I have the same 4cyl in my '04 Tacoma, and am happy with it. I would only get it with the 5 speed, though. It is a great engine that should last forever and provides adequate power. Powerwise it is nearly the same as the 3.0 V6 found in the older Toyota pre-Tacomas. With the stock sissy wheels and tires I get around 23-24 MPG. When I put on the mud terrains it drops to around 21 MPG.

Hell an '02 with 24K is nothing. My '04 that I've had less than a year has that many miles. I would see if perhaps there was a maintenance log done or something to indicate that oil changes were performed. Other than that, I'd be all over that truck.