Whistlebritches wrote:I drive nothing but Toyota's,Tacoma(4X4 4-door) for me Highlander for wifey.Not sure a Tacoma meets all your needs but if you ever own one you may own nothing else the rest of your life.I do love getting 250-300K trouble free miles out of a gas truck before replacement time.I have about 105K on my current Tacoma........lots of life left.
If I didn't tow, I'd definitely shop a Taco. Mother in law said she wanted a Gladiator, cause she wants a small pickup. I told her to look at the Tacoma, though a Ridgeline would be best for her use - hauling plants and flowers from the greenhouse back to her yard.
I loved my 5 speed Dakota. I love midsize trucks for average daily use. I towed a lot with the Dakota too, but anything over 4k and I had to shift near redline and couldn't maintain 55+ without revving the crap outta that v6. I also carried 2200lbs of concrete bags in the bed once, the front tires came off the ground going over the tracks by my house and the hitch receiver hit the ground several times. Bought a few yards of dirt, one yard at a time in the bed and same result.
It was a great little truck and I shopped Tacomas to replace it but my towing needs were increasing at the time and there was no way I could get away with a midsize again. I open trailered my race car to several events over the years I had the Dakota and I had no complaints. But once I put that same car and trailer onto my 3/4 ton pickup, there was no turning back. Prior to that I'd only known towing with an 82 Olds Delta, a 92 Suburban, a 96 V6 shortbed standard cab v6 chevy half ton, and the Dakota. The Dodge was the best of those, but I think that was more due to the 3.90 rear end and 5 speed than anything else.
I'd shop half tons too if it wasn't for my side/hobby job. I need to be able to tow heavy for long distance. A half ton would work fine for my camper, and even the race/event trailers would be doable with most well equipped half tons. But on a 2-3k mile round trip, I want the stability of the 3/4 ton chassis. I've had brake failures more times than I haven't had em, and having a heavy truck with giant brakes has been a lifesaver. A half ton would honestly fit my usage on paper better than a HD truck, but in the used market 3/4 and half tons are pretty similarly priced for similar equipment levels but you get tow mirrors, better payload, a more stable chassis, bigger brakes, and better cooling systems in the 3/4 ton gassers at the expense of everyday comfort and fuel economy.