Is a 4 cylinder auto sufficient to power a double cab?

1 mpg sacrifice is a slippery slope for me. The next step is to rationalize another 1-2 mpg sacrifice (according to Toyota specs) for a Tundra 4.6l. Dealer has loads on the lot and can get me in at or slightly under comparatively equipped Tacoma (aside from the obvious differences) with current incentives...

 

id rock a tundra all day ... couldnt find any 1g's in my price range with under 200k on em

 

Yeah, just wait until gas skyrockets again. Remember those Hummers and Ford Expeditions that have vanished from the roads?

I fully expect 4-cyl Tacomas to have better resale value long-term. Doesn't matter if they are slow. People will go for the higher MPG figures regardless.

 

How do you figure a 1 MPG difference? I've seen you make this argument before and I still don't buy it.

2011 models
V6 prerunner double 17/21 MPG
I4 prerunner double 19/25 MPG

I think all four of those numbers are inflated. The big question is whether they're inflated proportionately or not.

Let's just say the 4-cylinder has a 2 MPG improvement over the V6. You can't underestimate the benefits of this.
Extra 2 MPG with a 21-gallon tank = extra 42 miles per tank = about 2 gallons saved = $7 saved per tank (today's gas prices)

 

I had a 2002 dc with the 4cyl, it was a dog, no power and the mileage wasnt enough to talk about. get the 6 cyl!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, but that was a 2002.

 

dont believe those fancy government gas mileage numbers ... the 99 mazda i had was rated to get 27 hwy and i rarely did better than 22 - 23

the yota i have now with the 3.4l v6 gets 20 - 22 so far

 

Toyota likely sees the 4cyl market improving abd already they are increasing in demand with $5 p/gal talk.

The new I4 specs are better than my V6 equipped 01 4Runner which seemed good enough( mpg was 17 city 20 hwy, driven carefully). BTW I saw a 01 4Runner towing the largest Master Craft Comp Ski Boat 70mph on I40. From experience them boats are huge and heavy, and it impressed me.

I would echo the thoughts of determining it's purpose and how long you'll keep it because resale means nothing if you're not selling it. And, I'd drive one and see. If your going to be working a the most out of a small engine towing, hauling, and turning big tires, you'll likely fair better with 6cyl.

I will report I just bought a 02 DblCab 4cyl 2wd, and find it's great in my small city and does great on the highway. It's the most practical vehicle I've ever owned. I expected the auto trans in a 4 banger to be a dog, but it's punchy and spools up quickly. But mind you, I don't have to go 0-60 to beat semi-trucks.

 

I bought mine for longevity and economy, if I were to buy the DC a 4.0 is a must, you will definitely regret it when you have 4/5 passengers and try to pass a slow vehicle, hill, mountain etc

 

hi there, first post sorry for the length. just to know where i'm coming from, i currently have a 2004 honda accord v6 sedan and a member of v6performance.net. my car was lowered and had lite mods, such as a cai (later switched to an sri), upgraded rear sway bar, front tower strut bar, etc.

i've never owned a truck, but have been interested in getting one for many years and almost ready to pull the trigger on one. i test drove both the i4 and v6 double cabs...although it had to push just a little harder the i4 (159hp and 180tq) seems to have sufficient power for getting on the freeway...the v6 felt smoother though. i enjoyed driving both of them very much and plan to visit the dealer again tomorrow. unfortunately i'm in south florida, and it's flat flat flat flat. there's no way for me to test the i4 on hills here...years ago i owned an '84 tercel (like 85hp and 90tq), the only toyota i've owned, and that thing was indestructible. it went everywhere including hauling four adults and ski gear up the slopes of Big Bear Mtn in California, my native state. would i expect the same performance out of the i4 double cab? i don't expect to zoom up big hills or do any drag racing, but as long as i'm not as slow as a school bus or something.

also, i didn't notice any threads regarding sway bars, strut bars and the like to help prevent body role/flex...i realize these aren't sports sedans, but are there any inexpensive suspension mods that will help keep the truck a little more planted during turns?

and it looks like the best engine upgrade for the 4-banger is headers to add a few more ponies and tq. i guess there's no pulley upgrades or anything along those lines. and as far as having a beefier sound to override the 4-cylinder's sound, does a cai do the trick, or is it better to just add some mufflers instead as i read cai's don't really do anything for the i4.

i own a home, so want to be able to load things in the truck now and then, i'm not hauling 100' yachts or anything, maybe a jetski down the road, and no hardcore offroading, but some mild offroading is definitely welcome. in the future, want to take it on ski trips, camping trips, and to national parks, among other outdoor stuff. i want to do light mods, no lifts or anything like that. this will be my daily driver, and would like it to last 8 to 10 years. based on this info, would you say the i4 will be sufficient for my needs? the only negative i can think of is less power otherwise the i4 is cheaper to buy, has better mpg, lower insurance, more durable engine, lower maintenance costs etc. so like the OP i want to know if the 4 cylinder is sufficient enough for the double cab.

i even test drove a non-turbo subaru forester and enjoyed the i4 double cab much much more

i know many people on here swear by the v6 (just like they do on v6performnace, lol ), but I think AzPrerunner5 summed up the whole i4 vs. v6 thing nicely in one of the other threads on this forum:

Voted for the 2.7. Question was what do I NEED.
You need an engine, 2.7 is the base.
I have the 4.0L v-6 and it has GREAT power but is not a necessity at all.
In fact it may be more of a liability in the long run. The v-6 is aluminum if I'm not mistaken. No rebuilding in the long run and they are harder to work on yourself.

The 2.7 is mostly derived from Toyota's famous 22RE 4Cyl. As a result, you can rebuild and they are probably a hell of a lot easier to work with.

If you do your own matinence and plan on keeping this truck forever then get the 2.7. It will last you longer and will be less expensive. If you've got a boat to pull or want to haul ass I would go with the V-6. You said you've a got a Cummins deisel though so you can use that for big jobs.

Get the 4cyl and save some gas and money while hauling your little guys like an ATV. I know my 6 cyl gets nowhere near the sticker MPG.

 

Most of the guys complaining about the 4-cylinder being slow are from the 18-25 age group. To them, you're less of a human if you drive a "slow" vehicle. Many of them have numerous speeding tickets from driving their Tacomas at 80 or 90 MPH.

I'll go a step further and say this. Unless you have a legitimate need for 6-cylinders, anybody who turns their nose up at 4-cylinders is probably immature or insecure in some way.

 

F.U. i may be 26, but were talking getting shit done versus sufficency ... a 4cyl will only power a dbl cab decently if theres nothing in the bed and it hardly hauls people defeating the purpose of a dbl cab in the first place

i have no problems with a 4cyl truck having owned one prior, but if you actually tow decent loads and haul some decent shit in the bed in double cab the 4cyl is absolutley uselss ... out in the country i had to downshift to third and floor the shit out of it to pass people if i needed to, and no i dont speed much thanks to being unemployed and obama sucking and not creating the jobs he promised when every hoodrat who had never voted before in their lives voted for him cause hes black

 

Good job, you proved my point about the younger guys being immature.

And your reasoning isn't even close to reality...

 

So, you have never been young before, you have never had beliefs/opinions different from anyone else's, and you have never changed your mind about anything. I would say "good for you" but it's not a good thing. Let's just hope others are more tolerant and forgiving than you are. You can't just group everyone and judge everyone at once. That's BS, why the need to judge at all? In case you are not aware of it already: everyone is different.

Sorry for the off-topic rant.

 

I had a 96 5 lugger 4 cylinder manual extended cab 2wd and i loved the damn thing to death i use to smoke a ton of 6 cylinder trucks from similar years i miss that truck so much. but then i got a 05 auto 4cyl extended cab 2wd and all tho i liked the truck i hated how slow it was on take off i would never get another auto 2nd gen 4cyl again none the less an automatic double cab. dont do it its not worth it get the 6cyl specialy since its a double cab.

 

Resale will be good when gas is $5 a gallon and you are not selling to a teen . the 4cyl is slow but does highway all day long . I drive from Texas to Iowa and its fine and cruises at 75 for hours , can I pass anyone on a hil , nope but then I get 20 = on bad days with a 4X4. Its fine for back and forth to work , works well in the snow when I visit mom in Iowa and the 4cyl is bullet proof . If you want to pass semis all day it will but takes all day. if you want to spin the wheels at the local high school get the 6 cycl or if you really need the power to tow something get the 6