Looking for a little advise on my first taco

Long story short this will be my first truck, I am 26 and finishing up college. Have always wanted a tacoma and finally will be able to get one however I am stuck figuring out exactly what I am looking for

first of all, I am leaning towards the early 2000s rather than the 90s
access cab (I have seen "extended cab" thrown around, is there a difference?) must be 4x4 and i prefer stick shifts but have seen a few things saying the automatics are more efficient (true?)

so here is my big question, I have been trying to decide between the 2.7L and v6 engines.

It will be mostly a commuter for at least the next 6 months really only driving about 10 miles per day around town with the occasional trip over the pass to see my parents (around 1.5 hours each way) in roughly 6-9 months my girlfriend and I are expecting to have to move, most likely to the west side of the mountains really i dont think either engine will not be able to handle that as we really do not have many very heavy things

So the real issues of my debate between the engines comes down to 2 factors

1) fuel efficiency, I have been looking around for numbers the last few days and have found numbers from 14-25 mpg for BOTH engines and really have no idea what to expect, I had a guy from craigslist selling a supercharged v6 TRD saying he gets 18 or so all around and 19s on the highway, seemed a little high to me as i have a friend with a supercharged TRD v6 who told me he is getting 15 or 16 so i really can not pin down what to expect out of each, even had one guy saying the v6 was more efficient if you are driving hills at all as you do not have to shift down, something I am interested in, while i will not be on crazy hills, I am not usually driving on flat either

and #2) off road / towing. I ride ATVs and love to go to the Oregon dunes to ride, a lot of times I will just camp out in the dunes which means getting the truck out there with an ATV in the back, nothing crazy as I know how to drive in the dunes but also something that 4x4 and a little power comes in handy for. Currently I just have my ATV but later on in life i would not be surprised if my girlfriend would like to get into it as well which would mean a small trailer capable of hauling 2.

if I end up with a v6 I will be trying for the TRD package as I like a lot of things in it

any help is greatly appreciated

 

If you're driving hills alot, you need the 6. Welcome.

 

I'm not sure I would say a lot though thats the thing, sure over the pass to the west side there are hills but that trip is only about once a month. Besides Seattle the west side is not super hilly, there are some here and there though.

How is towing anything with the 2.7? Is it even manageable?

 

I had a '99 with the v6. Now I have the '10 with the 2.7. Personally I think the 2.7 is plenty of engine unless you're going to tow something heavy on a regular basis. That little engine has a lot of oomph! Personally for towing, I like the stick shift. You can rev it a little higher when you need to.

I can tell you with my V6 I was averaging about 16 mpgs overall. With my 2.7, I'm averaging probably around 22 mpgs.

 

If you're gonna be towing/hauling/hills then you'd probably want the 6. Manual preferably but auto is not bad at all. If you go the 2.7, then definitely a manual.

 

are those 4x4 models and stick or manual?

is there a big difference between the 2.7 manual and 2.7 auto as far as fuel efficiency goes? how about towing or off road? I guess Im asking, why do you say definitely manual in the 2.7?

I would not be doing any towing or hauling on a regular basis for a while, really one of the main reasons I am interested in the 6 over the 4 is the TRD package, so i guess i should be asking, has anyone owned a 2.7 4x4 and a v6 TRD 4x4 and if so how do they compare?

 

I have both 2.7 and V6 4x4 xtra cabs. The 2.7 averages around 21mpg and the V6 around 18mpg same roads and driving style. Rural, mix small town and mountain driving.

The 2.7 is perfectly fine in the flats but is quite slow on the hills. Living in the Pacific Northwest and using the truck for what you describe you definetly want the V6.

I could be wrong but I think access cab refers to cabs where there's small rear suicide doors to access the rear of cab.

Pros for 2.7:
better mileage, no timing belt replacement, maybe more bullet proof than V6

Pros V6:
Much better performance in the hills, TRD package available, higher demand=greater resale value

 

thank you, this is almost to a T the kind of comparison i have been looking for, is your v6 a TRD by chance?

also, I assume it is on the forum somewhere but i just cant find it, I am looking for a comparison of 1st gen to 2nd gen, really i have no idea what they changed or how the 2 compare. I am finding mostly 1st gens in my price range but every once in a while a 2nd gen pops up

 

TRD V6s are all the same as regualr. The only thing TRD comes with is different shocks, an elocker, and interior and trim stuff basically. its worth it tho for the locker.

Id get a V6 man with 5 speed.


2nd gens a much much bigger trucks. Basically the same size as a 1st gen Tundra. They come with either 6 speed manuals or 5 speed autos. The auto is much better then the 1st gen auto.

You can get a 4 banger or V6 as well but both are more powerful. The V6 is a 4.0L motor. It'll still get about 18-20 tho. My dads did till we lifted it and all.

1st gens are cooler tho

 

Yes, it's a TRD 2003.
The TRD package is more valuable, the rear diff e-locker is cool but I haven't been in a situation where I absolutely needed it to get through something but I have used it on rare occasions. I use the 4wd often though. The TRD package may include beefier leaf springs too. Maybe someone else can confirm that.

I'd get a wish list of what you want, V6, low mileage, well maintained, TRD package, preferred color etc. and keep looking. They're in high demand so you need to be ready to jump it it's a good deal. If you find one that meets most of the criteria I'd go for it even if it doesn't have the TRD package unless you think you're really going to need the diff locker. Where I live it seems the 4x4 TRD is more common than the 4x4 without. Good luck.

 

Based on your description of what you are going to use your truck for, i would say V6 3.4L 4x4 with a 5 speed manuel. When my truck was stock i was getting around 23 MPGs 90% highway

 

I'd go for a v6 man, your gonna be hauling a atv or 2 it seems and its better to have more then to have less and always be wanting more all the time Your out of college you can afford the gas mileage.....or not if your stacked with student loans Its really not that much more, I've driven mine before here (flat land) and baby it around everywhere your gas mileage won't be so bad really. Just try to keep her OD gear its the beat gas mileage as far as I know. I love my v6, I have not driven a 4 cylinder though, but I've towed a 89 Mercedes Benz which was around 5,000lbs I could tell it was behind me for sure but it towed it without bitching at me, had 1,500lbs of scrap metal in the bed though it did bottom out the suspension on some bumps, all sorts of large heavy loads (sorry for the run on sentence(s)).

 

sweet thanks for the info guys, i am leaning towards the 6 TRDs

I found an 06 TRD on Craigslist, I am waiting to hear back from this guy as he did not specify miles on it or if it is a 4x4 but it sure looks nice and he is asking $9600. has a lift on it, looks to be about 6" and it is on 33s but they are over half gone so i figure the next time it needs tires I will find something a little more conservative than the super aggressive mudders that are on it. nice front bumper with a 8000 lb warn winch, towing package

he says the rims that are on it are 18s, what is the stock rims on a 06 TRD? Also, if i ever wanted to, how hard is it to remove a lift kit?

2ng gen 6s are a 4L right? and what is a ballpark for mileage on a stock 2nd gen v6?

 

Sounds like a BAD deal to me. thats what my 96 was worth when i bought it.

any 2nd gen under 15 grand there is something wrong..has to be. THere are 1st gens still going for 15gs

i would NOT get it if it has 18'' rims and shitty 33s. You can kiss MPG good bye with 33s. Period.

yes the 2nd gen V6s are 4.0L. Stock you can get around 20 hwy and 16ish in town.

 

Ya i am a little skeptical but there is a military base just south of where this guy is so its not uncommon for someone to get called for deployment and need to sell a car ASAP.

Im not a fan of the 33s but like he said, they need to be replaced soon anyway so if the 18" rims will still work (because they look sick) i figure get something smaller for the next set of tires

He did say the back window was broken at some point and they replaced it with a single window, also it has a few scratches and dents (he says scratches and dents, i say character) but the biggest thing is he did not list the mileage

 

yea go for it man..im just saying..sounds like a bad bad deal..

 

LISTEN, craigslist is nothing but almost 100% bad news. sorry but it is.
i keep preaching that backyard dealers will get junk that no one else will tough at auto auctions and sell from home, not on their lot.
sometimes it works sometimes it don't but do a google search on the phone number... does more than one car come up? sometimes they change the way they post there # now to get around this.
does the truck in pic have tags on it.???
until you sell a car/truck, in almost every state in this country, you still have to have it tagged, and current tags on it or the local gov. can and they do tow it, under the rules of having junked cars on private property. they will slap one on or have a temp tag. for a test drive.
always get a carfax or a auto check on the truck.... most rep. dealers like on ebay will always post one with the ad, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.
last year I made the mistake before i got rid of my stang and posted a ad on craigslist, to sell, was honest with problems, and set limits about when i could be reached and you would not believe the slime that crawled out from under the rocks and broke all the rules..... that and crime is why alot of people avoid it and having strangers coming to their home anymore.....
I would use ebay, look for the top rated sellers, they are there, and it could save you alot of problems.

remember.. a penny saved can be a pound foolish.

 

oh ya im not stupid, if it doesnt pan out it doesnt pan out and i walk away. There is no phone number but i figure if i can contact the guy (working on that) and take it for a drive and send the vin to one of my parents or a friend to get the carfax on it while i am out then heck, i will give it a shot. I know there are scams on Craigslist, the ones I have come across typically offer what you are looking for and then say you need to put a deposit down before you ever see it.

 

I'm not saying your stupid, i just hate thieves, and dishonest people.
hard earned money IS hard to come by these days, and was just trying to warn you, I have had many friends over the years tell sad stories about buying a lemon. and there is no recourse after you give someone your money.
oh, one more tip.
if they have a email posted in the ad. then do a google search on the email, that will really tell you.
and the ones wanting a wire transfer are the overseas scams, too bad we just can't nuke a few of those countries.

 

it just goes to the craigslist email thing so i dont have his actual email, I have been wondering though, the price on the ad is $9200, im wondering if that is just a typo and he meant to list it for 19,200

so i guess i should ask if it is even possible to find what i am looking for

2001+ v6 4x4 TRD with a long bed (6ft+) and at least an extended cab, up to 150k miles for $12k or under. do you think that is even possible?