It’s hard to argue with a vehicle that’s been made for twenty-five years such as the Tacoma has. A lot has happened in those two and a half decades, there was barely an internet back then, or at least a user-friendly one. This 2002 Toyota Tacoma sure looks user-friendly and it’s listed here on eBay in Joppa, Maryland. The current bid price is $7,600 and there are still five days left on the auction.
The first-generation Tacoma came out in early 1995 and they were sold until 2004. They were thought of as a small pickup and they were, 4×4 stance notwithstanding. This truck is about a foot and a half longer than my 1980 Dodge D-50 Sport pickup which I think of as a small pickup, but the standard cab 2WD Tacoma in this era was actually shorter than my truck is.
The second-generation Tacoma was a midsized pickup and it seems as if everything gets bigger with each redesign. I can’t imagine ever needing a pickup bigger than this Tacoma but I don’t use one for a living, just occasionally hauling things. They came in a regular cab, an extended cab such as this one, and a four-door cab version. The StepSide box, or bed, was reportedly a $310 option, this truck is looking better and better all the time.
This interior is like flying to the moon compared to the folded paper airplane interior of my truck. At least, luxury-wise, if maybe not funky-design-wise. I have to admit that a silver truck with a gray interior isn’t the zippiest color combo, but that’s from a guy with an orange truck. This Tacoma would be quite an upgrade for me, but I’m guessing that some of you have new pickups that make this Tacoma look like a buckboard. It looks great inside and I have to believe that it has a lot more legroom than my ancient 1980 truck has. The seller has included a ton of great photos on the eBay link including the extended cab seating/storage area and also a few of the underside.
The engine is Toyota’s 3RZ-FE, a 2.7L inline-four with 150 horsepower. It runs great according to the seller and they also mention that this Tacoma has new tires. It isn’t a vintage truck by any means, but have any of you owned a Tacoma of this era?
Why is this featured here?Decent truck,but nothing
that you wouldn’t find on about any area craigslist.
Did you just compare this to a Yugo? Fascinating. Are you being facetious? Besides, Yugos are old enough now where I bet there is some weird following for them, and if one was featured here, why would I care? I do know that I wouldn’t be able to find one with low miles and this condition on any area craigslist.
Some people on Barn Finds are very interested in 20-40 year old Japanese vehicles, myself included. I’m sure the final selling price of this Tacoma will back up that statement.
@Jason,
And just like that you have changed my opinion. Thank for shining your light today.
I collect all kinds of things that people dont think of as collector cars. 91 prelude. 92 accord, 87 crx, 80 buick skylark. 73 chevy pickup, so this type of find is EXACTLY what I’m interested in. I have little interest in gtr, a z car, or any of the normally accepted collector vehicles. I like the unusual and sometimes unloved stuff. That’s why I come here.
The comments on this site are reaching a new level. I’m a glutton for punishment reading them. I have to try and stay calm and remind myself that they’re uninformed and that’s fine, but why argue about it. Of all the things to argue about lol. If I’m not interested in a car featured here, I move along. I clicked on this immediately. I live in the northeast and can’t remember the last time I saw a step side
As awesome as these Tacoma’s are, that 2.7L has a big problem. It likes to “eat valves” and it usually does that around the 150k to 160k mile mark. That is the only reason for selling off my 2002 Prerunner four years ago. It was kinda hard to sell it as I have been driving Toyotas for longer than I want to remember but I felt I had no choice, as I was getting close to 150k miles.
Man, this is such a good looking truck.
What are the engine options to look for with this era Tacomas?
@Jaydawg7 You want the 3.4L v6. Toyota had a master Japanese truck maker, Hino build this v6 and they did a hellva job. That is what I have in my 2000 4Runner and I am about to hit the 400k mile mark soon. Thinkin’ I will be buried in my runner when I pass…
There was a 3.0 liter V6 option
3.4 V6, which is what my 2002 TRD has. It also bolts right up to this truck, easy swap.
The 3.0 V6 which is known to have exhasut manifold problems, was last used in 1994 or 1995, before the “Toyota Truck” became a “Tacoma”.
I bought mine in 2011 and it currently has 189K miles and I’ll never sell it. By far the most dependable vehicle I’ve ever owned, and that includes three NA Miatas in a row (two years ago I bought a 1997, after I destroyed a 1996 NA).
Is that “old man gold” paint color? Why do auto manufacturers other than Buick still sell vehicles in old man gold and old lady powder blue?
Because people buy them.
That frame is bad, bad, BAD.
Wow, Scotty–did you buy my Dad’s old D-50 Sport? Same paint scheme, options, and he always had a camper shell on it! I clicked on your link and it put me right back inside dad’s first mini-truck. He’s been gone almost 10 years now, and I am always shocked by how hard that fact still hits me. Great memories, but a huge personal loss.
2003 TRD 4×4. 6″ lift, 36″ tires. 369,600 miles. Interior still looks really good. One clutch replace. Only problem I ever had, and it was a head scratcher, was clutch master cylinder failed. Five times. Couldn’t get one that would last longer than a month. Then I remembered back in the early 80’s Ford Pintos, Thunderbirds would stretch the clutch cable after battery cable ends were replaced and the body ground was missing. The body ground had broken on the Tacoma. It was grounding through the fluid damaging the seal. Hasn’t failed again.
Auction update: this truck sold for $11,250.