Which one? Tacoma or Silverado?

[SnS C10]

Hey guys well i had an 04 silverado 4x4 crew cab pickup with about 220k miles on it. I sold that and bought a 2016 durango r/t for the wife and kids. We have a leased car that we are about to return and will be getting a used truck to replace it. I saw a 2009 tacoma for sale. Its the SR5 Prerunner longbed double cab. it has about 75k miles on it and is in very nice condition. I know the tacomas hold their value very well and are extremely reliable. This one has the auto trans and 4.0 v6 with about 240 horsepower. It does have a back up camera and nice wheels and tires. I believe around the same year as the 09, i could get a silverado or sierra crew cab 1500 for around the same price. I know the GM will have more interior room, but the tacoma has enough in my opinion. What are your thoughts between the two trucks? I will be using it to drive to work 30 miles round trip a day and the occasional trip to lake havasu which is 5 hours away, towing my jetski or boat, which either truck can handle as the boat/trailer weighs 3000 pounds loaded. The tacoma also has an electronic diff lock from what ive read.

What do you guys think? here is a picture of the tacoma im looking into

[SnS C10]

Couple pictures of the tacoma I was looking at

[Stocker]

I think it comes down to personal preference. Assuming you have driven both (or similar trucks), which truck has more appeal to you? I like a full-size GM but they are a bit too big, esp. for the Mrs. (thinking parking lots etc -- love the extra size on the highway). And overall reliability *may* be better with Tacomas which as you say have a good reputation as well as resale value. Some people don't like the low seating in a Tacoma, so make sure you're OK with that. Disclaimer: we have a 2005 Tacoma 4x4 with 4.0L V6, about 83K miles, dead reliable so far.

[boatpuller]

Well, This is a Chevy forum....So, I'm guessing it might be a bit biased. That being said I do know which way I would go. Being 6'4 Toyota's have always seemed cramped to me.

A lot of folks like their Toyota's I think most newer rigs are good vehicles they wouldn't be in business very long if they weren't.

Is the Tacoma considered a half ton ?

I would think the GM product would be a better tow vehicle without knowing the specs..It is a good looking rig and looks like it was taken care of. Check the Carfax...

[SnS C10]

boatpuller it does have california plates and is a carfax one owner vehicle. I am 6'2 and i fit in the tacoma just fine. I do like the size of it. i also posted this same question on a toyota forum

[boatpuller]

Originally Posted by SnS C10

boatpuller it does have california plates and is a carfax one owner vehicle. I am 6'2 and i fit in the tacoma just fine. I do like the size of it. i also posted this same question on a toyota forum

That should be interesting to see how bias works between the 2 forums.
Honestly both would be a good choice I just prefer GM products since you asked.

[TJ's Chevy]

I'd have to go with the Silverado. Both seem to be good choices though. My uncle had a tacoma.

[el_fantasma]

I had a 2009 Tacoma access cab with 5 speed manual and 4 cylinder. Very reliable and sold last month for 3k less than I bought it. Very reliable but of course you will want more power.

[SnS C10]

just test drove the truck pictured above. power is comparable to my 04 silverado with 5.3. Toyota may even take off the line. It was a nice drive. Man those tires sure were humming down the road!

[Richardwa]

I have both an 08 Tacoma 4.0l V-6, 6-speed manual, 4x4 and an 03 Silverado 5.3, auto, 4x4. they both get about the same gas mileage, the toyota has around 140 thousand on it and the Silverado has about 230 thousand on it.
That said, the silverado is much nicer to drive on long trips, but the Tacoma is far better for towing, especially up hills. The 4.0 has a lot of low end torque.
I think the Tacoma is a better all around rig than the Chev

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by el_fantasma

I had a 2009 Tacoma access cab with 5 speed manual and 4 cylinder. Very reliable and sold last month for 3k less than I bought it. Very reliable but of course you will want more power.

Well, the one he's looking at has a V6..... and they have plenty of power.

[Palf70Step]

I have never been happy with the Tacoma seats. To me they are not comfortable, especially for long drives (which I do a lot of). Otherwise they are really good trucks. I prefer the Silverado. More room, better seats, and gas mileage is not much differnt between the two in normal useage.

[Tom]

Tacoma's.....so many thoughts.
Pluses:
Super reliable. Does alot more work then I thought a tiny truck with a V6 could. Resale value almost never drops, its amazing. Drives nice. Everyone will nod in approval regardless of which large truck they like.
Minuses:
Small truck, small motor. Sure it has HP, it does not have torque. My buddy struggles up hills with his 5000lbs boat. $30k+ new and you can't even option a freaking power seat. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? Gas mileage is actually worse then my 98 with a 5.7L, so whats the point of the little engine? And again, its a little truck with little capacity compared to a 1/2ton.

[special-K]

Tacomas and Silverados aren't apples to apples. I don't think the Tacoma is a half ton, it's a downsized truck these days and they used to be mini-trucks. The Tundra is the half ton, isn't it? The Tacoma is comparable to the Colorados. They don't even have a tonnage rating. If they get the same mileage I don't see the point in down sizing. The Silverado can do anything the Tacoma can do but the Tacoma can't do everything the Silverado can do.

I wouldn't want 4000# pushing me down the road in a downsized vehicle. Pulling is one thing and they all claim these high capacities. But when it comes to stopping, tow vehicle weight is everything

[davischevy]

I don't always drive trucks, but when I do, I drive Silverado's. (And an occasional Dodge Ram)

[Skunksmash]

Silverado. That tacoma can't compete with it in terms of 'being a truck' performance. Silverado can do a lot more work.

But if all you needed was a small, very light duty truck, then yeah I'd say tacoma for sure. If that is the case, you won't be needing the silverado's capabilities that it has over the tacoma.

[JON67]

I have always been a Chevy guy, but I don't even know how this is a conversation. the Tacoma is better in ever single way than the Silverado. Unless you need a truck for the job site, Which a 1/2 is not even good for anyway, then go with the Tacoma. in 5 years when the Tacoma is still going strong, and that Silverado is already needing replacement you will be thankful.

[SnS C10]

JON67 I do agree with you. Also I have owned numerous silverados and sierras, never owned a toyota truck. To say that the toyota cannot do what a half ton silverado can do is not true. For what I do, this is a conversation and comparison that is extremely fair and apples to apples. Towing a 3500 pound boat, 1000 pound jet ski, camping, road trips to the local OHV area with a dirtbike or atv in the bed, trips to grocery store, picking up kids from school, driving on the dirt and sand next to the lake, these are the things I do. I had an 04 silverado 1500 crew cab 4x4 and sold it. Top of the line model for an 04 1500. It was in great condition, sold it for exactly 6,500 dollars. I also drive my truck to work everyday, 30 miles round trip, mostly highway. A smaller truck like the tacoma, that gets better hwy mileage, is more maneuverable, can tow over 6000 pounds, can carry the kids, and has way more resale value than a gm truck will ever have does make sense to me.

[boatpuller]

Sounds like to me you made your choice. You never posted pics of a chevy did you have one in mind ?

So how does Toyota classify it is a Tacoma a half ton and Tundra 3/4 ?

[SnS C10]

I was skeptical going into the test drive but after driving it for awhile i felt that it would do what i wanted. I did not have a gm truck in mind specifically but it would have been around a 2009 or around there.

[Rickysnickers]

I will chime in and add my $.02. I have a '10 Tacoma X-Runner. I like and it has given me no problems at all. We have done a couple of road trips in it and I've found it to be fairly comfortable.

[Coley]

Very interesting comparison
For doing any appreciable amount of daily or weekly work including towing or hauling, I would go with the Chevy....its simply 'heavier duty' for this type of work.
However for daily or primary 'run around town' stuff....ie: utility vehicle usage, I would go with the Toyota.
They are both good vehicles but tend to lean in slightly different directions in terms of their purpose.
You can't dispute the fact tho' that 3-5 years from now that Toyota will be giving you more money back on trade-in or resale....its just the way it is.
The Tacoma has become a general quality and reliability legend and the resale value shows this.
On the flip side...Chevy (GM), as we all know, make a very good general duty pickup.

My two bits.
Coley

[cypressbog]

Support American jobs! Chevy

[SnS C10]

the tacoma im considering was actually built in the united states

[leddzepp]

The Toyota hands down. If Toyota made an SUV the same size as a Yukon/Suburban I would buy one in a heartbeat. I have an 03 4runner and an 02 Yukon XL, there is NO comparison of the quality and engineering between the two...the Toyota is superior in every way other than passenger capacity.