A used Toyota Tacoma can be a great deal

A used Toyota Tacoma can easily be found in the used vehicle market. If you know what model you're after, then the process of finding one to fit your needs is greatly improved.

A good way to determine what Tacoma model you want (body style, options, etc.) is to watch your local newspaper classified ads and monitor what's being sold. When you see an ad for a Tacoma that sounds interesting and has the options you think you're looking for, call the owner and arrange to go out and look at it. You will probably need to look at several different vehicles to see what condition they are in and figure out if this is what you're really looking for.

Before buying any used Tacoma, be sure to do intelligent, detailed research to determine what a fair market price is for the vehicle you want.

Sources used to determine a fair price

• eBay Motors is an easy way to see what's available and what price vehicles are selling for. These vehicles have a lot of bidding exposure and even more people are buying them because the process of buying vehicles "on line" is not as scary as it once was. Most sellers will let you win the bid and then let you reject the car if, after you have looked at it in person, you feel that it was misrepresented. They still require a down payment to make sure you're serious though.
• A good offline source for finding vehicle values is the Hemmings Motor News. This is a monthly magazine/book that lists a LOT of vehicles for sale. The magazine can be purchased at most larger book stores.
• Old Cars Price Guide is another monthly magazine available at most larger book stores and is published by Krause Publications. It lists market values for vehicles from 1901 - 1996. (oldcarspriceguide.net)
• For late model vehicles, sources like the Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) and Edmunds (edmunds.com) will help you determine fair prices.

Armed with the pricing information you've researched, check out some auctions to find your used Toyota Tacoma.