Anyone know anything about Toyota Tacoma’s???

[Mongoose]

I’m thinking of buying a Tacoma and I’m reading up on it. The one I’m looking at is a 2012 PreRunner with the Access Cab. It has 9,100 miles on it.

Ideally I want a 4x4 but they are just too expensive and to be honest I don’t really need the 4x4 and would be buying it solely for resale value. I intend to drive this for a long time so that really isn’t a concern for me. I don’t care to have 2wd but I don’t want a one wheel wonder. My question to everyone is, as long as it has the VSA button it has a LSD or auto LSD correct? This one has all the looks of a 4x4 but doesn’t have the transfer case and axles up front.

Reading up on it is confusing because it seems like there are 9 different versions of the Taco LSD’s.....

 

[RC_User]

Most of the newer trucks now come with an electronic "LSD" that isn't like a traditional mechanical LSD. You still have an open rear diff but the computer when sensing slip on that one wheel (wonder) will automatically apply the brakes to that wheel and let the other wheel gain traction. It works pretty well to get you through stuff that a normal open rear diff 2wd would have issues with, but the problem is if you want to go NOW, it's frustrating because it usually kills the power to help you slowly get traction and move forward. If you wanna lay down two lines or do donuts, ain't gonna happen. You'd need a real LSD or a locker. The higher end models might still come with an optional locker rear end so you can lock the axle in back temporarily to get out of whatever situation you're in.

take a look at this that explains the Toyota "LSD"s
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-trac-trac-auto-lsd-explained-easy-to-understand-i-hope.70551/

 

[Mongoose]

Thank you RC. I will read over now because I’m going to check one out tonight.

 

[Chainsaw10]

I’ve got a 2013 Tacoma 4x4. There is an LSD button....and I’ve never touched it. I thought it was illegal to do psychedelic drugs while driving....didn’t wanna hit that dispenser button. I really honestly have never used it or even know what it does.

I also have a 2005 Tundra king cab 4x4 fully loaded with off-road package...it older but I love this truck! This is my work truck...with power lift gate, snow plow for winter, lifted it a couple inches and rear cab controlled air bags.
Toyota hooked me up with a brand new entire frame about 3 years ago at no cost...they had a big frame recall. I hope this truck runs forever!

Good luck. Toyota’s make great trucks! If you pick one up I bet it’ll have a very long running life with little problems. My trucks have been great.

 

[AJH387]

I have a '14 Tacoma and the LSD variations are really confusing. Like linked above, Tacomaworld has a few threads to browse through. I am on there as well.

I drive a lot for commute to my job and do a lot of weekend trips etc. So I put like 30k on a year. My truck has been great to me (fingers crossed). But I feel like the Tacoma's track record of reliability (rust issues aside lol) and high resale, make it a great buy. Plus they are very capable offroad etc. Just not great for towing.

Here is a pic of mine at our family's property.

 

[Mongoose]

Thanks guys for all of your help. The hunt is still on unfortunately. The one I went to look at when I started this thread ended up having a salvaged title. They did really good work in rebuilding it but the bank won’t loan on it so it was a no go.

These things are crazy expensive for the year and mileage and it makes finding one the bank will loan on difficult. They just don’t understand that 130k miles isn’t anything for these trucks...

 

[AJH387]

I feel like it is worth it. I had wanted one for a long time. When I was truck shopping the last time, I felt like it maybe wasn't worth paying the price for a Tacoma when I could get a Colorado Z71 for less (with more options). This was before the 2nd-gen Colorado came out, btw. But I ended up having every 'common' problem that those trucks were known for. Put 150k on it and had to get rid of it. It still looked great but had a host of repairs. So this time, I wasn't going to make that mistake twice. And like you said, the high mileage is usually a non-issue on Toyotas. I put tons of miles on my trucks. So far, so good on the Taco. Good luck with your search. Post up if you get one.

 

[RC_User]

I was also looking a tacoma but actually ended up with a Nissan frontier after discovering they cost $10k less than a similarly equipped Tacoma. I like each one better in some ways, i.e. Nissan has better power but Toyota is nicer inside and better aftermarket. Good low mileage Tacomas are hard to find, it's crazy how they don't deprecate. Made it too hard to buy one 5+ years old for $30k, meanwhile the frontier was $26k new, crew cab 4x4. Good luck in the hunt.

 

[Mongoose]

I agree, it’s definetly worth it but these banks just don’t get it. I like the Frontiers as well but I think I may just get a fun sedan and have started test driving Infinit G37’s...reminds me of the days when I had my 300ZX.....man that was a fun car.

We will see how it goes though...not sure which way I will go but a Taco is out...unless I come across a smokin deal...

 

[RC_User]

I had a fast sedan and miss it too, but the truck is so much nicer on a daily driver basis, being stuck in traffic and having auto trans and being up higher, much better visibility... and i can drive over a curb, haul stuff... a truck is super nice to have, but yeah the fun factor is just about zero if you like driving quick cars. For me it came down to what i want vs what i needed at this point in my life, got a toddler, so i got rid of my fun car and ranger and picked up a crew cab truck, it does everything we need... if you do come across a 'smokin deal' on a taco, it'll be gone before you blink... don't hesitate!

 

[142Racing]

Toyota....smart man..

 

[NEWTDAWG7]

I just saw this thread, but if you are still needing info or have purchased one and have questions I can answer them. Master Toyota Technician for almost 20 years, I know them better than anything, by far the best damn vehicles on the road and the only reason they break down is because of owner neglect

 

[Slevin]

I just saw this thread, but if you are still needing info or have purchased one and have questions I can answer them. Master Toyota Technician for almost 20 years, I know them better than anything, by far the best damn vehicles on the road and the only reason they break down is because of owner neglect

I completely agree with you! I will probably never buy “American” again. I say that in quotes because, really, are they really 100% American. No. Plus they are crap.