3RZ vs. new 2.7 4wd

Looking for some pros and cons of the new vs old 2.7 in 4x4. Looking at purchasing a 2009 with 78k manual trans 4wd.

 

im in this for the learning. I know very little of 4cyls after the 22re

 

I owned an 88 22RE 5 lug reg cab, 99 2.7L ext cab Prerunner and now own a 2011 2.7L 5 lug access cab. All were/are autos. The 3RZ and 2TR are quite different although the numbers on paper don't suggest it. The 3RZ "acts" more like a long stroke 4 cyl compared to both the 2TR and the 22RE and in comparison the 3RZ is very slow to rev. Even though I think the shift logic of my current auto is far superior to the old A340 the engine just seems to rev quicker. The 2TR still has the "Dead spot" down below 2K rpms, the VVT helps it pull up out of it. Don't get me wrong it's not night and day but my 2TR truck is just much more "drivable" than my 3RZ truck.