Question about the performance of the 4 cyl 3rd gen Tacoma 4x4 on the sand

Hello all,

I own a 2004 Tacoma V6 SR5 TRD Off road with towing package for 14 years and it has 210k miles on it and still drives like a champ. I do a lot of surf fishing down the Gulf of Mexico. I leave in Austin Texas and I drive for 3 and half hours to get to the beach. I love my truck, but my family expended and my truck no longer fit for my 2 year old kid and my wife. Both pretty cramped as the 1st gen extended cab is pretty tiny in the back. I looked at the 3rd gen Tacoma extended cab and they both fit comfortably with the car seat in the back. We also liked the fact that we can open the back doors. Much easy to get the kid to the back seat.
With that said, unfortunately I can no longer afford a V6. Too pricey for me when I did some research. So, I thought about settling for the 4cyl SR5. My question is, does anyone has the experience driving the 4cyl Taco on the beach. Soft sand, deep ruts and all. How does it handle it? Do you feel that the 4 cyl is under-power or is it smooth. I understand that it won't be like the V6, but I want to make sure that it will take me back and forth without having to worry about getting stuck. I also have my truck loaded with the gear and kayak. I never tow anything, so i'm not worried about towing.
Thanks!

 

Double cab 2nd gen with the V6.

You’ll outgrow the access cab sooner than you might think.

 

I have a 2013 2.7 Access Cab manual, and I've never had an issue in the soft sand. In the super deep, soft stuff I air down to 15psi, and I'll run 4Lo. Cruises on the sand just fine.

Once I turboed it, I can get away in 4Hi if I want to drive around in boost.

 

Nice! Second gen Taco is actually a good idea.

 

Great truck! Thanks for the reply. This is the type of answer I was looking for.

 

Love this pic

 

Hey! I have a 2017 2.7l SR5 DC and it drives great on the road! In regards to sand I’ve only driven it on the beach once but it was very calm and drove great! Good gas mileage too. Also if you look hard enough there a couple of great deals on trucks like mine, I paid 20k for it used

 

Awesome! Thanks for your feedback man!

 

I have the 2.7 SR5 Ac 4x4 and it cruises over sand with the tires aired down. As long as you know what you’re doing you’re fine

 

My PreRunner got stuck in the sand, was just the excuse I needed to convert to 4x4... no problems now

 

Thank you all for the great responses!

dirtdigginjoe your truck looks awesome in that picture. I never had to air down my tires in all these years while driving on the sand, hopefully I won't have to do it if I get the 4 cylinder. Either way, I extended my options to 2nd gen Tacomas as well. My truck is also manual, and I would love to get my next one manual if possible. Will see what's out there

 

Whatever you do don't buy an auto 4cyl. You'll hate it.

That being said, airing down isn't a negative thing and will keep you out of a lot of bad situations as well as save your tires should you encounter something in the sand or dirt or wherever you happen to be. The truck will perform as it should it's always the driver that gets it into situations where it may become stuck. One thing you'll need to learn fast is that 4lo is your best friend. Forget 4hi it's dead to you

 

Air down, front and rear lockers, I’ve never had a problem.

 

Very nice setup! Your truck looks great! And thanks for the reply! In my 14 years experience driving on the beach, I never had to use low range gear unless I was pulling out another stuck vehicle. But I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your advice!

 

Thanks... I was more referring to the additional drag on the 4cyl I find 4 low makes everything easier on the truck although I'm mostly rock bouncing and trying not to hit trees lol

 

Well! I took your advice and went for a second gen Taco 6 cyl 4 doors.

I love it! I can't wait to left it, and add stuff to it just like my previous truck.



Again! Thank you all for all the help and advice!

 

I prefer the 2nd gen look over the 3rd gen. Both look great though.