Are Tacomas Worth The Money? Is It Expensive? [ We Answered ]

Toyota Tacoma continues to be one the most trusted and popular mid-size trucks globally, especially in the US. The sales of Tacoma have constantly been breaking records. According to Orange Auto Sales record, this car has witnessed an increase in sales for a continuous 19 months at a stretch. It is very convenient to customize your Tacoma, prioritizing your preferences, after you get a new one. You can include accessories for powerful performance, safety enhancement, and a fabulous interior and exterior look.

 Are Tacomas worth the money?

Yes, the Toyota Tacoma is definitely worth the money. If you want to buy a reliable truck that will work just fine on the road for a good number of years without any serious issues, you can choose a new Toyota Tacoma. However, the best model to buy in this case will be around a 2-3 years old model. It’s always fine to settle with a brand-new Tacoma. However, if money is a matter of concern, then it is better to buy a used one since the new model depreciates faster in the initial few years.

Another good reason to buy this truck is that it has a great resale value in the market as compared to other similar models. Therefore, you can even go for reselling it with good money coming back in your pocket. This undoubtedly makes this truck worth your investment.

Why are Toyota Tacomas so expensive?

The Toyota Tacoma is an advanced and high-power model, making it one of the most expensive and popular trucks across the world. However, you might be thinking about why Tacoma is so expensive.

• The reason behind the high cost is that Tacoma is an exceptionally reliable mid-size truck. The owners appreciate its durability, and the Tacoma has earned a character for its robustness. According to some consumer reports, the Tacomas are perfect for daily errands as well as outdoor adventures. The Toyota Tacoma owners reported that it needs very little maintenance and almost zero issues cropping up. The reliability factor makes the buyers pay readily and even buy used trucks.
• Another factor for Tacoma being so expensive is that it involves very little maintenance cost. People often avoid buying a vehicle if the repair cost is high, especially for second-hand trucks. However, according to RepairPal, the annual maintenance cost of Tacoma is $478. Similar models have an annual maintenance cost of $652.
• Toyota Tacoma has a great demand. It is very famous among truck lovers, so much that the company is finding it difficult to meet the demands. One major reason behind it is the shortage of microchips that have affected the automobile companies adversely. Therefore, Tacoma’s production has slowed considerably, thereby hiking the price.
• Tacoma is extremely good at holding its value on the road. In the list of top 20 cars with the best resale value, Toyota Tacoma ranks first since it loses just 28% of its value in the first five years of use. Other trucks depreciate faster compared to Tacoma resulting in high prices.
• This is a tough and versatile truck. About its toughness, truck enthusiasts say that “you just cannot kill a Tacoma”, and there is a logical reason behind it. When a tornado destroyed a Toyota dealership in 2019, the Tacoma TRD Sport landed upon its vertical end. However, to everybody’s surprise, the truck still started right away as it went up to the lift truck. This demonstrates the amazing robustness of the Tacoma.
• The Tacoma can withstand more than it shows. Any other model of four cylinders pulls up to 3,500 pounds, whereas Tacoma can carry up to 6,800 pounds. Therefore, Tacoma easily outperforms other trucks in the same category. It will conveniently carry a boat on it, or a pair of ATVs. Tacoma comes with its towing accessories to make your work easier.

What year Tacoma not to buy?

The manufacturer launched the Toyota Tacoma in the market in 1995. Since then, several models have hit the road every year. There were some good years for Tacoma, while some were worse. Particularly, the 2009 model had interior problems like bad wiring of the radio with volume and screen fluctuating on its own.

Engine problems were being very noisy and difficult to accelerate. The year 2016 was bad in its history. The buyers found several problems with the truck that year, especially transmission problems. Some encountered shifting difficulty, while some faced engine issues.

However, it was 2017 that emerged to be the worst year for Tacoma. That year, the truck got 3 out of 5 stars in the reliability test while earlier models scored a full five points in terms of reliability and customer satisfaction. There were mostly transmission issues in these trucks.

The drivers also faced problems in shifting, where the truck was stuck in one gear for a longer time. Even after the software change that promised to resolve these issues, the drivers continued to face the same problems. The transmission was loud and noisy, heaving and jerking heavily when slowing down.

Is it worth buying a used Tacoma?

There is news in the market that Tacomas manufactured previously are more reliable than the ones manufactured recently. This justifies why using Tacomas would cost you higher than the newly launched models. According to Consumer Reports, the company decided to redesign the model in 2016, which led to a fall in reliability scores. Therefore, many owners opt for a used Tacoma over a new model.

Are Tacomas going up in value?

More than the new ones, used Tacomas are going up in value recently. A current report on iSeeCars.com says that among the top 16 used cars that cost more than their new models, Toyota Tacoma ranks third. The new model of Tacoma costs around $37, 902 while a used Tacoma is costing $39, 857. This is an increase of 5.2% in the vehicle cost.

Does Tacoma come with expensive parts?

No. Tacoma does not come with expensive parts due to which they are reasonably affordable. The parts used in the truck are readily available and there is no complexity involved in adjusting them. With the basic mechanical knowledge, you can do the needful, fixing the parts to do away with the involved labor charges. In the case of Tacoma, the labor cost goes higher than the parts of the car.

 Are Toyota Tacomas expensive to maintain?

No. Toyota Tacoma is one of those trucks that do not require serious costly maintenance. Just the routine ones will make the truck good enough to work for years.

When you think of maintenance costs, these models prove to be economical as compared to similar models. The average yearly maintenance cost of Tacoma is $478 while other cars have around $652 maintenance cost per year. According to RepairPal, in the year 2016, the average maintenance cost of Tacoma in a year was $487 while in 2018 it was $379.

Conclusion

Anything you buy will last for longer if you take proper care of it. Similarly, Toyota Tacoma will last from 200,000 miles to 300,000 miles comfortably with proper timely maintenance.

Some owners have reported that it can last up to 400,000 miles. When you care for the car, you need to take it for repairs and check-ups according to the maintenance schedule. Among all the other similar models, Tacoma holds the maximum value for owners.