4 Cyl?

I like my 4 cylinder also. Road trip of 22 miles to get lottery tickets with the cruise set on 60mph, I average 25.9mpg. I'm not an important person so the 2.7 works for me.

 

I'd drive both. I was originally thinking I wanted the 4 banger for fuel efficiency. Then I read how they really get about the same. Test drove both and had to get the V6. Love it!

 

What you read and what is real, are two very different things. Especially in this case.
About 100% of the people claiming that the 4 and 6 get similar fuel consumption are owners of 6 trying to convince *themselves* that they made the right choice.
I'm not going to say that you made a bad choice, since it comes down to whether or not you are *happy* with what you got (and sounds like you are), but it will certainly use more fuel than the 4.

 

well that's good to hear then.
I personally would still never get one though. As much as I would like the fuel saving I feel it would be too underpowered. But its good that you are happy with your purchase.

 

I suspect there will be few times when I will need a DC to haul two extra folks in the back. So why did I get the DC? Just one reason. With the seats down there is a lot of extra room. Way more than the access cab. For me I just figured it offered more options. I went with the 6cyl 4x4. The latter almost a necessity up here. Yes you can get by with a 4x2 vehicle most of the time but not all the time. That is where the 4x4 comes in. Getting out of the sub division can at times be an adventure. With 4x4 not so much.

At least one of the best salmon fishing holes requires 4x4 or a lot more courage than I can muster with some deep mud holes. 4x4 just evens the odds in not getting stuck. I have had my old 4Runner up to an over the running boards going through a couple of spots. Nary a problem with 4x4 but would not have been attempted with 4x2.

 

If I had my heart set on a four, I would wait a year or two. They have to be planning an upgrade. The 2.7 four ( not the same) in our Venza has 180 hp and 180 lb ft of torque, it it has no direct injection. IMHO, DI will be standard across the line in a few years and whether they put the 2.7 or a 2.5 upgrade, it will be a better motor then this archaic thrasher, regardless of how reliable it is. Wait.....
You want it now, get the six. I do that with computers, buy the higher grade. If you buy new, get the best motor so you aren't so far behind the times when they change.

 

Or pushing a wheelbarrel, since it's a pickup.

But yea, I think the only reason Toyota continues to offer the 4-cyl is because it's cheaper. The 4-cyl is also offered in the Hilux as the base motor alongside the 2.8L diesel in many developing countries. There it offers *worse* fuel economy and power than the diesel, but is cheaper to buy. For the same reason I don't think the engine will be getting DI because of the added cost of dual injectors, at least until Toyota is forced to do it to meet CAFE numbers (i.e. 2018).

The 3.5L V6 is potentially as expensive for Toyota to build as the Lexus IS350 engine.

 

I just purchased a 4cyl second gen regular cab about two months ago. I purchased it in California and drove it back to New Mexico.

It felt like a dog when I was driving up the mountain pass; I had to down shift to third gear in order to keep up with traffic! I defiantly wasn't use to this coming from a Subaru STI and the Honda s2000. These little sport cars would run up mountain passes with ease.

Once I down shifted the truck can keep up with traffic but I was in the slow lane. The key is to keep the RPMS high if you want to drive fast. I don't have a problem running my truck at 3.5-4k rpms. In fact, I just took a trip up another mountain pass in fourth gear (about 30 miles) at 65-70mph. It ran perfectly. I have no regrets.

You don't need a v6 to off road. It's all about traction + gearing. A four cylinder is all you need! I never driven a 6 cylinder Tacoma. My dad has a v6 frontier (that truck feels noticabally more powerful than my little Tacoma) but its not necessary to get from point A to point B; even if point B is up a mountain. My Tacoma will make it.

 

At some point, it will have to compete with the 4 cylinder trucks from other makers that do offer DI. Even the 4 cylinder in all past Toyotas has eventually kept up technology wise.

They don't offer the off road in 4 cylinder !
So, you can go off road, but not as effectively as with the off road model that has the six. It may not be the engine, but it certainly will be the model which has the better engine. Engine with the higher torque also has better engine braking which is better for off roading with the traction devices that toyota offers. The four cylinder may be fine for off roading, but only in lighter models and will never be as good as the six with larger tires. These trucks also must be driven over the road to get to off road areas. Owners wouldn't stand for the most expensive off road model with Toyota's present four.

 

Because the EPA said so? The four cylinder gets better fuel economy. I could have been persuaded to get the V6 but they did not offer the V6 in the access cab with manual except in the sport trim (expensive and a bunch of crap I didn't need). I am glad the V6 was unavailable as the new upgraded 4 cyl. is very smooth with plenty of power. The 4 cyl. trucks are exceeding EPA numbers. Over the last 530 miles I am getting a solid 24 mpg with a 4wd.

 

Toyota probably figured those who buy the 4-cyl Taco are more interested in a lower price than power/torque or having the latest engine tech. If you look at Toyota's low-end cars like the Yaris or Corolla, they have ancient engines compared to the competition, yet they are marketshare leaders. The 4-cyl Taco is being treated as Toyota's low-end truck. Not saying it's true for 4-cyl owners on TW, but seems to be Toyota's perception.

 

Almost on the same page here, but I do take exception to the word "underpowered". It is most definitely NOT underpowered. For something to be defined as underpowered, it must be incapable of performing the job that it is applied to. That it is not able to accelerate from 0 to mach 3 in 5 seconds doesn't make it underpowered, it makes it *less overpowered* than something that is able to do that.

Many people who own the 4-cyl Tacoma perform real work that vastly exceeds the capabilities outlined in the vehicle's specifications. That they can do so shows exactly the opposite of being underpowered. It in fact shows that it is actually *overpowered*.

I personally would define the region between underpowered and overpowered as "adequately powered", and for this truck and printed capabilities, that would probably lie somewhere around 120-130 hp. That region where it *can* do the work that is claimed in the specifications, but not leaving anything extra on the table.

 

One question though, because it makes a huge difference... 5 lug or 6? The differential gearing is different, with the torque advantage to the 6-lug. That means that the 6-lug's 3rd gear may be around what 2.5 would be on a 5-lug.

But there is also the location you are driving in that can have an enormous impact, and its not about the angle of the hill you are climbing, but the pressure of the air.

The power loss is approximately according to this formula;
LOSS = (elevation * 0.03 * horsepower)/1000
Elevation in feet.
So at 5000 feet, LOSS = (5000 * 0.03 * 159)/1000 = 23.85 HP. You're running only 135 HP at 5000 feet.
Get to 10,000 feet, and your loss jumps to 48 hp, you're running only 111 HP.

But head over to the east coast where most people are running at or under 1000 feet, and you're getting 155+ out of it.
To put that into context, the 4.0 at 10,000 feet will be 236 - (10000 * 0.03 * 236) / 1000 = 165 HP. So you're getting into the range of the 4-cyl at sea level, except that the gearing is taller on the 6-cyl, which means that at higher elevations, the 6-cyl will be a dog compared to a 4-cyl at sea level.

Now just to take that one step further, you are comparing it to a Subaru STI, which is turbocharged. That really isn't a fair comparison since a turbocharger compensates for elevation by pressurizing the intake. In other words, it won't lose power at high altitudes.

 

"Offroad" is toyota speak for "cool stickers and buttons", as in it doesn't actually mean that the vehicle is more equipped to get off the road.

At the end of the day though, 99.999999% do NOT EVER see any terrain that you couldn't navigate with a honda civic, except for the odd winter storm and deep snow. The mud and boulder trails are specialized stuff that requires significant modification to handle well, and you are actually better off starting off with a *non*-offroad, since you save some purchase cost to apply to the *real* offroad parts... assuming, of course, that you are of the 0.000001% who are into that sort of thing.

 

You are a marketing mans nightmare...you know that don't you.

 

The 4 cyl In a double cab , is it auto only or can be had with manual ?

 

yes in technical terms its not underpowered.

But to me, I feel it wouldn't have enough acceleration for what I am used to. I know even the V6 wont accelerate like my car but still will be better than the 4. Also passing power, and then the true fact is just towing etc.

Even if the payload is the same for them (which I'm not even sure I haven't looked at that spec on the 4cyl) I'd rather not deal with the feeling of being held back because when the bed is full.

I mean think of it, you have a 4 cyl car with 4 people in it and you can feel the weight.
And I just feel weird being in anything under 200hp and especially 200lbs of torque. Considering I am used to 400lbs+

 

No manual that I can see in double cab 4 cylinder.

7162 - SR ACCESS CAB 4X2 4-CYL AUTO LB - $ 21844 | $ 23300
7186 - SR DOUBLE CAB 4X2 4-CYL. AUTO - $ 22355 | $ 24130
7513 - SR ACCESS CAB 4X4 4-CYL. M/T LB - $ 23274 | $ 24825
7514 - SR ACCESS CAB 4X4 4-CYL AUTO LB - $ 24728 | $ 26375
7594 - SR DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 26786 | $ 28915
.
7122 - SR5 ACCESS CAB 4X2 4-CYL AUTO LB - $ 23799 | $ 25385
7185 - SR5 DOUBLE CAB 4X2 4-CYL AUTO - $ 24343 | $ 26275
7126 - SR5 ACCESS CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO LB - $ 25308 | $ 26995
7146 - SR5 DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO - $ 25926 | $ 27985
7516 - SR5 ACCESS CAB 4X4 4-CYL AUTO LB - $ 26681 | $ 28460
7170 - SR5 DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO LB - $ 26389 | $ 28485
7558 - SR5 ACCESS CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 28284 | $ 30170
7540 - SR5 DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 28774 | $ 31060
7570 - SR5 DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO LB - $ 29237 | $ 31560
.
7128 - TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO LB - $ 27812 | $ 29665
7148 - TRD SPORT DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO - $ 28502 | $ 30765
7172 - TRD SPORT DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO LB - $ 28965 | $ 31265
7559 - TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB 4X4 V6 M/T LB - $ 29362 | $ 31320
7543 - TRD SPORT DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 M/T - $ 29738 | $ 32100
7560 - TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB V6 AUTO LB - $ 30893 | $ 32950
7542 - TRD SPORT DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 31249 | $ 33730
7566 - TRD SPORT DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO LB - $ 31814 | $ 34340
.
7150 - TRD OFF ROAD DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO - $ 28502 | $ 30765
7545 - TRD OFF ROAD DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 M/T - $ 29738 | $ 32100
7562 - TRD OFF ROAD ACCESS CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO LB - $ 30893 | $ 32950
7544 - TRD OFF ROAD DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 31249 | $ 33730
7568 - TRD OFF ROAD DOUBLE CAB 4X4 AUTO LB - $ 31814 | $ 34340
.
7182 - LIMITED DOUBLE CAB 4X2 V6 AUTO - $ 32188 | $ 34745
7582 - LIMITED DOUBLE CAB 4X4 V6 AUTO - $ 35035 | $ 37820

 

To the OP, I'd say spring for the 6cyl. I've been driving 4cyl Subarus for the last 10 years, my last one being a 2012 Outback. Loved the car and considered getting the 6cyl when I bought it, but ended up with the 4cyl and regretted it. I was living at altitude at the time, and most times the car was ok, but loaded with people or gear and it became a slug and more times than not wished I had the 6cyl not for more speed, but for more power.

I really find it hard to believe the 4 and 6cyl get similar mileage, but with that said, I bet you could do the math and figure out how much more you'd spend per year on gas with a 6cyl over a 4cyl, and in the long run it probably wouldn't be all that much, maybe several hundred dollars a year? I'd rather have the added power when I need it, rather than not have it when I need it. And you never know if things will change and that 6cyl will come in handy.

 

I think we were talking about capability. Have had previous gen in 4 cylinder short bed which is the domain of the four cylinder, they are excellent. But, in access and crew cab, off road in these trucks is the domain off the six. Smaller trucks are always better off road, but they don't sell them anymore. Can't speak for anyone else, but I live off road, I tow and I trip 600 miles in the truck and I have the of road model. A four isn't cutting it in any way shape or form.

Now, if they made the short bed again, I might agree they could give the six a run. But in this day and age, they don't sell and you surely can't get any four with locking differential and atrac which is Really good. If you are arguing the four is better becasue no one goes off road....I have no reply, I do. That 's why I have a toyota.