2001-2004 Taco MPGs as ExPo vehicle

Bdiddy11

Adventurer
Short back story... my wife and I have owned various XJ's and had a 96 Taco that we sold when we found out she was preggers... No way to get a car seat there in the back of the access cab. My current XJ is going to slowly be built into an ExPo style rig but down the road we'd like to get back into a Taco, preferrably a double cab 01-04. The Taco would take over for ExPo style trips and hauling stuff...

Now, from the few threads I've read, it seems as though there is no 4 cylinder option in the 01-04 generation that is also a double cab, is this true? Eventually we'll have an M416 type trailer to haul behind whatever the ExPo vehicle is that we have so nothing too heavy.

If there is no 4 banger for this era Taco with a D/C, what is the realistic mileage people are getting in this gen taco that is "ExPo ready"? Those that have a winch bumper, gear, what size tires etc...

Ideally, I would only lift it 2-3", with roughly 31/32" tires, probably Duratracs. What size tires can I run on this gen taco without having to regear or suffer worse MPGs? Our 96 was a 4 banger with 31's and still got pretty decent MPG. If I'm "forced" to get the V6, are there any mileage related mods that could be done? Ideally we'd be running sliders, under body protection, front bumper, gear etc. I know that driving habit plays a lot into it, but by adding those things, I was wondering if there's anyway to make some of that lost MPG back.

And last question (for now), how is the back seat in the double cab? How's it fit an adult? A car seat, etc. My bro in-law has an F150 double cab and it's spacious, I know it's comparing a full size to a compact, so that's why I ask.
 

upcountry

Explorer
Regarding space in rear seat of Quad Cab:

I have two kids in car seats, they are both facing forward now. I have second generation tacoma now, but recently had a 98' extra cab. My neighbor has a 2003 quad cab and has kids also - he can only take one kid at a time in the middle position in the rear with a forward facing car seat.

You can fit one carseat in the 2003, but it is really tight and will only fit in the middle when facing backwards.

You cant fit a carseat facing backwards or forwards behind the drivers seat or passenger seat in the 2003 unless the driver or passengar are shorter than 4'10" and have the seat in the far forward setting and upright not reclined.

You can BARELY fit a carseat in my 2007 second generation in all positions, but it's tight.

Now that my kids are bigger, I cant imagine trying to fit in a first generation quad cab Tacoma, there is just not enough room.

Some other notes on carseats - make sure you get a vehicle with the newer "Tab" connections, as most carseats are designed for these specifically and it makes them much safer. The older seatbelt setup cant get the seats anchored in tight enough for my likes, but I love my kids and dont want anything to happen to them. If you dont like your kids, maybe the older seatbelt style setup will help.

My suggestion is before buying a vehicle, take a full size car seat with you and try to fit it (by full size I mean the kind that is permanently attached, not the snap-in style infant seats with the removable base). Also look into what years had "Tab" connections.

In all honesty, the Second Gen double cab is the smallest I can imagine now that I have kids, the extra "stuff" we take camping adds up really quickly.

Here is a pic of how a car seat actually fills up the space in my 2007 Second Gen Tacoma:

carseat.jpg
 
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upcountry

Explorer
Oh, and I get better MPG's in my lifted 07' 4.0 V6 6 speed manual than I got in my 2003 Subaru Legacy AWD.

The 4.0 V6 is a solid motor, I like it way better than the 3.4 I had on my 98 Taco.
 

mtnbike28

Expedition Leader
I have had my '02 DC for 140k or so. OME 3" lift, ARB bumper, Bud Built skid plate and 235-85-16 tires in different treads. I get 16 mpg - that is it. I have tried everything but removing the ARB and running a stock front bumper with no real gain. I towed my Conqueror up to and around Nova Scotia and averaged 13mpg.... But there are so many times when I am on a trail and really happy with this truck's size. I think the 2nd generation is too big for so many of trails I end up on. PS My daughters 10 and 21 have done 15 hour days in the back without "too much" complaining. YMMV
 

juicebox

Adventurer
The Tacoma isn't something you should buy if you are looking for good gas mileage. I bought mine for the size and reliability. :smiley_drive: That being said, I get about 15-16 in the city and 18-20 on the highway, that's in the summer. Winter is considerably less because I warm up the engine before I drive it around. I have an '02 lifted ex cab TRD v6, about 2.5" (suspension & bodylift) 33x10.50r15's, Stock gearing (4.10) Sliders, front and rear tube bumpers.

I hear the 05+ with the 4.0 gets better gas mileage.
 

Danimal

Adventurer
I have a 2011 double cab V6 - I tend to get about 16 - 17 mpg purely in town driving, and 18 - 23 mpg purely highway driving. I had a '98 4Runner with the 3.4L V6 (5VZ-FE). I'm a MUCH bigger fan of the 4.0L V6 (1GR-FE) in my 2nd gen Tacoma.

I have a forward facing car seat for my 2.5 year old and he fits pretty well. We have another one coming along in about 8 weeks, and we're hoping the rear-facing car seat fits enough to tolerate... If so, we're selling my wife's junker 2007 Ford Edge to become a single car family.

Anyone have experience with rear-facing seats in a 2nd gen?

Dan
 

upcountry

Explorer
Both my kids have been through rear facing seats. They barely fit in my 2007 double cab.

I have a 2011 double cab V6 - I tend to get about 16 - 17 mpg purely in town driving, and 18 - 23 mpg purely highway driving. I had a '98 4Runner with the 3.4L V6 (5VZ-FE). I'm a MUCH bigger fan of the 4.0L V6 (1GR-FE) in my 2nd gen Tacoma.

I have a forward facing car seat for my 2.5 year old and he fits pretty well. We have another one coming along in about 8 weeks, and we're hoping the rear-facing car seat fits enough to tolerate... If so, we're selling my wife's junker 2007 Ford Edge to become a single car family.

Anyone have experience with rear-facing seats in a 2nd gen?

Dan
 

NotAMog

Observer
I suspect that you may actually get better mileage with the V6 especially if the truck is heavily loaded or towing. I have an '04 standard cab 4x4 2.7l 4 cylinder automatic with a FlipPac camper. The standard cab 4x4s only came with the 2.7l 4 cylinder. That may be one reason why they are so rare. It really could use the V6.

Before the FlipPac was installed the truck had a standard cab high cap on the back. The best mileage I saw was a couple of fill ups where it got 20mpg. Usually with a mix of mostly freeway driving it would get between 16 and 18mpg. The FlipPac adds some wind drag and weight so now it usually gets 15 to 17mpg. The best I've seen with the FlipPac has been 19mpg. Certainly not a significant improvement over a V6. The rig could use more power as it can be hard to maintain 60 to 65 mph on hills. It reminds me of my Pinzgauer in the hills except it's about 10 mph faster.
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
If you are looking for MPGs, the other factor to consider is the transmission. The 01-04 DC was only available with the 3.4l V6 and the slushbox.

Having owned a Taco with the 3.4 and a manual, and my current 4runner with the 3.4 and the slushbox, I can tell you that the auto will rob you of about 2-4 MPGs depending on how you drive, and it also robs you of some power.

Are you dead-set on a pickup? The 4th gen 4runner (2003-2009) is bigger than the 3rd, should be able to accomodate car seats easily, has the more powerful 4.0l V6 and models after 2005 have the the 5 speed auto, which yields better MPG than the 4 speed auto in the 3.4 equipped trucks. Given that there are more 4runners than DC tacos (and at least around here, 1st gen DC tacos have something of a price premium) you can probably get a decent 4th gen 4runner for less than the cost of a DC Taco. With a decent suspension setup, a 4th Gen 4runner should be able to go anyplace that a 1st gen DC Taco can go.

You can also get a 2nd gen DC Taco ('05 -up) shortbed with a 6 speed manual and the 4.0 V6.
 

austintaco

Explorer
If you are looking for MPGs, the other factor to consider is the transmission. The 01-04 DC was only available with the 3.4l V6 and the slushbox.

Having owned a Taco with the 3.4 and a manual, and my current 4runner with the 3.4 and the slushbox, I can tell you that the auto will rob you of about 2-4 MPGs depending on how you drive, and it also robs you of some power.

Are you dead-set on a pickup? The 4th gen 4runner (2003-2009) is bigger than the 3rd, should be able to accomodate car seats easily, has the more powerful 4.0l V6 and models after 2005 have the the 5 speed auto, which yields better MPG than the 4 speed auto in the 3.4 equipped trucks. Given that there are more 4runners than DC tacos (and at least around here, 1st gen DC tacos have something of a price premium) you can probably get a decent 4th gen 4runner for less than the cost of a DC Taco. With a decent suspension setup, a 4th Gen 4runner should be able to go anyplace that a 1st gen DC Taco can go.

You can also get a 2nd gen DC Taco ('05 -up) shortbed with a 6 speed manual and the 4.0 V6.

I am going to have to agree with Martin about the premium tag on the Tacoma and the availability of the 4runner with better engine tranny combination and price tag.

For mileage, my truck, 03 DC Taco has steadily decreased in mpg as its expedition readiness increased. It's a trade off. However, in stock form I could get 22 mpg on the highway. Adding 265/75/16 tires only robbed me of about 1 mpg. Going to 255/85/16 robbed me of another 1 -1.5 mpg. The ARB bumper probably nabbed another 1 mpg, so with just tires and an ARB, I was seeing about 19 mpg. The mid rise campershell would only hurt on side winds, but I would guess that I lost about 1mpg overall, but my gear was covered. When I switched to the Flippac, I lost another 1 mpg, so now I am at 17 on the highway, if I am trying to get good gas mileage.

One thing that has helped me in the MPG department is the scan gauge. On trips, I am monitoring it regularly and it has helped me drive to increase mpg. I don't let the engine down shift to keep a certain speed on a hill, but I will feather it to the top (not when there is traffic behind me though).

If you plan on a winch, consider getting one in a cradle mount so that you don't have to have it on the vehicle when you are just running around doing errands.
 

89s rule

Adventurer
I had a '89 ext cab Toyota before I bought my most recent 4runner. I could take 3 kids and myself somewhat comfortably. (1 in front seat and 2 in the rear fold downs.) It depends on thier size/age, and type of seat. That included one in a rear facing seat. Remember that the pickups did not have air bags so the front seat is fair game. Also in the ext cab Taco's there is a front airbag turn off switch. Having said that, it is very tight with 2 adults and any in car seat, its doable, but very very tight for the front passenger.

I will agree with Martin on asking if you are set on a Taco DC. If you check proces they are much more expensive than a 4runner. I wanted a DC, but after looking at quite a few in the 9-12K range I decided to go back to a 3rd gen 4runner. (We had one for 7yrs as my wife's DD until we had kid #3 and 4.) I just do not see paying 2x the price to have a truck bed, it might not be that much comparing all of them, but in my case it truly was. Thats a ton of extra $ to modify and make the vehicle work for you.

I cannot comment on MPG much but I got around 17 out of my 22re pickup on 32's. I got 17-22 in the 4runner before the lift/ 255 tires. We will see how much that hurts it. I have a friend who gets about 15 in his Taco ext cab, 5spd, 3.4 with 285s.

Its your choice but when it boiled down to it for me I couldnt see paying an extra $5k for a truck bed.
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
Its your choice but when it boiled down to it for me I couldnt see paying an extra $5k for a truck bed.

Not only that, the 4runner has a tighter turning radius thanks to the shorter wheelbase, and a more sophisticated rear suspension (4 link vs leaf springs.) 4runners are generally more "optioned out" and finding things like an E-locker is much easier on a 4runner than on a Taco (where you have to look for a TRD, that will be pricier than an SR5.)

Not sure about the seats on the DC taco, but the seats on my non-TRD Extra Cab Taco (a 1/3 - 2/3 split bench) were not nearly as comfy as the seat on my 4runner and because of the 2/3 split on the drivers seat, you could not fit a 'generic' seat cover over it.

And a final note: the roll down rear window on the 4runner is nice for ventilation or access.
 

Bdiddy11

Adventurer
Not dead set on a Taco, but the bed is nice for when hauling stuff that's too big for interior cargo space and I don't feel like using our utility trailer.

I can't say i'm a huge fan of the 03+ body style of the 4runner...I like the 97-2002 the best I think. Still has some ruggedness to it.

Do all TRD packages come with an elocker? What kind of rear seat space is there for adults/kids? We only have a 10 month old, and it'll still be a few years before getting a different rig, but plan on spacing the kids out 2-3 years.

What is the max tire size I could run on a 97-02 4runner with a mild 2-3" lift without having to regear? If I could run a 30/31" that would probably suffice for our needs.
 

lbarcher

Adventurer
I'm not sure how people are having trouble with rear facing child seats.
We bought our 01 double cab pre runner new. Our son was 6 mo and we travelled alot.
The double cab has enough space for us and my wife (5'2") fits in the back seat easily with our son (4'4")
in the front stretched out.

The short box of the 01 is a bit of a hassle for carrying bicycles so we ended up with an over cap rack and basket arrangement.

Our truck has run like a champ for over 200 k km and towed our 1400lb camper well.
 

njtacoma

Explorer
You don't need to buy a TRD double cab Tacoma to get the locker.

I'm not sure if it is regional, but when I bought mine new in 04 there were over a dozen non TRD SR5 double cabs with lockers in the Denver Metro area. The dealer I bought mine from had 4.

Mileage: my best tank was on a trip to Montana at 21.3. Average commute is 16-17 depending how frustrated I am with Traffic. towing the pop up camper it drops to 12.

We have 2 kids in booster seats (8 & 10) and have done many multi-day trips with no problem. We had one rear facing and one forward facing without problem when we first bought the truck.

Hope that helps.
 

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