I Was Going To Buy a Subaru, But I Bought a Tacoma – Dude, I Love My New Ride!

A Tacoma – not a Subaru?

Our friend Josh Layne bought a 2019 Toyota Tacoma with the Off-Road package instead of a Subaru. He was looking for a vehicle to keep up with his new lifestyle in Colorado. Josh and his wife like to hike and they recently bought a new home. For those reasons, he opted to buy something more utilitarian.

Josh bought this truck top replace his 2014 Subaru Forester.

Roman interviews Josh about his new truck. (Photo: TFLtruck)

Sometimes, buying what you want and what you need meet in the middle. That’s what happened with Josh and his new truck. Look at other Love or Hate my New Ride stories (here).

Spending $34,600 (before tax), Josh got a pretty good deal. Keep in mind, the MSRP on an equivalent truck is about $37,800. He also avoided spending well over $40,000 for the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro – which is somewhat more capable, but the pricing can be steep.

A six-speed manual transmission with a slick aftermarket cue-ball. (Photo: TFLtruck)

The 2019 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 Double-Cab already comes with a host of standard features. You also get a 278 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 that makes 265 lb-ft of torque. On top of the six-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission, this is what you get with TRD Off-Road package:

  • Toyota Safety Sense-P (TSS-P) 
  • Multi-terrain Select (MTS) (4×4 automatic models only), Crawl Control (CRAWL) (4×4 automatic models only)
  • Electronically locking rear differential
  • Available Multi-terrain Monitor (MTM) with camera (Double cab only)
You get a good look at the cover and rack combo here. (Photo: TFLtruck)

Worth it?

Josh added a few aftermarket goodies like a slick tonneau cover and bed-rack combo. With this setup, he can store items securely inside the bed while still having the ability to tie items down on top of the bed. It’s a simple storage solution that’s becoming more popular today.

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.