2.7 highway speed

Coming from someone who had a 2.7, I would opt for the V6 if I were you living in hilly areas. The gas mileage of the 4 banger is about 1mpg better than the V6. I have a 2004 double cab now with a 3.4 V6 and it gets the same mileage as my 2011 access cab 2.7 did, given the 3.4 is smaller than the 4.0 V6 used in second gens, but still. The V6 trucks are better for hilly areas/highway driving in my opinion and they get the same mileage pretty much.

 

I basically just repeated myself, didn't realized I'd already responded to this thread! But yeah, go V6, you wont regret it! 4 bangers are great if you only drive in town and on flat areas, but throw hills into the mix and they suck. Great, reliable engines, but they are tremendously underpowered in these large 2nd gen trucks.

 

I think I can chime in here, I drive 273mi each way to and from college pretty regularly. My 2.7 Xtra Cab with 5 speed manual handles the trip fine but can get sort of boggy on large hills. I just downshift and keep going, mind you my trip goes over a large gorge (big descent and rise) and a mountain pass. I have loaded it down and weird enough the 2.7 starts off kinda slow, but no matter how much I load it down or tow with it, it doesn't get any worse than it is when unloaded. Give the 2.7 a chance and it will impress you and get acceptable mileage doing so. I should mention that this highway has a 70MPH speed limit as well.

 

You just offered an excellent description of torque, Speedy.

My work truck is almost always loaded with tools and materials, but the few times I've emptied it out it drives just the same way as when it was loaded.

The 2TR engine is not built to rapidly gain rpms... but to maintain a set rpm level while under load.

In my opinion, the 2.7 engine shines the brightest in the 5 lug 2 wheel drive manual transmission standard cab street Tacos.

All of the other larger models are designed to be powered best by the 4.0.


Greg

 

Well, now you tell me.

 

Well, im a 1st gen but my 2.7 has 4.30s with 265/75 and it will do 80mph in 3rd gear at 5500 rpm right at redlining. It does good with the mpg if their is no wind and its alone (no trailers)

 

As a relatively short-term owner (6,500 mi on 2014 reg cab 5 spd 4x4) I think the 2.7 does fine with the 4x4, probably as good as the 4x2 owing to the 4x4's shorter axle ratio. The key is to let it spin. If you shift too early it bogs down.

 

I think the 2.7 does fine in a regular cab and even a regular cab 4X4 which is what I have. It's sure no power house but as Kenjw pointed out, if you spin it up it does just fine. You're just not ever going to win any pulling contests with it. It's built to get from pint A to point B. Not win speed contests.

If I had a double cab or was constantly towing something I could see where a V6 would be necessary.

 

I’m from Appalachia and travel to there a few times a year. My 2.7 regular cab 4x4 5 speed is gutless on those hills. If I lived there and it was my only ride I would have to have a v6 or v8. I can hit the hills at 80-85mph and top them out in third gear (full throttle all the way)going about 55-60 mph. This is with 265/75r16 (load range c) tires. Where I live now the 2.7 is fine.

 

I have owned two 2.7L 5sp 4x4 Tacomas, a 98 regular cab and my 2015 Access cab. The 98 had 3.7s (I believe) and the 15 has 4.10s. Maybe it's because I may 64 , but I have never had a problem with them power wise.
I pull a 2200 lb Cargo trailer over the WV mountains to the highest point in the state about 7 times a year. The trucks have always handled it with no complaints. I do feel though that the 15 handles better when towing. I have never felt underpowered driving around home in Central Virginia.
The 2.7 will easily get you where you are going, perhaps with a bit more foot on the gas pedal, but it will get you there.

 

The 2.7 in the mountain states is a chore to drive. That is a fact whether it is loaded, pulling a trailer or even empty. The reason so many get 300,000+ miles out of them is that the 2.7 was designed as an industrial power plant. It's made to be revved with a load and run all day long at 4000 rpm. That's what it was engineered for. Using it for what it was designed for every day would result in far less longevity IMHO. We get the high miles out of them because we don't use them for what they were designed for. Start hauling at their max limit every day and I'm sure anyone would find out they are "not" a 500,000 mile vehicle. I'd bet 200,000 miles would be about the most anyone would get out of a 2.7 if they were actually pulling a 3500lb trailer or loading 1500 lb payload every day with a 2.7. Which is still impressive.

The 2.7 Taco is what it is. If you've got to tow and want to get there fast get a 6 cylinder. If you don't care how fast you get there even empty then get the 2.7 and deal with a LOT of rowing of the shifter if you have to traverse the mountains.

 

I have been driving a stick for 48 years. I wouldn't know how to act driving if I weren't rowing gears and keeping my left foot busy.
I will say though that if I drove auto transmissions I would have gone with the 4.0.

 

"Living on the Western Slope of the Rockies, driving the 2.7 was much easier than Vermont. Picking a gear and going 20 miles up or down hill is easier than having to shift every couple of minutes."

Many on the west side of the country don't know about the Appilachians or the Smokie's. Out west the mountains are far bigger and far taller but they aren't as "jagged". The eastern side of the country with the mountain ranges I just named are "far" worse when it comes to steep climbs and descents. That along with the various two lane mountain roads and rock overhangs above the road make the eastern side of the country a little more "entertaining" than the west side to drive.

Just as you have stated out west you can pick a gear and climb because the climbs are so long. Back east that isn't the case for the most part unless you're climbing Sandstone out of VA into West VA or climbing Black Mountain out of NC on your way to TN.

The eastern side of the country has some of the nastiest mountain roads there are. We have them out west as well but I'm just trying to point out that the west doesn't rule when it comes to snaky, steep, windy highways. If I lived in the mountains back east I'd be revving my 2.7 far more than I do out west as well as rowing the shifter on my 5 speed far more.

 

250 and 33 between Virginia and West Virginia are perfect examples of the roads you describe. One switchback after another. I grew up in West Virginia and just took them for granted.

 

Believe me, we have two lane like that out here but I think there is far more of it back east.

 

At least "out east" our trucks can breathe because of the low altitude. Lot less horsepower at 13,000' vs 5,000'

 

The 2.7 4-cylinder (2TR-FE) is built for durability and longevity. It is way overbuilt, with standard compression (9.5:1) and hydraulic tappets. So it is low maintenance, and will also last a very long time even if it's worked hard, assuming it receives normal service. Yes the "power" (term used loosely haha) is relatively high in the RPM , above 3500. Not sure when the VVT kicks in but you can feel it.
Normal driving around town and highway, it does fine. Barn door aero hurts MPG above 65. Honestly, mine struggles only when at elevation AND with a load. I just manually downshift (4-speed auto) and let the engine rev as long as the power is needed, which it will happily do all day long. It's a great motor as long as you don't expect high performance.

 

I don't think the VVT "kicks in" hence the variable part.

 

It's fine. May need to grab a lower gear going up or down grade a steep grade, but i can keep up with traffic. I use 3rd in the I70 mountains just west of denver. Lot of second on mt evans or pikes peak. Not a biggie

 

not many roads at 13K ft.