Newbie with gen 1 tacoma wanting to upgrade to 2nd

Ok so I have a 2001 4 door limited tacoma. I have loved driving it but it is time to upgrade to a used 2nd gen. My questions are:
Is the 4.0 motor as good as the 3.4?
Alot more power?
I wanna tow a 3500 lb enclosed trailer. is this my best option?
What's the milage like?
What are some common problems with this motor?
What years or "packages" should I avoid?
When shopping for used, is there anything I should know or look for?
Stick or auto?
Last but not least.
What color is the fastest?

Oh and how much should I list mine for. It has 165000 miles with no issues, a banging sound system with DVD and nav, 2in lift with nice 18" rims and 33" tires

 

Blue is the fastest, thats why they call it speedway blue . Manual or auto is your persoanl choice IMO. I would like manual but the wife is not so good, so I went with auto. Ive never driven the 3.4, but the 4.0 has 230 or so HP not sure the exact tourque number in my head, but if you get a SC then you will sure have more power to love!! I am also not to familiar with specific years or models having specific problems.

 

266 lb-ft.

 

I tow a 3900lb travel trailer with mine. Couple tips. Get a weight distributing hitch and trailer brakes. I pulled without those for a while but after getting them it pulls 10x better.

 

Make sure to get the towing package if you're going to be towing that trailer a lot. 3500 is the very edge of the normal non tow-package rating. Gives you a better alternator, bigger battery, class 4 hitch, oil and (if automatic) transmission cooler.

Other than that, pretty much a great engine. If manual you will likely have the throwout bearing issue but URD makes a great kit to fix that.

Other than that, reliable engine (so far) with plenty of power. Combined milage is usually around 17-19 (highway and city combined).

 

I just upgraded from a '99 to an '09. I had the 3.4L with manual trasmission. My '09 is the 4.0 with an automatic transmission. The Auto is VERY smooth with tons more power. Your looking at about a 46 hp increase.

I can't comment much on towing. My dad had an '04 and it towed 3500 lbs with little problems (just don't try to go 80+ down the interstate, the gas mileage sucks). I'm sure the 2nd Gens will tow it much better.

Barcelona Red is the Fastest. So far my mileage in the '09 isn't much different than the '99.

 

Krap. Are you happy with your new truck?

 

pfff the fastest is obviously Magnetic Gray Metallic FTW!!!!!

 

I am extremely happy with my new truck.

 

When shopping used look for a low mileage one owner stock truck. 3/4 years old would be your best bet for the least amount of depreciation going forward. Automatic.

White, Silver, or black are also the "fastest" colors because they are under the radar as most automobiles are these colors and blend in to traffic rather than stand out posing a nice target for the radar.......

Ideal buy would be an 08 with a year left on the factory warranty if possible. That is what I shopped for and ended up finding. Stock 08 with 24K miles "in service" 2 years. Oh and open the hood.I had my truck for three months before opening the hood to find a useless but expensive aftermarket "CAI" and TBS......You should be able to get an 08 for at least $7000 less than a new one.

IF you want a longer bed get the access cab. If you want more interior lockable storage get the DC. If you get the DCLB get some Limo driving lessons and have a deep garage and wide streets.

MPG is something that should not matter if you are looking at a 6cyl Tacoma.