Anyone else drive a Toyota Tacoma

[uppy]

I have an 06 Tacoma 5 speed 4 cyl. I practice responsible hypermile techniques and get over 26 MPG, not amazing but not bad at all for a truck.

Use it for work, it's my only vehicle, bought very used and financed only $8K at 2.9%. Only debt besides SL. I don't feel guilty at all, though I will probably sell it for just as much as I paid as soon as I leave my job!

Even more anti-mustachian...I am getting an old motorcycle :O  for super cheap, can do all the maintenance myself, and figure as many miles I can offload to the 50-60 MPG bike is a savings for me, for certain trips when I don't need the cargo space.

[Syonyk]

Even more anti-mustachian...I am getting an old motorcycle :O  for super cheap, can do all the maintenance myself, and figure as many miles I can offload to the 50-60 MPG bike is a savings for me, for certain trips when I don't need the cargo space.

I hate to burst your bubble, but a motorcycle is not a cost savings device. :)  Maybe a scooter that you hate riding would actually save you some money, but:

- Motorcycle maintenance adds up in a hurry.  Oil changes and the like do add up, as the intervals are usually shorter.
- Tires aren't that expensive, but you go through them quickly.  I'm really happy to get a set of tires that lasts 10k miles, and you may not be able to find those for an older bike (depending on what you mean by older).  Pilot Road (3, 4, whatever they're up to now) is an awesome option if you can fit them.
- Often, motorcycles need premium fuel.
- You need competent riding gear and a helmet for safety reasons.
- And, most importantly, most people don't randomly wake up Sunday, look outside, and decide to drive 200 miles.  Doing that is a normal part of owning a motorcycle.

I commuted for about 2.5 years on a modern sportbike, as well as plenty of weekend rides.  I was averaging around 15k miles/yr on it - only about 8500 of that commuting.  I loved it, but I had to laugh every time someone commented about how much I must be saving riding a motorcycle.  I did a ton of work myself, but still.

[Inaya]

Even more anti-mustachian...I am getting an old motorcycle :O  for super cheap, can do all the maintenance myself, and figure as many miles I can offload to the 50-60 MPG bike is a savings for me, for certain trips when I don't need the cargo space.

I hate to burst your bubble, but a motorcycle is not a cost savings device. :)  Maybe a scooter that you hate riding would actually save you some money, but:

- Motorcycle maintenance adds up in a hurry.  Oil changes and the like do add up, as the intervals are usually shorter.
- Tires aren't that expensive, but you go through them quickly.  I'm really happy to get a set of tires that lasts 10k miles, and you may not be able to find those for an older bike (depending on what you mean by older).  Pilot Road (3, 4, whatever they're up to now) is an awesome option if you can fit them.
- Often, motorcycles need premium fuel.
- You need competent riding gear and a helmet for safety reasons.
- And, most importantly, most people don't randomly wake up Sunday, look outside, and decide to drive 200 miles.  Doing that is a normal part of owning a motorcycle.

I commuted for about 2.5 years on a modern sportbike, as well as plenty of weekend rides.  I was averaging around 15k miles/yr on it - only about 8500 of that commuting.  I loved it, but I had to laugh every time someone commented about how much I must be saving riding a motorcycle.  I did a ton of work myself, but still.

Also when somebody backs over you in an intersection or T-bones you when you're going through a green light, and of course it's a motorcycle so you're at fault regardless of what actually happened, so the insurance refuses to give you anywhere near fair market value... (hubs lost 2 bikes in 2 years due to people in cars not paying attention).

[Metric Mouse]

Even more anti-mustachian...I am getting an old motorcycle :O  for super cheap, can do all the maintenance myself, and figure as many miles I can offload to the 50-60 MPG bike is a savings for me, for certain trips when I don't need the cargo space.

I hate to burst your bubble, but a motorcycle is not a cost savings device. :)  Maybe a scooter that you hate riding would actually save you some money, but:

- Motorcycle maintenance adds up in a hurry.  Oil changes and the like do add up, as the intervals are usually shorter.
- Tires aren't that expensive, but you go through them quickly.  I'm really happy to get a set of tires that lasts 10k miles, and you may not be able to find those for an older bike (depending on what you mean by older).  Pilot Road (3, 4, whatever they're up to now) is an awesome option if you can fit them.
- Often, motorcycles need premium fuel.
- You need competent riding gear and a helmet for safety reasons.
- And, most importantly, most people don't randomly wake up Sunday, look outside, and decide to drive 200 miles.  Doing that is a normal part of owning a motorcycle.

I commuted for about 2.5 years on a modern sportbike, as well as plenty of weekend rides.  I was averaging around 15k miles/yr on it - only about 8500 of that commuting.  I loved it, but I had to laugh every time someone commented about how much I must be saving riding a motorcycle.  I did a ton of work myself, but still.

Well I disagree with several of your points, I've found your conclusion valid.  My motorcycle is efficient enough to be budget neutral. I can save enough money riding it to afford to keep it, and the joy it brings me is immeasurable.

[Syonyk]

Well I disagree with several of your points, I've found your conclusion valid.  My motorcycle is efficient enough to be budget neutral. I can save enough money riding it to afford to keep it, and the joy it brings me is immeasurable.

I never said don't ride the motorcycle. :)  I just said it won't save you as much as you think.

If you get an old, efficient motorcycle, do the work yourself, and don't ride for pleasure, they can save enough over a truck to make it worth it.  Barely.  But very few people manage that - and a few hundred miles of riding for fun chews up a good bit of gas and tires, even on an efficient bike.

[Adam Zapple]

I am selling my 06 Tundra at the moment.  Went with a slightly more efficient (5 mpg better) highlander and am finding I am not yet missing the capabilities of the truck.  I've gone to the lumber yard and big box stores, hauled tools to job sites in an enclosed vehicle, and haven't had to deal with parking my giant vehicle then trying to jimmy my kids out of the back while squeezing myself between my doors and the vehicle parked next to me. 

When I bought my tundra used, I was actually more interested in the Tacoma, but for some reason, the used Tacomas were more expensive and the fuel mileage really was not much better for a smaller truck, so I went for the tundra.  Been a great truck, but reading the MMM blog has convinced me that the truck is not necessary.  I am able to pocket about 4 or 5 thousand from the difference between what I'm selling the truck for and what I bought the highlander for, and get better (but still not very good) fuel efficiency.  If I find am really missing the truck bed, I will get a trailer from harbor freight.  Next step is selling the wife's SUV and getting her into an efficient sedan or hatchback.  Hoping these moves will pocket us about 10K up front, and save us about $500 per year in fuel/taxes.

[Metric Mouse]

Well I disagree with several of your points, I've found your conclusion valid.  My motorcycle is efficient enough to be budget neutral. I can save enough money riding it to afford to keep it, and the joy it brings me is immeasurable.

I never said don't ride the motorcycle. :)  I just said it won't save you as much as you think.

If you get an old, efficient motorcycle, do the work yourself, and don't ride for pleasure, they can save enough over a truck to make it worth it.  Barely.  But very few people manage that - and a few hundred miles of riding for fun chews up a good bit of gas and tires, even on an efficient bike.

I guess I was agreeing with you. My numbers show that riding a motorcycle is almost always 'worth it' - i.e. does not cost anything more than a truck or car, after purchase and service of the bike. From a purely financial standpoint it's usually a wash. If one enjoys riding, then it's 'better' than just owning a truck.

[uppy]

Well I disagree with several of your points, I've found your conclusion valid.  My motorcycle is efficient enough to be budget neutral. I can save enough money riding it to afford to keep it, and the joy it brings me is immeasurable.

I never said don't ride the motorcycle. :)  I just said it won't save you as much as you think.

If you get an old, efficient motorcycle, do the work yourself, and don't ride for pleasure, they can save enough over a truck to make it worth it.  Barely.  But very few people manage that - and a few hundred miles of riding for fun chews up a good bit of gas and tires, even on an efficient bike.

I guess I was agreeing with you. My numbers show that riding a motorcycle is almost always 'worth it' - i.e. does not cost anything more than a truck or car, after purchase and service of the bike. From a purely financial standpoint it's usually a wash. If one enjoys riding, then it's 'better' than just owning a truck.

Especially if you just ride a reasonable, sub-liter standard or cruiser, parts and maintenance are way cheaper and in some cases much less frequent.

I'm willing to bet buying, owning and maintaining my truck + motorcycle is still more cost effective than most peoples' single vehicle set-up because of how I do it. Of course many mustachians will have much more cost effective set-ups (such as cycling most or all the time) but I also bike (as in bicycle) a good deal. Got my commuter bicycle 6 years ago for $100, still going strong with only some new tires and a seat. Similarly I got an amazing deal on my Tacoma and it's now worth more than what I paid for it and holding value pretty well. Gas is of course the big expense.

Of course anyone can always go more frugal, down to ERE levels or more. I'm just not into that.

[bernieb]

My 2007 Tacoma has been costing me some repair costs lately.  I do love the truck, but like most, find it expensive on fuel.  Latest issue was a breakdown in heavy traffic.  Unfortunately I broke down next to a ford dealership and my wife tried hard to get me to go inside and buy something new. :)

Either way, I determined the problem was an alternator and googled how to fix it. Back on the road and glad I never bought something else.

RE motor bikes... I've had them my entire adult life and find now I never use them.  I think its all the distracted drivers (texting) and un-forgiveness of my beefy yet vulnerable motorcycle.  Time to sell.   

[fishnfool]

My 2007 Tacoma has been costing me some repair costs lately.  I do love the truck, but like most, find it expensive on fuel.  Latest issue was a breakdown in heavy traffic.  Unfortunately I broke down next to a ford dealership and my wife tried hard to get me to go inside and buy something new. :)

Either way, I determined the problem was an alternator and googled how to fix it. Back on the road and glad I never bought something else.

RE motor bikes... I've had them my entire adult life and find now I never use them.  I think its all the distracted drivers (texting) and un-forgiveness of my beefy yet vulnerable motorcycle.  Time to sell.

I love my 07 Taco. Very dependable and low maintenance. A new alternator is pretty minor on a 10 year old truck. I've seen 2 year old Fords with bad injectors, faulty charging systems etc. I'll take a used Toyota any day!

[WackyTomato]

I don't want to repeat what has already been said but it's all about the big picture. If your overall finances are in order and you truly enjoy this particular purchase -  well done. 

[Digital Dogma]

I have already chimed in this thread as a Taco owner, mine is a 2009.

My father also has a Tacoma, its a 2007 regular cab ("small" cab style) 4cyl standard. Last week he took it in for a recall for excessive frame rust due to improper manufacturing for the North-East region of the United States (due to road salt).

The Toyota dealership is now taking his truck completely apart to remove all the components from the frame, and then rebuilding the truck on a new frame. Thats unheard of.

There are giant stacks of rusty frames behind the dealership.

If you have an 07 or similar model year thats under recall you should take it in for a check ASAP because this recall program is going to end pretty soon.

Now I'm in a conundrum - I bought rust converter for my 2009 Tacoma which wasn't under this recall. It has rust around every weld. Do I treat the problem myself and risk a future recall not being honored because it doesn't look as bad as it did? Or do I wait a little longer and risk never having a recall issued?

Just an update on this topic, Toyota settled a class action lawsuit covering certain model and year vehicles which includes my 2009 Tacoma.

Toyota Motors has agreed to a settlement of up to $3.4 billion for a federal class-action lawsuit brought by American owners of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles whose frames could rust through, plaintiffs’ lawyers said in court papers.

The proposed settlement covers about 1.5 million Tacoma compact pickup trucks, Tundra full-size pickup trucks and Sequoia S.U.V.s suspected of receiving inadequate rust protection that could lead to corrosion serious enough to jeopardize their structural integrity, according to the court papers.

In court papers supporting the settlement, lawyers for the plaintiffs estimated the value of frame replacements at about $3.375 billion based on a cost of about $15,000 per vehicle. They estimated the cost of inspections at about $90 million, or $60 per vehicle.
...
Under the settlement terms, Toyota will inspect the vehicles for 12 years from the day they were first sold or leased to determine whether the frames need to be replaced at company expense. It will also reimburse owners who previously paid for frame replacement.

The settlement reached on Oct. 31 covers Tacoma trucks from the model years 2005 through 2010, Sequoias from 2005 through 2008 and Tundras from the 2007 and 2008 model years.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/business/toyota-agrees-to-3-4-billion-settlement-in-corrosion-case.html

Keep this in mind Taco owners, dont pass up an inspection!

[scottish]

My Toyota dealership put a new frame in my Tacoma a couple of years ago.    They did it without breaking anything except... they forgot to reconnect the transfer case shift lever.    No biggie to fix that though.    They even got me a rentacar while they were doing the work.

[big_slacker]

I ride bikes, snowboard, camp and offroad, that's my life. A fit doesn't have very good ground clearance which makes it pretty crap on trails. The taco (or my FJ) is ultra reliable, they last for decades and are relatively easy to work on yourself. They'll haul you and all your gear anywhere you want or need to go. I'll ride my bike to work to save on gas. :D

Forgot to mod this to add in some pics. Having a vehicle that can handle adventure is pretty necessary for my lifestyle. My kids are also growing up outdoors as well, it's the best gift I know how to give them. Having a vehicle with a marginally higher cost is something I have little trouble justifying. FWIW I tried it with a honda fit/subie outback combo but the outback was just not up to the task in terms of power or ground clearance although it was definitely worthy in terms of gear and family hauling ability.