2016 Tacoma 4 cylinder buyers remorse?

Exactly. Value per dollar is absolutely insane. Which is funny to me because the opposite end of the Tacoma spectrum is some of the worst value per dollar in the automotive world in my opinion. They top out at what, $45k? For a mid size pickup. That is the same as a very nicely equipped half ton of any brand you like.

 

I have a camper as well, along with around 300 pounds of junk(100 pounds of sand bags right now).
Honestly they do get trash mileage, but if you're looking at more power... You need a sports car or a full size.
I had around 2500 pounds worth of junk in my trunk coming from California to Alaska and got around 22mpg, again I have a stick so it might help quite a bit.

 

Another 4banger guy here checking in, I actually just got done driving mine across the country, Philadelphia to Phoenix.

Mine is a 4x2 with the 6 speed automatic. Absolutely no regrets power wise, except for when I was at about 6,000 feet and it was getting a little wheezy. The LCE header is an immense help, it's really the only I/H/E mod that is worth the money, in my opinion.

Best mileage I've seen in it was 26.7, and I think that's damn impressive for a slushbox truck. On average though, I hover between 20/21 doing 80% around town with a modest lift and beefier tires.

MPG is EXTREMELY dependent on the speed you decide to go and how you anticipate upcoming hills. On this cross country road trip I chilled out at about 65, basically not wandering too far past the 60-70 marks. It was in 6th most of the time turning about 1800 RPM, kicking down into 5th for some hills, 4th for the really aggressive ones. My friend helped me drive part of the way and he wanted to go ~75 or more, it was frantically hunting 5-4-5-4-5-4-5-4-5-4 (occasionally even screaming into 3rd) and getting 19 MPG. The truck is trying to tell you something at that point. It's also very important that you anticipate the bigger hills and give it a little kick before your speed rapidly drops to the point where 4th (1:1 ratio BTW) won't give you that pulling power you need simply because you're now going too slow to take advantage of the gearing.

My final word on power... I switched to this truck from a ~300 HP WRX, I use this as my metaphor:
When you "give it the beans"
The Tacoma counts out exactly how many you need and hands them to you
The WRX backs a full dump truck up to you, and dumps them all over your face.

 

I have the V6 so I can't say much about the I4 but I know in Canada it's usually not worth getting the I4 from a price point $1655 to go to a V6 on the SR5 Access cab. And to go to the TRD OR Access cab is an extra $1855. So you can go from a I4 SR5 Access cab to a V6 TRD OR Access cab for $3510

*edit* if you go manual Access cab up here, It's only available in either I4 SR5 5M or V6 TRD OR 6M which is $5245 price difference

 

Do you leave the cruise control on and let the engine drop a gear going up a hill? I cannot stand hearing the engine revving high when it drops a gear going up a hill so I cancel my cruise control.

 

I have 2nd gen 2tr-fe and 3rd gen V6. I love both trucks, but the v6 is much better to drive around socal, where there are a variety of terrain.

That being said. The odometer on my 2005 Taco 4cylinder

 

I have the utility package so no cruise for me. (I know I can add it.) I'm one of those non-cruise freaks who never uses it, even on a car that has it, because I'm a bit of a loon.

Dropping a gear from 6-5 at 65 or so is the difference between 1800 and maybe 2200 so that's probably not the gear drop you are feeling. 5th or 6th into 4th is a big bump up into the powerband, about 3000+ RPM, I'm thinking that's what you are hearing/feeling. It's the jump between insanely deep overdrive and a 1:1 pulling gear.

I don't think cruise is gonna be very good for anything but flat lands. Because the truck can't anticipate hills, it will insist on staying in 6th (because EPA!) drop speed rapidly, go into "oh shit!" mode and kick down hard into 4th.

 

I bought a 2012, 2.7L that was available with low mileage and a good price. It was intended as a second car and I don't tow anything. I got good mileage per gallon out of it and was quite satisfied overall; but it proved a lemon and major mechanical failures accumulated under warranty.
So, I traded it in for 2016 year model of the same. Now, fuel consumption is higher and about equivalent to that of the 3.5L. So, given a better resale value , I would now opt for the V6, even if it costs about $2,000CAD more.
I don't complain about acceleration and it's pretty fast if you rev over 3,000rpm. 6 speed auto is not great on the highway and it will downshift at the least incline. Works well in town though or on backroads.

 

In 2004 I had a bonus burning a hole in my pocket and decided I wanted a Mustang and drove a yellow V6 5-speed convertible off a dealers lot--for about 1/4 mile before I turned around and came back. The salesman wanted to know if there was a problem. I told him that if I bought that car I'd spend the rest of the time I owned it saying "Wow, I could have had a V8!"...

 

I own a 2010 2.7 with 5 speed. I don't tow but I do haul.

At the time I bought my truck, compared to the 4.0l 6 speed, there was a significant difference in fuel economy so that's one big reason I went with the 2.7. Also when I bought the truck I lived in the middle of the prairies (i.e. no big hills) so power was not a big issue. I've since moved closer to the Rockies and have to climb some much bigger hills.

If I were to buy a 3rd gen I would definitely upgrade to the manual 6 speed 6 cylinder. No real difference in fuel economy and the extra power would be welcome on the highways when climbing big hills/mountains.

 

It drops a gear in a 10mph head wind on cruise also. I don't even have it on driving into the wind anymore. Tailwind is sweet though, get right at 28mpg on the 2.7

 

Another reason why I decided to purchase my 2016 2.7L was because I wanted the truck for reliability, not mpg or hp, it's a truck. If I wanted to go fast I would have purchased a sports car! The 2.7L engine has been around since 05 and the thing is Bulletproof, I got 28,2XX miles on the truck without one single issue. Shortly going to be ordering some gear oil and transmission fluid to flush the front differential, rear differential, transfer case and a transmission flush all at 30k. I see so many new posts from people complaining about all the 6 speed automatic transmissions and all kinds of other issues with the new V6. I'd rather settle for a aweosme motor with less power instead of visiting the dealership for TSBs and other issues all the time!

 

When I'm driving with the wind going towards Coachella the highest I got was 28-3.. only happened twice though

 

I get 20 mpg consistently on my v6

 

+1
Mine was delivered nearly a month earlier than previously thought, at a dealership hours away from home, so it sat for 2+ weeks at the dealership prior to me picking it up.
During that time, the dealership had numerous "I'll buy it today!" offers from people originally shopping for trd/sport models.

 

The 2.7 comes with such limited choices. To get a 2.7 with 4x4, all you can get is access cab with utility package.

As for fuel economy, Fuelly shows V6 3rd gens averaging ~19 and I4 3rd gens ~21.

 

Maybe i'm miss reading this but this is not true at all, you can get a 2.7 4x4 in automatic or manual, access cab or four-door . It comes in the SR or the SR5 trim levels you can have the convenience package or the utility package in SR or all the SR5 package upgrade stuff. You can't get this motor in TRD off-road, sports, Limited.

 

That's not what the toyota configurator shows.

Only SR5 Access Cab, SR DCSB and SR Access Cab allow 2.7 engine.

Only SR Access Cab allows 2.7 with 4x4.

Then you go to select transmission and it allows both MT and AT.

Then for colors, it allows only White for MT and White or MGM for AT.

Then you go to packages, and the only options are Utility Package or Utility Package with options (the only option being tonneau).

 

SR5 Access cab can get 2.7 4x4 also