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I've owned a couple of Tacomas and had great luck with both of them. One had the unbreakable 4-cylinder engine and the last one had a V-6. The V-6 Tacoma with its xtra-cab, OE wide tires and alloy wheels had cute written all over it. I used to get a lot of compliments.
Not sure where you are located but you should be able to find a good 2000 Tacoma Xtracab from a private party for around $7,000. If that's District of Columbia in your log name, that was where I had my first Tacoma.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I think the ones I like from the suggestions are the Pontiac Vibe, Honda CRV, Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape in that order. Are any of these better than the others? Any thoughts on which one would be more reliable, safer? I think Im more of a crossover lover than a full big truck lover though. Oh I am located in Washington, DC, that's what the DC in my name stands for. Thanks
Thank you all for your suggestions. I think the ones I like from the suggestions are the Pontiac Vibe, Honda CRV, Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape in that order. Are any of these better than the others? Any thoughts on which one would be more reliable, safer? I think Im more of a crossover lover than a full big truck lover though. Oh I am located in Washington, DC, that's what the DC in my name stands for. Thanks
Thank you all for your suggestions. I think the ones I like from the suggestions are the Pontiac Vibe, Honda CRV, Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape in that order. Are any of these better than the others? Any thoughts on which one would be more reliable, safer? I think Im more of a crossover lover than a full big truck lover though. Oh I am located in Washington, DC, that's what the DC in my name stands for. Thanks
Nothing looks as cool (if an old man can use that term) as a woman in a sharp-looking Tacoma. But then that's just an observation from an old Texas man whose Texas wife loves trucks.
I've recently owned an older '90 Honda Accord and I think you couldn't go wrong with a Honda either. The only thing that ended that car's life was being T-boned by a new full size Dodge Ram pulling a loaded cattle trailer. The little car still ran great after the accident literally cut the trunk and rear end off.
One thing I can suggest is to do some searches on the internet for such things as "Pontiac Vibe problems", "Honda CRV recalls" and see what you find. If there are a lot of problems with a particular model, the internet will quickly disclose it.
Anyway, best of luck in your search and safe driving.
Believe it or not, I think the 4runner is too big, I like smaller trucks Oh i should've mentioned that I am not a good driver, never was, never will be so smaller and more manageable is better
Nothing looks as cool (if an old man can use that term) as a woman in a sharp-looking Tacoma. But then that's just an observation from an old Texas man whose Texas wife loves trucks.
I've recently owned an older '90 Honda Accord and I think you couldn't go wrong with a Honda either. The only thing that ended that car's life was being T-boned by a new full size Dodge Ram pulling a loaded cattle trailer. The little car still ran great after the accident literally cut the trunk and rear end off.
One thing I can suggest is to do some searches on the internet for such things as "Pontiac Vibe problems", "Honda CRV recalls" and see what you find. If there are a lot of problems with a particular model, the internet will quickly disclose it.
Anyway, best of luck in your search and safe driving.
Thank you, I will research them online & yEAh Im sure a woman driving a Tacoma would look super cool but I've always felt like the big space in the back was such a waste in those trucks Maybe its the woman in me but really what's that space for unless you have tools or stuff to move around? I wanna use all the available space in my car and be able to close it and feel secure if I want to. With the Tacoma, that space is not secure, I don't know just think its a very manly car
I would select from which ever model was the most popular, meaning get a used car that the production numbers are high on , like a hundred thousand a month or more if you can. I knew a guy that broke down in an F-150 in the middle of no where and he was back on the road in around an hour or more. I had a used Honda once that was in the shop for a week while the part was being manufactured. Used cars will need to be repaired from time to time. I would also consider the cost to insure a vehicle as the monthly out of pocket cost to drive it. You could be saving saving $75.00 a month on gas but spending $50.00 more on insurance. I almost have always bought used boring government type fleet vehicles. I think cars that are sold to various government agencies are generally pretty reliable and because there are so many of them they are cheap. I usually can get an additional 150,000 miles out of them.
I would say that the Vibe and CR-V tend to be a bit more reliable than the Escape/Tribute, but not by much. The Vibe is basically a Toyota Matrix, so it's a very proven vehicle, and the CR-V has always been a good bet. I know someone who abused CR-Vs and they never broke down on her, and she is the type who remembers an oil change is needed when she gets a coupon in the mail from the dealership, which is not the maintenance schedule in the manual. The Escape/Tribute have also been pretty reliable, overall, and the few I have driven have handled well, though the interior tends to be a bit on the boring side in the segment.
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With the Tacoma, that space is not secure, I don't know just think its a very manly car
Understood. I know what you mean. Nowadays I have toolboxes, gas cans and compressors in my truck beds. Even here in rural Texas one worries about an unsecured bed.
Besides the Tacoma I had while I was in D.C., for a short time I also had a K-5 4x4 Chevy Blazer. Now that was a BIG vehicle. I once had a meeting at the South Agriculture Building downtown and had some dignitaries in the truck with me. One of them remarked that I would certainly never be stuck in a big D.C. snowstorm in that vehicle. I told him that, on the B/W Parkway in a big snow, no matter what sort of vehicle you were in, you were only as good as the fellow in front of you. If he got stuck so were you.
I know the OP wants an SUV but if anyone else is in the same boat they should also consider an old Volvo 240, they may be ugly but they are built like tanks and will do 200K easily. The 740/940s are good too but the 240 is better made, parts are cheap and plentiful for them.
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Oh i should've mentioned that I am not a good driver, never was, never will be 
