F150 to Tacoma

Hello all,

I am contemplating a 24 Tacoma, I have driven an F150 since 2005 and get a new one typically every two years.
I currently drive a 21 lariat with a 3" lift with 34" tires. 3.5 ecoboost 4x4
I rarely tow but do carry materials often. I carry a ladder for work, but other than that I use it as a daily driver. I drive roughly 40k miles per year.

I'm getting frustrated with the amount of recalls, sync system is constantly crashing and rebooting. The cost of the trucks are getting more expensive yet build quality is going down.

I really like the TRD PRO, haven't seen it in person but I see the earlier modles rolling around leveled or lifted a bit with wheels and tires and I love them.

Has anyone gone from a 150 or 1500 size truck to a Tacoma? If so do you feel that you needed the 1500?

What were the positives going to the Tacoma?

thank you for your time

 

I went from an F-150 to a Tacoma in 2019. The Tacoma seating position was different sitting more like a sedan though they say the 4th is more truck like. Sometimes I wish there was more space on the inside. I have a small trailer and a 18 ft boat that I have towed with no problem though never farther than 60 miles on flat ground, hauling definitely have no problem other than the smaller bed. I currently have 70,000 miles on the truck with probably 10 to 15,000 on poorly kept gravel roads and it is as solid as it was day one. No rattles like my previous F-150s and not one single problem. I plan on buying a new one after the second model year of the 4th gen. If you don't need the extra space or power I would give the Tacoma the nod for sure. My wife loves this truck and would not go back to an F-150 and she's not a "girly girl", our other vehicle is a Jeep Rubicon and my work truck which I can use as my own is an F-250. My truck is a TRD off-road with Fox 2.0 with resi's, Rockford Fosgate stereo upgrade, and added sound deadening.

 

Thank you, this helps a lot. I appreciate your time and response to my questions.

 

Go for a test drive. It seems like you don't need a 1500. I was very excited to buy a taco but test drove a 2nd gen, and didn't like it. Gotta test drive it, at least go look at it. I'm looking into a Maverick, once I test drive one then I can decide easier, so far no taco's for me, not even the 4th gen. I'm going for a Maverick because it can do everything I need for me and family the full size can (biking, kayak, camping, road trips) except pull a huge trailer which my bank account cannot handle yet so no need. The only mid size I'm considering is the Ranger, but waiting the hybrid version (when ever that will be). Tacoma do offer great reliability but for me it's no space in the back seat and drink too much gas. The 4th gen is just ugly but I can get used to that, it just need to be more efficient and grow a few length (while the new Ranger's back seat grew a few) in the back seat. Good luck, all cars have problems.

 

You probably need to test drive a Ridgeline.

 

You're right, the Ridgeline sound perfect except, I drove my in-law's Pilot which has the same climate control as the Ridgeline, I can't get the Ridgeline. The control keeps making me look down at it to adjust it, it was very inconvenient. I spent more time looking down and you have to really focus. They should of left it simple, instead there are so many buttons that function the same way as a two knobs and a few buttons. Similarly of the cruise control of a toyota which is 1 button 1 lever equals to the cruise control on a ford which as 6 buttons! You don't have to look down or need lights for the 1 button 1 lever style, and it save space.

If they changed that with the new coming generation Ridgeline I probably would consider. I still didn't like their trunk in the bed style and the bed is a bit too shallow (because of the trunk). The volume of that bed is about 1 cubic feet more than the maverick's, how can that be? Yes, I'm picky, especially when it involves that much money.

 

Nothing wrong with being particular. Just don’t be an a-hole.

 

What in the world is going on?

 

I’ve got a work F-150 and a 2012 Taco. The benefit and drawback of both trucks is size.

The F-150 has a ton of interior room and it’s so comfy and powerful it’s like driving a 400HP couch. The drawback is the turning circle and manoeuvring in tight parking lots. It also wouldn’t fit down a lot of 4x4 trails.

 

The 24s aren't out yet so no one is going to be able to give you a good comparison.

I would wait until they are out to see how reliable they are. The tundra has been sort of a shit show since its release. Let's hope the tacoma doesn't follow suit.

 

Owner of a Pilot in addition to a Tacoma and agree, but will say one, you get used to it quickly and two, climate control (in the higher trimmed at least) is so advanced and automatic I rarely do anything when driving.

Also consider the 24 Tacoma has what looks like a Casio keyboard for climate controls in the center so prob not a big improvement.

That being said, as way more comfortable and with way better materials and build quality the pilot is in the interior compared to existing Tacomas, the platform is not even close to being as resilient and durable to thick snow, sand and dirt.

 

I did forget to mention, I do need he offroad capability. I'm offroad a lot on construction sites, when it rains here in FL is gets nasty

 

I have owned F150, Tundra, and now DCLB TRD Off-road Tacoma within the last years. The long bed Tacoma has more useable cargo bed space for my needs and better off-road capability than either full size. If you don’t need to regularly tow 5000 lb + the Tacoma is a very durable, reliable, and viable option. However, I have concerns about the performance of the new 2024 2.4L turbo engines. My employer uses a fleet of Toyota Highlanders for company commuter vehicles. Everyone that had previously driven a 3.5L V6 Highlander is complaining about how their new 2.4L turbo Highlander “feels” much less refined and significantly less powerful despite the claim of increased torque with this new engine.

 

I went from multiple F150s and Silverado's to Tacomas. I similarly drive 40-50k a year and haul enough stuff with work to justify a truck bed (building material sales). I never needed the full capacity of a half ton. The smallness of the Tacoma proved to be a feature for me. Being able to park in tighter jobsite areas. Turning radius and even simple shit like being able to reach shit that fell onto the passenger floor without getting out of the truck was a nice luxury after a decade with full size trucks.

Also, going from F150s and Silverados that have Good resale value to a Tacoma that has a amazing resale value has been a wonderful bump. When you are churning 40k+ a year, depreciation on the truck is your largest cost outside of gas. My last job paid for my gas and doing the long term math with maintenance and depreciation factored in, a Tacoma was the cheapest car I could own. Because of the resale value, it was cheaper to make payments on and pack miles on a $38k Tacoma than a $20k Corolla. But again, that math only holds up if you don't pay for your own gas. I used to have to kick in $3-5k whenever I traded a F150 in to make the math work (usually around 150k). I ran my first Tacoma 4 years and 200k miles before trading it for my 21. Because they hold value and because I was comfortable running it longer than a F150, I came out with a $5k net positive on my trade in $8-10k ahead of where I would have been with a F150 before I even factor in how much more that F150 would have cost to buy new.

 

I had the 2.7 ecoboost Ford motor

Thats concern of mine as well, I had the f150 w/ 2.7 ecoboost so I get it. I really have to drive one once available. I would get the trd so I assume this model comes as a hybrid. Never driven a turbo 4 cylinder hybrid so I have no expectations.

 

Parking lots....Tacoma wins

 

I drive an F150 for work and have made numerous 1-2k mile trips in it. I'd rather take a base F150 (with cruise control) on a long trip than my prerunner Tacoma. 6ft 1in ~ 190lb Who knows what the new 24's will be like, but likely very similar to current.

 

i went from a silverado to a tacoma but it just depends on your needs. the 1500 can tow alot more and get better gas milage but the reliability isnt the same as the toyotas. tacomas are great trucks and will run forever but the mpg sucks and the towing sucks also. you might just need to have 2 trucks lol

 

How much of a height difference between an F150 and a Tacoma? Not talking ground clearance, but if you measured from eye level to the ground, how much lower is the Tacoma?

 

The base model roof height on each might give some kind of idea on that. But the 2024 specs aren’t out yet.