2006 Toyota Tacoma

On February 26,2006, I picked up a Black 2006 Toyota Tacoma SR5 DBL Cab 4x4 Long Bed. I read up on the Tacoma for several months before making this purchase to insure I made the right choice , with the right features at the right price.

Let me first say this, the Tacoma is the best all around deal for a mid-sized truck compared to the Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado. You will find my comparison feedback below.

**The breakdown of my review is below in bulletpoints**

* Price - The Tacoma is not cheap by any means. The sticker price was $30,635 for fairly standard features; Front and side airbags, ABS, 6 Disc-InDash Changer/Radio, Cruise Control, Air Conditioning, Bed Liner and Steering Wheel Radio Controls, Limited Slip Differential, Fog Lights and Keyless Entry.

* Quality - For overall quality, the Tacoma is great but has a few issues. One, the tailgate seems very "hollow" and has a cheap feeling. The Bedliner is attached to the bed of the truck so if you want a "spray-in-liner", you are out of luck. The ride on the highway has a fair amount of road noise but no more than the other competitors in its class. The overall construction of the truck is solid and well put together. Suspension is tight and the four wheel drive is "idiot" proof.

* Ride/Performance - This is where the Tacoma sets itself apart from the rest. The new V6 rides incredibly smooth. You get ride and feel of a sedan with the "ruggedness" of a truck. With the turn of a switch, you can leave your street drive and switch to 4-Wheel drive and head off road. The SR5 suspension is incredible for a stock system. If you are the off-roading type, you can invest in the TRD package for $2000 more and get performance suspension (along with upgraded interior and a few other "nifty" gadgets) and get a nice "stiff" ride that will suit the off-rad enthusiast just fine.

* Mileage - This is the feature/advantage that makes me smile and separates the Tacoma from EVERY truck in its class. On my first full tank of gas I ran at 21mpg in my V6 Tacoma!! Amazing. The dealer stated that I could expect gains like that after 5000 miles. Looks like I am ahead of the game! I have spoken to other Tacoma owners on WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM and they have stated similar 20mpg gains on their initials tanks of gas.

* Interior - Toyota states that you can sit three adults in the back of your Tacoma Double Cab comfortably. This is the case is you have individuals with avergage to small builds. If you are going to carry any gear with you, two average adults will do the trick and fit comfortably. The bucket seats are fantastic and offer lumbar support. The dash has a new flair for 05' and 06' with a chrome/silver affect and a 7 speaker JBL audio system with a 6 Disc-InDash changer.

* Vehicle and Accessory Margin - I pulled a few reports from Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com and was able to get a few important accessories included in my purchase at NO COST with FREE INSTALLATION. These accessories were: Full TRD Performance Exhaust, Auto Dimming Mirror, Toyota Bug Buard, Undercoating, Full Maintenance Package, Bed Mat, Front Window Tint and Bed Net. The total retail for these accessories was over $3200 with installation and they were included free.

Summary-

All and all, the 2006 Tacoma is the leader of the pack for mid-sized trucks. It took a soild 5 hours of negotiations to get the price I wanted, but since I purchased my vehicle at the end of the month, the dealer and I were in intense negotiations and I knew I had the upper hand. The sticker was just $30,635 and I had $3200 of accessories included in the deal and walked out paying $28,900 with tax and licensing INCLUDED!

When you shop for a mid-sized truck, I encourage you to drive the Chevy Colorado, Nissan Frontier and the Ford Ranger.

With the Ford and Chevy, pay close attention to the ride and wind noise, it is horrid. Also, go online to the Ford and Chevy websites and build a comparable model to that of the Tacoma you are looking for. You will literally be looking at $6500 in additions (depending on the featured you want)to the base vehicle price.

Plus, take into consideration overall quality and resale value of each these trucks. The Tacoma is the truck of the year for 2005 with the highest resale value of all mid-sized trucks.

With the Nissan Frontier, you have a solid competitor. Like the Tacoma, you can get Limited Slip differential, Front and Side airbags, 6 Disc InDash Changer and quality interior and exterior components.
The few things that deterred my away from the Frontier were the ride and consumer reviews. The ride was very rough. This is not a bad thing because it rides like a truck should.
For me, I was looking for a "Lexus" type ride in the city and a "truck" ride for the off-road.

Regarding consumer reviews, the reviews I read were not to favorable. People complained of poor road noise, problems with cruise control, paint chipping and suspension issues.

All and all, the Tacoma is the best pick for a mid-sized truck. Make sure to know your price before you get to the dealer so you are prepared. There is over $3400 of margin off the sticker price and $2200 in dealer kickbacks from Toyota. Opt for the long bad so you can actually haul things. The standard short bed is not big enough for a toddler sandbox :)

If you have any questions about my purchase, drop me an email.

T~