It’s been 16 years since I bought my last truck. It’s been a good little pickup, but the time has come to send it to that great parking lot in the sky, or perhaps down the road with another owner, whichever comes first. At 16 years of age, it’s beginning to require more and more in the way of maintenance and general TLC. Also, with a 4-cylinder engine, it’s become apparent that there just isn’t enough power to haul all the stuff Mrs. Sigmadog buys and sells via her other business venture.
So, with that in mind, I recently began a search for a new truck.
As I began my search, I couldn’t help but be aware of the current trend towards hybrid vehicles. Frankly, the idea of saving money on gasoline is attractive, but I wasn’t sure I could find a hybrid-truck with enough power and traction to handle our hills in winter, in addition to having sufficient towing capacity. After some time spent searching, I was forced to concede that there simply aren’t any hybrid trucks out there which are affordable and also fit my requirements.
But that didn’t stop me from going green.
Here is my new 2010 Toyota Tacoma V6 4X4 (TRD Off-Road version). It’s got a 6-speed manual transmission, tons of cool features, and a towing capacity of 6500 lbs! I love it! And yeah, it’s green.
It’s amazing to me how things have changed in 16 years. The interior of this truck is comfortable like a car. The ride is so smooth and the engine so quiet I almost forget to shift. It’s a little bigger than my previous truck, but when I’m driving, it feels absolutely huge.
I’m still working on figuring out where the corners are, so for the time being, I’m avoiding parking lots as much as possible. You know how it is: you’ve got to drive for a while before you gain the situational awareness, and mental image of where the edges of the truck are. At some point, you become so attuned to the vehicle, it becomes an extension of you – that’s when you know you can whip into parking spaces easily. Well, I’m not there yet. Still too nervous. But I’ll be there soon.
As for my old truck, it’s a ’94 Nissan 4X4 SE King Cab with 155,000 miles. Not bad. Currently, it’s at the mechanics having the pilot-bearing replaced on the clutch (I couldn’t in good conscience sell it knowing that was going to go soon). So if you know anyone interested in a single-owner, low-mileage 16 year-old truck, send them my way.
Here’s a picture:
