My son is graduating high school in a few weeks and we are looking at trucks for him to go to college in. I have found a nice 2017 Tacoma with the tow package that he is interested in, but I am wondering if it is enough to tow (safely) a ZX225. Toyota says it will tow up to 6500#, best guess on a fully loaded ZX225 is probably 3000-3100#, so the numbers seem to work out. I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone that might be using a Tacoma now with a 20' boat. Something about knowing the engine is v-6 still gives me some concern.

The trailer has surge brakes to assist in stopping if needed. My son will be fishing in college so there could be long distance highway travel.

Any feedback welcome, thanks,

Might post in the tow vehicle forum.

I wouldn�t waste money on a Tacoma. Find a FX4 F150 with the 5.0 or a super duty and you�ll have no worries.

I towed a 19 ft boat all over the state with a Tocoma. No problems. I see a lot of guys towing bigger boats with one. And of course Toyotas longevity is always a cut above.

I towed my Ranger Z118/Evinrude 150 with a double cab, V6, 4x4 Taco for four years before getting a 1/2 ton. It was fine. You definitely know it's back there, and you have to drive a bit more defensively (breaking distance, merging time, etc.) but it did the job safely. I'm not sure of the weight differences for comparison to your situation. I will say make sure the brakes are good, and you should service them more often than factory schedule.

For a younger driver who'll be going long distances, it may be better to consider a 1/2 ton...I think a Super Duty is overkill for a bass boat.

I have a 2007 tundra that shows no signs of stopping or even slowing down right now which is why I like the Toyota option. Since I can't afford to buy new, I would like to get him something I trust to last a few years after he graduates college and I know the Toyota will last.

Thanks for the feedback,

It will certainly pull it. But, if its raining and you have to make a quick stop I'd rather be in a half ton.

It will do it but... I wouldn't recommend it with that size boat. #1 Taco's are great trucks but have terrible brakes for towing, #2 your fuels mileage will be absoluetly abysmal.

It will do it all day. But I�d rather have a Tundra for it. I have a Taco w/ a 4.0 v6. Love it but my Tundra was much better for towing. But towing is a small part of the big picture. Don�t get your boy a Ford unless you want him to be labeled a dork at college and an old man. They come with a free AARP card.

I had a Tacoma and would easily pull my 21" FS to local lakes. Tacomas are great trucks and I loved mine. However once I pulled it from Dallas to Austin and the poor Taco really struggled. I upgraded to a full size and have never had an issue.

go big or go home

Thanks again for all the feedback. I dont think he would be using the Tacoma on a lot of the long distance runs, but it come up on occasion. I think if it is good for hour and half runs to lakes in the area that the size would be better for on campus driving. I would love to find a Tundra in our price range, but to get the price I need it would come with close to 100,000 miles.

I tow my 20 iclass with one, but I don't have to make very long trips with it.

I had a 2003 Tacoma with the 4.3l v6, it towed our Nitro z8 okay on short trips. However, it worked it pretty hard and I was hesitant to go farther than from Lubbock to Alan Henry, which is about an hour. I also towed a buddy's zx225 a couple times with my Tacoma, and I'm not sure what it was about that boat, but it towed way worse than the z8 ever did. It almost seems like the load of the boat wasn't properly distributed on the trailer. It could however, have been all the excess tackle he always carries with him.


You might check out the tow vehicle forum and see some what some others have said about similar setups they have, but be aware of the guy that swears his BMW is the best tow vehicle ever made, and you're an idiot if you tow with anything else.

I would consider 1.5 hour run a long way, I might use a Taco with a boat that big for short around 30 minute tows but nothing more, after I put more than 100K on mine started to get hot in the summer towing like that, and it had the tow package.