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The 2004 Toyota Tacoma is EXPENSIVE, but AMAZING!
56K views
Jul 22, 2024
The 2004 Toyota Tacoma is the last year of the first generation of the Tacoma! In this video, I'll show you everything you need to know, including a bit of its history, what I do like, what I don't like, and exactly how nostalgic I am about this generation of Toyota vehicles. Thank you, The Dirt Tourist, for letting me borrow this; you can find their Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thedirttourist/
View Video Transcript
0:00
While everyone else is showing you guys reviews of the new Toyota Tacoma that just came out
0:05
I wanted to show you guys where the Tacoma started off, which is why I'm going to show you everything that you need to know about this 2004 Toyota Tacoma
0:14
which is the end of the first generation of Tacoma, to see how far, or maybe how far back, the Tacoma has come
0:21
But before we get too far into the video, I do want to tell you guys exactly where I got this Tacoma I'm reviewing today
0:27
and that is from The Dirt Tourist. So this is The Dirt Tourist. I've borrowed quite a few vehicles from them in the past
0:33
and they do a fantastic job with their inventory. They kind of specialize in vehicles like this, so if you want to check out vehicles like this
0:39
or other kind of off-roady Toyota vehicles, they have a bunch of other stuff as well
0:43
make sure to check out his Instagram. I have it down in the description for you
0:47
So in this video, I'm going to start off by talking about everything you need to know, just kind of where this first-gen Tacoma came from, and stuff like that
0:54
but then I'm also going to get into what I do like about the Tacoma, and what I don't like, to see if this generation is right for you
1:00
Now, this first-gen Toyota Tacoma came out in the early 90s, and it actually came out as a result of the U.S. market
1:08
Previously, we had the Toyota Pickup. Yes, they literally had a vehicle called the Toyota Pickup
1:15
That is how small their pickup lineup was, is they had a truck specifically called the Pickup
1:20
Anyways, before that, it was based on the Toyota Helix, and in the early 90s, Toyota realized that the U.S. market and the Canadian market
1:28
was quite a bit different than the rest of the markets. So they decided to design a whole pickup in the USA, specifically in California
1:36
and they came out with the Tacoma. Now, it was a departure from the standard Helix
1:40
in that it was a little bit more meant for the on-road performance
1:44
it was a little bit more comfortable, and it had a little bit less for the off-road prowess and payload capacity
1:50
Now, of course, these are extremely well-known for being amazing off-road, so it was a really good compromise in a vehicle like this to have something that was comfortable
1:59
but also just a really good off-road vehicle. Now, this specific truck we're looking at today is the 2004 model
2:05
and it's actually the last model year of this generation before they switched over to the 2nd-gen Toyota Tacoma
2:12
and so it has everything like the updated front grille, the updated headlights
2:16
and everything that you would expect from this last-year Toyota Tacoma, and is quite a bit more refined than the Tacoma we found in the early 90s
2:24
Alright, so now let's go ahead and talk powertrain, and to do that, we need to get underneath of the hood, which has a latch right here
2:33
and so we're going to go ahead and pop that and go around to the front. Now, once you have popped the hood, there's a little latch here that gets you underneath of here
2:40
and really quick, I'm going to put the hood prop up and go from there. Alright, so now that we have the hood propped up here
2:46
this is the 3.4-liter V6 engine. Now, this engine came in a couple different sizes
2:52
Originally, there was the 2.4-liter engine, the 2.7-liter, of which both were four-cylinders
2:57
and then this right here was the range-topping 3.4-liter V6. Now, this one right here pushed out 190 horsepower and I think 210 pound-foot of torque
3:06
which was pretty impressive for the time, and this was the engine that you wanted to get from this generation
3:11
because it obviously had quite a bit more power and the reliability on these things were ridiculous
3:16
But that said, this one right here has a timing belt, whereas the four-cylinders both had a timing chain
3:22
so you want to make sure that you did replace the timing belt in these every once in a while. However, it was not an interference engine, which means that even if this belt did snap
3:29
it wouldn't be that big of a deal because it wouldn't throw off any valves or anything like that
3:33
like it would in interference-style engines, making that even more reliable. Now, depending on what engine you got, you would get in between 20 and 26 miles per gallon
3:43
and this engine in particular got around 21 miles to the gal
3:47
which honestly is really not too bad considering what trucks get nowadays
3:51
Now, no discussion about the powertrain would be complete without talking about the transmission
3:57
and this one in particular has a five-speed manual transmission. Of course, it did come in a four-speed automatic, but that automatic was more money
4:06
and nowadays, I would say this transmission is considerably more desirable, and this one has that
4:11
Alright, now let's talk exterior styling on this 2004 Toyota Tacoma, and things have changed over the years
4:18
Now, with the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma, it has gotten angrier-looking than ever
4:23
so if you're looking for a happier-looking truck, this one is a much happier-looking truck
4:28
It's a little bit more rounded. It looks a little bit more like what you would expect from a 90s Toyota pickup
4:32
even though it's a 2004, it still has a little bit more rounded styling
4:36
And as for body lines, I think this one right here is my favorite. It kind of swoops up and over the wheel arch, and then it ends right here on the door
4:44
only to be picked up again right behind this rear wheel arch, and I just really like the way that that looks
4:51
It's extremely simple and looks really, really nice, and outside of that, there really isn't much to talk about on the side
4:58
Moving around to the front here, this is actually one of the biggest updates to the Toyota Tacoma
5:03
throughout its life in the first generation, is that this has more of a styled lighting
5:07
As the original Tacoma, when it came out, had to have sealed beam lights
5:11
as that was actually mandatory at the time, and so when they no longer had to do that
5:15
they were able to update it and give it a little bit more rounded, and a little bit more specific style lighting to the Tacoma
5:21
Which this one right here has kind of black housing, so I think these are aftermarket and are not stock from the original vehicle
5:28
Some other cool styling bits is things like this little fender flare right here
5:31
Actually, I shouldn't say it's little. These are actually quite large fender flares
5:35
However, that kind of fell out of style for a little while, and so it kind of made it look a little bit more dated
5:41
However, now new pickup trucks, it's getting more in style, making it feel more modern than it has ever before
5:47
Now, around back is going to be obviously your pickup truck bed
5:51
and it's a bit of a point of contention for a lot of these first-generation Tacoma owners
5:55
in that they were a little bit angry about this bed, and that's because, well, this was the extra cab
6:00
so it has a longer style of bed. However, they came out with a double cab version with two full-size rear doors and two full-size rear seats
6:07
However, when they did do that, they actually made a shorter bed
6:11
which unfortunately meant that you lost quite a bit of capacity for your bed
6:15
and so Tacoma owners generally prefer this longer bed right here that we're seeing now
6:19
So let's go ahead and jump in there, so you can see what it looks like. And so getting in is pretty easy, just like any pickup truck
6:25
You just pull on right there. It is not dampened like you would find in modern trucks, so don't drop it
6:29
And it's a pretty standard pickup truck bed back here. Everything that you would expect, nothing that you would not
6:36
Of course, it doesn't have all the fancy features you have in those new pickup trucks. However, it does have four different tie-downs right there
6:43
so that you can connect ratchet straps and stuff like that. This is Line-X lining right here, so this was put in after market
6:50
which unfortunately over the years has started to kind of peel. However, that is not factory, so not something that you can expect in every single Tacoma
6:57
but still is a really nice thing to have. Alright, so let's go ahead and move into the interior of this pickup truck
7:06
And honestly, it is my favorite thing about this truck. I have owned four Toyota Celicas from this generation of Toyota
7:13
and I just really, really like the interior on here. It just kind of really is something that I've always enjoyed
7:19
It has that old-school tan interior that looks really nice there. You do have cloth seats, which keep you in the seat really well
7:27
And then down here is kind of a gray carpeting. Now the Dirt Tourist thinks that this is actually aftermarket and was replaced at some point
7:33
However, it looks pretty factory to me, which is really nice. And of course, like I showed you guys earlier, this is your five-speed manual transmission
7:40
This right here is how you switch into four high and four low, neutral
7:44
and then the other four-wheel drive button right there. Now I do really like the fact that it has this black plastic right here
7:50
I feel like a lot of cars from the 90s used tan on tan
7:54
and I just like that this kind of adds a little bit more interest to it. Now everything else on this dash is kind of what you would expect from a 90s Toyota
8:02
as this did come from the 90s originally. However, some interesting things to note is things like this
8:07
This clock right here is your clock. However, a lot of people complain when you're driving
8:13
you cannot really see that clock because your steering wheel is in the way. So that is a bit of a weird thing right there
8:18
Right here is going to be your on-off switch for the airbag. You basically put your key in there, and you can turn it on and off
8:25
I don't know why they had it in such a prominent position on your dash. It's like the first thing that you see on your dash
8:30
So that is a little bit weird. This right here, of course, is your hazards button
8:34
This here is going to be a Kenwood deck. Now that is not stock
8:39
Originally, they did have a CD player that had a tape player as well. However, at some point, this has been replaced for an aftermarket unit
8:45
So don't pay attention to that. And then to your left, you see this is your e-brake
8:49
You basically pull that out. Instead of being down here, which I thought was a little bit strange
8:53
most Toyota vehicles had your e-brake right here, and that's what I've been used to
8:57
However, they moved it to the dash for the Tacoma. Now for the year, this thing was actually optioned out pretty well
9:03
As you can see right here, it does have automatic windows. Now that's something we take for granted nowadays
9:09
However, back in this generation of Toyota pickup, it's not something that you should take for granted
9:14
I think for the interior front seats, this little caution label is probably the thing that I think is the funniest
9:20
as it's like in this really prominent position on your door card right here
9:24
and it's just a big caution label. It's permanent. It's not something you remove
9:29
and it just kind of sits there. Now that's something I actually did see. I think it was in the HiAce as well
9:33
which I'll link up here if you want to check out that review, but I just find it funny because that is not something
9:37
that would get past quality control nowadays. Now moving away from the dash, down here, you do have two different cup holders
9:43
I really like these ones, so it is kind of interesting, and they're very forward-thinking
9:48
So right here, you have little notches so that you can fit coffee mugs
9:52
That's a really good idea because a lot of cars nowadays even
9:55
you've run into where you can't fit a normal coffee mug in your cup holders. However, Toyota thought about that in the 90s when they made this truck
10:02
and they included cup holders where you can put your little handle into
10:06
And a video about the Toyota Tacoma cannot be completed without talking about the rear seats in this thing
10:11
so let's do that now. So I actually originally thought that these had rear doors on them
10:16
and they could be opened from the rear. However, that is not true
10:20
You have to pull that, the seat comes forward, and then you kind of crawl back there
10:25
and it's a really interesting experience in that doesn't have real rear seats
10:29
Now you do have storage bins down here, one, two right there. However, you have to kind of activate your rear seat right there
10:36
and it folds down, and then your back goes there. You are not going to be reclining or anything like that back there
10:41
So these seats are not meant for somebody to sit in for like long road trips
10:46
To show you guys what I mean, I am now in the back seat here, and as you can see, my legs just kind of have to hug that front seat there
10:53
and it is just not a comfortable place to be. These little jump seats are kind of pointless for the most part
10:58
other than for maybe very short adults or children for only short periods of time
11:02
Now it does have seat belts right here, so you are safe, I guess
11:06
but that is about it for these rear seats. They're a little bit better for just kind of throwing your bag into the back
11:12
and more for storage purposes, rather than for actually transporting passengers. Now before I get into my driving impressions
11:18
I do really quickly want to talk about what modifications have been done to this Tacoma
11:22
and the first thing is going to be right here. These are some General Grabber tires
11:26
and they are wrapped around some Vision wheels, which look really nice. Behind them, you do have some Bilstein shocks, that is on all four corners of this Tacoma
11:35
and then around front, you have seen it already. This is the ARB front bumper, and it looks pretty nice
11:41
and should protect it quite a bit off-road, and was a good addition to this pickup
11:45
Alright, so I would normally, now in this part of the video
11:49
do driving impressions of the vehicle that I'm reviewing, and then I would kind of go into the things that I do like and I don't like about the vehicle
11:58
However, I'm gonna start with a do like and don't like part of the video now
12:03
because driving, it is probably my favorite part of this. Now, like I mentioned earlier in the video, and I have quite a bit
12:09
I had four Toyota 5th Gen Toyota Celicas, which was this generation of Toyota
12:15
and it just brings so much nostalgia back. I like Celicas so much
12:20
I really, really, really like the way Toyotas drove from this generation
12:24
They're just so manual and so much fun. Their transmission just shifts so nicely
12:29
It's just really an enjoyable vehicle. Now, I'm driving up some mountain roads
12:33
They are paved, but it just handles it really well, and it's just so much fun
12:39
I don't get to drive manual vehicles as much as I would like to
12:42
but I just like this one so much. Now, the manual transmission does shift really well
12:48
It's smooth, has no issues whatsoever. It did take a little bit for me to get used to again
12:53
because I am used to driving automatic vehicles, but I am not having any issues on it at all
12:59
It is just so much fun to drive, and this is a pickup truck, and I'm just having so much fun shifting through the gears
13:06
I'm still kind of learning where to shift and stuff, but it has been like over a decade since I've driven a vehicle exactly like this
13:14
and it's so nice. So, I actually did grow up with the Toyota pickup
13:19
My uncle owned the generation before this one, which was not the Tacoma
13:23
It was the Toyota pickup, and so I remember sitting in those jump seats in the back
13:27
It had the similar setup, and I remember it just being a really cool experience and a lot of fun
13:33
So, I don't know, I might be a little bit biased in this vehicle just because I just do enjoy this style of pickup truck so much
13:40
but it is just a blast to drive. So, as for power delivery on it, it's really not an issue
13:46
This thing does have 190 horsepower, which isn't insane or anything like that
13:51
but it does plenty good enough. This is actually a pretty steep road that I'm driving up, and it's handling it no issue
13:57
I'm in third right now, going about 35, and it feels pretty at home
14:01
It's, oh, let's see, about 2,200 RPMs, and it's not having any issues whatsoever getting up here
14:08
I wouldn't worry too much about passing. I mean, this isn't exactly a vehicle you're gonna be passing a ton, but it is pretty nice
14:15
So, honestly, for the thing that I like the most about this pickup truck, it's just driving it
14:20
There just aren't vehicles like this anymore. I can't get over it. If you want a vehicle that's just a blast to drive, but you need it to be a pickup truck and a manual
14:27
you really can't go wrong with this one because it is just so much fun to drive, and I just, I can't say it enough
14:34
It is a really good one to do, and I just feel really, really at home in this vehicle
14:39
Now, the next thing I like about this pickup truck is its sizing. So, this is kind of a true compact pickup truck
14:45
Of course, back in the day, this was more of a midsize, and the Tacoma still is a midsize pickup
14:50
However, everything's kind of just like a sliding scale with these trucks
14:54
and the Toyota Tacoma of these days is honestly about the same size as the original first-generation Tundra
15:01
which was a full-size pickup truck, which people argued was not really a true full-size
15:06
but anyways, that's beside the point. But I really do like the sizing of this truck
15:10
It is, it's a small truck, and so it's gonna do a good job of getting around town and that kind of stuff
15:17
and it also helps out with the gas mileage. This V6, like I said earlier, gets around 21 miles to the gallon
15:22
which isn't like stellar gas mileage or anything like that, but it is respectable and is a really good upside of this vehicle
15:30
Number three thing that I like about this pickup truck is the way it looks
15:33
This, I really always really enjoyed Toyota's kind of 90s styling, that rounded look
15:41
They were one of the first manufacturers to switch over to that rounded feel to the body of the vehicle
15:48
It used to be much more squared off, which we're kind of moving more towards nowadays
15:51
It's kind of, nowadays, it's more of a combination of the smooth styling and kind of more angrier feel
15:57
However, this is kind of just, I think, the heyday of Toyota's styling
16:02
It wasn't bland, but it wasn't like aged or anything like that
16:06
and I really do like the way that this pickup truck does look
16:10
I think it has the right body lines, the right proportions, and is just a really cool-looking vehicle
16:16
The number four thing I like about this pickup truck is this manual transmission
16:20
I talked a little bit about it earlier. It shifts so nice, is so much fun, and doesn't slip
16:26
It just, just has a really really good manual feel to it
16:30
It actually doesn't really feel that much like a pickup truck with its shifting
16:34
It reminds me, honestly, a lot of my Toyota Celicas, and it just really really has a good feel to it
16:40
Really good shift points, and I'm just really impressed with this transmission
16:44
I have never driven this generation of Tacoma before, and I was just, I'm just really impressed with it
16:50
And then the last thing I like about this truck is its interior
16:55
I talked about it earlier as well, and I really, again, like this mid-90s kind of Toyota interior, this cloth interior
17:02
It hugs you really well. It feels nice. It's by no means high-quality components or anything like that
17:10
but you just, it just feels like something that you can just throw around and have fun in
17:14
You don't have to worry about spilling things, because let's be honest, things have been spilled in here
17:18
and you can see, like, there's little burns in the seat and that kind of stuff that have happened over the years
17:23
And it's just, I don't know, maybe it really is just me getting into the nostalgia of these Toyota trucks and Toyota vehicles
17:30
but I just really am impressed with it, and that kind of concludes the things that I like the most about this truck
17:36
I'm gonna pull over so somebody can get past me. Alright, and so now let's talk about the things I don't like about this truck
17:44
And the number one thing that I don't like about this truck, and it is less about this specific truck and more about this generation
17:51
is they had some serious issues with rust in the frame. They had recalls extending all the way from the beginning of this generation all the way to the end
17:59
Of course, the earlier in the generation was the biggest culprit, and these frames would literally rust out completely
18:05
and they had to do a massive recall on this truck for their frames, including either buying back the vehicle at 1.5 times the Kelley Blue Book value
18:14
or they would completely replace the frame. These older ones, they didn't do the Kelley Blue Book thing. However, many of them, they did have to replace the frames
18:22
I did check this particular one, and either the recall has already been completed, maybe the frame has been replaced, or it wasn't an issue on this one whatsoever
18:30
The next generation of Toyota Tacomas, they switched over to a different style of frame to get away from that
18:36
However, this whole generation was plagued with that issue, just not quite as bad in this year range or anything like that
18:41
Now, another thing that I don't like about this, and the number two thing I don't like, is the seat belt
18:46
Now, it's kind of interesting. I don't know if it's just more modern vehicles have this or anything like that
18:50
However, the seat belt, like, little latch mechanism, likes to fall all the way down to the floor
18:55
so it is actually pretty hard to find your seat belt when you go to get into here
19:00
You kind of have to struggle to reach over and find your seat belt, and that is a little bit annoying to me
19:05
And then the number three thing that I don't like about this Tacoma is just how expensive they are nowadays
19:12
Now, back in the day, these things were like, you could pick them up for like $1,000, $2,000, and nowadays you just, yeah, they're hard to find and just hard to buy
19:21
and these are sitting around $10,000 to buy nowadays, and for good reason
19:25
They're extremely reliable, they're fun to drive, and they're just a good rig to just kind of toss around off-road
19:31
but man, they are not cheap anymore, and that's just really the result of the market, people getting into overlanding
19:37
people seeing how good these old Toyota pickup trucks are, and that kind of stuff, but man, they are just so expensive
19:43
And so, that is the end of this review on the 2004 Toyota Tacoma. It is the end of the first generation of Tacoma
19:52
It has come a long ways, and this is a fantastic truck. I'd love to hear what you guys think down in the comments
20:00
and if you want to see a review of a newer Toyota pickup, I did one of those recently, and you'll see it right here
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