2nd gen vs 3rd gen

Hello all,

I recently sold my 2010 Dcsb 4x4 sport to put towards an investment home I purchased ( To a fellow Tacomaworldian). Im looking online for the specific: Preowned 4x4 CrewCab. 3rd gens are going for 30k-34k (plus tax and dealer fees). I like the fact of the 3rd gen with updated cleaner modern look, and added tech. However the 2nd gens are going a little cheaper, but still in the 23k-26k range(plus tax and dealer fees) . My area does not have alot of active private 3rd gens with the features i want.

My question is, would you regret spending 6-8k less for a 2015 with less features and outdated look? Or regret not putting more for a 2016+ for updated look and features? I plan to keep my truck for 5+years since my last Taco never failed me!

 

Depending on miles I think the 2nd gen is a far more capable truck from a power train stand point. Depending on your use for the truck however going newer may be a mute point and the way to go, however id skip over the 2016 and go from there if I were to go 3rd gen.

 

2nd gen, considering the 3rd gen isn’t much of an upgrade. Only 2nd gens I’d avoid are 05/06

 

I went from a 2nd gen to a 3rd gen and have no real complaints with the shift. I mostly went with 3rd gen because I wanted a new truck with a clean slate. Here's my short / top of mind list of pros/cons of my jump from a 2011 TRD Off Road to a 2018 TRD Off Road w/ Tech Package

Pros:
- Power sliding rear window
- Dual climate control
- Better radio
- Better tailgate (controlled lowering)
- Access to newer mods (as companies shift focus)
- 3rd gen has slightly more power
- More safety tech (although I have lane departure warning disabled)
- More control over the truck's settings through the radio
- Adaptive cruise control (very nice convenience)
- Keyless entry
- Bed lights

Cons:
- Scrapping my 2nd gen mods that were no longer compatible (Upside, gave me a fresh start)
- 2nd gen has more proven reliability
- 1 3rd gen recall in 2 years (Had none on my 2nd gen in the 6 years I had it)
- Sometimes Toyota Safety Sense falsely triggers a brake alert (although better to be safe than sorry)

Neutral:
- Transmission feels a bit different
- Sunroof optional
- Leather seats
- Multi-terrain select / Crawl control (neutral because I have not used them yet)
- 300 lbs more towing capacity with 3rd gen

Choice is yours and I don't think you can truly go wrong either way. Both 2nd gen and 3rd gen are great solid trucks. I would agree that the 2016 as a first year of a new gen is probably best avoided if you can, even though I havent heard of many issues.

 

I wouldn’t spend the extra money on a 3rd Gen.
Unless it were a really good deal on a 2018+.
16’-17’ had some issues with timing cover leaks. And it’s a HUGE job.
And expensive if you have someone else do it.

If you tow, you’ll also need to keep the engine higher in the RPM range.
Not that the 4.0 is a lot better, but it seemed to be a bit better on the “bottom end”.


FWIW, I’ve only ever driven a 2016, and some say they remapped the Trans Shift points.
Unless you used the ECT Buffon, the 3rd Gen was “annoying”.
I’m waiting to see what the 4th has to offer.
And at that, I’ll likely wait 2-3 years and see how it does.
Hopefully my 2nd last that long. I sure do like my truck.
I hate thinking about the day I’ll have to get ride of her.

 

I could have gone with a third gen but purposely went with a 2nd gen because i don't like the 'upgraded cleaner modern look' plus I wanted to 4.0 engine and an access cab with manual transmission. If you're going to spend that much money may as well be happy with it.. right!

 

I mean, it's a pretty substantial upgrade as far as safety, tech, and interior.

 

Just my opinion but that stuff alone isn’t enough. it lacks power, drum brakes, not geared properly

 

IDK man, never had an issue with power and I'm running 285s. The power is higher in the revs, but it's definitely there. Personally, the additional airbags are enough for me. I was in a real bad accident in my first 3rd gen and walked away with a scratched knuckle.

 

Same here. I don’t like the ‘upgraded cleaner modern look‘ of the 3rd gen. Its interior is nice though but I just love the look of 12-15 2nd gen.

 

I would rather have a late model 2nd that was well taken care of over a new or used 3rd gen. I saw about 5 used 3rd gens on a lot today, they all looked nice, most looked to be OR. I can only imagine what ridiculous price they may have been asking for them. Then later in the day I saw 2 new Rangers, 1 super crew STX sport 4x4, and 1 super cab Lariat 4x4. The 3rd gen and new Ranger basically have the same lines in the sheet metal, but after seeing these ridiculous used 3rd gen prices, the Ranger is looking better.

 

I guess it depends what you want out of the truck. To me, the 2nd Gen was a hard "no." But that's because I hated the styling of them. The 3rd Gen has crawl control, which the 2nd gen does not offer. I believe it still offers a locking diff though. The 3rd Gen has more HP, but is geared for MPG so a lot of people claim the engine isn't as powerful without actually understanding the actual reason why. Resale value on these is ridiculous right now, but they have a good reputation about them. I'd go 3rd Gen.

 

I plan on driving my 2nd gen into the ground.

3rd gen just feels like a facelift. No thanks. They couldn’t even be bothered to put CarPlay in it before this model year. Toyota....

 

Buy a 2nd gen. all those so called features on the 3rd gen. are going too cost a fortune to repair or replace later on.

 

I bought this today. It was cheap locally owned since new, complete service history, no rust two owners, needs a good cleaning detail. Less than 100 k miles

who cares what other people think opinions are like a holes and there’s plenty of a holes here. Gen 2 is affordable proven tech and I saved enough coin to do a ton of upgrades.

 

Might get different opinions in a different sub forum.

 

Thanks all

 

l personally would go with a 2nd Gen. l don't need, or want all that new tech. Just more to go wrong.

The 2nd Gen is more capable and reliable in my opinion.

 

I have personally owned four Tacoma's - 07, 09, 16, then 15 (in that order). Having owned a third gen, then going back to second gen I can say i like the 2nd gen better. I don't like having to rev the engine so high to get power (third gen). I also like the exterior better (although the third gen has the waaaay better interior). My third get was a piece of junk - had several flaws Toyota could never fix (however, I did have an early '16 - right after the redesign, so I do think my issues were unique. However, I had EVERY issue a 2016 could have. Had to get rid of it when the warranty ran out).

 

Does anyone know if there is a market for the 2nd gen 4 door 4x4 with a manual transmission?