I own a 2006 Toyota Tacoma, 5 speed manual, 4WD since and love it! I have never had a problem with it, despite the beating it took almost 3 years ago after hitting black ice while towing my snowmobile home. I hit a guard rail overlooking the Winooski River then got flung across the road where the truck landed in a ditch. Snowmobile was flung off its trailer and totaled. The trailer and truck received a lot of damage. However I escaped without a bump and nobody else was involved, despite the fact that it was rush hour and a line of vehicles was heading toward me. The truck was restored to like new condition, but I opted to not replace the snowmobile or trailer.
I guess you can say I'm sold on my Toyota.
My vehicle history:
1972-78: VW beetle, semiautomatic transmission, body rotted fast, terrible heat, and the transmission went bad twice -- the final time was it for that car.
1978-83: Datsun B210, 4 speed manual, fun to drive, terrible on snow (rear wheel drive), body rotted, and ignition coil had a tendency to get get and the car would "die" at the most inopportune time.
1983-89: Ford Escort, 4 speed manual, front wheel drive, the WORST car I owned. It never ran smoothly, engine would buck and kick, and the "module" (part of the electronic ignition) would without warning fail and the car would die usually in the worst of places like a busy intersection.
1989-1998: Plymouth Colt, made my Mitsubishi, 5 speed manual, front wheel drive, the BEST of the cars!! That car perform beyond its expectations and towed two snowmobiles, and forded the brook on the road to my sumer cabin. The body held up fine, but since I needed a truck, it was time to trade.
1998-2006: Nissan 4WD pickup, 5 speed manual, year 1995, the only used (I do not use the term "pre-owned") vehicle I have owned. Excellent all around. Nothing wrong with it mechanically, but the salt used in the winter eventually rotted the frame. I had planned on replacing the truck later on in the year, but ended up replacing it a little sooner.
2006-present: Toyota Tacoma as described above. No issues with it. Completely satisfied. Also, the dealer service has been excellent: appointments on time, service done correctly with no return visits, and since I have to wait, clean and comfortable waiting room. I guess I can say that despite their recent problems, I am sold on Toyota, at least for now.
achutch