New Tacoma - Engine recommendation

Can't speak to the access cab but the 4x4 regular cab 4cly is fine for power, performance and ride.

 

I respectfully ask, what is so unbearable about having to have to downshift and take it a little slower on steep grades? I ask because I've done all kinds of mountain passes in all kinds of gutless 4-bangers and it never seemed like a big deal at all.

It is my understanding that, with a big load, the I4 does indeed "work harder" and get mileage comparable to the V6. But without a big load, I get up to 30mpg on my road trips. I really like that!

 

If you're not REALLY REALLY REALLY gonna tow... get the I-4. V6 is a waste... of power, of maintenance trouble, and most importantly of GAS.

I thought I wanted the V6 power and am paying for it now: it's not fun having it and driving around all the time 'like there's an egg under the gas pedal', as someone put it, to put off another $60 fill up a little while longer.

Also: the I-4 has iridium plugs that last longer and oil with longer drain interval. Maintenance cost and/or trouble is less with it.

But if you plan on towing, V6 is nice. I guess...cause I don't.

 

Never get below 19mpg?...you're deluding yourself.
In re OP...I would buy the I-4.
Good power and economy and if you need to get up Donner at 65, just bury it and know you're saving $ on the purchase and gas the other 99% of the time.
Good 4 cyl.

 

I was going to say I4 for your uses until I got here. Now I say V6.

Also, I tend to echo other's comments that while ATs have gotten much better over time, I don't like them when they're mated to the less powerful engines.

 

since you are in Sacramento you have Maita, Elk Grove, and Roseville Toyota close to you. Maita has a good website that shows their Tacoma inventory. Have you driven the new 4.0 V6 and compared it to the 2.7 I4? I have a 09 4 door 4x4 TRD (auto trans) with the v6 and a 2010 regular cab 4x4 with the 5 spd and 4 cyl. not much difference in fuel mileage but the difference in power is miles apart! I have driven the 4 cyl. up highway 88 more than a few times, sometimes while towing a small trailer with two kayaks on it. It will do the job but it has to work harder at it compared to the v6.

 

How long do you plan on owning it?

The 4cyl will outlast the V6 in the long run and is a lot simpler to service.

 

I would get the four. My neighbor has one he loves .Far better gas mileage and mainmnance is less expensive
Buy only what you need.
I have the six because I didn't have the choice since I bought second hand .

 

Nope. Bought it brand new in May 2006, and have always reset OD after filling up a full tank and divided by how many miles I have driven by how many gallons I put in. All fluids synthetic, changed according to schedule by myself (had dealer do tranny flush and brake flush recently cause I didnt want to), plugs every 30K and air filters when dirty. Always 91 shell/cheveron gas. I dont drive over 70mph on the freeway, but I hardly ever get on a freeway and live in a small town. On a trip from Jackson Wy to Moab Ut last spring i calculated 23mpg and change, going over 400 miles until I needed a fillup (no gas light came on and no headwind, going 70 on freeway.)

BTW, 265/70/16 AT tires, 4x4, Leer cap

Oh, and I guess your right....Once ran 4x4 HI for around 200 miles going 55-60ish when it was -20's and icy as Antarctica to get to Idaho for Christmas....I think that tank was 18mpg.

 

This is not true about the new I4 having more power than the previous generation V6, the old 2.7 was rated at 150 hp and 177lb-ft and the new 2.7 is rated at 159 hp and 180 lb-ft. The 3.4 V6 is rated at 190 hp and 220 lb-ft...

I would try out both engines and see if the I4 has adequate power for your needs or if you need more power and get the V6.

 

The 1992 3.0 V6, which was the one I had in mind, was rated at 150 horsepower -- and that was under the old SAE horsepower rating test, so it would be rated today slightly less than that.

 

well lets put it this way, toyota has been making the i4 forever, its been in the pre-05 tacomas and now is in the new ones. the 4.0 v6 is new, and toyota doesnt have the BEST rep when it comes to new stuff although good things have been said about the 6 cylinder. idk, ive always pictured the tacoma with a 4cyl, 5 speed. just my opinion. but i love the TRD's and you cant get those with an i-4. so its up to you. i love my 4 cyl, 5 speed, its a time tested, time proved design thatll last you forever, and it has plenty of balls for a 4 cylinder. not to knock the v6, i just would prefer the 4cyl, and the 4cyl's go off the dealers lots ALOT quicker than the v6 does.

 

I appreciate all the comments. Gives me something to think about. I suspect 95% of my driving will be on pretty flat land. I do however live in a community with small hills but I'm only in them going from my house to the freeway or from the freeway back to my house. The only time I towed a trailer in 11 years in my Ranger was when I remodeled my old house. Took a few loads of crap to the dump. I don't see me towing anything in the future. I think I'll go test drive the I4 again.

Reality is I don't make trips up in the mountains alone anymore so when I do go up the hill we take the SUV. I suspect if I do get the I4 there will be times when I curse not having enough power but then I'll be smiling a lot more when I go farther between fillups. Besides even in my V6 Ranger I had to downshift to 4th on some of the steeper hills. However my SUV can maintain the speed limit going up hills and that is the car I will most likely be driving in the hills.

 

Yeah, try test it out again. My dealer let me test drive it for over an hour. I drove it all the places I would normally. Of course part of that time it was at my mechanic.

I have a 2010 access cab with the I4 and haven't really noticed it being sluggish.

Of course I drive pretty conservatively and live in MI (lots of flat land some hills). I came from a 96 S-10 (no cruise) with the 2.2 and have driven across the country twice to WA and back Spent a lot of time in UT, I know about mountain passes. Though I haven't done it in this truck I feel it would be a lot easier.

 

I went to my 1st meet last year in Kentucky and came away impressed with my I4. What happened....oh yeah, we were all in line following our host and a slower driver got in front of me and slowed some of us down a bit.

I was very impressed by the 2.7s ability to catch back up in a rather hilly area. I was not only able to take bigger hills with ease, I was able to increase speed going up the hills and the truck not once seemed to mind. One spot particularly I remember thinking, "Damn, this bitch is actually climbing..."

Without getting into super high end cars, not much goes above 2.5L 4 Cyls, espeically with the general public. Toyota has the 2.7 and might only be only surpassed by the 2.9 Vortec in the Canyons and Colorados, and thats about all those 2 trucks have over the Tacoma, everything else, Tacoma hands down.

The 2.7 is pretty beefy for a I4, the way some talk about it though....

 

x2

 

Went to the largest local dealer yesterday. They had lots of Tacomas but not a single 2WD Access Cab with I4 and auto. With the situation in Japan they could become hard to find.