Need help deciding, Why a Tacoma over a full size truck?

[KWJohnston]

The F150 is going to work better for most of my off road road needs, my wallet and my Daughter's car seat.

When you look at the two of them, the F150 just seems like it would have a big disadvantage off road because of its size!

 

[shade]

When you look at the two of them, the F150 just seems like it would have a big disadvantage off road because of its size!

Only if you go places where it matters.

Bombing down Saline Valley Rd in Death Valley? No problem.

Crawling here & there to the Dollhouse in Canyonlands? Snug, but doable.

Taking a random unmaintained mining trail in the Sierras? You might turn the F-150 around before the Tacoma, but there's no guarantee that the Toyota won't be oversized, too.

Buying what works for you most of time makes good sense, especially for a daily driver.

 

[calicamper]

The F150 is going to work better for most of my off road road needs, my wallet and my Daughter's car seat.

When you look at the two of them, the F150 just seems like it would have a big disadvantage off road because of its size!

When I bought my Expedition (F150 station wagon) I decided if I need a trail rig somewhere I’ll rent one lol. Let someone else deal with it outside my rare need.


I’m more likely to be towing a rented hard side travel trailer or my soft sided tent on trailer than trail bashing. Which case load capacity, comfort and road performance out weighs trail articulation in my needs.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

The F150 is going to work better for most of my off road road needs, my wallet and my Daughter's car seat.

When you look at the two of them, the F150 just seems like it would have a big disadvantage off road because of its size!

Drive a Tacoma, then go drive an F150 with the 2.7/3.5. That should pretty much make the Tacoma irrelevant...lol.

 

[calicamper]

Drive a Tacoma, then go drive an F150 with the 2.7/3.5. That should pretty much make the Tacoma irrelevant...lol.

Yeah its umm dramatic lol. 400hp in my Expedition 22mpg Tahoe weekend trip!

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Yeah its umm dramatic lol. 400hp in my Expedition 22mpg Tahoe weekend trip!

I drove "10 over" the speed limit going from Clermont Fl to Boston and back and got 21.5. Running 10 over from Clermont to Alamogrodo NM it dropped to 20.5... Mostly because "10 over" in West TX is 90mph...haha.

Every friend I have with a Tacoma gets nowhere close to what I do...lol.

Also, on the way to NM I was alone, so I could take a nap on the back seat when I got sleepy. It was surprisingly comfortable and roomy.

 

[KWJohnston]

I'm relatively new here so forgive me for this question.

If the F150 is clearly the better choice , then why is the Portal and most Overland media full of fully built Tacomas??

Thanks for all the input and responses.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I'm relatively new here so forgive me for this question.

If the F150 is clearly the better choice , then why is the Portal and most Overland media full of fully built Tacomas??

Thanks for all the input and responses.

Standard Expo answer:
dA tAcOmA iS mOor Re-LiA-bLe

Or:
ThE F150 WoN'T FiTs dOwnS tHe TrAiLs I mIghT dRivE onCe a yEAr

The F150 doesn't need nearly as much work to be "expo worthy" as a Tacoma.
Also, there is no shortage of off road builds on the countless F150 forums. This website seems to have lots of Toyota owners.

 

[calicamper]

I'm relatively new here so forgive me for this question.

If the F150 is clearly the better choice , then why is the Portal and most Overland media full of fully built Tacomas??

Thanks for all the input and responses.

Jeep and Taco guys are always surfing and talking about ways they need to modify their trucks. Full size guys are out doing stuff with their trucks ie no mods needed ?

 

[Regcabguy]

Drive a Tacoma, then go drive an F150 with the 2.7/3.5. That should pretty much make the Tacoma irrelevant...lol.

The interior room comfort is a shoe-in with the F-150. Your head won't be an inch from the headliner and the odds of surviving a crash should be superior.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

The interior room comfort is a shoe-in with the F-150. Your head won't be an inch from the headliner and the odds of surviving a crash should be superior.

Oh... The F150 absolutely does better than the Tacoma and Tundra when it comes to crash test...hence why Toyota doesn't bring the subject up in their marketing.

 

[shade]

I'm relatively new here so forgive me for this question.

If the F150 is clearly the better choice , then why is the Portal and most Overland media full of fully built Tacomas??

Thanks for all the input and responses.

History. NA manufacturers have come a long way, as has aftermarket support for fullsize trucks.

Generally speaking, I don't think either is clearly the better choice, btw.
Pick what works best for you, and enjoy it.
There are no truly bad choices among modern pickups.

 

[calicamper]

I drove "10 over" the speed limit going from Clermont Fl to Boston and back and got 21.5. Running 10 over from Clermont to Alamogrodo NM it dropped to 20.5... Mostly because "10 over" in West TX is 90mph...haha.

Every friend I have with a Tacoma gets nowhere close to what I do...lol.

Also, on the way to NM I was alone, so I could take a nap on the back seat when I got sleepy. It was surprisingly comfortable and roomy.

Yeah I think the 3.73 tow package Expedition 3.5L seems to be in the 21mpg 70-75mph, 22-24mpg in the 55-65mph zone and 19-20mpg in the 80-90mph zone. In my quiet sorta rural style around town use 17-18mpg seems typical. San Francisco hills and traffic 15-16mpg. I haven’t towed yet. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Expedition ties my Subaru at 21mpg no bikes on subaru roof towing our 4x6

My Sequoia was 12-13mpg in town and 16-18mpg highway. Towing was 14-15mpg

 

[KWJohnston]

Ok, guess I have the answers I needed.

In order to be respectful to the moderators, I should probably move along to the Domestic Full Size area.

I enjoyed having this discussion with everyone.

Regards

 

[Buliwyf]

I'm relatively new here so forgive me for this question.

If the F150 is clearly the better choice , then why is the Portal and most Overland media full of fully built Tacomas??

Thanks for all the input and responses.

Tacomas are still riding high on the good vibes generated by previous generations of those trucks. The modern Tacoma isn't so hot anymore. Bigger, heavier, and less reliable than before. Time for an update if they want it to continue. But still, they work fine for many.

Don't forget that you can sport up an F150 quite a bit, should you choose. Coilovers,Wheels, tires.