2006 Toyota Tacoma SR5 from North America - Comments

Do you even know the actual price difference between your truck and a Tacoma or Tundra? If you're going to sell every few years, which is dumb and expensive, then your GM will likely limp along for that long. The FACT that I've been trying to get across is that if you are the kind of person that wants to keep a vehicle for a long time, then you will want to buy a Toyota or a Honda because Ford and GM do not build vehicles capable of this kind of reliable service. YES, there are a few exceptions, so don't bother to write in with fairy tale mileage about your GM vehicle. You can drive the Toyota for many years, without worry, and with virtually no repairs, just maintenance. And, YES I know that somewhere out there are probably a few Toyota lemons. As a whole, they manufacture the best vehicles available for the long run. Or you can spend your days in the garage with your GM, learning all the finer points of their precious 100,000 mile guarantee, where they will give you a headache over every issue, and often fail to fix a problem the first 2 or 3 tries. I think I'll stick with Toyota and remain worry free.

It's interesting that if Toyotas hold up so much better in the "long run" so many companies use Ford and GM trucks and virtually NONE use Toyota or Nissan (Honda, by the way DOES NOT build a truck, the Ridgerline is a Pilot SUV with the back roof chopped off). Many companies (including two that are owned by my family members) use the incredibly reliable Ford Ranger and some of these vehicles have easily gone well over 300,000 miles with ZERO engine or transmission problems.

Making rash and unfounded statements about vehicles you know nothing about tends to make the case for American vehicles. The comments on in this site from Ford, GM and Chrysler owners state actual owner's experiences. The comments from the Toyota owners seems to be mostly rants and unfounded statements more appropriate to a 10-year-old.

I am worry free. The harsh Tacoma ride, small cab, braking and air bag concerns might cause some however. I am not driven by cost... if I was I would sacrifice.

What is the driver of post 16:16 likes the vehicle? There is absolutely no value if you do not like what you are driving. New Silverados do not limp along especially the aluminum V8's. Keep in mind some households today may have 2 high earners with a lot more substantial disposable income... buying a vehicle to them may be like you going out to buy a pencil. Hummers also are selling very well under the same roof within my GM dealership. A lot are actually driven only in the city. People are buying the Vortec Max, SS and the Southern Comfort Silverado that want luxury and high end. Fuel is not an issue luxury is foremost. If the warranty and tags are transferred to the next owner it helps sell the vehicle if only for that reason. A lot of vehicles have low mileage in the teens and are like new not broken down or "limping" as you describe. I have seen trade ins to buy new Denalis, Hummers with even lower mileage. I am the second owner of my Chevrolet that was sold in April 2006 just to buy a large SUV due to the wife getting pregnant again. Not everyone hangs on to vehicles forever maybe you will, but people are fickle they want the latest and more than the few basic usual options.

"If you have one of these American made vehicles that you claim has a lot of miles on it, or has not been repaired often, then you have one of the fluke vehicles that they have built that is actually decent, and there are very few."

Okay, then I guess all of the different American vehicles owned by my family must have all been flukes, right?

1974 Dodge Monaco station wagon: 130,000 miles

1976 Plymouth Volare station wagon: 205,000 miles

1977 Dodge Tradesman 100 van: 230,000 miles (still driven by next owner)

1979 Plymouth Volare station wagon: 180,000 miles

1980 Plymouth Volare station wagon: 160,000 miles

1983 Chevy Celebrity station wagon: 212,000 miles

1984 Plymouth Reliant station wagon: 220,000 (still driven by next owner)

1985 Dodge Ramcharger: 250,000 miles (still daily driven)

1989 Chevy 20 van: 208,000 miles (still driven by next owner)

1990 Pontiac 6000 station wagon: 215,000 miles

1994 Cadillac Seville STS: 170,000 miles (still daily driven)

1997 Mercury Sable station wagon: 160,000 miles (still daily driven)

So let's just hear all about how you need to buy a Toyota to avoid all those unreliable American cars. Humbug!!

Much of what contributes to a vehicle's lifespan has to do with common-sense care and maintenance. In most modern cars overheating the engine will TOTALLY RUIN IT. My best friend ran his Miata (which was JUST out of warranty) low on coolant because of a pin-hole leak in a coolant recovery canister hose. He ran the car until everything under the hood was fried. The repair bill was $7000. The hose would have cost him about 25 cents at Auto Zone and would have taken all of 30 seconds to replace. Many people who gripe about American cars being "crappy" are people like my friend who don't know which end of a car the engine is in, NEVER check ANY fluid or change oil, then scream "JUNK" when the poor car breaks down. Regardless of whether it is Japanese or American-made ANY vehicle built today should go 200,000 miles if properly cared for without ANY repairs. Another friend of mine owned a Highly rated Honda Civic which started falling apart at 40,000 miles because he never took care of it. Was it the car's fault? NO. When people mistreat vehicles it isn't the CAR that's crappy, it's the OWNER. I can afford to keep a newer car and trade well before 100,000 miles. I always buy American because I'm American, and I like smooth, comfortable cars with style and performance. I take care of my vehicles meticulously and wax them twice a year. I get GREAT resale on my vehicles because they are clean, low mileage and I DIDN'T pay full list for them. I have NEVER had a problem with ANY new vehicle I have owned since 1981.

There is no case to make for Chevy, and most Ford vehicles, because they are sub-standard and cheaply made next to a Toyota. What proof do you need? The current shape that Ford and Chevy are in now? The long and pathetic list of recalls throughout their history? The HUNDREDS of dissatisfied domestic owners on this site alone? They're cheaper for a reason; you get what you pay for. There is a reason that a car like the Aveo costs $8000. It's junk, that's why. There's a reason that a Silverado is cheaper than a Tundra or Tacoma; it's not as good and won't last as long. Doesn't take a brain surgeon to see this truth. Offer me some proof as to why the domestics are better. No one has, just ranting and raving about how Toyota's are under-powered and boring. If that means that they don't burn as much gas, and are predictably reliable, then you are right.

OK, I'm going to address all of the previous points once and for all. Everybody listening?

1. The reason GM and Ford are having financial problems, is many years ago, they agreed to union contracts in which they are still having to pay people very large amounts of money who Don't EVEN WORK FOR THE COMPANY ANYMORE. I'm not saying unions are bad, workers should be paid fairly, but there has to be a balance which still allows the company to make a profit.

2. Recalls. Yes, we'll all admit recalls are annoying, but EVERY CAR COMPANY HAS THEM! Toyota has had recent recalls that are very dangerous, with the airbags and sticking gas pedals! You can't excuse bad "design" by pointing to other bad "design".

3. The hundreds of people complaining about their domestic vehicles. Hello! Have you even BEEN to the Toyota section?! In the 4Runner section there are literally a hundred people claiming head gasket failure AT LEAST once in a 100k period, actually most more than once. And guess what, Toyota is refusing to help them! Even after multiple head gasket failures. And this is just in the '95 section! So don't give me the "Toyota only makes a lemon once in a while" line, cause I'll just tell you to can it.

4. OK, you saw an Aveo for 8k (probably used, I haven't seen ANY new ones that cheap), again SO WHAT?! Do you have any idea how much a Hyundai Accent goes for, how about a Toyota Echo? ($8900 at most). They're sub-compact cars people, they aren't that popular so of course they're cheap. And by the way, whoever designed that echo needs a dope slap.

5. As far as a Silverado being cheaper than a Tacoma or a Tundra, I can't imagine that being the case I've been in a Tundra and Silverado and the clear winner in all areas is definitely the Silverado, better interior, more power, bigger, etc. I know someone with a '01 Tacoma and it isn't too bad besides having a very crappy interior, but to compare it to a Silverado is ludicrous. And how do you know they last longer? They haven't even made them as long and the '76 Chevy we had a few years ago was a very reliable work truck. I doubt if a Toyota would last that long.

6. And finally, it ticks me off when people have this huge loyalty to Toyota and Honda and won't even consider domestic vehicles, because they are essentially supporting other economies, and just because it's made in the USA doesn't mean they don't pay the workers menial wages, and then send most of the money back to Japan. I also have a feeling that these are the same people who complain about corporations outsourcing jobs and making products overseas, but they do the same thing when they buy a non American car! Jeez people, wake up!

I have read hundreds of posts and your own. I weigh all accordingly and based my buying decision on the domestics.

The aveo was made cheaply because it was meant to be an entry level economy sub-compact. So of course its cheap.

How about real numbers from you? All I've heard is generalizations about domestics. I could match that with the awesome stories of how the 3.0 v6 toyota engines blow headgaskets all the time, how toyota trucks rust very quickly, and throttles sticking along with brake problems...

You're full of air.

Unless you are young and still living at home why stay in America? I just do not get it. Facts are presented and quickly dismissed. There have been some pretty rational sound reasons to go with domestic trucks. However,I am of the opinion the only one that you need to convince is yourself. If someone does not like the ride or performance of Tacomas/Tundras you can't expect them to purchase as they will never be happy. Maybe they have to because you say they are the best though. Theres more maturity in the other posts and less defensive emotion. That's more likely to be weighed than insulting others intelligence.

14:57 is the best review yet... good job!!!

Comment 14:57 pretty much sums it up. Comment 05:48 is more pointless ranting with nothing to back it up. Parents need to keep their kids from posting on this site. If you've just got your first vehicle, great, be proud of it, but don't assault the intelligence of the experienced adult owners who post on this site. Most of them have been driving cars since before anyone ever heard of a Toyota.

Yeah, every company has recalls. FACT: Toyota has MANY less. FACT: Toyota's run longer and break down less than Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. That IS a fact. FACT: this is not a political discussion; it doesn't matter how patriotic you are, if you are driving ANYTHING other than a Toyota, then you are driving something OF LESSER QUALITY. FACT: Other manufacturers DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT enforce the same quality control regulations as Toyota, which is why Toyota's ARE more reliable, DO last longer, and DEFINITELY get higher resale value. NOT because they cost more to begin with, but because they are WORTH MORE MONEY because they still have more life left in them than a Chevy, for example. I wish that our country built vehicles as well as Toyota does, but THEY DO NOT, because you people continue to buy from the Big 3, even when they sell crap. Wake up.

After reading all the comments there is simply no contest: The domestics last longer and are a better deal all around. Comments like 14:57 are plenty of proof. Go back to making phone calls to prospective buyers, doing your mail outs and grabbing walk-ins. The rest of us will continue to drive American cars, support American workers and save tons of money. There are rumors that GM plans to take over Toyota. Maybe then we'll look at them.