Buying a 1997 Tacoma - Right Call?

Thank you for the opinions. I don't plan to go off-roading or crush any jeep trails

The one thing that concerns me is the 2.4L. Saw this comment earlier, which has me wondering. Does anyone have a 2.4L 4 cylinder that they can speak to? I've done some searches here to try to find out more about that engine as well, but haven't turned up much.

"I have a 97 Taco 2.4L and it has no balls at all. I can't even get out of my own way half the time."

 

With only 4 cylinders, your not driving with power. I bought mine for reliability and fuel mileage when I was commuting 120 miles a day. At 29 mpg all day long and any season I'm happy and plan on passing it on to my kid next year.

But don't plan on using the back seat for passengers. Just not enough room if it's the extra cab.

 

Yeah, it's all opinion, right? You're on the 2.4L?

 

Yes. 2.4
As stated, low power but enough for what I use it for.

It would do 75 on road but mileage goes down for me over 70. 65 is speed limit here so doesn't really effect me.

 

Do you ever have any issues getting it up to speed on the highway? 70-75?

 

It will do it no problem but my mileage suffers above 70.

 

Beings its a 5lugger you have to look at it more like a car not a pickup. I bet your neon would totally smoke that tacoma off the line. Beings its an auto too that will make it a bit more gutless than if it were a 5 speed... in the world of tacomas that truck is the very most least desired out of all the first gens. Another thing, people dont reall fit in the back of those things, just dogs and little kids and they're uncomfortable too haha.

 

That's what I'm coming to find out It's the lowest model offered as far as I can tell.

That said, if it is essentially a car with decent gas mileage, insane reliability, and room for weirdly sized objects in the back (dressers, boards, tents) then it would probably be solid for me.

This is my first Tacoma and I don't want to make a $7,000ish dollar mistake when it turns out that this kind of Tacoma isn't THE Tacoma that everyone talks about when they praise them so highly.

Edit: It's a standard cab also. When I talk about putting people in the back, I mean the bed

 

Ridgline001,
I'm a little confused here. According to your truck description, you have a 2014 model.
According to Wikipedia, those models didn't come with the 142hp 2.4 L motor.
They came with a completely re-designed 159hp 2.7 L motor for the 4-banger option.

Do you also have a 1st gen?

 

I have a 2014 stated in my profile and 1996 2wd xtracab 4 banger.

2014 is a 6

 

I wouldnt pay almost double book value either, theres a reason it has such a low book value even at that low mileage...that and people way overpay for these things all the time, driving the price up it seems...

 

That's starting to sound more and more like the case, rather than "buy it now". Seems it's worth more like $5k.

With such low mileage I also wonder if it was sitting around a lot. I know that can be a problem.

 

Yeah...now if it were a reg cab 2.7 4x4, then yes it would be a "buy it now" fur sure. But the 5luggers are just a whole different breed of tacoma...
With that said though if it truly fits what you need then it might be a good fit for you. 7K is still too steep though id say...i really think youd dislike the power too. I have 2 2.7's and wish i had more power every damn time i drive em!!

 

If the truck fits your needs (only you can figure that out) and a pre purchase professional mechanical inspection checked out, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, just not at the asking price.

Highly unlikely to find another 20 yr vehicle with 3 years of mileage on it. Essentially like a certified used model. I mean think about it. Where else are you going to buy a vehicle that should easily give you 200k trouble free miles for that kind of money?

 

Gotcha. Thanx for clearing that up.

 

I wouldn't worry about going from a 99 to a 97. I just traded in a 2015 Tacoma for a 2003 Tacoma. Tried it, didn't like it, went back to what I love.

 

It won't be a speed demon, it won't haul a 20 foot boat, and it won't go off-road well, but what it should do is get you from point A to point B flawlessly for years, get decent mpg, and if you need to haul a little bit of gear it will do that too.

$7000 is a little steep, but I wouldn't hesitate to get the truck if you can talk them down.

 

I too went from a 2006 v6 prerunner 2wd (totaled in accident) to a 2000 v6 trd 4x4 xtra cab. its pure awesomeness.

maybe if you talk them down a couple k, you can put a proper lift on it with some better suspension parts and tires .

And im sure if anyone said they have issues uphill with their 2.4s, its because the truck was either improperly maintained, or they werere climbing an extremely steep hill. Dont worry, the 2.4 isn't as weak of a motor as you may think. You'll be fine ao long as it's tuned properly.

 

1st gens were built better and are arguably tougher than 2nd gens. I've had both so I say this from experience. But you can't go wrong with either, both are very reliable trucks. The 2.7 in the 2nd gen is quite a bit better than the 2.7 in the 1st gen if you want a 4 cylinder truck. It has variable valve timing and has a good bit more horsepower because of that. If you want a V6, both the 3.4 in the 1st gen and 4.0 in the 2nd gen are tough to beat. Only real downside to the 3.4 is it has a timing belt where the 4.0 has a timing chain. Timing belts need to be changed out every 90k miles. Any of the 4 cylinder engines will have timing chains so you can't go wrong with any of them.

A 5 lug with an automatic will be slow, but reliable as all get go. I'd wager to bet those little trucks are even more reliable than the 6 lugs being that they have way less things to break or go wrong in them than a 4x4. Driven properly, they can hit 25-27mpg easily and wont cost much to insure. If you have a 4x4, your insurance rate climbs instantly. I'm guessing you live in a warm weather state? If you don't get snow, and have no intention of leaving the pavement, you don't even need a 4x4.

 

Hello @botounami, I think that 1997 Tacoma would serve you well. The 2.4L is not fast but it will have no trouble doing 75 MPH on the freeway with a load in the bed. I used to have a 1997 Ford Ranger 4 cylinder that had 44 less horsepower than the Toyota 2.4L, even that truck could do 75 on the freeway with a load, as long as it wasn't uphill.

Camping is no problem either, a 5 lug Tacoma has more ground clearance than a sedan. This forum is heavily biased toward 4X4 and there are a lot of people who think you will perish if you leave asphalt without 4X4, lockers and 3,000 lbs of expedition gear. I can tell you are smart enough to know that snow, mud, steep inclines and large obstacles would be a problem for a 2wd truck but dry relatively smooth dirt roads would not.

The 2.4L and closely related 2.7L are about the toughest engines Toyota or any other manufacturer have ever made. Maintenance is simple, parts are cheap, and a 1st gen Tacoma is built like a brick shit-house. The only weakness to be concerned about is frame rust. Some surface rust is normal, but the frame needs to be carefully examined for perforation. That 7K asking price may be completely fair if the truck is in excellent condition with a clean title and no rust. Where I live, 1st gen Tacomas in decent shape with low miles can be pricey, even if 2wd. Best of luck!