I'm new, am looking at a 4cyl Tacoma but have some questions...

Hi all. Pardon my noobishness. Right now I am borrowing my dad's 2007 Toyota Access Cab 4cyl Auto (2wd). I'll need one of my own when i come back for grad school and i'm really enjoying his so i'd like to look into my own.

I have a few questions and would appreciate it if everyone could chime in to the best of their knowledge/experience.

Do I really need 4x4?
I love the added benefit of having it if i were to ever need it, but the most i'll be doing is light offroading on trails if anything. I just like the idea of being able to go virtually anywhere with 4 wheels at my disposal.

Is there any way to lower the 4x4?
This may sound like the weirdest question, but bear with me. I love the profile my dad's truck sits on now (that of the 2wd base access). The tires are a smidge smaller than i'd like, but the ride height itself is perfect. I notice that on the 4x4 it has somewhat of a lift to it... that to me is a little high. Could i lower it or would it be a bad idea?

Does a 2x2 get better gas mileage than a 4x4?
Gas mileage is one of the primary factors in getting this car. I want a utility vehicle that will last long and gets decent to good gas mileage. I have come to find that Toyota's can last a lifetime if treated well and that's attractive to me. So is the high MPG ratings. However, which gets better mileage? I will be driving around in 2x4 most of the time for your information.

 

Welcome to TW. Only you can answer the first question, I can't answer the second question, but 4x4s do get a few mpgs less than 4x2s. My sig shows my average gas mileage for a 2.7 5 spd 4x4 access cab.

 

Why?

 

Weight and gearing are the main culprits. 4x4 adds several hundred pounds to the vehicle and they come with lower gearing.

 

Welcome to TW



1) Depends on how you want to use your truck. If you live in a place that you will need it then get it. But like me I dont need it and wouldnt use it.

2) There are ways to lower it an inch or two and it may cost a little more.

3) I agree with Nacc3taco

 

How capable are the base 2x4 offroad? I'm not going to be climbing mountains or driving through rivers, but just trailing and what not.

 

I'm not sure about the base model but I have a prerunner, non-trd and it suprises the hell out of me. I've been places I wouldn't have guessed I could go. If ground clearance isn't an issue on ur trails then the base model should be fine.

 

The BASE can drive on dirt roads but nothing special. With the prerunner you get a lift (which you can lower a little) and you get the look of a truck with the fender flares, "offroad" minded suspension but you sacrific mileage due to a less aero truck.

Best mileage 2wd base, medium mileage with offroad capability prerunner, least gas mileage best offroad capabilities go with a 4x4

 

x2 the stock 5 lug sits pretty high, and you can put a nice set of tires on it and it'll sit a bit lower than PreRunner height.

4X4 is good to have but the extra weight and parasitic drag on the drivetrain of the Transfer case and other 4x4 components leads to slightly less mileage. also the fact that the PreRunners and 4x4 have larger tires and a pretty high final gear ratio

 

so you think the 2x4 would do fine for mild to medium offroad conditions? I know tires and whatnot come into play depending on the terrain and all, but i'm curious as to how the suspension itself and the limitation of 2wheels affects it's ability offroad.

 

You can always put a locker in the rear. IMO if you routinely get off the beaten path, to the point of being hard on the truck, get a 4x4. If you are just heading down an easy dirt path, stick with the 2wd.

 

The new 5 lugger has an electronic limited slip differential. I've used my 5 lug Acces Cab with auto transmission to pull my Carolina Skiff out of some canals using sand ramps. It is not the same as a full time limted slip differential but it gets you out when you're stuck.

 

Check out nesleharas (spelling way the hell off) he has a sick base 2wd lifted with tires that he is soon gonna lock in the rear..he has a nice setup

 

I have an 02 single cab and if you want to do some offroading get the prerunner. I started off with th basic 2.4L mini and workd off that. The extra suspension youd get would be perfect what sounds like your type of offroading. Youd be able to do fireroads and tow with no problems.

You would probaly find it more difficilt on loose rock or gravel hills.

The basic truck is a basic truck more for street and paved roads. If you want do moderae offroadig id ugget pgradto atleat 6 inches of lift to a basic 2 door truck ike mine.


As for 4x4 i thinks its a must. WHY???? because even though I dont do alot of offroading I have been in situations where 4x4 would have gotten me out of places without the embarrasing pull up the hill or pulling jet skis out of a lake.

And offroad tires arent that expensive. 31x10.5 BFG TA KO's can be found at walmart for 130 bucks each. And most of the time they have deals of by one get one free. And there are cheaper tires then that in th same store with alittle differet look.

 

If you can afford the extra 4 grand for the 4x4, you won't ever regret it. I have never heard anyone say, man i wish i had bought a prerunner. The 4wd with TRAC is straight nasty offroad, it just keeps going and going.

 

Its going to be seeing 90% street use but i'd like to feel confident that it can perform on the trails or just on something other than asphalt. I'm not looking to do anything big like climbing rocks or going swimming, just kinda mowin through stuff. What do you think?

Also, how does the 2wd base perform under hazardous conditions?

 

yud be safe with any truck then

 

My buddy had a Z71 colorado 2wd....he was driving down around some pipelines (just grass about a foot tall) and hit a spot that got kind of swampy, with only the front wheels stuck in the mud he couldn't back out because there wasn't enough weight on the rear to get traction. Guess what he got pulled out with....a 4x4 Tacoma

 

what kind of hazardous conitions like ice and snow? With factory toyota tires it sucked on ice and flooded streets. But once I got some decent rubber it did ok.

Then I bought my all terrains and it does great. If there is snow and ice I suggest you load an extra 100 lbs in the bed of extra taction.

 

Good stuff, thanks for all the advice everyone!

I'm leaning towards the 4x4 regardless of whether or not i will use it that much. I figure it's better to have than not whenever the occasion might arise, and i don't mind the 2-3 mpg drop. However, I dunno if i'm gonna like the ride height. I like the low profile of the my dad's truck (i don't want a "lowered" truck per say, i just like the height on it).

I'd like to hear some stories of some very capable 2wd's getting through some stuff, preferably those with a stock setup or similar.