Help me decide if this will do what I need to do.

forgot to mention my 4cyl reg cab is auto - Like said from 0-60 there isn't much difference between the two. Perhaps the 4.0 has a slight edge. its the 60-90 acceleration that is way better in the 4.0. Trust me I drive them back to back day after day.

I actually prefer to drive the reg cab. its plenty zippy around town and comfy on the highway.

I failed to do a Torque to weight ratio - I bet thats where the 4.0 is better.

 

I can do 80 in mine fine driving on a flat long freeway even loaded down when I'm at home around sea level. Going up steep hills, while loaded, in high altitude is where I need to drop it to 2nd and run it at 4k+ rpm to hopefully go 50mph in the slow lane... I'm running 33's on stock gears though.

 

The 2.7 I had was a 97 single cab 4X4 with a 5 speed. It got down the highway just fine. I would never get a 2.7 with an auto though.

 

The 2.7 is built for durability, not power or efficiency. At 80 mph in a pickup you will be fighting strong air resistance so don't expect good fuel economy. You'll get much better MPG at 60-65mph, if you can survive public highways at that speed. Of course it will give better fuel economy than the 4.0 in most situations, but really it is designed to be a bulletproof workhorse. You can rev it to the moon all day and it won't complain. I've heard it has many agricultural applications (tractors, combines, etc.) but don't know about that first hand. As wonderful as the 2.7 is, it does have a few flaws. 2005-2008 models have a plastic coolant bypass hose under the intake manifold, this is known to crack and leak but usually only in high-mileage vehicles, and it won't dump all your coolant at once, you'll get a warning first. (2009+ models were upgraded a steel coolant bypass hose.) Some of the 2.7 engines start burning oil around 150k but I'm not sure that is a design flaw... some say it's a bad design of piston rings or pistons, others say it's the result of overheating, but I think burning oil is an indication of poor maintenance or poor quality engine oils. Older 2.7 engines are spec'd for conventional but in my opinion there is no reason not to run synthetic oils, they are so cheap nowadays. This burning oil problem may be only 0.001 percent of all 2.7s produced so don't worry about it too much. And speaking of overheating, I have heard a few 2.7s blew head gaskets after being overheated, but again that may be 0.001 percent of all 2.7s. Many millions of owners have never had a problem with their 2.7, so your mileage may vary. I've put 115,000 miles on mine and it's only needed a new AC condenser at 110k and a water pump at 150k, now at 156k and still runs like new. If you need a reliable midsize pickup but don't need high horsepower, I would definitely recommend a well-maintained 2nd gen Tacoma 2.7.

 

Thanks for the info. Is it easy to replace the bypass to a steel bypass before it breaks? I heard that it was used in industrial applications as well. It seems to common for high milage engines to burn at least a little bit of oil, regardless of brand or engine model, at least in my experience.

 

80mph? But why? ...in any vehicle with any motor?

My AC 2TR 5spd, with lift, armor, 4.88s, and 255 KM2s will do that, but I don't see a need to. At least, not often for extended miles. Do I feel like it's a damn billy goat on the trails and will pull the gates of hell down? Abso-damn-lutely yes! After 4.88s and a locker, like it's unstoppable and has well surpassed me in driving ability.

I don't have or desire to haul a trailer or carry heavy loads in the bed, but I'm confident it can and will do it when I need it to. Maybe not with finesse or ease, but it'll get the job done. I wouldn't use anything smaller than a half-ton truck to pull anything on the highways at any rate.

Avoid the auto transmission if you want to enjoy owning a 4 banger. Negligible difference in mpg between the 6 and 4, btw, but not a damn thing will get god mileage at 80mph, can't wait for that thread. Good luck in your search and welcome to TW!

 

Because the freeway near where I live has a speed limit of 80mph. Its not exactly safe to go slower, especially considering alot of people like to go 85+mph.

 

It won't break, it will crack and start to leak. So you will have warning before it completely fails. Just wanted to clarify that it won't break off and dump all your coolant so you don't really need to worry about that darn plastic coolant bypass hose leaving you stranded.

Cars with good aerodynamics can get good fuel economy at higher speeds. My 1995 Corvette gets 28 MPG at 80 MPH, I think that is pretty good, thanks to the slick aero and the super tall 6th gear overdrive.
But these trucks, definitely not. They are fairly streamlined as pickups go but that's not saying much :lol:

 

Yeah, I'm not really concerned with mpg.

 

again I have both and I religously hand calculate MPGs every fill up, at the same gas station, at the same pump

Same driving conditions my 4.0 (265/75 Tires) gets 17MPG, my 2.7 (215/70 Tires) gets 22MPG, All day Everyday. people that tell you that there isn't much difference between in MPGS between the the 2.7 and 4.0 are driving Pre-Runners / 4x4s with oversize tires. If you leave the the reg cab stock and low, there is a considerable difference in MPGS as demonstrated above.

 

I'll throw in my 2 cents here. I bought my 09 2wd with 225k miles on it, and yes, it's the hated automatic. I run 80+ on the highway (in mexico of course) at ~3k rpm's for an hour straight. No problems. It's on stock wheels, no lift, no mods in any way besides a light bar on the front bumper for deer. It's not the most sporty thing ever, and it's definitely not a power house. If you need to pass somebody though, just put your foot through the floor and it will do it. The 4 banger doesn't care about high rpms, and will get you where you're going pretty dang near every time. If you're planning on towing, then it may not be the best choice. If you're just hauling a few things in the bed on rare occasions, and using it mostly for commuting, it's a great choice. I'm also getting 21mpg average.

 

Mine (Auto Trans) is fine doing 80 every occasion...
I wouldn't pull a hill at 80 very often.
I don't run it hard.
I have pulled my boat around and on a trip once, evacuating.
The fuel consumption suffered for that.
I upsized the tires to "E" rated 235/75/15 LT's

 

2007 Toyota Tacoma Base - $11,815
That's a great deal for low miles and a topper on the bed.
You say "a stretch of freeway", are there any 18 wheelers on this stretch?
You can surely keep up with those.
Maybe you could buy this truck for $10,400?
That would be a real great deal.
It IS after Labor Day. Floor Plans need to sell NOW!

 

I4 engines are BULLETPROOF,Go for it.

 

There are 18 wheelers going 65 however, people expect semis to go slow and move to left lane asap when they see a 18 wheeler but when a regular vehicle goea 65 they stay there last second and swerve around it or tailgate. I would rather just go to the flow of traffic. People here don't know how to drive.

 

It will easily do what you want. I wouldn't think twice about doing that kind of driving. I don't know what the market out there is like, but here in Maine, any taco similar to mine (2wd 2nd gen) is selling for about 6k private sale. I can't speak for the dealerships.

**edit: Holy cow, I just looked at the truck you're considering. I didn't know there were any Tacoma's in the world with that few miles still. I understand the price point now, and yeah definitely go for it.

 

Especially considering it has a bed cap. Most paint matched bed caps cost over 1 grand.

 

Personally not a fan of bed caps, but if that's a selling point to you, even better!

 

I used to not like bed caps, but when I went from a SUV to a pickup I sorta missed having a covered cargo space. A cap is a good middle ground between suv and pickup.

 

It would be a sweatbox here...
But in Idaho, a dream I'm sure.