opinions 2.7

The 2.7 is absolutely bullet proof. I had a '12 with auto and loved the truck. My new '18 has the V6 and the only reason I chose the 3.5 was because I tow. I did tow 3,500 lbs with the 2.7 but it was a struggle in the mountains and head winds. If your towing under the 2,000lbs the 2.7 would work great. I loved the simplicity of the 2.7 and its quiet operation. The motor runs like a swiss watch.

 

Don't know about the 16 but my 19 2.7 gets way better gas mileage than my buddies 3.5 both access cabs. Also I find the 2.7 has plenty of get up and go. I have had 70 Chevelle"s big and small block. Built race cars. LT4 Corvette, ZO6 Vette, Viper, Buick GN and many more very fast cars. Is the Tacoma 2.7 slingshot quick like the muscle cars? NO. Is it plenty powerful to do a steady 90mph on the highway? YES. Does it have enough power to merge and pass? YES. So all the people saying it is a slug and dangerous to drive are all youngsters looking for a muscle car but bought a Tacoma.

 

Out of curiosity, what mileage do you get around town with the 4?

 

The 2.7 manual will pull on the v6 manual at takeoff. 2.7 gets better gas mileage than the v6. Not a lot, but it is there. Especially when y’all whining about 1mpg for cryin out loud. The v6 gets relatively close mpgs because it’s atkinson neutered and ends up tossing its compression out for the sake of mpgs. This is why the v6 FEELS gutless, and the 2.7 MANUAL doesn’t. It maintains constant compression values. Trannies aside, it’s a Japanese global engine, made in Japan, and updated to dual vvti with updated coolant pipes. It also looks sexier under the hood. It will not, however, tow a shopping cart. But it can huck you AND the truck up the Adirondacks well above the speed limit. Now, when the v6 chooses to un neuter itself, it unleashes it’s towing ability. BUT. When it unleashes, bet your ass youre not even coming close to the mpgs of the I4. Toyota did this to maintain mpg bragging rights. The v6 could very well prove itself as far as longevity and the ability to tow if need be, but the notion that it’s twice as powerful at the same gas consumption as the I4 is false, as I outlined above. It’s one or the other- 289 hp sucking fuel like a pig, or hyperventilating and sipping fuel at a ballparked 117hp it atkinson mode. It DOES NOT do both at the same time. V6 fellas you know I love you guys but I gotta drop a giant paragraph from time to time.

 

This is probably why I don't have any issues with the 3.5 v6 coming from the 2.7 4cyl. It is familiar at small throttle with more punch when I want it.

 

I’ll allow it.

 

Not to derail this thread but the Buick GN and GNX are in my opinion the last true American muscle cars. Absolutely beautiful cars. Surprisingly quick and fast. My favorite car. A few still on the road today. Everytime I see one I get bad thoughts about car auctions and my bank accounts. Anyhoo back to reality and Tacoma's.

 

Not to derail this thread but given the choice of 1 gallon of shitty salsa or 2 tablespoons of epic salsa, I choose epic every time.

 

Unless I have to share...

 

Consistent 18-19 in town driving it normal. Not babying it not racing it. That's both etc on and off

 

Lol I have an access cab. I don’t share shit, not even passenger room

 

It’ll be the same as you have now. Except slower.

 

I picked up an Access cab with a 2.7 and 5 speed manual. got it for under 26000... Last of the Old School combo. I am stoked, and I ain't no Orkin man

 

It's actually made in way more Toyota factories than just Japan, but that's hair splitting because the ones that go in Tacomas come from Japan.

Anyways, back on topic.

On paper the 4 banger's stats don't look that impressive, so if you just wanna impress all the other kids on the playground then get the V6.
But at least be honest with yourself that you're getting it for paper numbers and your feelings.

In the real world though, you will find that the 4 banger turns in much better MPG. Look at actual recorded mileage data instead of manufacturer ratings and you will see that the V6 gets circa 19 as a global average and the 4 banger gets around 21. I'm at a lifetime avg of 21.4, having recorded all of my fuel stops for 20,000+ miles so far. Worst I ever got was 18.88 when wheeling, best I ever got was 26.72 when cruising across the plains while I was moving. It boggles my mind that people shit on the 4 cylinder's MPG as they scroll through hundreds of threads on here of people pissing and moaning and generally bellyaching about how their V6 truck only can get 16 no matter what they do. Meanwhile I have not seen anyone who wasn't able to at least extract rated MPG from their 4, or smash it by a few MPG with judicious use of the skinny pedal.

In terms of reliability, the 4 banger has also been the mainstay of Toyota fleet vehicles for 15 years running now. In the Asia-Pacific markets alone it's in practically every utility van and truck and has logged millions upon millions of trouble free hours and very possibly billions or trillions of miles.
It is very, very hard to kill. You can roll a Taco with the 4 banger in it and it won't even smoke when you turn it over and start it up again. I have heard of only one freak occurrence where a guy spun a balance shaft bearing at 1,000 miles and had to have his 2TR replaced.

The only sour note is the automatic transmission, but then again a V6 isn't going to cure the ratios being poor- I hear the same exact complaints from V6 owners about shifting.

 

20 to 22 mpg.

 

Righteous.

 

What is the impact of lift/armor/wheels size on the 4 vs 6 mileage? Unless the OP does not care about mods.

 

The only reason the Tacoma (in auto btw) would ever be an orkin truck is because the ranger wasn’t here. The ranger was the orkin and every other companies staple.

 

I went to 265/75/16 and it still does what it does with enthusiasm.

 

I've got some armor (rear bumper, sliders, and a couple skids) with my 20-22mpg number.
No difference when I'm running the stock steelies & tires vs the TRDOR wheels & tires.