If you were going to have a do everything Tacoma or Tundra, what model would you get.

[jim65wagon]

Currently I own a first gen 2003 AC Tundra ( for 242,000 miles) and a 2014 DCSB TRD Tacoma.
Both trucks have nearly the same wheelbase. The Tundra is longer and a little wide
Both are comfortable long distance haulers.
The Tundra can travel 50-75 miles further on a tank, but the Tacoma gets better gas mileage.
The Tacoma(for our purposes) has to have a cap on its short bed to make up for the lack of bed length. (Although I did build a rack for the tundra - a family of four takes a lot of gear to do a week camping trip)
The locker and ATRAC make the Tacoma better off road than the tundra with its LSD.
The Tundra is easier for me to maneuver around trees, mostly because I've used it for years but partially due to the slightly higher seating. You sit lower in a taco but the TRD seats in it are super comfy.
You can't really go wrong with either vehicle.

 

[deeve]

Thanks for the photos and information. I really appreciate it!

 

[mike h]

We had a 2008 taco double cab with the TRD S/C. Fun to drive but it fills up fast and the back seat is best for small kids and dogs. I didn't find the front seats particularly comfy either - I'm 6-0 and always had the seat as far back as it went. Previously we had a 1997 80-Series so we were spoiled with those comfy seats, they are tall and the taco seats are lower.

We traded it in on a 2010 Tundra Crewmax and we really like this rig. The 5.7 motor is intoxicating to drive - plenty of horsepower across the board. Crewmax seats are like first class airplane seats - front or back, doesn't matter - simply great seats. Tons of aftermarket so you can build it anyway you want. Yes, it is FULL SIZE but the turning radius is quite good, it is bigger than a Taco but honestly not by that much. If you are running tight technical trails it won't be the right choice but it is a very capable overlanding vehicle. I made fun of the back-up camera but now I love it, I made fun of the sonar and now I still make fun of the sonar (you can turn it off). You should drive a few Tundras - I surprised my salesman when I took it to a shopping center first to see how it parks (it's complicated - you'll get used to the outskirts with the other full size trucks). He asked why I didn't want to hit the highway and I said I knew it can do highways, let's see where it is a PITA first. Then we hit the highway and it is the kind of a truck that makes you want to do 1000-mile days. And that changes everything!

 

[p nut]

....Then we hit the highway and it is the kind of a truck that makes you want to do 1000-mile days. And that changes everything!

That is the biggest thing I noticed on the first 900 mile trip. After we got to the destination, I thought, man, that wasn't bad at all! In my 4Runner and Tacomas, I was a bit more beat up and back end was sore. I'm sure age has something to do with it as well.

 

[deadbeat son]

Tacomas with the TRD package "can" be equipped with a factory electric locker, but my understanding is that this isn't true in every case.

Sort of... There are two TRD packages. TRD Sport = no locker, TRD Off-Road = locker.

 

[deeve]

Well, I have decided to sell my motorcycle and since I have an excellent utility trailer (6x8) for other duties I think my options have opened up a bit more to SUV land. I am not discounting a truck, but am looking at other vehicles as well. Mostly I am considering a Jeep 2dr or maybe a FJ...maybe. Seems a Tundra, even a Gen 1 Tundra, has more room inside than either a 2dr Wrangler or the FJ, so those are not discounted.

DAVE

 

[2025 deleted member]

I needed the MPG/drivability (torque) the diesel offered.
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If you really needed torque then you'd be in a full size diesel or gasser. You wanted a diesel, but don't need a fullsize.

 

[RK-WAR]

For me, the most important thing is cab space and comfort which cannot be improved upon with the aftermarket, unlike suspension/traction/armor, etc. Tacomas are great truck and serve a niche quite well. I suppose they have slightly better technical ability out of the box over a Tundra, but that really only applies on tighter trails, and really only in a select few instances as the Tacomas are not exactly small trucks these days. If it were just me hitting the trails, I would go full expo with a supercharged LT Tacoma. Fully kitted, they make awesome vehicles. However, when you start adding all the aftermarket parts, the Taco engines struggle a bit. It will get the job done, but the struggle is real!

So back to what currently works best for me is my 2nd Gen Crewmax Tundra. The cab is cavernous and everyone has a ton of room front and back. My Tundra crushes highway miles in complete comfort and honestly has less road noise than our other cars. While the aftermarket is not quite as robust as compared to the Tacoma, my Tundra is fully built to tackle 95% of the offroading/exploring I want to do with my family of 4. The 5.5' bed gets the job done and once I add the RTT and lockers it will be fully self-contained/ self-sufficient. At the end of the day I can still tow my 28' Airstream, 27' Bertram or whatever Craigslist monstrosity that I bring home.

My 0.02: Don't discount cab space and comfort. The rest can be bought.

Brief summary of my build:

2013 Tundra Crewmax Rock Warrior
TRD Supercharger/TRD Exhaust/Sequoia Front Sway Bar/TRD Rear Sway Bar
King 2.5 w/adjusters F&R/Total Chaos UCAs/Custom Deaver Springs
+2" Shackles/Daystar Cradles/Firestone Airbags/315-70R17 BFG TAs
Addictive Desert Designs Stealth Front/ExpeditionOne Rear Bumper
30",54" OSRAM LED bars, KC 490s/Hypertec/Prodigy P3/Odyssey 31M

 

[deeve]

I've sat in a crewmax and cannot argue the fact that the cab area is amazingly spacious. They are great rigs for sure. Honesty, the mpg kills me though. I know everything is a trade off.

 

[p nut]

Well, if you're venturing to an SUV platform, then get an LC 100-series that will get you the room AND the capability. MPG still sucks (I was getting 16MPG on the freeway with 33" tires), but talk about robust, reliable platform.

The other option is a Suburban/Tahoe that may get you better MPG, as some report over 20MPG on the freeway, but tradeoff is off-road prowess (compared to LC). But still very capable platform.

 

[Mojavejohn]

Big Vs. Small truck

If I was in your shoes it'd be a Tundra for sure. I just sold my '02 Silverado 4x4 cc/sb with the DM/Alli. combo. That was truly a great truck. (a piece of me wishes that I'd of kept it) It took me many, many places off-road. Places that I never should have attempted, quite honestly. I traded it in for a '16 Tacoma DC/SB TRD OR. This is an excellent truck as well. This past hunting season I tackled some roads that just amazed me how effortless off-road driving can be. I also have a family of 4. My son is 20 and will be leaving the house within the next year I'm guessing. My daughter is 9. (let's not forget fido, my 2 YO GSP) The first week we had the Tacoma, we drove to the Grand Canyon. It's about a 6-7 hour drive from my place. My son and daughter road in the back seat, and although it wasn't completely miserable for my son, it wasn't comfortable either. Instead of my dog sitting in the back seat with the kids, like normal, he was crated in the bed of the truck. This took up tons of space back there. We tow an old military M101A1 trailer with all of our camping gear, so this was basically the same. If my son had quite a few more years in the house like yours, I'd never gotten rid of my full-size truck. The interior space is just irreplaceable. As for mileage, this is the only area that I'm slightly disappointed in the new truck. I'm getting right around 18MPG out of her. That's not a horrible number, but the sticker said 19-24 MPG. I'm pretty happy with my small truck, it get's me down the road pretty well, carries everything that I need for a day of hunting, and can tow my utility trailer when the need arises, but my situations a little different than yours. What it can't do is keep your sized family comfortable on a trip. If I was in your situation I'd definitely go with the Crew Max Tundra. The bigger truck will still take you off-road, but getting to those places, while on the road, will be much more enjoyable. Happy shopping.

 

[deeve]

Thank you. I see you have an FJC. How does that compare to the Tacoma?

 

[montypower]

You could drive a bus on the WABCDR. And that route really isn't much fun in a truck. Not a fan. There was only one section that was entertaining to drive. Much more enjoyable when we got into Canada and toured around.

I've owned 2013 Taco DCSB, 2010 Tundra DC and now 2016 Tundra DC. I'd buy the Tundra for one reason. 38 Gallon fuel tank! Simply the best thing you can have. Mixed driving you can easily do 550 miles on a tank. Range is the incredibly important when you start doing long trips. Carrying fuel suck. Bulky, flammable, pain to fill, pain to dump into truck. I'm running Ko2 and still can get about 20 mpg on the road (careful driving under 65). Average fuel mileage since new is just over 16mpg. Second, you can't beat the 5.7L motor. So much better than the fancy 3.5L direct injected high revving no torque motor. Plus, the extra width and 6" longer bed is handy for hauling stuff.

If planning to drive on trails. Taco DCSB is enough challenge (due to size).

 

[p nut]

I'm running Ko2 and still can get about 20 mpg on the road (careful driving under 65). Average fuel mileage since new is just over 16mpg.

Hey, montypower, I'm not calling you out, because you've got a lot of credibility with me as I've followed your ventures over the years. But I have to question the 20MPG claim on the Tundra. I was truck shopping a couple of months ago and it was between the Tundra and F150. Both drove very nice, both had large fuel tanks (38 gal, 36 gal). I was leaning towards the Tundra, but one thing kept me from getting it: MPG. Three of my friends have Tundras: 2008, 2009 and 2016. None are getting anywhere close to 20MPG. In fact, most are at 16MPG on the highway and an average of 13-14MPG overall. Yours must be a freak of nature if you're getting 20. If I knew that was possible, I may have gone for the Tundra.
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By the way, 100% agreed with the rest of what you said--XL tank, 5.7L, bed size--all great!

 

[Clutch]

Hey, montypower, I'm not calling you out, because you've got a lot of credibility with me as I've followed your ventures over the years. But I have to question the 20MPG claim on the Tundra. I was truck shopping a couple of months ago and it was between the Tundra and F150. Both drove very nice, both had large fuel tanks (38 gal, 36 gal). I was leaning towards the Tundra, but one thing kept me from getting it: MPG. Three of my friends have Tundras: 2008, 2009 and 2016. None are getting anywhere close to 20MPG. In fact, most are at 16MPG on the highway and an average of 13-14MPG overall. Yours must be a freak of nature if you're getting 20. If I knew that was possible, I may have gone for the Tundra.
.
By the way, 100% agreed with the rest of what you said--XL tank, 5.7L, bed size--all great!

Same here. I have one buddy that says he gets 18-20...the others barely get 16....and 13 seems to be the norm when loaded down and around town.