4x2 vs 4x2 PreRunner vs 4x4 MPG

I am looking at a new Tacoma. I will be using it for commuting, so MPG is important. I don't plan to do any heavy 4wd use, but was thinking of the extra cab 4x2 4 cylinder PreRunner to get the extra clearance for rough dirt roads, etc.

The Toyota website specs show the MPG the same for the 4x2 extra cab regular and PreRunner. The PreRunner weighs 190 pounds more than the regular. The mileage drops when adding 4x4. Does it seem reasonable to expect close to the same mileage on the regular and PreRunner versions?

Does adding 4WD change the mechanics enough to definitely drop the MPG? I understand the frame and suspension on the PreRunner and 4WD are the same. Just a different differential? Adding 4WD drive adds another 235 pounds to the PreRunner version.

I am trying to understand the factors affecting the MPG and how much they affect things.

Harley

 

Weight has a little to do with MPG but not too much. I put 240# of sand in back to weight down the rear end without a noticeable change in mileage (sort of hard to be sure since new truck and winter blend of fuel).

I did the same factoring when I bought. I came up with 4x4 vs 4x2 comparison
17/20 4x4
22/25 4x2
12,000 miles a year (love driving truck so I am sure to be over that)

If you drive careful you will probalby get around 20 on 4x4 and 25 on 4x2.

Difference in cost of gas if price were 3. 50 (12,000 / 20 * 3.5 =2,100; 12,000 / 25 * 3.5 = 1,680) is $420. So you are not saving all that much going 4x2.

My reasoning led me to the 4x4. In my area the pre runners are not common but if they were I may have gone that route.

The security of 4x4 might just be worth the extra cost and more fuel to you.

Either way, these are good trucks and you can't go wrong.

~a wise man once told me the looking is the fun part.

 

I have a lifted prerunner 4 cylinder with ~5" lift, 33.1" tires and I get 24.5 mpg all freeway and 22 mixed driving

 

I should add that I plan on getting an automatic. I commute and a stick is not fun in stop and go. I put on about 20,000 miles per year, so MPG definitely matters for $$.

Thanks for the info so far. Much appreciated.

 

I dont know for sure but I don't rhink the auto has overdrive does it?

And op I drive 100+ miles a day which is why I opted for manual,I can control shifts and rpms better.

 

yea if youre not gonna need the 4wd then the prerunner is the way to go if you need the ground clearence ... 4cyl auto is gonna be super slow though. if you can swing it id reconsider the manual.

 

Excuses...excuses...I don't even notice driving a stick when I'm in stop & go traffic. Once you drive one for a long time it becomes second nature and you don't even think about it.

 

my toyota does better in slow traffic than my mazda (also a stick) did .... i attribute it to 4.10 gears vs 3.73's

 

yup just tried to build one thru toyotas website and prerunner is v6 only

edit: and building one id like to have was 27k msrp (acess cab, 4x4, v6, not much else)

 

My first four vehicles were sticks. I lived in LA for a number of years and driving in LA rush hour traffic ruined it for me. I like an automatic these days.

I have an F150 4x4 with a camper on the back. While it has the big V8 in it, with the load, it is still pretty damn slow. I figure an auto 4-banger Taco can't be any slower. I plan to keep the Ford and use the Taco for commuting and short summer camping trips.

 

Dang, I tried building the PreRunner Access Cab and you are quite right, it does not allow it. Funny, it shows it on their options/specs page as an option, just not on the build your own.

 

There are so many people that have 1 including myself. It took a little looking but when I was looking I had a choice between 2.

 

well they must have stopped offering it for 2011 cause like i said i tried to build one off toyotas site.

 

I just got back from the Toyota dealership. Drove a double cab 4 cylinder to get a feel for how slow it would be for the prerunner access cab. I figured the weights would be similar. It wasn't bad. Not fast by any stretch, but I think it would work. Adequate.

I asked about the 4x2 Access cab PreRunner with automatic. They showed one in their inventory, but I did not have time to look at it on my lunch break. It was not out on the main lot. So they do exist at dealers.

 

The 4x4 aspect in relation to mpg won't play a role until you engage the 4x4 system....then mpg will of course plummet...but, you have the 4x4 ability if NEEDED!...a major plus.

 

I was curious about that. If the 4x4 is not an MPG factor when not engaged, any idea why they would list the PreRunner 4x2 highway at 25 and the 4x4 at 21? It would be rather uncommon to drive 55 down the highway with 4x4 engaged.

 

4x4 components add weight

 

4x2 Access Cab Pre-Runners 5spd/auto exist but only if you pester the dealership you're working with. My brother and sister both had to order their examples, not very many are made in that configuration and they wanted specific colors/options.

You will see a mileage difference between the Pre-Runner and base trucks, 1-2 mpg. Extra weight of the suspension components, the extra height hurts the aerodynamics, and more important the rear ratios are different between the Pre-Runner and base truck, 5spds, 4.10 or 4.56 vs 3.73 can't remember. The difference in tires between base and Pre-Runner trucks are huge, 15in wheels 215/70r15 tires vs 16in wheels 245/75r16 tires (additional OEM sizes available, I picked the smallest). There's probably an easy 20-30lb per wheel combo weight difference between the two models. The base truck was built as the fuel economy champ of the Taco line.

Pre-Runner vs 4x4 the mileage difference is now considerable. Sure the 4x4 doesn't really start eating into the mileage until you engage the front wheels, but you're paying to haul all that extra stuff around and any extra system is another failure point however unlikely. The EPA mileage test is done with the 4x4 disengaged, anytime you push that magic button sticker mileage numbers are no longer revelant. If you're looking for a little extra clearance with reasonable mileage a 4 banger Pre-Runner is hard to beat.

My immediate family own 2 base Taco's, and 2 4 banger Pre-Runners, all access cabs 4 banger 5 spds. You can expect interstate mileage in the low to mid 20's depending on how fast you're driving. In town expect high teens, low 20's. Those figures are averaged for the entire year.

If mileage is one of your main concerns then I'd avoid the 4x4, especially if you're keeping the F150.

 

Even if not engaged,4x4 components do add more weight...also take into account rear end gear ratios and possibly transmission gear ratios...size of the tires etc.

 

4x2 Prerunner C-cab 2.7L auto is most certainly available, I just pulled it up on my Toyota corporate lease order site. I would be concerned about MPG if that's really a big issue. IMHO, the 2.7 is mildly underpowered for the Taco on the highway. And if you run faster than 65mph, the mileage drops more. My last Taco (4x4 reg. cab, 5-speed) gave me low 20's on the highway, running 70-75 mph. The 4x4 drivetrain adds weight, but so does having an access cab, and rolling those larger tires. If you routinely run faster than 65-70 on the highway, you may actually get better mpg with the V6 with more power and coupled to a 5-speed automatic instead of a 4-speed auto. A 2.7 starts working pretty hard at higher speeds. The best Taco for outright MPG numbers would be a 5-lugger.