After about 2 years of keeping an eye out for a future replacement for my Dodge Ram regular cab pickup, I purchased an '07 Prerunner double cab. I wanted more cab space for dogs and gear. So far so good.
I got the offroad package for the improved seats, power point in the bed, better shocks, stiffer suspension, and upgraded tires/wheels. I had to accept the JBL stereo upgrade, but it does a good job and was a decent value.

The Tacoma is probably one of the better looking trucks on the road, though this is a very subjective area. I think they look best with some bigger wheels and tires, but the off road package's 265/7016 tires with raised white letters and alloy wheels look good too. Fit and finish are very good, I haven't found any flaws yet. My Tacoma was assembled in Mexico, so we will see if they can make trucks like they do in Japan.

I chose the Tacoma for its size, primarily. It is a good moderate size. I was tired of the ponderous feel of my Ram. I wanted something more narrow that would also tow a light trailer. Full size trucks have crept up in size to the point where they sometimes become annoying in certain traffic and parking situations. I wanted an extended cab truck for the added interior room, and when you add that to a full size truck, it becomes a little long for my situation. I tow a lot and with a trailer behind, these are just too hard to get around some tight areas in.

The interior of the Tacoma is probably best in its class. The materials are not sedan quality, but are close, and I found the sport seats comfortable. The interior is quiet for a truck, ergonomics are very good, and I like that I can reach anything in the cab from my seat, unlike in a full size truck. The Nissan Frontier is noticeably less appealing inside to me. Rear seats are adequate for adults on short trips, but are hardly spacious, even in the double cab. Those with families might choose to live with the bulk of a full size truck to get a bigger back seat. Storage is plentiful, with numerous cupholders (7 within reach of the driver!) and an ingenious tie down system for the truck bed. The bed is short and shallow, so this is not for those who need to haul a lot of stuff.

The JBL stereo upgrade with 6 disc changer is decent, but not as punchy as an aftermarket system. It has a warm sound, but won't blow your socks off. A little muddy and bassy, but it suits my needs.

My buying experience was through carsdirect. After one goof, I accepted a vehicle that was a little different than I wanted, but the price seemed fair and it was a no-hassle process. The dealer where I took delivery was even pretty easy to deal with, in contrast to some of my previous Toyota experiences. Maybe they know to leave carsdirect customers alone and not kill the golden goose.
I was offered an extended warranty, but with no pressure.

The more time I spend in the truck, the better I feel about my decision. While the Tacoma is no sports car, it is much more smooth and quiet than my full size trucks of the past. The offroad shocks/springs seem to help it avoid excessive body lean, while still giving a smoother ride than the full sizers. Any full size truck that rides better does so because it is so softly sprung it is sloppy to drive. The prerunner suspension setup is mostly for looks, and to get the V6 double cab you have to go that route. It is a little numb in steering, braking, and general feel, but it's a truck, not a sports car. It will handle rough pavement, bumps, and such a lot better than my Ram, which will bounce your teeth out at times. Braking is confident, and the 3750 lb curb weight means you are going to stop faster than a huge truck will. It doesn't feel like a runaway train. Shifts are smooth and quiet, though it will hunt a little at certain speeds due to the lack of gobs of torque like a V8 truck has. Acceleration is very good, though there is not quite as much down low as with a V8. It needs a moment to build revs before it really takes off.

Fuel economy is good, with 19 city and 22 hwy promised on the sticker. The downside is that it requires premium fuel, so that lowers your fuel savings somewhat. Safety is great, also, due to good crash test scores, abs, and a variety of airbag and other safety features. I was disappointed that Toyota does not make stability control available on many trucks. They are nearly impossible to find. It also has a tire pressure sensor system. I also found side airbags very rare in their inventory.

Resale should be excellent, based on my research, which helps defray the cost of ownership vs. initially less expensive competitors. Reliability should be above average, though I think some of Toyota's reputation is overstated. The warranty is 3 years, 36K miles bumper to bumper, and 5 years, 60K miles on the powertrain. The 100K extended warranty I was offered was pretty cheap, about $800. That is a good indicator of how they feel about their vehicle's chances of remaining trouble free long term. I also like that Tacomas have always been popular and that I shouldn't have a hard time selling it down the line.

I will update with more feedback as I have it.

12/14/06- UPDATE: After towing with it some, I am happy to report that I am very pleased with how it tows my 3,000 lb load. It is stable, I was concerned the trailer would swing the end of this smaller truck, but it doesn't. Braking (with trailer brakes) is very good, and overall it feels very confidence inspiring. While it won't win any drag races with a trailer in tow, it definitely has the power to handle a light/medium load. It holds 5th gear even on inclines, though I usually tow in 4th, and to accelerate uphill it has to downshift. But then most trucks would. There is some harshness to the 4/3 downshift when passing, but less than my previous Dodge had. I am very surprised to read the reports from other off road package owners mentioning a harsh ride. It rides like a camry to me. Any softer would feel sloppy. I think the progressive rate springs that come with this package really help make it feel less floaty with a load in it. I am very glad I went for it. The interior materials actually look better with time, I had previously been unimpressed. This is a great truck for light to medium duty use. It is definitely not a heavy hauler, the truck's bed in particular looks too fragile to handle much abuse. I would have prefered a steel bed with a sprayed in liner. And I find the storage cubbys in the bed useful, but too small for many objects I'd like to put there. And not being lockable means you can't really put anything of value in them.

I acheived 20mpg on the first full tank, all highway, and 19mpg on the second highway trip, this time uphill. Both were at 75mph for long periods. I'd expect to achieve about 21mpg as it breaks in. The first time I checked fuel economy for a tank that was purely around town, I was quite pleasantly surprised to get 19mpg, exactly as advertised, even with my somewhat lead foot. I do more rural driving than some, and not a lot of sitting in traffic, but still this was good news. This contrasts well to my 2003 Ram that barely got 13mpg around town.

The truck will run on regular fuel, but I suspect that fuel economy would suffer proportionally. I have yet to test that theory, however.

UPDATE JULY 29, 2007.

At the 10,000 mile point still no problems or issues to see a dealer about. I continue to be pleased with its tight maneuvering ability, smooth quiet ride, and ability to tow.

I am, however, disappointed with the high speed handling. I knew the prerunner concept raised the truck, and that Toyota likes to tune things pretty soft. But I make a long 400 mile trip at least once a month and above suburban street speeds it's a little loose. I prefer a tauter handling experience, and the narrow but high stance is going to limit me there. I like to know that I can avoid any idiocy I see in front of my on the highway. I tried adding a rear stabilizer bar, but it doesn't make enough difference. The tires are also off-road biased and lack grip and tend to scrub badly when making abrubt maneuvers. While generally safe for its type, this is a truck I could see rolling over in a panic situation. I definitely erred in not choosing a vehicle that could be lowered with sport springs to give me the handling I want. I had hoped to be able to sell the sport sedan I put about 12,000 miles a year on on the expressway and use this truck for double-duty, but it's not going to happen. The inability to find one with stability control on one in m region sealed its fate. It's for work and short trips around town only. And as for those complaining about the harsh ride, I suggest driving some other trucks. This is, even with the "offroad pkg", the smoothest and quietest truck I've driven, and I've driven or owned almost every one. My problem with it is that it's too soft. And the steering provides little feedback. It's superior in so many ways it's a fine truck for 90% of users, but I needed a vehicle capable of high speed cruising as well. Unfortunately, they don't seem to make one right now. At least one that doesn't cost $40,000 or more.
Amount Paid (US$): 27000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: Tacoma Prerunner V6 off road pkg