so i was at the toyota dealer yesterday..

wishful thinkin for hopefully sometime in the near future. i was lookin at a few tacos and i saw something that i didnt quite get. how can a v6 auto get almost the same gas mileage as a 4cy 5 speed. and why is the v6 auto said to get better mpg than a manual? i always thought it was the other way around. both 4wd access cab models.

and how are the toyota autos anyway?

 

The Auto in my Taco is the nicest Auto I have ever driven. IT gets better gas mileage due to the higher gearing of the Auto vs. Manual.

 

thats really interesting. i know someone that was a 4 door v6 auto and he says right now he's gettin about 19mpg almost all city driving. i cant see a 5 banger doin much better than that, not in a 4wd truck. def. something to think about, my car now is a standard shift, i love it. but hell, if an auto 6 gets more mpg than a 4 banger or the 6 in a manual its def something to think about

 

the 4 cylinder will get better mileage if it is not carrying a load, but if you plan on hauling any weight on a regular basis don't bother with a 4 banger because it will destroy it and eat up just as much gas in the process.

 

i buried two 4 cylinder pickups hauling weight on a regular basis thinking i would get better mileage, fried the tranny in one and smoked the motor in the other. had to turn off the AC just to get up steep grades. lol

 

Power to weight ratio. The V6 gets up to "cruising" speed quicker.

I like the auto in my truck. Just wish it were an autostick.

 

Were they Toyota 4 cylinder trucks?

 

It's amazing what the new autos will do, that's where the technologies go, not manuals.

 

AGREED!! I have had both a 6 sp v6 and now and Auto... Like not having to shift but i don't like not being able to control the rpms and torque as easily.

 

no they were a ford and a chevy, although it wouldn't make a difference i don't believe, over load anything and it will not last and overloading a 4 cylinder isn't very hard to do when you're hauling 1/2 ton around on the regular. they are just not made for that i don't believe, but figured i would try it. i used a lot more gas because of the lack of torque. to me 4 cylinders are great for the no weight or limited weight hauling folks.

 

I would get what you need. I've seen people on here getting 25mpg or more on a 4cyl 2wd without any load on it. On the other hand, I also get 20mpg with my v6 6spd now that it has an AFE Pro Dry filter. That's mostly 60-65mph on the 30 mile commuted to work up and over hills from my country house to the city office. I got 20mpg before the filter on a 100 mile trip over mostly flat terrain. Haven't done that since swapping the filter to see if it's higher.

Then again, if you really need to haul, then look at a Tundra. They claim to get 16-18mpg which is about what a v6 Tacoma is estimated at.

 

yeah i know what you mean. i've only owned one truck and it was a s10 2.2 auto. that damn thing wouldnt move out of its own way. i dont anticipate ever hauling anything heavy, maybe a yard of mulch every now and then, and possibly my motorcycle when it breaks. i do need a four wheel drive just cuz of where i live. obviously gas mileage is an issue now, but at the same time i dont want a truck like my old s10 that wouldnt move out of its own way with a stiff breeze behind it. and i also want something that is gonna be easy to work on and maintain becuase i try to do all of my own work

 

Sounds like you definitely need the v6 for one thing! Body style/tranny is the next question! The V6 will give you plenty of power to get up to speed even if you're hauling stuff, and the oil filter is on the top next to the battery! Simply the EASIEST oil changes I've ever done! I think the 4cyl's have it under the engine like most others.

What's a yard of mulch weigh? I've loaded around 1600lbs of wood pellets in my shortbed DC. Had plenty of power and could still do 60 without any problems, but I did take it easy since I stacked them high under and canvas topper with the back window open. I didn't want any to fall out.

I've also towed 2 ford trucks, a blazer, and a lumina with it. Wasn't planning on that, but I got the tow package for when we finally get a boat, atv or something like that. Figured might as well add it on at the factory since it adds a bigger alt, bigger battery, oil cooler, hitch, and all the wiring's already done. So of course my buddy knows this and asks me to help him swap cars with his family 100 miles away a couple times. So we used my truck instead of his F150. I got 14mpg towing those vehicles. Same route I got 20-21mpg on unloaded.