2nd gen Tacoma questions

Hello, new member here.
I have a few questions I'm hoping some folks here can help an old geezer
out with. I currently drive a Silverado Z71(fully paid off for years) and
enjoy not making payments on it. It has also been a great truck for me
but I am thinking of downsizing to a Tacoma 4cylinder truck. I would like
to get one with automatic transmission and the extended cab. I don't need
all the bells and whistles. In a few years I will be retiring(hopefully) and
the price of gas now has me thinking it wont be getting any cheaper so I am looking for something that can possibly give me better gas mileage than my
Chevy. I drive from Southwest Michigan to O'hare airport to work and back
once a week.It's a 240 mile round trip.Lately I have been getting around
22.5 to 23.0 MPG on these trips never going over 55MPH. During the 3and 1/2
days I spend in Illinois I travel about 60 miles going back and forth between the
airport from the apartment my wife and I share while we are in town.
In the spring and summer I usually make a week long trip once a month
to Lake county Michigan where I keep my Drift boat and tow it every day
to the different boat landings on the Pere Marquette river, the boat and trailer together weigh less than 700 lbs and the mileage during these trips
along the river is maybe 60 to a 100 for the week. Is it practical for me to think that a 4 cylinder Tacoma can save me money, I would like to get a target MPG of 25 to 30 ,if this is possible. Please excuse the typing errors
here,I am currently without good adult supervision while I type this.Oh and
thank you in advance for any info and insights you may have for me.

 

prius

but Welcome to TW!

 

I think it would save you some money, but wouldnt that money you would be saving be going toward a truck payment?

 

Welcome to the club. I can't say for the mpg on the 4 banger. Are you talking about a pre-runner, 4x4, or a standard "5 lugger" p/u? Either way I don't see you getting that great of mpg's. But I have a V6 4x4 DC. Maybe you will get better insight from some with the same truck you're considering.

 

Greetings from a fellow geezer. A few weeks go I bought a '09 4 banger access cab 4x4 with the 2.7 l engine and manual transmission. The mileage calculated for one tank of gas was about 28.5 mpg, but thel others have been about 22-24. I think there might have been a malfunction in a gas pump that made the one look so good. From what I have experienced and seen on this site I doubt that you will get much better mileage than your Chevy. You will gain significantly in the reliability and status departments, though.

 

Here is a quote from an email from a friend of mine. He is fairly conservative in his driving habits, has been retired for several years now, and has owned several Toyota pickups.

"I bought another 2011. This is my third little Toyota pickup since 1989, and I’ve had no trouble to speak of other than a few odds and ends (such as light bulbs, etc). I might have opted for the six-cylinder this time, but noticed that they are higher off the ground and a little more trouble to get into for a short old guy like me. Mine is a 2WD, AT, 2.7 L. It’s the access cab rather than a 4 door. If I drive very conservatively, I can get 22 in town and 28 on highway at 55 mph."

Hope this helps you in your consideration of a Tacoma for your next pickup.

wtxbadger

 

Yes and no.

A V6 Tacoma is going to use no less gas than the Silverado. The 4 banger will be better holding it at 55.

The Prius comes into it's own around town in stop and go traffic.
Without the use of regenerative braking, it's simply a Camry-sized car with a big assed battery and hybrid power system that isn't doing anything on the highway.

UPS, Coca Cola, and a lot of other companies are moving to hybrid trucks for local delivery, but OTR will remain conventional IC.

I have an '08 RC base (5 lug) 2wd and I'm getting between 24 and 26. That's a 90 mile daily commute... 70-80mph in the morning, balanced by 10-40mph in the afternoon.

 

I beg to differ........i traded my Silverado Z71 for my tacoma and I'm saving $60/month in gas

 

He's getting 22-23 in his.

That's getting into 2.7 territory for the Tacoma.
My buddy has an '08 Silverado and it's highway mileage is phenomenal because it starts shutting down cylinders when not needed.

 

I had an '08 silverado crew cab 4x4 and it had Active Fuel Management, which is where it will cut off 4 cylinders to save fuel. It worked great if
u were driving on a flat surface or going down hill. Unfortunately where I live in the foothills there isn't much flat land so it was constantly switching back and forth. The best i got was 21mpg and that was a 700 mile round trip that i made. I usually got 18mpg, which isn't bad for a full size truck. The 2008 models have 4spd auto's and the newer ones have 6spd auto's so im sure that helps. I'm getting close to 20mpg in my taco and its a heck of alot cheaper to fill up, so for me i'm saving money.

 

He is in Michigan. I doubt he will want a prerunner
That is dayum good mileage on the silverado.
I'd stick with what you got or find a nice used 4 door civic.
35 mpg & run forever.

 

I have a 2wd 2.7l auto i get about 21 mpgs but that is at 70. i have gotten over 25 that was a tank at about 60. I just dont think you will say enough to justify the payment.

 

I've gotten 22mpg in my 6cyl when I followed a school bus to Lansing for my sons school trip, so I'd imagine you'll be that with a 4banger, with that I'd tend to agree that if your silverado is getting that good of fuel mileage, and you don't need it on your Chicago adventures, just for when you take your boat places, then get yourself a little Honda Civic or similar roller skate and take that to Chicago.

Good Luck and Welcome.

 

I have a 4 cylinder 4x4 with a manual, and unless you get a 5 lugger you probably wont see over 24, I average around 21 most of the time, mixed highway and city. Happy hunting!

 

I have a 2011 4 banger 4x4 5sp and I can only get 24 mpg max. You'll prbably get less with an auto. To be honest, as long as your Chevy isnt having problems you should just keep that. $400 a month payment isn't worth the extra 1mpg.