‘The Best Or Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done': Woman Buys $500 Toyota Tacoma. Then She Takes It Off-Roading

Motor 1

15 hours ago

A Toyota Tacoma pickup truck cost this woman just $500. It's either the best or worst project the TikToker has ever undertaken, according to her. Luckily, this Tacoma is from a golden era for all-terrain vehicles.
TikToker and YouTuber Chloe Kuo (@chloekuotaco) posted the
video
on May 28. It's since gone viral.
"I know $500 for a Tacoma is relatively inexpensive, but this one basically fell in my lap after some unexpected family stuff," she says to start the video. 'Which is not perfect. I mean, somebody named her 'Beater' for a reason.'
The Tacoma is a 2002 model with more than 200,000 miles. 'This thing is basically a time capsule from when Tacomas were small, simple, functional, and built like tanks,' she said. 'So I immediately took it off-road for some real-world testing. And she did an awesome job at Diablo Dropoff. The shocks made the truck feel like I was riding a pogo stick.'
The
Diablo Dropoff
is an off-road trail in Southern California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, known for its challenging terrain.
She continued, 'But, honestly, having a truck I don't have to worry about beating is kind of amazing. So, yeah, this is either the best $500 I've ever spent or the start of a very expensive mistake. But yeah, let's build it or blow it up.'
In the comments, used car owners couldn't believe the deal Kuo got on the Tacoma. 'Nah, where are you finding a $500 Tacoma????' one wrote. 'Where I live, people be asking $4,000 for 350k miles and rust.'
A second user agreed, '200k miles is barely breaking in for a 2002.'
A third user wrote, 'They gave you GOLD. That truck will outlast any other car or truck you will ever own.'
Someone else wrote, 'Thing's got a factory moonroof. That's a rare option.'
Can You Really Buy a 2002 Toyota Tacoma for $500?
It doesn't seem like the commenters on TikTok are blowing smoke in Kuo's direction. A quick
Carfax search
shows that a used 2002 Toyota Tacoma can range in price anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on mileage and condition. So she got a screaming deal.
In general,
reviewers
praise the 2002 Tacoma's durability and off-road handling. 'This truck does it all,' wrote one owner. Carfax, an organization that tracks used car service history, agrees. 'It's ideal for drivers who need an inexpensive small pickup for professional or recreational use, rather than a bigger, bulkier, and less fuel-efficient full-size model,' it reports.
What is the Golden Era of the Tacoma?
Well, according to
a vote
of Reddit's r/ToyotaTacoma, the third generation of Tacoma from 2016-2023 is the favorite. More than 228 voters chose the 3rd Gen model years. Kuo's 2002 Tacoma falls under the 1.5 Gen (2001-2004), and it got 33 votes.
One Redditor suggested, 'I like to think that a majority of the owners on here are 3rd Gen so it may be skewed. I've driven all three gens, and I like the 2nd the best. I own a 2nd, so I'm also biased. We need another poll on ownership to go along with this poll.'
Motor1
contacted Kuo via TikTok direct messages for comment. We also contacted Toyota via email for comment. We'll be sure to update this article when we hear back.
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