about to buy, V6 or I4???

I am going to buy a Tacoma in the next couple of weeks and have had a hard time narrowing it down to the one I want. There are so many options and I like them all. I have got it down to an access cab but am having trouble deciding between the V6 and the I4. I really want to go with a 4x4 for surf trips in baja and for the occasional trip to the snow. I have been reading all the posts I can find on MPG and so far am very skeptical of the capabilities of the I4. Some people even with a 4x2 are getting 20 mpg (some less) and few are getting in the low 20's and the same with the 4x4. I read about one guy that is getting 27-28 mpg with a I4 4x4 but the rest are down around, or even below, 20. It seems that the V6 is pretty solid around 19-20 mpg. Is there really only a few miles difference in mpg between the V6 and the I4? If so the V6 with the off road package is looking really good to me. But I was very impressed with the sticker with the 4x4 supposedly getting 23 mpg and the 4x2 getting a stellar 28??? It doesn't seem like too many actually get these results.

Is the V6 a better option if there is only minimal mpg savings? Are the posts not correct due to break in periods? I noticed many posts are from new owners who never updated their results after the break in period. Or could it be from people who post from places where the gas is different in the winter? I don't think they change the gas here in San Diego. Would getting the 4x2 prerunner with the I4 be worth forgoing my 4x4 dreams, or do they not get the advertised 28(or is it 27?) mpg?

Thoughts???
Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

 

Honestly chaszm...you're question is a hard one to answer since only you know what you're really going to use the truck for. I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses from people each with their own opinion. First, I don't remeber seeing the post from the guy who claims he got 28 mpg in a 4cyl 4x4, but let me just say I would have to raise the BS flag on that claim. For one thing an Access cab 4wd weighs around 4100lbs, and it requires a lot of steam to keep that weight moving. For a Tacoma that would mean constantly moving through the gears and keeping the pedal to the ground. If power is something your going to need i.e. for towing, off-roading, hauling, (what a truck is for) a 4cyl is not the choice for you. Second the 6cyl will have a much better resale value if you are looking for a 4wd. I believe 70% of the 4wd trucks are equipped with the 6cyl motor. I would be willing to bet that the difference in mpg is minimal between the 2. I average 340 miles to the tank with my Taco, and when I fill up I only put 16.8 gallons in leaving me roughly around 4 gallons left, I would say that's pretty good mileage for a 4wd 6cyl Double Cab Off Road. I doubt you'll get 23 mpg, but more like 18-19. Remeber theses trucks have grown a little bit since the first generation Tacoma. The only way I would recommend the 4cy is if you're buying the standard cab 2wd stripped down truck. Spend the few extra dollars and get the 6, you'll be happier you did. If mpg is really an issue for you, then maybe you need to reconsider your choice of vehicle. Hope this helps.

 

I think you should go for the V6, for sure. There is such a big difference in power, and not a big difference in MPG. I know this b/c my prior truck was a 2000 Taco Xtracab SR5 4 cyl. If you are planning to tow anything, the V6 will also be much better. Not to mention it will be much more fun to drive!

 

I agree with the above posts. I would get the V6 and save money by not getting the TRD.

Goodluck with your decision.

 

I agree about the V6. It's all about the power to weight ratio, the I4 has to work a lot harder to keep that heavy truck moving. If you don't really need the 4x4 then the locking rear is would be good enough for sand and you would save some money at the pump. Just something to think about.

 

chazms it sounds to me everyone thinks the 6 is better and i have to agree

 

Coming from someone that has an I4 - you will be happy if you get the V6. The I4's are more for people like me. I have a ton of highway to cover, but I need to be able to carry a light load. I also don't need to go 4 wheeling and if I do I will get a quad.

With the V6, you can baby it and possibly get 20 MPG. Definitely go with the V6 if you are going to be towing. Also the MPG between the 4x2 V6 and 4x4 V6 is so nominal - go 4x4!

Like steviestyles said - this is just my opinion.

 

4 cylinder all the way. I do get 25-27mpg on the highway and around 20 in city driving. Anyone that wants to question it, buy a plane ticket to Maine and drive my truck yourself. Anyone can get great gas MPG, it's all in how you drive and the fuel you use.
I was in your shoes when i bought my truck. 4 or 6 I said? I really wanted a 6 but i test drove a lot of 4cyl and fell in love with them. It's a quick, punchy 4 banger and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Yes a 6cyl offers more power, ect but in the long run you always hear that a 4cyl outlast's the 6. If you do go with a 4, make sure it's a manual.

 

I have heard that the 4 cylinders are extremely reliable. I have a friend that has a 96' with 300K+ on it. He is still on the original clutch. All he does is oil changes (and the other basics).

I love my 2.7 Tacoma. It hasn't let me down in the power department, but I am still waiting for it to give me 25 MPG (let alone 27).

 

I'll call BS on the mileage. I can maybe believe 25, but I would say BS to 27. First maybe you can explain how your deriving your numbers. For one thing Toyota claims an estimate of 19/23 for the 4cyl 4x4, most 4cyl sedan average 27 on the highway...sorry but I highly doubt your claim. Come down to Jersey and show me. You should make it here on 2 tanks of gas by your claim.

 

That's the thing. I see very extreme differeces in the actual gas mileage reported by owners. Some 4 bangers are getting much lower than the sticker says (like 17-18) and others are getting 27? I haven't heard much about mpg from those V6 owners out there. What are you getting? Some V6 4x4 owners are also having disapointing results from the V6 (lower than sticker). I don't mind having less power, I don't need to tow or anything. But if the only benefit is a lower price tag, since average mpg for both are almost the same for most people, I might as well get the V6. Although the reliability issue is a good point.

 

007Tacoma--- You have the 2WD 2.7 and still haven't got 25 mpg? Have you been on a road trip and done all highway? The sticker says 27 highway doesn't it? What do you average with your 2WD. I have read about 3 people that are getting 25-27 mpg highway with their 4WD 2.7 (ImInLoveWithMyTruck, Dave, and RAPOM). They are all on the east coast, what do they do different there?

 

chazms, Look at it this way, you found 4 people who claim to get 27 mpg with their 4 bangers. That's 4 people out of what maye 100!!! I'd take the odds that the 4cyl will not give you that kind of mileage. I stated in a previous post that Toyota claims 23 mpg hwy for the 4 cyl 4x4....going by that number, that's 2 more mpg than the 6 cyl. If that is enough for you to turn you off of the 6 cyl, go with the 4....for most people 2 more mpg is not enough to overcome the difference in power.

 

If you're worried about MPG, get a Prius. If you're considering going off-road in Baja go with the V6 (The 4 has decent power and torque, but if you're loading up the truck with friends and gear, and you get into a sandy, rocky mess down in Mexico with no one to pull you out, you'll want the assurance of those extra ponies.)

 

I do like my 4 cyl, but then I do a lot of in town driving and it is fine on the highway. If I had a V6 I would be stomping on the gas for the fun of it so mileage would definantely suffer not to mention tires LOL. It sounds like you should go with the more powerful V6. My choice was V6 2wd or 4cyl 4X4, I gave up one to get the other. I like all the Tacomas no matter how they are set up. What ever you decide you will have a great truck.

 

To answer your question, Yes. I have taken it on 1 extended highway trip so far. 75 MPH with the cruise control and the air conditioning on. I got 21.2 MPG on that trip. The truck only had ~980 miles on it at the time.

If things go as planned, I will be taking it on a 4 hour drive to Corpus Christi tomorrow. I will let you know what my MPG is for that trip.

Note: My truck has 3800 miles at the time of this post and has not had it's first oil change.

This is the biggest reason I didn't get a V6. I love getting in my wife's Rav4 V6 and stomping on it. That thing will put you in the back seat and give a Mustang a run for its money. Problem is, when I do that, her MPG goes from 28 MPG down to 22 just as fast as the smoking tires.

I agree with arguements for the V6, but a Prius is not a utilitarian vehicle.

I love TDIs (turbo diesel direct injection engines by VW), and I have owned 2 so far. They get around 45 MPG with little to no effort, but they are tiny and they don't carry anything very well but people and luggage. I needed to have an economical vehicle that was safe in an accident, could clear standing water that we get here in Houston, and had a huge range of capabilities.

ENTER THE TACOMA 2.7L PRERUNNER

The 2.7L 4x2 Tacoma is the most economical light duty truck on the US market right now. I can say that the mileage has been dissapointing at first, but I am watching it slowly come up (it would help if I wasn't stuck in Houston traffic for hours). As some one that puts 3000 miles on a vehicle every 5 weeks - I need every MPG I can get.

I would still have a TDI if I could afford to have 3 vehicles at once, but I can't. That is why I need to get the MPG out of the Tacoma.

 

I spoke at length with the Service Manager at Sterling McCall Toyota last night during their New Toyota Owner Orientation. He says that while the engine is still "breaking in" I will get a consistently low MPG. Once the seals settle and the tolerance come closer to "normal", my MPG should come up drastically. He offered me a free complete checkout (nevermind the fact that my warranty covers this) to see if the problem isn't resolved after the first oil change.

From this thread, RAPOM does a better job of explaining it...

So now I am just working my way towards 27/28 MPG...

 

FYI, I know people that have had the V6 for years with no problems. They have racked up just as many miles as the people I know that have 4 cylinder engines. I do not think there is an issue with reliability in the V6. I wouldn't let that claim deter you if you want to buy the V6.

 

I apologize - I wasn't trying to say that the V6 was unreliable. I just know more people that have 4 cylinders with hundreds of thousands of miles. Most of my friends that have V6s have newer ones. In a few years they will sell what they have and get a newer one. Meanwhile, my friends with the 4 cylinders have vehicle that look like they just got back from Hell and need a bath.

 

I've been averaging 18.5 MPG, though I don't have a 4x4. Most of my driving is stop and go traffic, no long trips yet and the motor is not fully broken in. I'm extremely happy with the mileage considering my last truck was only getting 13MPG (stupid Dodge). I'm hoping to get around 20-22 on the highway and I hope to find out soon. I feel the extra power is worth the little extra gas but that’s just my opinion, after all this is the smallest motor I've owned except for my Ducati.