My head is spinning--- a simple question...

Nice truck! You even got the right color

 

You will likely get 3+ mpg worse with the prerunner vs 5-lug.

Toyota takes advantage of EPA rules that let them group a base cab and a prerunner as the same vehicle.

Bigger tires, lower gears, 4 inches higher, more weight all add to much lower mpg.

 

Nice looking 5 lugger! I understand where you are coming from with the whole commuting cost. I drive 70 miles a day.

 

Those facts and it added a couple thousand $ plus a little stiffer ride were enough to keep me in a similar truck as my two previous ones.
Every time I wanted to add something, the price went up $1,000 and the MPG went down so I said, what has worked for the last 10+ years will continue to work for the next 10 years.

WW, your getting 32.8 MPG average!!!! That's awesome!
The auto trans is supposed to do better I have read here. You give me hope.

Thanks!


.

 

Nice looking 5 lugger!!! I'm jealous!

I'd kill for a new little sr5 5 lugger!!

 

Trying to put a photo in my sig but it won't show up.
The size is small enough and everything seems to be done correctly.

EDIT:
Never mind.
On the other forums, the sig changes shows up on all previous post not starting with the current one when the change was made.
So, again, never mind.

 

Looks good, it should serve you well. Being an SR5 it should have some of the bells and whistles, but if there's options you want to add, search on here, many are pretty easy installs, for a whole lot less than the $1000+ packages they try to sell you when you purchase.

 

I only entered something like 9 or 12 tanks into the fuelly.com site but was getting that mpg at the time. I should remove that from my sig.

The cleanmpg.com reflects 30.2 mpg for the full 55K I've put on it. I used to be able to get ethanol free gas but now get only E-10 and that's cost about 1.5+ mpg. I also replaced the stock firestones with some Michelin Hydroedge which seem to have cost me another 1+ mpg.

Actually on the I4 the stick does better than the auto with a good overdrive and better rear gearing.

On the V6 it's true that the auto is better than the stick, only because Toyota decided to put in a very minor overdrive gear in the stick and a significant one in the auto.

 

Well, I had the Tacoma above for 4 years and put 89,000 + miles on it.
Great truck. Did everything I needed it to do while averaging 23 - 24 MPG highway that was 98% of my driving for work.
Did not think for a moment I would be updating this old thread but, .......

The dealer kept contacting me about a sale till the end of the month ...... so ....... last night, I drove away with another one.
I figured 89,000 (psychologically) was a lot less than 90-100,000 and it was in great condition. Better trade it in when before it would bring a lot less $.
Could have gotten more if I sold it but I didn't want to do that this time.

Payment went down about $70.00 but I am back to 60 months and something new.
Stayed with the I4 again. 6 speed trans, auto, SR5
As you know it sits higher like the Prerunner did and has bigger tires.
First day driving it to work. It has 104 miles now.
I would suspect the MPG will get a bit better once it is broken in. Averaged over 20 this morning.

Anyway, new owner of a new Tacoma ..... again.

(Blurry) photos at the dealer last night saying, So long, to the 2012 and, Hello, to the 2016.

 

I think you should buy a Corolla.
Sounds like you are overly concerned about maintenance costs while not needing a truck at all as a daily driver. Well then go buy something with stellar gas mileage.

 

Back to update this.
The "improved" 2016 I4 w/the 6speed trans was a disappointment power/performance wise on the highway when compared to my 2012, I4.
It was not what I expected. Probably should have kept the 2012 but that ship has sailed and no sense looking back.

Yesterday I traded the 2016 w/20,000 miles in on a 2017, 6cyl, 4wd, 4D, LB, Tow package.
If my Ford van has issues then I can tow with the new Tacoma now.

 

Right, because you're comparing a 5-lug to a prerunner (or 4x4?) in an *automatic* configuration.
The 4-cyl in the prerunner/4x4 configuration *NEEDS* a manual transmission.