Tacoma sport TRD vs Silverado v8 vs F150 v8

I guess I’ll add my opinion.
The Tacoma is NOT a full size truck.
It will not haul or tow what the full size will.
If you don’t haul or tow, the Tacoma is probably the one I’d pick.
Second would be the Ford with NA motor.
I wouldn’t consider a Chevy at the present time. Unless it were a 1-ton. And then MAYBE

 

I was recently in the same boat and went back to a Tacoma for the 3rd time. Tacoma's have always treated me well. Never any problems just basic maintenance. It fits my needs and also in my garage, which is a selling point for me. I hate parking a new vehicle outside.

I have always liked the look of Chevy's but, I read way too many complaints from owners and GM mechanics about the Transmission going out at 30k mi and a slew of other problems. They all agreed that over the past few years GM was slipping and putting out some trash.

Also, I have previously owned an F150 and it was fine, the newer ones look great but after researching those, I saw owners and Ford mechanics all agreed that if you buy 1 get the trusted 5.0 V8 and stay far far away from any ECOboost engine.

I would personally stay away from the Chevy, and would be comparing the Tacoma vs 5.0 V8 F150

Good luck, truck shopping sucks!

 

F150 is the way to go if when going by paved road.

 

Today's mid sized are really close in size/capability of the full sized trucks 20 years ago ?

 

This can’t be real can it? Wtf..

 

If your comparing a full size to a Tacoma, don’t waste your time with a taco. You will not be happy.

if you can get past the full size, then Tacoma all the way.

 

Tundra

 

I came from a v8 tundra, i still regret selling that truck. It rode like a caddy, and was able to carry more in the bed. As far as power, yeah i miss the bottom end torque that truck had, but the v6 tacoma is no slouch either on top end. I think if the fuel economy on the taco was as bad as the tundra i would of disowned it. My 2020 taco gets a 1/3 better mpg's than that tundra.

 

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago when I was deciding on what truck to get. Ended up going with an '18 Silverado with the 5.3 and I've enjoyed it so far over the last 42k miles. Just depends on what you need because like others have pointed out mid-size and full-size trucks are just different.

 

One thing to keep in mind is how much space you will need for your camping gear and how big your trails/campsites will be. I have toyed around multiple times about getting a full size truck, but it wouldn't work for half of the places I go to. Just something worth considering.

 

If you have to ask this question, get a big truck.

If you want to do kick-ass Tacoma things (and if you ask, then the answer is probably "no"), then any limitations the Tacoma has are quite acceptable.

 

Sorry but you've given us just about enough info to guide you in the completely wrong direction. Camping? As in let's throw and tent and some gear in the bed and go off into the wilderness or Camping, let's hook up the travel trailer and find a nice campground with a pool and Wi-Fi? Each of the trucks you're considering has their own niche and while they all overlap in some areas they're completely different in others. I've never been a big fan of GM. Whole family had nothing but horror stories with GM products so I barely even pay them any attention. Strictly an opinion and haven't owned a GM product in many years. Ford F-150? That's what I traded in to buy my Tacoma. I truly had the F-150 POS edition and don't have enough space here or time to list the shit that broke both under warranty and after. Extended warranty was the best investment I made on that truck. After the last episode in June this year where my starter just inexplicably quit again I knew it had to go. This would be starter 3 in only 106k miles. No mas.

Personally I love my Tacoma so far and especially the more than 50% improvement in fuel economy.

 

I came from a Rav4 as well. I wanted a mid-size so it would fit in my garage. I test drove the new Ford Ranger, Denali Canyon, and my 2020 TRD Sport DC. The Rangers turbo 4pot was strong, but the steering felt too light and wishy washy. I liked the Denali Canyon, but the interior didn't feel "rich". The Taco fits my lifestyle the best with hauling kids stuff, kayaking, fishing, light camping.

 

I would second the comment from @BkerChuck....if you really want some recommendations then we’d need more info from you on what you need a truck for. I love my Tacoma but am quickly starting to see if fallacies and limitations (especially when I comes to fuel mileage and towing). As a daily driver my truck is great and off road it is even better! A Tacoma will last the longest with proper maintenance but most people never keep a car/truck long enough to really test their longevity.

if you at all think you will be towing 3500+ on a regular basis or do lots of hauling/loading down of your vehicle, then I would say look more at a full size truck (tundra and f150....don’t discount that v6 eco boost if it is available). If not, then the taco can’t be beat when it comes to a mid-size truck.

 

I’m thinking to cap it in the meantime for weekend camping trips. Next year I might add a Pop up camper for extended trips. I see folks have done this with the taco but now sure if the payload becomes an issue?

 

now I took some things into consideration when i bought my tacoma..

1. I didnt have a need for a fullsized truck, I'm a Corrections officer I just need to get to work, and maybe occassionally carry stuff in the bed for the wife, house, tow an ocassional utility trailer..
2. the tacoma fits in smaller trails, and has an excellent reliability track record
3. aftermarket support (mods are awesome, but pricey... seems every mod for my tacoma is $500 here, $500 there.. but it is all good stuff that will last a lifetime...
4. I dont tow anything, sure the tacoma can tow... it has a 6800lb towing capacity... but the fuel mileage takes a HUGE hit.. dropping as some have stated to nearly 12-14mpg especially on hills/mountains, even worse offroad..
5. the looks.

I am very happy with my 2016 Offroad.. it takes me where I want to go exploring, and is very capable... and I have never missed a day of work due to breakdowns or not being able to get through the snow...

 

My F150 normal mpg was anywhere from 13-14 blend of highway and around town. Towing my 6 x 12 enclosed trailer it would drop to 10-10.5 whether that trailer was empty or full. Haven't towed it yet with Tacoma but even at 14 that's still a big increase over my Ford.

 

my fathers 1999 1 ton gas (454/allison 1000) duelly hauling a 32ft 5th wheel camper would get about 12-14mpg... depending on hills, and winds... in mountains I believe it dropped into the single digits.. I did haul a 38ft steel 3 horse & camper section trailer with it once.. it was a struggle especially when i found out that the weight of that trailer exceeded my hitch capacity the trailer had a max capacity of 34k lbs (and it was loaded!!! and we only had a 25k Reese hitch.... i was soo pissed that this person we were helping out did not give us the trailer information, nor was the trailer ready to be towed... had 2 flat/low tires, so when we swapped the tires there was no spare... this guy thought he was going to be ableto tow it with his GMC 2500 gasser...

 

I came from a 2015 Silverado LTZ & would not hesitate to go back to one. I loved that truck & the 5.3L V8. I loved how the back seats folded up and you had the entire floor area for use. You do not get that in the Tacoma but you do get some storage under the seats instead.

I got out of the Silverado because i didn’t need something as big as it was and I love the utility of the Tacoma and wanted back in a 6MT. I will tell you though, I got better mpg’s in the Silverado. Could get 24-25mpg on the interstate with the cruise set and an easy 21mpg overall. I’m lucky to see 16mpg with the Tacoma.

 

Honda ridgeline