How happy are you with the 2.7L 4x4

Haha lol, funny you say everyone is an engineer cause I actually have an associate degree in Aircarft maintenance technology and bachelors in Space Studies (and basically intro to rocket science)

 

I’m neat like that

 

Ha ha!

I have been wanting a new truck for awhile now, but man I can't get over what they want for a new truck these days, last time I bought a vehicle for myself was 16 years ago, and the mileage is still pretty crappy on the new ones, especially for my now 60 mile round trip commute. Just hit me the other day, instead of getting a new truck that will cost me in the neighborhood of $30K...why don't I get a little slightly used hatchback for $15-16K, and save some money...and keep the old beater Tacoma for camping and bad winter weather.

Have been looking at the Corolla iM...not really a car person, and maybe I am getting old, but it makes sense for the 90% of use. Think they will tow 1500lbs...get one of those cheap-o Harbor Fright trailers for towing the dirt bike on the weekends. Enough room for my gear bag in the car, bike and gas can on the trailer. Sure would be nice only putting gas in it twice a month instead twice a week.

 

Well if you don’t sell it then the arguement is pointless. I just think told OP that it hurts resale value cause most off-roaders want v6.

The 4cyl I had bogged down (it was manual too) so went for bigger engine an never regretted it. From experience, the resale value between a 4x4 v6 and 4x2 4cyl is about 3-6k depending on the area. Here we have mudding festival every quarter so it can get up to 8k difference on same year/truck but different package.

Like I said though, it’ll do the job. I personally don’t like being underpowered when I have 600+ mud under me and carrying over the payload limit

 

You can get a used Subaru Forester or Impreza for that much as well. Still gets 30+ MPG, better clearance, and better towing. I can't make a Corolla work for even some of the trailheads I need to get to.

Then again, that old beater Tacoma will constantly need fixing up and will break down right on cue in the middle of a snow storm.

 

Yeah I looked at those and like them, but my thinking is if I am going to get a car I want it closer to 40 mpg. Looked at a Lexus CT200h too (43 HWY), but no manual trans. Has the same system as a Prius, but without the lowly body to look at. Thought of VW Golf Sportwagen 4 Motion...not sure if I can get 10/150K years/miles out of it. My ex-wife had a Jetta, it was the biggest POS car I have ever witnessed. Awfully cute though. Wish Toyota would bring back the Corolla 4WD wagon.

The two main places I ride 95% of the time are pavement right to the trail head. Anything else I'll just take the truck. The break downs do worry me a bit, was thinking with the money saved not buying a new truck (going to pay cash), I'll just toss a fresh engine and trans in the beater. I rebuilt the whole undercarriage 4 years ago, new clutch, fuel pump, and complete rebuild of the rear diff last year. No rust...

 

Think oversized ATV when it comes to the four banger! It's strengths will undoubtedly outweigh it's weaknesses. Find a 5 speed and you'll be happy.

 

There’s a saying I’ve heard, that there are no slow cars only slow drivers.

Haters gonna hate, I’m living the 4cyl life and loving it.

 

I got a 4x4 v6 sr. Pretty good deal on her too

 

The only problem with that is there are lots of other parts on the truck that will need replacing. That means, even after the engine/transmission refresh, you will need to keep dumping money into it every month. Meaning, it's like a monthly car payment. Except at the end of 5 years, you've got a pretty clapped out truck rather than a fairly fresh truck with 60k on it (not sure how much you drive).

 

Yeah, these "vs" threads always get the crowds riled up. People take things too personal.

 

If I only use it for camping, it won't get used much. Was so busy with work last year, only went out 3 times. However one of the reasons we moved here was to be close to riding areas, so I did manage to put 90 hours on the new dirt bike last year. And that is with taking July through the beginning of October off from riding. Live fairly close to the trail heads, one by the house is 30 minutes away, the other up the mountain takes me an hour to get to. Another by work in the city is even better, I'll trailer the bike to work, take off early, and I can be on dirt in 10 minutes. So with that I haven't felt the urge to camp much either.

Truck is mainly used for commuting if I am being truly honest with myself, it is getting long in the tooth. Believe I need to park it, and buy a better commuter and for running around. I drive 25K miles a year, 15K of that is commuting, the other 10K is running around. Kinda why I am over the shit mileage in the Tacomas, and don't feel like spending $30K+ on another which will still get shit mileage. Even the most basic SR is pushing $30K by the time you're done with taxes, registration, and license. ...and try to find a low mile [under 30K] Tacoma priced in the high teens is damn near impossible. Beginning to question if I even need a truck anymore.

You might be right on going with Subaru Forester, give up a little on mileage, to be able to run down a dirt road if I have to. More I look at that iM...it is really really low.

 

Again, the OP @Jayhawker100 isn't looking to hot rod. This thread has been derailed, as the arguments have turned into banter. It seems that after the first two pages, threads branch off into rooster fights about who is more right, instead of focusing on why we're even having a discussion.

I'm done here.

 

Boy racers might hate it, but who cares. Yeah everyone speeds here too...I don't really give a shit...I am getting older and have nothing to prove, quite content at setting the cruise at whatever the posted speed limit is and watch the world pass me by, as I am in no hurry. Doesn't matter if it has 150 hp or 500, speed limit and that is it, I save the racing speed needs for the track as everyone else should too.

Not sure why so many people are concerned how fast these things are. They used to be basic utility vehicles, for doing light work. But like everything thing else as it seems here in America, it gets ruin from what it was originally designed for...it gets fat, bloated and expensive. The tuner sports car crowd as certianly ruined the little Toyota truck for all their non-truck needs. No one really complains for how expensive and inefficient they have become, it is crazy that people will shell out $40K for a truck that can't haul much, and for what... a bunch of bullshit fluff that you don't need. When I first bought a Toyota 26 years ago it was great coming off a F250 that got 8-10 mpg to the Toyota that got around 20, it was double the fuel economy. Now not so much compared to the fullsizes. Toyota should of been working on efficiency instead of trying to appease the fluff look at me crowd. The once humble Toyota Pick-up has become this bloated machismo monstrosity.

 

Man. this sums it up entirely. I'll keep my gen 1 Tacoma, thank you.

 

I'm no racer, as those days are way behind me. Crazy days of crotch rockets blasting down the highway at buck-fifty....I'm alive to tell the story, and quite content with that. These days, I am driving about at speed limit and my V1 is tucked away and hasn't seen the light of day in a long time. So I don't care much about 0-60 times and whatnot. But I do care about power in that it does what I want it to do. As in, keeping up with traffic going up steep grades (without constant downshifting or revving at 5k RPM the whole way). Just last week, I had the truck full of kids (full grown, high school football/basketball players) and the bed full of stuff, going up to a ski resort. It would've been a strain with a smaller engine, for sure. If I lived in Kansas with no steep, mountainside passes, then perhaps a 2.7L would be plenty adequate. But not for me. 3.5L is no powerhouse, either. But does what I want it to do.

They got away from the Pickup to meet demands. These small trucks weren't ever meant for work duties. They're a "lifestyle" truck. Sure, I see plenty lawn care businesses, and other small operations using them. But crap, those that really want a work truck, you can buy a Ram Tradesman for much LESS than a Tacoma. Hauls more, tows more, and same MPG.

Toyota obviously did their research and made a product that catered to the bigger slice of the market. Play trucks. Safe trucks. "Expensive and bloated". At this point in my life, I'm fine with that. I'm not in the blue-collar, manual labor work force, but I do appreciate a truck bed for occasional needs. Tacoma fits the bill. Although, I won't lie, if a base model Hilux were to hit the shelves today (or a 70-series LC truck), it would be hard to not snatch one up instead.

 

Love my 1st gen, why I hang on to it and keep on fixing it, wish Toyota kept the Tacoma small and worked on bumping up the mpg's.

Ironically this "truck guy"...Because of the bloat of the current 3rd gen it has gotten me looking at cars...and I hate cars, but I do want the mpg's to close to 40.

 

Here in Idaho, we have pull outs for slower vehicles. My 1st gen is slow when loaded down going up into the high country...I might be slow, but I am polite...I'll pull over and let people by. Most of the roads I go on don't have much traffic on them anyway, so all out speed isn't a concern. That and you're usually stuck behind a logging truck anyways.

For the commute, sure people speed...but there are an awful lot of cops too, I see at least 3 people on the way in and the way out pulled over. When I was younger I had my license suspended for 6 months for street racing. Those days are is over. Speed limit (maybe a little under ) and that is it.

 

One of the most endearing traits was that it’s small and understated, but it’s durabiltiy was unquestionable, to me it was the opposite of a bloated machismo monstrosity.

 

The 2.7 liter gets better gas mileage. I average 25mpg sometimes even better. On paper they seem identical, in the real world its actually not the case. Highway and idle its sipping less fuel.