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Toyota Tacoma: V6 vs 4Cyl

cabroncabron Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Toyota
What's up Taco drivers? Own the road.
I need some hard core facts and advice here
concerning power plant choices for my
soon-to-be-purchased Tacoma. My dilema is whether
to choose the V6 or 4Cyl. Specifically, I am
interested in mpg experiences from owners of both
engine types. Also, how happy are you with the
performance/response among these two engines? Tell
my why I will be satisfied with the smaller engine
you 2.7L drivers. I currently drive a 2.0L Mazda
PU, so massive power is not something I am
accustomed to. Is anyone with a V6 experiencing
20mpg or more? I have had numerous dealers tell me
that the mpg difference between the two engines is
negligable. Needless to say, I trust your opinion
much more than the dealers. Thank yas.
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Comments

  • kkassonkkasson Member Posts: 1
    I am getting 19 mpg city driving and over 21 mpg highway driving. This city driving is constant stop-n-go road construction driving.

    The difference in power between the 4 cyl. & 6 cyl. is pretty large. The 6 cyl. does not pose any real challenges other than smoking Ford & Chevy's at traffic lights.

    I did get better mpg when I switched over to Amsoil oil, oil filter and air filter. I am changing the oil & filter every six months and
    have gotten superior results and a much happier engine as a result.

    Go with the power, v6, and you will be a happy camper. Get the 4 cyl., and the first time you need the power and you do not have it, you will be kicking yourself!

    I use only genuine Toyota parts, except Amsoil air filters & oil filters, and have the Toyota Dealership, Toyota Direct, Columbus, Ohio, do all maintenance except oil & filter changes.

    Find a good dealership with a good service department and become their friends. When your Toyota rolls 200,000 miles without major repairs, you will understand!
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I would agree with smoking Fords but not Chevy.
    Toyota 3.4 190HP 220ft/lbs of torque, Chevy 4.3 190HP 240ft/lbs of torque, Ford 4.0 160HP 225ft/lbs of torque (Soon to arrive 4.0 SOHC 205HP 245ft/lbs of torque for Ranger) Ford 3.0 152HP 192ft/lbs of torque, Toyota 2.7 150HP 177ft/lbs of torque.
    Hope this helps answer your question. Real truck owners look for Torque not HP. If you want to race buy a Corvette.
  • rrichfrrichf Member Posts: 211
    carbon,
    If you are going to load the Tacoma and do work with the truck, the 4 or 6 cylinder engine will make very little difference in operating costs. The basic physics are that it takes a certain amount of energy to perform a specific amount of work. The energy comes from gasoline and the work is moving the weight of the truck. Every engine has an efficient operational range.

    In short, if you run the 4 cylinder in the lower part of the efficiency range you'll get better mileage than the 6 cylinder. In that case the 6 cylinder will be too much horsepower for the required work. HOWEVER if you load the 4 cylinder and run it beyond the efficiency range you'll get worse mileage than the 6 cylinder.

    So if you're a flatlander and the steepest hills that you have to worry about are the bridges over the freeway you'll be happy with the 4 cylinder. If you're a mountain man, you won't be happy with anything less than 6 cylinders.

    Rich
  • pyro421pyro421 Member Posts: 1
    I have owned my 1997 Tacoma (http://members.delphi.com/shawnsmart ) for almost three years now and am turning it in this June. The lease is up and the V6 is what I'm going to get into. I got about 22 Highway, 20 city. I too live in the Columbus Oh. area and deal with Toyota Direct. I agree with finding a place and getting to know the service team well. I travel south on 77 every summer and the 2.7L does not do the job through the mountains. I found out that I like to drive the Standard transmission too. Only make that choice if you are comfortable with the stick. Don't learn on a New Truck. It is the best way to go though.
  • ziggy10ziggy10 Member Posts: 41
    I never test drove the V4, but own a 2000 V6 2WD with 5spd, and it definitely has excellent power. I hauled 3/4 a chord of wood a few miles and didn't even notice any difference in the engine response. As for mileage, I have 4,600 miles on mine and am getting 20-21 city, and a solid 22.5 highway. Most of my driving is very short 3 mile trips to work and back, and I only have to fill the tank once every 2-3 weeks (its about a 15 gallon tank). Hope this helps you some.
  • dshulzedshulze Member Posts: 1
    I had a Tacoma 4X4 2.7 4cylinder and got 22-23 MPG in general purpose driving. I think the 2.7 L engine is a little light to drag around the extra weight and drag of the 4X4. I now have the 3.4 L V6 and find the power satisfactory. There is quite a difference. I get about 19-20 MPG. Part of the problem is it's hard to stay off the gas pedal especially navigating the California Freeways. The 4 Cyl is smooth and quite while my V6 seems to be a little noisey.
  • grk164grk164 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Tacoma xcab 4x4 v6 auto and I am getting about 19-23 mpg. With the ac, auto, 4x4, large tires and x-cab the 4 just didn't seem like enough. Also, I will occasionally haul a box trailer, about 2500 lbs. and the 4 tops out at 3500 lbs trailering.
    However, if you are just doing light hauling, and don't get all the options. The 4's are a great choice.
    Incidentally, it is for sale hate to part with a great truck, but the family is growing.
  • profkacesprofkaces Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone have an approximate 0-60 mph time? 4-cyl. or 6-cyl.? Especially the newer moels, 1999 or 2000? Thanks.
  • y2ktrdy2ktrd Member Posts: 81
    I'm not sure on the 0-60 times but my v6 tacoma
    5-speed went 16.5 in the 1/4 mile...
  • eggoeggo Member Posts: 2
    I've got a 99 taco v6 trd prerunner. I've been real disappointed with the mileage and with the dealership's response. I'm getting about 15 city and 18 highway. The dealership keeps telling me the mileage they advertise is under best possible conditions. I'm not done dealing with them. I love my truck, but I'm too much of a tree hugger to be happy with anything that gets 15 mpg.
  • ponmponm Member Posts: 139
    For a 2000 Toyota Tacoma v-6 4x4, i have read times as low as 8.7 sec 0-60. I mostly read 0-60 in 9 seconds though.
  • evo2evo2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Tacoma 4x4 ext.-cab 2.7 4cyl and get from 18 to 20 mpg's combination city and hwy. with steep hills 40 mile round trips daily. If I had it to do over I would have opted for the V6 AS MY FATHER HAS A 98 4RUNNER V6 AND GETS 22MPG.The power to weight ratio. The 6 doesnt work as hard! I have the auto trans with the 4 and thats a bad combo. The 4 with the stick does better, if you are getting an auto trans get the V6.
  • rsmtomrsmtom Member Posts: 28
    What the dealer's telling you about the mileage numbers is wrong. The city/hwy numbers are determined by the EPA using a standardized test. The actual test results are then reduced by a certain percentage (don't remember how much) to better reflect "typical" driving conditions. Really, the sticker numbers can often be kind of conservative. Ya' think maybe you're enjoying those 190 horses a little too much?
  • lubeclubec Member Posts: 1
    The Tacoma is a great truck with either a 4 or 6 cylinder motor. I have the 2.7 in a 4X4 extra cab and would want nothing else. My truck averages 22 mpg all around, and has been trouble free for 80,000 miles. The difference in gas mileage is minimal, maybe 2 or 3 on average. The V6 has 40 extra horse power and that is substantial if you tow or opt for an automatic transmission. If price is not a big concern then just drive both and buy the one you prefer. You will have this truck for a long time so make sure to be happy with your purchase.
  • bedavis3bedavis3 Member Posts: 1
    I am wondering if anyone has condidered adding more horsepower to the 2.4L by installing a chip in the computer. The website www.jetchip.com states that the horsepower can be increased by 15. Give me some input on what you think.
  • tistevetisteve Member Posts: 142
    I have a '99 extra cab, 4x4 with the 2.7 four and 5 speed and I'm very happy with it. This is my second one, both with the four cylinder. Yes, I would love to have the V6, but it came down to getting all of the other options (TRD, power stuff, etc) and the V6 would have broken the bank. The four is a very powerful four cylinder and with the 5 speed gets off the line pretty quickly. You do need to down shift to get the RPM's up, but it will move. I have no problem passing. But I do live where it is flat and agree that if you have hills and want to carry a load a lot, get the V6. But you won't regret the four, if you're not a power nut. Mileage is in the lower 20's.
  • killtakerkilltaker Member Posts: 2
    Hey,

    I have the 2.7L 4cyl 4x4 right now and my lease is almost up. I love my toyota but want more power...so I am going to get the top of the line V6 and want to throw a supercharger on it.

    Has anyone done this?
    If so, what do you think, is it worth the $$?
  • mickeyg1mickeyg1 Member Posts: 6
    Cabron,
    Cool sign on. Anyway, I have a 96 Tacoma V6, full power, SR5 and love the power and towing capacity. The mileage I get is about 18mpg but if your worried about $$, the truck runs great on 87 unleaded. I never need to worry about lack of response, whether blasting the AC, towing up the grapevine or the I-15 to Vegas fully loaded, or any combination thereof. Go with the six. It's better to have more power and torque and not need it than to not have it when you need it. I live in CA in the foothills. With the mix of flat and hills that make up my commute, I'm glad I have the V6.

    Killtaker,
    When I bought my truck in Jan. of 96, the TRD supercharger was not available. Now it is so cheap, and installed on a new truck you can get the factory warranty. If you feel you need 260hp and that much more torque(stock is@ 220lbs) go for it. I would have. Keep in mind, that's a lot of power and if you don't have self control, you're going to end up a CHP statistic. 4X4's have a higher center of gravity, and even though my Tacoma handles great with 31-11.5's and Rancho 5000's, I think with that much power it's too tempting to pedal to the metal more often than I already do. Also, Toyota has a factory fuel injection cutoff at 105 mph for the Tacoma. It's there for the protection of the general population and those drivers like myself, who lack good judgement every so often and take a 4x4 in excess of 100mph(not too brite) Sometimes my Tacoma thinks it's a Supra. Like I said, you don't need that much power, but if you do supercharge it, you'll turn an already powerful mini-truck into a tasmanian devil.

    Last footnote, your towing capacity won't increase much because, the weight of the truck( it's too light and you'll lose stability towing a 5000lbs plus) and the suspension(my only downer) already a bit squirrely on curves with bumps or patchy spots would not be able to handle the added power on cornering and winding roads at higher speeds.
  • killtakerkilltaker Member Posts: 2
    Yeah,

    I still have some time to check it out. I drove a supercharged V6 4runner at the dealership because it was all they had with a supercharger, and I'm sure it would be faster in the Taco. They didnt have any v6 tacos for me to test out(I havent driven a v6 taco 4x4 yet)

    I am scared of the gas milage increase that a supercharger would bring on because I know that I would use it often. I am one of those people who needs a truck for stuff like the band and camping & off roading but likes to race people every once in a while.

    I'll post back when I eventually get my new taco
    (all this talk of tacos is making me hungry (joke joke))
  • meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
    The PICKUPS Conference has gotten WAY too big....

    it is unwieldy to manage, and difficult to use for "newbies." There is entirely TOO much topic duplication, so I will be doing some SERIOUS topic consolidation in the next few weeks, getting us down to not more than 2-3 topics per vehicle type, and ultimately down to 200 topics or less.

    THIS weeks consolidation candidates are: Tundra's, Tacoma's and Rangers.

    In that vein,please consolidate this Tacoma topic to Are You Happy with Tacoma - II and continue these discussions there.

    Thanks!

    Front Porch Philosopher
    SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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