v4 4x4 or v4 2wd?

Hi, I am looking to buy a used tacoma.. I have never owned a truck before and I am very excited to plow through mud with it..
I was looking for some perspective on what is best on gas mileage and what the differences were.. I am interested in a 4 Cylinder 4x4.. but is a v4 2wd any better on gas mileage? And how are they different?
thanks

 

It's an I4. An I4 2wd will have a little better gas mileage over the 4wd but not much.

 

theres no such thing as a v4, they are in line 4 cylinders, and if your planning on doing any off roading get a 4x4, dont get a 2wd. i think they are pretty much the same in mileage(not positive about this)

 

If that's what you want to do with it, don't worry about the MPGs and get the 4x4.

Even still, you're likely to get stuck - depending on the mud. 4x4 doe NOT make you invincible.

If you just want to haul stuff and drive on the street, well, 4x2 is more reliable and more economical.

 

I just got my reg cab I4 4x4 a couple days ago and love it. mpg is pretty good so far

 

Actually there is a v4. Saab used them for a while. It was a Ford Tractor engine.

And OP get the 4x4 its so much funner to drive. The 4x4 is there when you need it not when you wish you had it.

 

when you first buy a truck you always ask this question to everyone. I know I did. At the end of the day its up to you. But you have to factor in alot of things.
-How long wil you keep it?
...if not long, go 4x4 because 2x4 is pukable resale towards a 4x4
-Do you ever get snow?
...2x4 is sometimes useless in the snow, and gets annoying when your use to a 4x4
-Will you ever go off roading?
...if not, get a 2x4 and save a bit of gas
-Do you like the look of the truck sitting higher?
...if so get a 4x4

At the end of the day, I always get a 4x4, because when you buy a truck where I live, its basically a waste to buy a 2x4. Everyone wants to have full control of their vehicle in the winter, and there are a TON of different reasons for me to buy one.
For my work truck though, I wont buy anything other then a 2x4. Makes no sense. Saves you gas in the long run, cheaper to buy, you run it to the ground anyways so you dont need to worry about resale value, and when it snows you stay home anyways

 

Per the Toyota website specs, the standard 4x2 and the PreRunner are rated at the same EPA mpg.

Will the PreRunner get noticeably less mileage than the standard, despite the EPA ratings?

 

Yamaha V Max motorcycle is also a v4.....

 

4x4 4 cyl gives about 20 MPG (US) in the winter, getting better with warmer weather and as truck breaks in . The 20 was around town, recenlty have been getting 21 - 22 mostly around town.

I hear of better (say 25-27 MPG) on the 4x2 4 cyl. You won't be saving greatly on gas with a 4x2 unless you have very long commute.

Added to the extra traction when you need it you get a truck with a beefier stance, larger brakes, bigger wheels and tires, when you go 4x4.

Pick what is best for you.

 

It is both on their website and in their 2011 hardcopy brochure.

 

I have the 2011 regular cab 2wd its great on the highway and gas mileage is pretty good for a truck, I get about 18 around town and 22 on the highway. If your in the snow you need atleast a few 60lb bags of sand. It maybe alittle more money, but if I had the money at the time I would have gone with the 4X4.

 

That's about what I hear from most people. My 5 lug gets 24-25 in town, and 30+ on the highway. I've never heard of any 4x4's that get mileage anywhere near that.

Even if the difference in mileage was only 5 MPG's (which is a low estimate), that equates to 85 additional miles on a tank of gas if you fill 17 gallons when the light comes on. Not a small difference by any means.

I don't know any 4x4 guys who are in the 500 mile club on a tank of gas...let alone the 600 mile club.

 

Tire differences possibly.....4x4 component "drag"....gearing.Aerodynamic profile.....a brick is a brick.

 

You have three choices in 4cylinder Tacomas;

5lug 2wd

6lug 2wd prerunner

6lug 4wd

5lug 2wd will have the best mileage because it has tiny light tires and low rear gears. 5lug 2wd is city fleet truck which in its stock form has very little off road capabilities, due to low ground clearance and tiny stock tires. If you plan doing more off roading than occasional driving on dirt road, steer clear from this truck.

6lug 2wd PreRunner. This truck will have worse gas mileage than 5lug 2wd, because it has higher rear gears and larger tires. Its off road capability is better than the 5lug's but NOT great due to open diff and 2wd.

6lug 4wd. This truck in 2wd mode should have almost identical gas mileage than the PreRunner. The only difference between this truck and PreRunner is the weight of the 4wd system, which is approximately 300-600lbs by my guess. However this truck in regular cab configuration will be a beast off road... 4wd paired with short wheelbase kicks ass, now if you want to get serious throw some 3" lift, 33's and rear locker on it and it will go almost anywhere...

If you want to wheel and can afford to fork out the extra money, get the 4wd. You wont be disappointed.

I couldn't fork out any extra cash and I had to settle with base 5lug. I did few mods to it (lift & 31's), it does OK off road, but being 2wd and open diff hurts it a lot, I have to use momentum going through things where 4x4 would crawl without issues in slow speed to avoid getting stuck

 

When buying my truck, the dealer was astounded that I wanted a 4x2 with no balls. I live in Redneckville, USA and she said most guys get the 4x4s and when they come in for service, the techs laugh because the front wheel drive differentials have never been used.

There's a story on this site about some old codger in Michigan with a toyota truck 4x2 4-banger with 400,000 miles who has never been stuck despite all the inhospitable weather up there.