favorite obtainable import ever.

as for the trucks although i'm a nissan lover i prefer the toyota. if it went down to tundra vs titan though, i would be split down the middle

although the tundras of both generations had their share of problems (various TSBs) i suspect that the overall reliability is still better than the titan - their reliability ratings are about as bad as the Dodge Rams.

the titan does have a decent motor, though, and the offroad package, iirc, has more standard off-road type equipment than the toyotas w/ the TRD or offroad packages.

i don't think the titan comes w/ a full-sized bed, though - they sacrificed bed space for more crew cab space. the tundra's short bed i think is still bigger than the standard titan bed. if you put a tool box on the titan, that's almost 1/3 of the bed right there.

[zff]

Geez, I always do this to myself. I didn't really want a 05+ generation Tacoma because of the size and the fact that I would end up trashing it, but I've been reading about them. They sure sound like pretty awesome trucks.

The X-Runner sounds like a pretty cool truck too. I like the idea of a truck with a 6-spd stick and good handling, but that boy-racer bodykit kills me. I would be REALLY tempted to get one if they made one w/o the bodykit.

[spike]

I vote the older taco over the newer nissan. My 06 altima is a fricken nightmare in terms of wiring, that and nissans in general just aren't very nice to work on. It's almost as if nissan put zero thought into how people will work on the engine while its in the car.

Toyotas though, as much as personally dislike most of them (certain older models being an exception), are way nicer to work on. The placement of everything just makes sense.

[Udrivecrap]

despite earlier troubles with the colorado/canyon.. we bought a new isuzu i-370 in 08. so far its been really good and has 42,xxx miles on it. the only issue i have is a rough start in the mornings, probably related to the spark plugs because i noticed it from new and it progressively got more evident over the past 3 years.

its a inline 5 cylinder that gives 249 torque and 249 hp. i've towed a trailer with a car on it and it feels like a full size chevy.

you can probably find one way cheaper than a toyota. mine has all the comforts like ABS and traction control.

[Outsider]

When it really comes down to it, it's pretty much luck-of-the-draw. Every make/model has it's "lemons". Been lucky so far: on car #26 now...no lemons. If you buy used, person-to-person is probably the best (for me at least). If you're able to go to that person's house, just looking at/around the house, the upkeep/maintenance, any junk laying around, if the garage is organized/well-kept...tells a LOT about the owner. Which speaks volumes about the car. Doesn't mean the car isn't a lemon, but with a little luck, and a solid owner...it increases the chance of getting a good one. Or you can go to a dealership and take your chances (I only did that once, and still caught a good one). Either way, it's always a gamble. So just go after what you want...just gotta watch for the little details/hints.

[ArchangelX]

#26? Wow. LOL..


I honestly haven't got a clue about this, but I love Trucks that look badazz...saw one recently that was black, had some killer wheels and had a carbon fiber hood of some sorts. Thing looked absolutely stealth.

[Udrivecrap]

Originally Posted by ArchangelX

#26? Wow. LOL..


I honestly haven't got a clue about this, but I love Trucks that look badazz...saw one recently that was black, had some killer wheels and had a carbon fiber hood of some sorts. Thing looked absolutely stealth.

yeah, nice trucks are cool.

i could be wrong, but i've noticed over a decade or so, its not so much which truck is better than the other because all manufacturers have their recalls or defects to some extent. it doesn't seem so much in the mechanical areas as it is in the electronic areas. sure there are some suspensions that fail because of design and what not but the drivetrains seems stable across the board even on the newer technological advance engines, of previous designs.

honestly, unless its just CRAP. its a machine. any machine will require maintenance and wear to the point it breaks. what i also concern myself with when shopping for vehicles is the reputation (as the poster is inquiring about) and the cost of repairs which is often not thought of.

for example, our volvo was so expensive i sold it because of a broken tail light. i refused to pay $240 for a lens.

buy american and be done with it! LOL

[zff]

Originally Posted by Udrivecrap

its a inline 5 cylinder that gives 249 torque and 249 hp. i've towed a trailer with a car on it and it feels like a full size chevy.

FIVE cylinder?

[Act162this]

yup.

IIRC, it really is a five cylinder.

[Act162this]

Originally Posted by spike

I vote the older taco over the newer nissan. My 06 altima is a fricken nightmare in terms of wiring, that and nissans in general just aren't very nice to work on. It's almost as if nissan put zero thought into how people will work on the engine while its in the car.

Toyotas though, as much as personally dislike most of them (certain older models being an exception), are way nicer to work on. The placement of everything just makes sense.

ah, forgot about that one. the 300zx TT, iirc, is famous for being a nightmare to work on.

my maxima wasn't all that easy or convenient to work on, either.

our old T4R and even my wife's 4G T4R are rather nice, though... oil filter easily accessible, everything w/in reach, not so bad.

the sienna, on the other hand... not as convenient, but probably still better than the Quest by comparison.