Tacoma 2.7/automatic 2wd 5Lug

I'm thinking of getting a new or lightly used Tacoma in the 4 cylinder, automatic, rear wheel drive, access cab flavor.
I'm looking at this configuration because I want a vehicle that's decent on gas for commuting to work >20 miles (city) and for highway driving to my son's college 130 miles away and I just want a basic pickup truck, cheap instead of a fancy $$$ V6/V8 luxo truck.

I currently drive a 2006 Nissan Xterra 4x4 that gets approx. 15-16 mpg city / 18 mpg highway on summer gas. Noticably worse in winter.
The Xterra has a 4.0 V6 265hp and is pretty terrific all around. Lots of power, stable, peppy - pretty good actually except it's expensive to run and I don't need a SUV as much any more as I do a small pickup (We also have an old Ford Ranger in the family that I find myself borrowing more and more).

So my question is to those who have 4 cylinder 2wd Tacomas:
How are they for daily use?
How does it do on the highway?
Will 250+ miles in the little beater cause me to hate myself and regret not getting a bigger truck? Remember the whole objective is to save $$$ on fuel because I'm pretty near tired of going to the gas station with the Xterra but lets face it the truck has to be modern highway capable without straining.
Also I'm looking at auto transmissions only so the wife can drive it if she needs to and I sometimes have troubles with my back and legs.
Access cab for the longer wheelbase and space for the dog.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

First of all welcome !
If your all about MPG the Tacoma does pretty good I'm getting around 30 highway but I do have the standard cab 5 lug auto.
You should test drive one to see for yourself because you'll get different opinions from different people. My Tacoma is my only vehicle, well except for my bike. Good luck with your choice,,,

 

Definitely test drive it, both town and highway. I got a 2012 Access cab SR5, 4 cyl, AT, 2WD in July, and I'm averaging 26.5 mpg overall. I drive between 65-70 highway, and it has enough power for me. Easily get 475 miles per fill up, best so far was 509 miles, but I still had 2 gallons left in the tank

Replaced a 2001 Altima with it, getting 3-4 mpg better than the car and being able to haul stuff is nice. It's my commuting car, great for daily use. The jump seats in back are usable in a pinch, but I wouldn't recommend past 1-2 hour drives for adults back there.

 

I just traded in my 2013 Taco, I4 dcsb with 7300 miles on it for only one reason - not enough power. It did well in the city and I only drive 6 miles to work but if you need that extra push getting on Interstates and manuvering through traffic, I4 can't handle it

 

Thanks for the welcome and advice to test drive. I really do need to do that.
Although I typically cruise around 75 on the highway obviously it needs to do more than that occasionally without too much strain. I understand it seems strange to be talking about top speed in a small truck but of course power helps make any vehicle livable.
The Ford Ranger I'd mentioned earlier is my son's, a well maintained low mileage but not perfect '97. It's got the 3.0 V6 with ~150hp. Roughly the same size and hp as the Tacoma but it isn't great on the highway. Maybe due to its age of the fact that it's mostly only been used around town or maybe a combination.
That's why I made a point of of explaining the future Tacoma's intended use. Since the Tacoma and Ranger are of similar size and power I was hoping for reassurance that the Tacoma is an effective highway cruiser.

 

I don't know how ya'lls driving styles are or what octane gas you're putting in your trucks but I average 20 mpg in my 4cyl RC 5-lug.......

I don't drive like grandpa but I certainly don't have a lead foot either.


Id say the 2wd 2.7l auto is perfect for a daily commuter. It does fine on the highway and gas mileage is fair. Maintenance is easy on it and it has enough bed space and oomph to get random weekend tasks done.

 

On my 08 4Cyl Auto Access Cab I'm averaging about 22mpg, with a mix of city and highway.

 

The 4 cyl has plenty of power. You are not going to win all those (hurry up and wait) races to the next stop light in it, but it goes just fine.

 

I commute 30 miles each way back & forth to work .
My 2014 extended cab 4x2 i4 averages 26.6 MPG (Hand calculated) .
It has plenty of power to enter hwy ramps without getting run over.
Once on hwy I set cruise to 65 mph & go.
Great riding truck & economical to run .
It is bone stock & I intend to keep it this way .
If I want power & just jump in the 2012 5.7 HEMI RAM 4X4.

 

I have the truck you are possibly interested in buying. I average about 22-23 mpg during a 25 miles daily commute and errands. I drive it pretty hard and run the A/C a lot. I have gotten as high as 24.9 on a highway trip. They're not a King Ranch, but an SR5 (which has adjustable Lumbar support) would probably be about on par with your Xterra as far as comfort. I also suspect a 5 lug will ride better than you're used to. All in all I'm happy with my little truck. It has done exactly what I have asked it to do with no complaints and all the while getting decent gas mileage.

 

I'd recommend the stick if you want the best mpg.

 

Consistently 21-24 mpg with my '09 Access. The Air Conditioning is always on. Around town or local highways, I usually drive about 10 over the posted limit, but no jackrabbit starts. We make one trip per month from FL to WNC averaging 80-85 mph and the mileage drops to 18-20. The auto tranny handles the mountains just fine if I take it out of overdrive. I'll be pulling a 10' open trailer up there next week and I expect no problems. I spent $300 to have my seats rebuilt to fit our bodies better which really improved the long distance comfort. I'm hoping new tires (235 to replace the 6 y/o stock 215) will smooth things out a little more. Our 45# Black Lab is perfectly content curled up on the back seat. I DON'T want to go back to a full size truck!

 

I have a 100 mile commute each day, mostly interstate, in my 2009 Access Cab 5 lug auto. I run 75-80 and consistently get 20+ mpg. While it does not have an excess of power it will flat out hum down the road at 85 (and get 20 mpg). I did put 235-70-15s on it for better control in the wind (I cross the Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay) which dropped the mpg down from 22+ but the extra control is worth it.

I love my truck and will likely replace it with another 5 lug.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I traded my Tacoma for a Silverado yesterday. Yep, a fancy, V8 Luxo truck. I still stand by the statement above, but since I no longer deal with city traffic or parking and 500+ mile days are becoming more frequent, the wife's comfort has become my #1 priority.

On the plus side, after 5 years and 47,000 miles I got $3K less than original MSRP on the Tacoma in trade (and below TrueCar on the Silverado). So, there's another benefit of the Tacoma.

 

The meme is 2wd doesn't hold value, buy 4x4 even if you don't need it for resale.

You proved that False.

 

Bit late to this party, but I have your truck: 2014 2.7, 2wd, AC. No bells or whistles. (Even didn't have intermittent wipers, but that's another story.) I drive about 30-40 miles each way on the highway with about 800# of passengers/cargo. With all that crap, the engine gets described as 'gutless', but it actually gets the job done and is happy enough cruising at 75-80 mph.

I have to admit that I dream of a 6 cylinder, but I might get tired of that after a few trips to the pump.

 

I'm in similar shoes as I traded a 2000 Durango for a 09 5 lug manual 2.7 access cab. I can't say enough good things about it. Reasonable gas mileage (22 to 26), actually very pleasant to drive on long distance, roomy enough inside with the access cab, stable on highway, nice cab for hauling stuff. It's a safe choice and will also hold value. Go for it if it is still relevant.

 

I have an '09 access cab I4 A/T. It has plenty of power for the interstate. If you aren't towing a big trailer or a ton of heavy junk in the bed the 2.7 is a great engine. I even pick up my three year old from day care each day with a car seat in the access cab, now to do that the passenger seat is slid forward to the point of being almost uncomfortable for a passenger, but if the whole family is going somewhere together we take the wife's Camry anyway

 

My truck is a 2009 2.7 liter 2wd regular cab with manual tranny, bench seat, and roll up windows. Completely base model except for sliding rear window.

Anyways, I am very pleased with my truck. My other three cars are sports cars so I am used to lots of power/good handling. I am satisfied with the 2.7 liter. I drive my truck between 30 and 40 miles per day on the highway. It is basically a daily driver.

This truck performs perfectly for me as a daily driver and light hauling duty when needed. No complaints.

 

Not even close.

The 2nd Gen Tacoma is a lot bigger than a Ranger. Any Ranger.

And it rides a lot more car-like than a Ranger. Any Ranger.

And in the 4 cyl version it gets a lot better MPG than a Ranger. Any Ranger.

My BIL has a Ranger 3.0 5 spd. Edge. I drove it 100 miles and it was iffy on comfort, and it's well maintained. (its fine on little trips around town)

I had a '98 Sonoma, fairly plushed up for a compact truck, that was tolerable for up to 5 hrs on the road and got OK MPG on the road.

But the '13 Tacoma I have, 2.7, Access, convenience package, is way above both. In comfort & MPG. And it still does all I need it to. As in haul bikes, kayaks and small loads.

It does just fine. Those that claim it's underpowered for that I suspect never learned how to drive lower powered vehicles for performance. It takes a bit of finesse. But if you can plan ahead instead of just relying on the loud pedal you'll find it fine.