SR DC 2.7, yes or no?

I can't comment on a DC but drive both. Seriously. I considered an AC 2.7 for like 2 years.

The 2.7 is absolutely bulletproof and you'll never have reliability issues, but you'll also never ever have any form of acceleration. Same gas mileage, either way, so test drive and make sure you can live with <200HP. Drive some steep hills, try to pass at freeway speeds. If you're comfortable with it, the 2.7 is Toyota's last true 500k engine.

 

Went to my local dealership today for a test drive...... and nothing. The new DC's I saw this weekend, both in 2.7 and 3.5 were already sold. They did have some used DC V6's, but no used 4cylinders on the lot to compare to. The salesman showed me a wall with printouts of what they had coming in before the end of the year. He said, there is no test driving. You pre-order and anything that arrives new on the lot has already been sold.

So, actually finding a DC 2.7 to test drive may not be possible. So, I can play it safe and order an AC 2.7 or a DC 3.5. Or I can gamble that I'll like a DC 2.7.

On my way home I drove through the Ford/Subaru dealership and saw nothing but used F150's and Rangers. I did see several new Subaru's but they all had sold tag on the dash.

 

Can you buy a $2000 car to hold you over until you get what you want? 2,4,6 or more months?

 

This is, frankly, the thing that the Tacoma is worst at (aside from being a dedicated family vehicle): 75+mph highway driving. MPG craters above 70mph, the transmission never seems to settle down, and the 2.7 in particular will be straining to keep up with the aero demands. Tacomas are great at many things but like others in the thread I'd consider long and hard about choosing one exclusively for a duty cycle involving what it isn't particularly great at.

 

OK, other than the previously mentioned Maverick, which trucks (if any) excel at highway/interstate driving.... meaning their mileage doesn't plummet on longer stretches at high speeds? I've really not looked into the Ranger, Colorado, or Frontier.

 

My 2018 F150 super crew 2wd EcoBoost 2.7L at 70 mph got 23.5-26mpg.

My 2021 F150 super crew 4x4 PowerBoost gets 21-25mpg at 70mph.

Both 10 speed transmissions and only slightly hunt for gears when traveling at 80mph+

 

I don't think you will find a truck with better gas mileage than the Maverick, trucks are bricks with wheels.

 

i had a '17 2.7 with the 5 speed manual. Did well enough, but once I started pulling a boat every weekend, I couldnt get in a v6 quick enough. Id get the v6 for the power and resale alone. Thing is, i really like the 2.7, and theyre bulletproof. But the only way id have one is in a single cab 2nd gen, or that small 2nd gen "papaw package" 2wd bc theyre light enough for it.

 

Lots of good info here and I appreciate the replies. So, what's the deal with the 3.5 V6? I see them every day, all over the place. But, I've seen comments about it being a mini van engine, or a poor replacement for the old 4.0. I get that it doesn't make low end torque, but is it not reliable? Or just not proven to be as reliable as the 2.7?

 

I bet if you list your location you can find a TW member who will let you test drive their truck.

 

I could take my pick of co-workers with TRD's to drive, at least 5. Rode in one last week, but it was a short trip in the parking lot and never broke 15mph. Rode with another co-worker in a Grand Cherokee today to a division Christmas luncheon.

I'm probably going to pull the string tomorrow and order a new Tacoma DC. Going to sleep on it.

This was entertaining and informative, not that I'm ever going to do something similar, great channel for truck enthusiasts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMsGj1kb2Wc

 

I've got a 2.7 4wd ACLB so not quite what you're looking at, but when I do road trips from Seattle to Colorado Springs I'm pretty sure I generally average at least 20mpg and I'm gonna be real- I drive well above the speed limit most of the time. Around Seattle/WA on I5 I tend to get 20-22mpg depending on traffic cruising at about 70-75 most of the time. Sometimes I see 23mpg- usually when I drive Seattle-Portland late morning/midday on a weekday.

Lately I've been commuting from SeaTac to Bellevue (~20 miles each way) in pretty heavy traffic and I'm still averaging ~20mpg per tank and trip.

 

Are you constantly hunting for gears at 70-75?
Anyone know the difference in weight between a DC 2.7 2WD and the AC 2.7 4WD?

 

It’s fine. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s toque curve is meh compared to the 4.0 it replaced and it has had some reported issues that are expensive to fix such as a leaking timing cover that requires engine/cab pull and dumb plastic parts that leak requiring the same. Not common but they are reported a lot in early model years. Hard to say yet if 19-2x will still have them. Most people have issues with the poor tune in combination with an old ass 6 speed auto not the engine itself. I think the V6 is fine just under powered compared to turbo 4cyl competitors and the auto is fine now with updated software. It’s old tech, but I commute daily with no complaints. YMMV.

 

Personally I've never had an issue with gear hunting in my normal driving (by this I mean driving on interstates at 70-75, sometimes 80 ). My partner, who I think would notice it much more than me, agrees. However, I do notice it gear hunting on uphills going 70-75 while on cruise, which to me seems unsurprising? Usually on uphills I just take it off cruise and let it come down to 65-70 so I don't have to deal with that.

Also going back to MPGs I did sit in like an hour an a half of traffic tonight and my trip MPG average was sad. The first hour or so I traveled maybe 8 miles and got 11.6 MPG, it got better after I got through the worst of the traffic and I ended up averaging 16.1 MPG for the trip. Tank average dropped to 19.6 and lifetime average came down to 19.9.

I know it mentions this in the info BillyMays posted, but want to point out the 2wd vs 4wd will also make a significant difference in weight. Also didn't seem to give a weight for the double cab 2.7...? Maybe it's there, but stated unclearly.

 

2.7 on the highway will run with the big dogs all day. Awe day!

 

Same experience with 2016 2.7 4wd. No gear hunting on straight always at 70-75mph. Steady at 1800rpm (varies with weight and headwinds). If you do a hill, let the gear kick down and revs pick up to 3000 or so. If you’re easy on the pedal, it’s steady revs up the hill (3000 to 3500/4000 plus for steep hill/speed stays steady at 70-75). Sometimes there is a delay in the revs dropping after you top the hill, but if you go easy on the pedal it backs down below 2000 and stays at speed. I turn cruise control off on hills.

This is hands down best truck I’ve ever owned and I have no interest in the V6 outfit. Someday, I might consider trading for Ford Maverick Hybrid (would have to give up 4wd), but their 2022 model year is sold out. So I’m sticking with the Taco. (I average about 20mpg btw).

 

Could also look at a Santa Cruz. Probably the mileage of a mid size crossover and better than any Taco. From the reviews it's a more premium interior than a Maverick even in the lower trims. Can pick one up for way less than $30k.

 

There's nothing wrong per-se with the V6. The transmission's shift maps aren't well suited to the power characteristics of the 3.5. I bought the tuner software and remapped it myself and it drives as well as any vehicle out there.

The 3.5 comes from Toyota's "GR" series of engines, the same as the 2.5 and 4.0 versions that have been sold in North America. People call it a mini van engine as a put down, but it's also the V6 in most Lexus products.