The new rig conundrum

[Tonkaman]

Buying the Tacoma was the best thing I ever did for our family. Having the smaller more off-road capable vehicle has opened up many new opportunities that we have been enjoying so much. It's time to upgrade to something more modern to give us a bit more comfort and peace of mind. This is really being pushed by my wife, because she absolutely does not want me taking my current Tacoma on my month long drive through Mexico.

Our previous buying experiences have really left me paranoid to buy used. The wife has really felt burned by the last 2 trucks I've bought and is pushing really hard for a brand new truck. I've never had a new vehicle and it sounds great, but I would loose so much money modifying it to suit my needs.

So here's the conundrum, do I buy new and slowly add the modifications I require as I can afford them? Or do I buy a low mileage well built rig from someone with a rock solid reputation? (Again this brings us back to putting faith in someone's reputation). I'm thinking a vehicle built for a company display or for SEMA, but still within my budget. I'd like to keep it close to $40k if possible and will need cash from my Tacoma to complete a purchase.

The end goal either way is a fully self sufficient off-road vehicle that I can travel a week time in any direction and not even question its ability or reliability.

So what do you guys think? New with long term build plan or used and mostly built already?

 

[Marsh99]

Well if you want turn key reliable mild rig I dont think you can go wrong with Jk Rubicon or trail team 4runner or TRD pro tundra or Tacoma. Even buying a lightly used one would be perfect.

 

[johngottfredson]

This is a tricky question. Maximum off-road capability and long-range, long-term comfort and reliability rolled up into one vehicle is tough to do, and ultimately gets really expensive, unless you are willing to compromise on some things. I had the paperwork drawn up to get a 2015 tacoma purchased early last year, which I was going to build up into my one all-around perfect vehicle. Ultimately, I decided against it, picked up a clean, 50k mile 1st gen tundra which I plan on leaving essentially stock (possible suspension upgrade in the future...) and am building my 80 series up. I put a shell on the truck, and use it for my "overlanding" type trips, more road based, no technical stuff. It gets great gas mileage, everything is within manufacturer's specs, reliability is going to remain Toyota strong. My 80 will be for more local technical stuff, I won't mind beating it up a bit, and I can compromise on the on-road performance because that's not its primary use.

I like the idea of buying new, but I like the idea of like-new even better. Anything but Tacoma I would say get a low-mileage cherry off the used market. However, since Tacoma's have their own weird market, it is actually cheaper to buy new (okay, not always cheaper, but there isn't a discount for used. No depreciation drop-off just driving off the lot. Ask me how I know...)

Off-road accessories however suck to buy new, and you don't get your $$$ back when you sell, so if you can find a low mileage, non-abused, clean history truck built how you like it, I would go for it. Just avoid auctions/re-builts/home-brew modded vehicles.

 

[Gravy]

One direction to think about is get a used JK built by Teraflex.
Having ridden in one with their prerunner suspension kit I'm pretty sold even compared to something IFS.
You can build one smokin' cool JKU for significantly under $40k

 

[mbryson]

One direction to think about is get a used JK built by Teraflex.
Having ridden in one with their prerunner suspension kit I'm pretty sold even compared to something IFS.
You can build one smokin' cool JKU for significantly under $40k

True. A Wrangler Sport with some lockers was what appealed to me. I did STRONGLY consider a Tacoma but couldn't get the right bed length and a couple other things I was a little wishy-washy on. I was going to go new but ran across a used 4 door Sport with low miles and snagged that saving $5k off new.

Everything will come with a few compromises

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Its a tough call. Because you can't have everything in one vehicle. You have to compromise or own 3 vehicles like a do. I tried to compromise, but decided, I can use my truck to tow the Disco with and just throw a larger set of tires on the Disco and a taller lift kit. I have a Truck for light duty off-road, good for towing and camping out of, etc. Disco for more hard core stuff, like Moab. And a Range Rover classic for an easy to drive off to hills, soft off roading kind of stuff.

Range Rover costs me nothing to own other than maintenance.

Disco costs me nothing to own other than maintenance.

Ford F350 costs me about $390 a month plus maintenance.

Plus insurance on all the above for about $150 full coverage on all. $100 deductible.

If I need to sell one, I won't have a problem making at least $3000 off the two that are paid for.

Just a side note, Reliability is what you make it. I'm a bit anal about keeping my stuff in good working order. I keep my engines stock and only modify the differentials or transfercases and small lifts. All my vehicles are nearing 200K or are over it. All work well. Except my Range Rover that is getting a diesel engine swapped into it. The Disco has been very good for the last 40K miles I have owned it. I had to do headgaskets, a weekend long job and a few sensors. But nothing is very expensive for it. Just keep it filled with oil, grease and coolant and its fine. The F350 keeps going. I've fixed all the issues with the 6.0, and its now around 205K miles. I don't think it'll have any more issues. I just have to put new tires on it every couple of years.

I personally like not having a $800 a month car payment. I can take that money and modify and maintain my current fleet. I'll have my truck paid off in a couple more years. So it's not hurting me any. I'd rather have money in the bank then a shiney ride. In this economy you never know when the job you have will take a crap.

 

[jeeper]

I don't think that Derek was asking what kind of vehicle, or how many he should own. He is wanting to know if it's better to buy new and build over time, or buy built with low miles.

My opinion is that you will find that you are wanting to upgrade much faster than you think you will. By April you will already be wanting lift, winch, sliders, and bumbers.

I vote already built. But I also vote no more using it for work duties.

 

[Kevin B.]

What's wrong with buying a stock used rig and building it up? Less fear of depreciation, less fear of somebody elses' project...

 

[sawtooth4x4]

That wasn't my point. And if you read my comment you'd understand that.

I don't think that Derek was asking what kind of vehicle, or how many he should own. He is wanting to know if it's better to buy new and build over time, or buy built with low miles.

My opinion is that you will find that you are wanting to upgrade much faster than you think you will. By April you will already be wanting lift, winch, sliders, and bumbers.

I vote already built. But I also vote no more using it for work duties.

 

[jeeper]

That wasn't my point. And if you read my comment you'd understand that.

I wasn't responding directly to your post, and wasn't intending to cause grief. My apologies.

 

[TRD270]

As much as I want to say buy new, i'd vote for a used stock, or used well built from someone reputable. Buying a brand new rig is fun, but I found when I bought my JK brand new I was hesitant about taking it certain places because well I owed 38k on it. The used vehicles you are speaking of don't depreciate really fast so the savings may be negligible, so your best option may well be the well built used since the seller shouldn't be getting their money back on add ons.

 

[Deleted member 12904]

How built do you really need want? If your talking like sema build for sure find something done. Most of those rigs are done with parts sponsors for the shows and could never realistically be built on a working mans budget. If your talking mild capable off-road why not buy 1 or 2 year old with remaining factory warranty and put the lift tires winch skids ect on with the savings over going new?

 

[Tonkaman]

Wow this thread really took off fast!

This is a tricky question. Maximum off-road capability and long-range, long-term comfort and reliability rolled up into one vehicle is tough to do, and ultimately gets really expensive, unless you are willing to compromise on some things. I had the paperwork drawn up to get a 2015 tacoma purchased early last year, which I was going to build up into my one all-around perfect vehicle. Ultimately, I decided against it, picked up a clean, 50k mile 1st gen tundra which I plan on leaving essentially stock (possible suspension upgrade in the future...) and am building my 80 series up. I put a shell on the truck, and use it for my "overlanding" type trips, more road based, no technical stuff. It gets great gas mileage, everything is within manufacturer's specs, reliability is going to remain Toyota strong. My 80 will be for more local technical stuff, I won't mind beating it up a bit, and I can compromise on the on-road performance because that's not its primary use.

I like the idea of buying new, but I like the idea of like-new even better. Anything but Tacoma I would say get a low-mileage cherry off the used market. However, since Tacoma's have their own weird market, it is actually cheaper to buy new (okay, not always cheaper, but there isn't a discount for used. No depreciation drop-off just driving off the lot. Ask me how I know...)

Off-road accessories however suck to buy new, and you don't get your $$$ back when you sell, so if you can find a low mileage, non-abused, clean history truck built how you like it, I would go for it. Just avoid auctions/re-builts/home-brew modded vehicles.

I don't expect a well rounded vehicle at all. I know tacomas aren't great at anything in reality. I am more than willing to sacrifice luxuries in place of off-road performance.

I do agree about not getting a discount on lightly used, it's kinda crazy! You hit it head on when you say that the seller won't get their money back on accessories, that's the single biggest temptation for used.

One direction to think about is get a used JK built by Teraflex.
Having ridden in one with their prerunner suspension kit I'm pretty sold even compared to something IFS.
You can build one smokin' cool JKU for significantly under $40k

Your a family man now, so you know the amount of crap needed for a family adventure. As much as I'd love a JKU I could never fit the necessary items for a week trip inside one. Also I'm kinda scared to give up a truck bed for all the dirty things.

Its a tough call. Because you can't have everything in one vehicle. You have to compromise or own 3 vehicles like a do. I tried to compromise, but decided, I can use my truck to tow the Disco with and just throw a larger set of tires on the Disco and a taller lift kit. I have a Truck for light duty off-road, good for towing and camping out of, etc. Disco for more hard core stuff, like Moab. And a Range Rover classic for an easy to drive off to hills, soft off roading kind of stuff.


Just a side note, Reliability is what you make it.

I find it funny people (your not the only one) keep separate vehicles for "the hard stuff" and "easy drive in the hills". My whole point is that on a 2,000 mile trip through remote locations an easy trail may end up getting pretty gnarly. When I have the girls in the truck and were out of rescue range, I need to be able to get er done. I'm not talking about climbing big obstacles but what if the trail gets washed out bad and it's a 500 mile detour?

I don't need a tow rig, that's why I string Jeeper along[emoji12].

Also I'm big on maintenance also. Maintaining something doesn't bother me, it's the freakish part grenades that I can't deal with. I'm fine dealing with the consequences of aftermarket chassis parts that need extra care as long as they survive the trip and I can maintain them in my own garage.

I don't think that Derek was asking what kind of vehicle, or how many he should own. He is wanting to know if it's better to buy new and build over time, or buy built with low miles.

My opinion is that you will find that you are wanting to upgrade much faster than you think you will. By April you will already be wanting lift, winch, sliders, and bumbers.

I vote already built. But I also vote no more using it for work duties.

I think I can pull of that much to a new truck by April, but it will be a squeeze. I have been leaning heavily toward a pre built rig but I'm not sure I'll convince Elaina to trust again. The single biggest problem is the availability of sweet low mileage tacomas. They come in waves and it's kind of a dry spell right now. I've been keeping an eye on this ride from CBI Offroad:http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...acoma-DCSB-TRD-Built-and-ready-to-go-explore!

What's wrong with buying a stock used rig and building it up? Less fear of depreciation, less fear of somebody elses' project...

Very valid point that I thought about at first.
Number one there is no "discounted" accessories to make up for the price difference. Number two it's still used and who knows where it's been. (Remember I'm a big time skeptic)

As much as I want to say buy new, i'd vote for a used stock, or used well built from someone reputable. Buying a brand new rig is fun, but I found when I bought my JK brand new I was hesitant about taking it certain places because well I owed 38k on it. The used vehicles you are speaking of don't depreciate really fast so the savings may be negligible, so your best option may well be the well built used since the seller shouldn't be getting their money back on add ons.

I'm not like most people, I'll have no problem making that Tacoma earn its keep. I figure every scratch and ding is like a badge of off-road experience.

How built do you really need want? If your talking like sema build for sure find something done. Most of those rigs are done with parts sponsors for the shows and could never realistically be built on a working mans budget. If your talking mild capable off-road why not buy 1 or 2 year old with remaining factory warranty and put the lift tires winch skids ect on with the savings over going new?

Ok ok when I say built for SEMA I'm talking about the smaller parts distributor rig not the front page of a magazine type rig. There are plenty of cool trucks built to display what a company can offer.

I guess I need to crunch the numbers but at first glance I don't think I'll save anything putting the parts on a used truck myself. It would be worth the extra cash if it were a brand new truck, but then it would take lots of time.

 

[Tonkaman]

The END GOAL for a truck would be
-mid travel with bumps
-front/rear bumpers
-rear tire swing out
-sliders/skids
-front/rear lockers
-35's/re-geared
-aux lighting/OBA/winch
-full rack/RTT
-Aux fuel tank
-ham radio
-dual battery
-very very OCD wiring


The minimum list for April is
-suspension
-front bumper/winch
-sliders
-tires

 

[Greg]

Personally, I think you'd be better off buying a stock 4x4 that's less than 2 yrs old, with low miles. At least you won't take the hit of buying brand new. If you can buy private party, IMO you're better off... especially if they're the first owner. They know the vehicle inside & out, since it was new. Be prepared to walk away if ANYTHING seems suspect. Buying used from a dealer ends with a lot of questions... but it has a clean Carfax! Buy a clean, never offroaded stocker and outfit it how you see fit. I would much rather build up my own vehicle with my choice of products than someone elses choosing. Plenty of aftermarket work on vehicles is questionable and sub-par parts get used, if you can choose quality parts and who is doing the (quality) work, you'll be much better off.

There's nothing wrong with building a little here & there, as you can afford it.

I like the build plan outlined above, I'm very interested to see what you end up with and how you use it!

 

[Tonkaman]

Thanks Greg, that's solid advise.

If the new model Tacoma didn't change I don't think I'd even entertain the option. A few things that really really speak to me on the new model are:
-6 speed automatic
-42 extra horsepower
-dual climate control
-extra sound/heat insulation

The big question is how much $$ would I pay for those extras. I just don't know the answer yet

 

[Kevin B.]

If you're done with the Taco, I'd be happy to give it a second chance. Can I interest you in a lightly-wheeled F150 with a fresh head gasket and exhaust manifold?

 

[Unimog]

New vs Used is a choice each person needs to make since the benefits of having new are more subjective than financial. IMO, lightly used will almost always offer more bang for the buck.

 

[Tonkaman]

If you're done with the Taco, I'd be happy to give it a second chance. Can I interest you in a lightly-wheeled F150 with a fresh head gasket and exhaust manifold?

You should moonlight as a used car salesman, cuz I'm awful tempted...

 

[Kevin B.]

You should moonlight as a used car salesman, cuz I'm awful tempted...

You only say that because you haven't seen it.