SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

I did find a Taco this morning online that appealed to me. Then I looked up the MPG and forced myself to go back to the ads.......

 

Remember, the difference between a 20 mpg I4 Tacoma (brand new 2015 SR 4x4 AC for arguments sake) and a 30 mpg HRV is only 50%. So if the HRV would cost you $2K a year in fuel, the Tacoma is going to cost $3K in fuel. That's less than $100 a month.

 

Regarding the HRV driving abilities - I'm talking more like, a few weekends per winter we drive on bad snow and ice for a few hours to central Oregon. Or maybe every other weekend or so in summers, we drive a few hours up a gravel logging type road to a hike. Not daily by any means. Do you really think the HRV couldn't handle that? That would be a big factor for me. We watched a video of them driving it up a fairly knarly looking dirt road ("gold hill road" or something) and it didn't do too bad. Got to a point in the road where it struggled to make it uphill around a sharp corner, but then the guy basically turned off the computer (the traction control) and once it was in AWD, it made it.

 

I don't know what universe you live in, but I had a Juke. That small truck was a pavement princess as well. In no way could I ever recommend one for gravel exploring.

 

I wouldn't count on the HRV on the gravel if you are keeping it long term. Period. That's not what the truck was designed for and it will cut life off of the truck.

I'm not saying the HRV can't do it. Hell, give me a free Jeep Patriot and I'll take that thing anywhere in Moab. Whether it will hold together after doing it several times, or if you get in a jam, is the real question.

 

Do you think a Forester or Outback would do better? Is one AWD system basically the same as another TW???

 

What the fuck are you talking about!! I simply stated without comparison that a Prius can't do anything but pound pavement! What's so hard to understand about that! Jesus you've got my number, can't say shit without your ass jumping in and shooting down any opinion I have.

 

No, not all AWD systems are the same. Same components, but the weight and strength of each component is different. Some rely heavily on clutch packs and others on the brakes. Subaru would hold together better than something from Honda, but again, I can't really say I'd recommend taking one up in the bush, even on logging roads, every few weekends and expect it to hold up 10 years without major issues. If those vehicles were good for that the forestry service, which around here only sticks to logging roads and only goes around weekly, would use them. They use Tacoma's and F150's instead.

As far as snowy roads, well any AWD system can handle that no problem .

 

Simmer. I didn't mean it personally but your comment did suggest that the HRV wouldn't be a pavement princess, which is what it's designed to do. All of the CUV's now adays are built to give the driver some more confidence with AWD but they still aren't durable enough to be running around on logging roads, even occasionally. If Jen was keeping the vehicle for a couple of years I'd agree with you, but over 10 years a couple of logging roads a year adds up and the risk of something giving out increases. I don't like that option.

I don't mean to come off as jumping all over you ass. Take a breather, it was nothing personal. Just an off the hand comment like I would make to any of my friends having the same discussion over a few beers.

 

It's like we can't make up our minds whether we want to:

1) Get a direct replacement for the Civic - a cheap POS commuter - sacrifice on this purchase to be better prepared (in theory!) for a Taco crisis
2) Get a car that can do some of the driving the Taco currently does and also be an efficient replacement for the Civ
3) Get a back up for the Taco so that I stop worrying, even though it's a complete waste in fuel costs Damnit Sterdog, look what you've created now.

What would each of you do in our shoes?

 

Not worry about fuel cost, rewind and get the silver 4runner you shouldn't have passed on....

 

I'd get a back up Tacoma, or like the guy above suggested a used 4Runner. My wife and I went looking at CUV's at one point and ended up with an F150. Why? Because, to be honest, the fuel costs aren't all that huge a difference with our driving styles and having a true 4x4 body on frame truck was worth it to us.

I don't like middle ground solutions that don't do anything super well. If you get the HRV treat it as a good commuter CUV, not an exploring vehicle. Don't push it outside of it's comfort zone if you want it to last.

 

Well said sterdog!!

 

Yep, that's what the HRV keeps feeling like!! A middle ground, yet expensive solution. Like, what exactly are we expecting of this car if the truck died soon? I think we'd be sorry we had it, because it couldn't do everything we could with the truck, yet it would still be a sizable monthly payment for us for a long time.

So we'd feel stuck with it. And trying to get rid of it would be a PITA plus we'd probably lose money.

 

OK, so now we're either getting a used $10K Corolla or a $20K Tacoma????????????????????????? Wait, what the hell just happened???????????? My head is spinning!!

 

Jen, what's you ZIP code? Hopefully that's not to personal but with it we can search Toyota to see what's left from 2015. They aren't going to stick around.

 

Oh good grief. That Runner is looking good again. Damnit. This feels like a bad decision. Why does it feel like that? I guess just the fuel thing? I don't know. I suppose I worry about how expensive that thing would be to repair, with all it's fancy trim package crap........and if we ever wanted to use it for rough driving, we'd have to spend some $$$ to make some changes to it I'm sure......

 

You didn't spend $$ on the taco to use it for "rough driving" its the same thing...

 

Nope, I'd look for an older one. I wouldn't want a 2015. Go ahead, make fun, but a 2004 that was well taken care of and not driven a ton would be my 1st choice if we went the 2nd Taco route. @koditten is getting ready to sell me his, right buddy?

 

No, I mean that thing has some stuff on it that we'd have to remove or modify or something. I know we talked about that. The bumper maybe? I don't know, but I know we were sure about having to spend some.