2.7 or 4.0

Never gets tiring for the diehard manual enthusiasts

 

Down in your world .. flat and low elevation .. the 2.7L would be just fine. Like others mentioned, go for the manual to get the best power and overall reliability. The 2.7L and 5-speed manual is great, though if you don;t like sticks, again down in your world, the 2.7L and auto should be fine too. It just depends on how much you're going to tow. Now if you were to go with the 4.0L and fuel economy is important, then I would say auto because the auto actually gets better gas mileage in many (but not all) situations compared to the 6-speed, and the auto & 4.0l is a nice combo.

 

I drove both 4.0 & 2.7 and ended up getting 2.7 + 5-speed Access Cab.
With 2.7 + 5speed it feels strong and comparable to 4.0 + auto.
Love the smooth shifting of 5 speed and proven 2.7 engine.
The great MPG is hands down winner here.

 

Thats a very subjective remark there whippersnapper, it all depends on personal preference. whether an Auto or manual is your thing, both have their place regardless of vehicle types. I personally will never ever drive an automatic again, I hate them, doesn't mean one Is superior to the other though.

 

A manual enthusiest would hate the 6spd with rev hang, throw out bearing issues, crappy feeling clutch peddle thay wears out fast, and crappy gearing ratios...

 

I am in a similar boat trying to decide between the I4 & V6. I am in no rush and figured I'd wait to see what the 2012 model year brings before making my purchase. Like you though my main criteria are fuel economy and reliability (with a bit of light towing)... and to me I am leaning heavily toward the I4/5spd combo (4x4 Access Cab when the time comes). Toyota's I4 platform is bulletproof! The V6 is a good motor too, but the maintenance costs of the I4 and the inescapable logic of the fact there there is just less moving parts to fail make the I4 the logical choice IMO... and in the end I am sure that is what I will end up getting.

But... as always... YMMV.

 

You guys do realize the 2.7 and 4.0 v6 are about the same age and both are just as proven as the other....

I don't know about the i4 but the v6 is also a sleeved motor, hydrolic lifters, and pretty much completely solid all around.

 

actually the 2.7 is quite a bit older.

my 2.7 does great around town but it gets old driving up and down an mountain everytime i wanna go somewhere. it will haul dirtbikes and/or a small trailer fine. i get 21 to 22 mpg with 265/75 16 e rated tires and about 400lbs in armor. i like the feel of the v6 with 6speed and would love it in the reg cab. if i were to do it again the AC with auto would be better for serious offroading but for more serious offroading this little cast iron block 2.7 with a crawl box would be perfect

ask yourself what do you need and test drive both (keep in mind the 4 banger power will increase after break in) go for your gut instinct...

 

The 2.7 2TR-FE has been around since 2004 (2005 in the US) and the 4.0 1GR-FE has been around since 2003...

 

They both started in 2003... (the families, 4.0L 2004 as said above)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toyota_engines#Straight-4

I4 = 2TR-FE
V6 = 1GR-FE


Also any motor will see very slight gains in power over a proper break in cycle... emphasis on very slight

 

Good to know, everything i found said 2004 for the 2TR-FE and 2003 for the 1GR-FE for some reason lol

 

Sorry updated info after you quoted, but the GR family started 2003, the actual 4.0 started 2004... Same basic motor design of course so, you could make the claim both designs are just as old.

 

I'm pretty sure the 4.0 also started in 2003, the 4runner got it in the 4th generation which started in 2003.

 

the 2tr-fe and the 3rz-fe of the first gen tacoma are very similar. I just mean the overall design of toyota 4 bangers are way older than the v6 design.

 

Either way, it annoys me when people just assume the current 2.7L is the 3RZ-FE series that was in the first gens, when it's not

 

the gains are far more noticeable in the 4 banger though

edit: example- theorize a 5hp gain in either engine. the 5 hp is a much bigger percentage gain in power of the 2.7 over the v6

 

Sure they're similar. Then again, the LS1 is similar to the old SBC 350's in the 60's. Just say'n.

 

ah yes but i would trust the reliabilty of the lt1 over the ls1 because the lt1 block and design has been proven far longer than the ls1


meant lt not ls, misread...

the ls engine is completely different than the lt. whats the differences between the 3rz and 2tr?

to me the 3rz vs 2tr is like saying ls1 vs ls6

 

Actually that's not true. The LS1 was a "clean slate" design by GM Powertrain division. It is a totally new and unique architecture that was not based on the venerable Chevrolet small block design. It's an entirely different motor. It shares nothing in common with the old 350 small blocks except the 5.7L designation and even that was due to rounding up the LS1 as it is really only 346ci (5.66L). (the 350ci is a bit over the 5.7L mark at 5.73L... the LS1 was rounded up intentionally for marketing concerns)

But I digress... the point I think people are trying to make is that the basic design of Toyotas I4 motors is much older than the their V6s and therefore more "proven". But... in reality, their V6s have been around long enough now to be considered solid and proven too in their own right. To me then it's less about whether on is a "proven design" or not (which I think we can all agree they both are)... but the simple fact that the I4 is a simpler design with 1/3 less moving parts to go wrong and with less maintenance costs associated with it. These things will all add up eventually in the "durability/dependability/reliability" scheme of things.

If I only had one vehicle and it was a Tacoma, honestly, I'd probably pop for the V6/auto because all in all that combo is more versitile (better power, better towing, more "ease of driving", etc). But since the Taco I will buy will be a 4th vehicle used mainly for commuting, light hauling (maybe a bit of light towing) and camping the I4 is the logical choice for me. With gas giving us the stink-eye from the $5/gal range soon every mpg counts... and for any heavier towing I have my wife's Jeep Commander (6500 GVW) with the factory tow package to do the trick. And to fulfill my "need for speed" I have my old 1988 Corvette to hot rod around in on the weekends. Being an 88 it doesn't have much more hp than a V6 Taco (240hp) but it does have a ton of torque (335tq) and is a fun as hell on the street.

Anyway, for some guys the V6 is the right choice, for others the I4 is... there's no wrong answer here, just what's right for each individual and their situation. Both are solid motors, both will last a long time. The I4 will do so with less up front cost (ie, price), less fuel costs, less maintenance costs, and probably has the edge in overall durability/dependability/reliability (though unless you keep it significantly past the 200k mile mark you'd probably never reach that tipping point where you'd notice the overall durability/dependability/reliability). But the V6 offers more power and versatility with not too bad of a fuel economy penalty. So there's really no point in saying "this one is better". Just this one is better for my situation... but as always... YMMV.

 

If there's much likelihood that you'll put in a lift and oversized (overweight!) tires down the line, the greater power of the V6 is probably worthwhile.