2001-2004 Taco MPGs as ExPo vehicle

[riveroceanandmountain]

I have an 05 DC taco and have been through the rear facing car seats... forward facing car seats.... booster seats... you make it work

I love having a truck bed for the amount of stuff I haul when going on trips with my family or friends.... My buddy with a 4 runner is always grumbling about how to haul all the stuff and the family when going on trips, so I often end up hauling some of his stuff!

I must admit I don't understand dwelling on gas mileage..... I keep my truck mostly stock to get the best mileage I can.... but I am often loaded to the max with boats, bikes, packs, tents etc. so the mileage goes down for sure.

My vote is for the DC taco.... just seems to be the best compromise for hauling and size etc.

We are a single vehicle family and I cannot think of a better all round vehicle for my needs

just my .02

 

[Martinjmpr]

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.

3rd gen is actually 96-02, not 97.

I'm running 32's (well, 31.6's) - 265/75/16 with NO lift. True, mine is a 99 "tall coil" model, but I think a lot of 3rd gen 4runner guys are running the same size.

I also ran 32s (235/85/16) on my '04 Taco with no lift.

My 4runner also has the E-locker. If I understand correctly, all E-locker equipped 4runners have 4.30's as opposed to non-locked models which have the 4.10. My Taco was unlocked and probably had the 4.10 which probably also accounts for part of my improved MPG (in addition to having a manual tranny vs the auto on my 4runner.)

 

[phsycle]

I wanted to address some of these myths floating around. First, I've owned 4Runners and Tacomas, in auto and 5-sp. There is no noticeable MPG difference in stock trim. I got 21-22mpg in both auto and 5-sp. Secondly, in my experience, TRD did not command a higher price. 99% of the people don't know what that means, much less about the diff locker button. Tacoma's do hold their value better, but remember, that means you can get a lot more out of it as well. 6's, IMO.

If you need a truck bed, I'd go for a DC. IMO, DC Taco is the most versatile platform. Or, another option is to get a 4Runner and with the money "saved", get a nice trailer. For me, though, I need a truck bed so I'll always choose a Tacoma.

 

[montypower]

The 3rd & 5th Gen 4runners are my favorite. My 1999 4runner Limited Supercharged Auto w/ shift kit, 33" Toyos, Armor, ARB + Winch, Stock Gears. It got 16mpg in town and would push 18mpg on the hwy. It was a blast to drive too. You can find them for around $10k with reasonable miles. That's about $5k less than most comparable DC Tacomas (at least here in Oregon). With the money you save thrown in a supercharger.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I wanted to address some of these myths floating around. First, I've owned 4Runners and Tacomas, in auto and 5-sp. There is no noticeable MPG difference in stock trim. I got 21-22mpg in both auto and 5-sp.

That may be your experience, but it's not mine.

My 04 5 speed Taco got noticeably (though not spectacularly) better MPG than my automatic 4runner, both with the 3.4 V6.

Taco got 17 -22 in regular usage. This is with a topper (shell) and a carpet kit in the back. Best MPG ever was 26, although that was something of a fluke (it was mostly downhill from Glenwood Springs to Denver.)

OTOH, the 4runner is 15 - 19 most of the time. I can eke out 20 or 21 on the highway if I take it real easy but I've never gotten better than 22.1.

Now as to whether it was the auto tranny or the 4.30 gears that caused my lower MPG, hard to say. If I was to guess, though, I'd blame the slushbox. The biggest difference seems to be in city driving where a lot of slow driving and stopping causes the 4runner to go as low as 14 MPG, where under the exact same driving conditions the Taco was good for at least 16 and usually 17.

 

[phsycle]

That may be your experience, but it's not mine.

My 04 5 speed Taco got noticeably (though not spectacularly) better MPG than my automatic 4runner, both with the 3.4 V6.

Taco got 17 -22 in regular usage. This is with a topper (shell) and a carpet kit in the back. Best MPG ever was 26, although that was something of a fluke (it was mostly downhill from Glenwood Springs to Denver.)

OTOH, the 4runner is 15 - 19 most of the time. I can eke out 20 or 21 on the highway if I take it real easy but I've never gotten better than 22.1.

Now as to whether it was the auto tranny or the 4.30 gears that caused my lower MPG, hard to say. If I was to guess, though, I'd blame the slushbox. The biggest difference seems to be in city driving where a lot of slow driving and stopping causes the 4runner to go as low as 14 MPG, where under the exact same driving conditions the Taco was good for at least 16 and usually 17.

My two 4Runners were both 3.4L 4x4 auto's (one e-lock, one not. I didn't know all e-locked 4Runners were 4.30's). One Tacoma was 3.4L auto and other was stick. They were all at around 21MPG average (highway). I commute 100 miles, so the terrain stays consistent. I have pages of excel spreadsheets with MPG data, and it shows no different between platforms. But when I changed the tires to 32's (265/75 and 235/85), my MPG dropped to 19. But that was true with both 4Runners and Tacomas. Seems like most others report similar mileage for both platforms on various forums.

Maybe your 4Runner needs a good tune up.