Question about best tire size for extended cab 4 cyl

I have had my used 2012 extended cab since July 2014, and have no regrets.

All is great except for the occasional squeaking brakes.

It soon became apparent that 95% of all the Tacomas I have seen have larger tires than mine.

Admittedly about 90% of the Tacomas I have seen here in So Cal are the four door model, which also seems to have a higher axle.

Not that it matters I suppose, but I seem to have the smallest Tacoma on the road.

Does my model always come new with the smaller tires?

Does the four door come new with the larger tires?

I prefer the aesthetics of the larger tires, but I wanted to know if there was any functional advantage to having the larger tires, or am I better off staying with the small ones?

 

I assume you have the 5-lug with 215 tires?

 

Need more specifics on which model you have in order to answer your question


Stock tire size on 2010 Access cab, SR5, 4x4, 2.7l, 5 speed MGM Tacoma

 

You are correct, it doesn't matter. As long as the truck does what you want and need it to.

Dunno. What is your model? What size tires do you have now?

Aesthetics aside, the answer depends (again) on how you use the truck. Have small tires created any issues that big tires would have avoided?

Smaller tires are cheaper, lighter weight and provide better MPG than an oversized tire.

 

My 2010 2.7L Access Cab came with P245/75/16's. I changed to P265/75/16's. Much better.

 

LT 315/75R16

 

Curious: why did you pick 265/75R16 versus 265/70R16 ??

 

My speedometer was off from the factory 2 mph on the slow side. Speedometer reading 60, but I was actually doing 58. Changed to 265/75/16 and now my speedometer is dead on. Verified with gps, of course my odometer is off now. At 10,000 miles per my odometer I have actually driven 10,400 miles.

 

Here are more details about my Tacoma to help determine whether the larger tires would be beneficial, a detriment, or not too relevant.

2012 4D extended cab, 2WD, 4 cylinders, 2.7 engine, 180 torque@3800 rpm, 159 horsepower@5200 rpm, automatic, SR5 package.

I only use my Tacoma for standard driving, about 30% freeway and 70% streets, averaging about 17-18 mpg.

The sticker says 24 MPG Hwy, 19 city.

The truck performs well , but since about 95% of the Tacomas I see have larger tires, regardless of model, there must be a reason.

I do prefer the aesthetics of the larger tires, but aesthetics are not worth losing out on performance, or a significant higher cost.

Unfortunately, I could not find my current tire size specifications .

Unless the larger tires are a detriment, I will join the rest of the Tacoma owners and get larger ones when they are due for changing.

I would welcome any opinions comparing larger with smaller tires for my model, and perhaps some explanations on why the larger tires are deemed more desirable and/or necessary, by the great majority of Tacoma owners.

 

I must have missed where you said how many lug nuts you have..

Larger tires = more ground clearance, better aesthetics, more tire options, more performance.

 

If you have the 5-lug wheels all 5-lugs have 215/70-15 tires stock.

24/19 is the epa rating for 5-lug automatic. Also the 6-lug pre-runner so we don't yet know for sure.

Yes going to bigger tires will hurt mpg and power. Stock is about 27" diameter, what you see on other trucks is 31-33 inches. You'll notice a significant loss of power while accelerating.

The 6-lug vehicles have different axle gearing with the larger tires to compensate. 5-lug automatic had 3.58 gears 6-lug has 4.10.

 

Thanks for the input so far.

I did confirm that I have the 5-lug.

In the four weeks since the last reply, however, I have not seen a single Tacoma with 27 inch tires.

A couple folks, including a mechanic, told me the tires appear too small for the vehicle, but this is probably because it seems 99% of Tacomas have 31-33 inch tires.

Do I have a the only model with the 5-lug? Why are the larger tires with 6-lug far more common?

Do most owners with my model switch to the larger tires?

If not, then my model must be very rare.

I still need to decide if i should switch to the 31 inch tire when it is time to change them.

 

5 lug here, still on OE tires. Now when they are toast, I'll probably +1 (upsize a tic), and maybe find a 7" wide wheel in 15" or 16". Like you, I'm 99% on road, don't need more clearance than I have or cost to own/operate.

Sure different/bigger might look tougher, but I'm beyond the poseur stage of life, more concerned with function.

I'm a low annual mile user, so I'll not use top tier rubber, mostly because it will age out well before the tread is worn out.

If you're interested in other more robust options, go poke around in the 5 lug forum a bit. Lifts, wheels, tires, etc. all are kinda herded up over there more than in the specialty forums.

And no, we are not 'rare', but we are definitely on the lower end of the purchase volume. Lots of fleet vehicles are just like ours though. It's exactly what I was looking for, and does everything I need this vehicle to do quite well. And economically.

 

Look at the sticker on the driver side door. It will tell you what stock is and then look on the tires you have now to see if the numbers match up

 

Thanks for the reply.

I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but I have been paying special attention over the last four weeks, and have not seen another Tacoma with the smaller tires.

Would moving up to a 31 inch greatly affect performance and mileage?

Are their any functional advantages to larger tires, other than aesthetics, for the conventional driver?

 

I have a 07 2.7 4x4 with a 3" lift and running 265/75-16 and still getting 19mpg in the city. It is a little slow of the line but all good. Oh my truck is standard though

 

Google 'tire calculator' and you can determine some things for yourself. You'll actually improve highway MPG a bit because of an effective gear change. But you'll pay for that in acceleration loss. So if you mash the gas harder to make up for it, it may be a loss. Plus they weigh and cost more.

Your speedo and odo will be off. Most folks forget to factor that into their 'new' calculations. And very few folks bother to have those recalibrated.

Might get a bit more grip with a little larger width, good for panic stops on dry pavement. Might get a bit less sidewall rollover in hard cornering. Little cushier ride with more sidewall. But all of these factors also rely on the tire itself; brand, composition, load rating, wear rating, etc.