20th Mar 2017, 21:47
The prices are high for a few reasons. One is that nobody makes a truly "small" truck anymore. The new Chevy Colorado, the new Tacoma and the upcoming new Ranger are ALL more or less the same size as what full-sized trucks were like 10-15 years ago. So the demand for truly small trucks is out there.
Secondly, the Tacoma has a well deserved reputation for going forever with few problems. My 21 year old Tacoma has 265,000 miles and it just goes. That's about it. Maybe every few years something needs replacing like a starter motor or a water pump, but not much else.
Thirdly, and at least for the first 2 generations of Tacomas, they are very easy to work on. Yes - the Ranger is not a bad truck. But compared to the Tacoma they are a royal pain. I know because my Brother had one and getting to a lot of routine maintenance areas was more difficult - like the spark plugs that were impossible to get at in the rear.
20th Mar 2017, 08:21
In addition, some do all their own maintenance. Then review it as a perfect vehicle. That doesn't give a realistic cost of ownership to others. Those not possessing the same skill set may find it not cheaper to retain them. Which means that they could also have owned a different make and model vehicle and then raved about its longevity. They fix everything really cheap themselves. If you pay off a vehicle, start using the money saved each month towards a new one. Don't wait til huge repairs hit or the body rots. Or buy another vehicle and use the other one sparingly. With a truck broken down, especially with a load in it or towing, it's a big extra hassle as well. Having a heap in the drive, especially with a truck and what it is meant for, is actually a waste.