Will I regret getting a 4 cylinder tacoma?

I had a 4 banger 08 Frontier specifically for hauling my dirt bike. It was fine for that and around town but when I started riding on mountain trails the truck sucked going up the mountain. It was very sluggish and I had to floor it just to maintain the speed limit. Then again it was a Frontier. I bought it and after a few months I hated it. I only had it for 2 years and then I found my 08 dcsb v6.

 

I have sneaky suspicion that some of the people saying the 4 cyl is too slow might be the same people with the pavement queen lifted brocomas I see tailgating everybody on the freeway and driving like assholes on their way to the mall

 

No trying to be a dick but you are talking about the older 22R-E no? As you stated yourself the newer 4 cylinder tacomas have more power. You are right they suck on steep inclines but I've never had a problem driving long distances on the east coast.

 

Yeah, just as my line said "The current 4 cylinder is MUCH improved over the 22R-E we were driving then and the trucks themselves are much more comfortable and quiet. I don't think it's the same thing anymore."

I agree with you, man, getting a 4 cylinder now is less of a compromise and might actually be the better choice since the power is adequate and the mileage is better. The 22R-E at the time for me was specifically because it wasn't going to blow head gaskets every 100K like the 3VZ was then. But it was slow, loud and struggled to keep up with traffic so long road trips were tolerable because I was 27. Now I'm 44 and for the past couple of years I got to dread the prospect of driving all day on the Interstate in the summer with my '91. I'd get where I was going tired and worn out.

But I've grown to really like the 1GR... First truck I've had that seems powerful and fast. I know by current standards it's pretty underpowered, but not to me.

 

Aww, my bad.

 

It's interesting that larger engines can get better fuel economy than smaller engines, when they are loaded. Not always but it is common. Basically the smaller engine is working harder to put out the required power, while the larger engine is designed to create more power and can (relatively speaking) loaf along with the same load, resulting in better MPGs.
In addition to hauling and towing, the OP should consider the grades in his area. I got the 4cyl because it is rare to have a load in my truck and it's my daily driver. But when I need it, I do need it (dirt bikes, firewood, camping gear). When I'm loaded with bikes or camping gear, headed up into the mountains on a grade, boy do I wish for more power. But like I said, it's rare. I've gotten used to spinning up the RPMS in the 4-banger, it gets the job done every time.

 

I bought a 2015 access cab base 4x4 last year. It was the only manual trans Tacoma I could find without paying rediculous used prices. Every used high mileage 6 speed truck I found was more than a new one. I drove it 25,000 miles and loved it but on my 100 mile round trip to work it really needed a bit more power. I didn't know we had a baby on the way when I bought the access cab so after dealing with getting two kids out of it for months and my wife not being able to ride I traded for a used 2015 DCSB TRD OR. I hate the automatic but man the power difference makes it much more enjoyable to drive. I worry about the paint matched fender flares and front end getting scratched on trails now though. The plastic cladding on the base model is better IMO.

 

IMHO, the power of the 2nd Gen V6 is best described as "adequate", meaning that it gets the job done but you're not going to be blowing the doors off of anything.

I think the two deciding factors other than cost are what you plan to do with it and where you live. The I4 is not bad enough and the V6 is not good enough that you're going to beat yourself up if you go with the I4 to save some money.

I bought mine with the V6 because I wanted a fully loaded DC with the TRD OR package and consequently the V6 is the only option. In addition I didn't care about fuel economy or cost at the time and I wanted as much power as I could get.

The V6 doesn't have a ton of low-end torque like a V8 does so you end up winding it up pretty good just like you do with the I4. If you live in an area with a lot of hills, highways and traffic like I do, acceleration and passing power is more of a concern than if you live out the country. Some of the speed limits up here are 70 mph which means traffic averages 75-80 and at that speed I feel like I'm pushing the truck harder than I'd like.

Do what I would do and go find similarly equipped Tacomas at a dealership and take them for a test drive to compare. Test drives are called test drives for a reason.

 

I forgot to mention that my fuel economy dropped from 23-24 with the base 4x4 to 19-20 from the TRD. Thats mixed highway and country/city roads. Considering the weight and power increase that's not too bad but not insignificant either.

 

That was a light load too. I've easily had 4000 lbs begin it a few times and close to a ton of stone in the bed once.

 

Yes. If you put an engine into a situation where it has to operate at top output all the time, you can wind up with equal or worse mileage than a larger displacement engine operating within the middle of its power band. If it's always pinned, mileage goes to hell. And I would say wear and tear costs are higher, but often the Toyota engines last better when they are flogged, as long as maintenance is tended to.

I had two 22R-E trucks in 2wd mode and one in 4wd. It was an adequate engine for a 2wd. But at least on the highway, the 22R-E was work for the operator in a 4x4. And the mileage sucked when you tried to keep it rolling above 70 in hilly and/or windy situations. Honestly though, back then the alternative was the 3vz. Incrementally more power, more fuel for just a bit more power.

But anyway, the v6 I think in my situation is a great fuel mileage option. The thing operates in relaxed mode most all the time until I hook up the trailer. Without trailer I often get 21+ mpg. In the mountains.

 

Just get what you want..... I've had 2 duramax's a 1500 5.3 Tahoe with 5.3 and now my 4cyl 5 speed access cab 4wd..... That being said the Tacoma will do almost anything I need and the wife's Tahoe will finish the rest..... I will get another diesel but not while they are way overpriced!!!!

 

When I went to buy a new truck, I planned on being an adult and getting what I needed for work. Basic, 2wd, 5 lug, 4 banger, automatic.
I test drove a couple, both standard cab and access cab, manual and auto. They were good enough trucks but just felt like an appliance, boring, not very peppy.

Dealership had a used X-Runner next to one of the trucks I test drove. It was ~$3,000 more, same year, similar miles.

 

I didn't regret having a 4cyl Tacoma, but I rather have a v6. I had a 2010 regular cab, owned it for six months and sold it for something with a bigger engine and more room. I didn't buy my truck to tow, but once I owned it I looked into buying a camping trailer and the 4cyl just wouldn't cut it anymore. I also took the truck on several road trips and I can feel every hill. I had to down shift to fourth gear to keep up with traffic.

Later I put bigger tires on the truck, 265,75,16 bfg all terrains, that brought the performance way down. The tire is extremely heavy. Instead of downshifting to fourth, I had to down shift to third to keep 65. 75mph on even a slight grade was difficult for the truck. The small engine, my driving habits, the lack of room, all lead up to me selling the truck.

It's just not enough truck for my liking. Soild engine though,

 

I drove an I6 Wrangler for over a decade. Fun to drive around in town, but sluggish on the highway.

Drove an old I4 Toyota pickup for a few years. Sluggish around town, but had some zip once you got up to highway speeds.

My '08 V6 Taco gives me the best of both worlds. Accelerates well around town and drives just fine on the interstate. I test drove a 4 cylinder '05 once and did not enjoy it. I'm sure it would have made a fine truck and done everything I needed, but if I'm gonna spend years making payments on something, and more than a decade driving it, I want to be completely happy.

 

I owned a 4 cylinder 3rd gen, and traded it in because the power was so inadequate. Off-road and around town it was fine, but the truck could not maintain modern highway speeds if there was a headwind or hills involved. Kind of ridiculous to have a brand new truck that starts quickly dropping speed on hills when on a road trip.

 

It just depends on what you do with it.... mine did ok but my new 17 mt off road is so much better!!!

 

As a retired mechanic for over 45 years, I would definetly get the 4 cylinder especially the 5 speed manual. They are a reliable and peppy engine and very easy to service with great MPG. Mine regularly gets 35 MPG all round driving on the Imperial gallon which is slightly larger than the US gallon and has all the power a truck this size should need if you only pull a small trailer. I personally would never buy a truck with a V6 period. Most of the modern full size trucks get the same or better mileage with a V8 and have more power, ride better and pull a larger trailer with ease. Ask anybody who has had a V6 and they will probably say "nice truck but wish I had bought a full size" - me included. I have seen these small trucks pulling a large trailer many times on the 400 series highways and they go all over the place at higher speeds . So the bottom line is this - buy a 4 cylinder Tacoma or if you want to tow and have power buy a Tundra.

 

Agree 100%

 

I really don't know what the heck you guys are doing. My 180k miles 4 cylinder loaded to damn near payload capacity can maintain 55 or 65 mph over any Sierra mountain pass I've attempted. And that's something I do regularly.