High Mileage Tacomas

[Clutch]

You obviously shouldn't bury yourself in debt and chain yourself to a job to consume, consume, consume. But you only get one shot at this go 'round and if a new(er) truck works in those plans, then do it. If it's still the right tool, then don't change anything. But whichever it is then you just have to stop torturing yourself. Unless it's what makes you happy, then continue to obsess by all means.

I was going to pull money out of retirement and pay cash...can't find anywhere where I can get 0% interest...lowest I found was 2.5%.

Yeah, we like the simple life...not having to kill myself with work anymore has been super nice. Just have to drive an old beat truck and live in a podunk town in Idaho to do so.

Really don't know why I obsess over vehicles...blame being a gear head....think I obsess over saving money more now-a-days. That tends to win in the end than buying a bunch of stuff I don't need. Really need to stay off these forums...always get suck into some vehicle thread.

My lovely wife always thought it was stupid that I name my truck (and bikes for that matter). It personalizes them too much to the point you can't see the reality. She thought I hung on to the truck a couple of years too long because I couldn't separate the history/experiences from the hunk of metal. I would look at it and see the busted knuckles, late night wrenching, the trail fixes and shared campsites with friends but couldn't see the duct tape and bailing wire, the rust, how worn out it was getting.

She was right, we're driving the heck out of this Taco. Did 24K miles so far in the 18 months we've owned it, got to Seattle, down to New Orleans, many MTB trails, camps and sights in between.

That is the other thing...grown really attached to it...can't see to give it up. After seeing what else is out there on the used market....mine is in really good shape comparatively, even if I am putting 20K miles a year on it now. If I can stave off the frame rusting....will be good for a while.

 

[Happykamper]

Clutch I admire your last post !!! Although I retired early and well. I sometimes wonder if it was all worth it. Spent my younger days 6-7 days a week and 10-12 a day. And now I way over compensate for lost time with rigs and toys. Had I known this lifestyle was out there I think I'd be your neighbor in beautiful no where Idaho with a older but capable rig and not all the stress. Hats off to you !
But on the other hand I did love the run!
To each there own, I guess we all have different dreams and some regrets that go with those dreams .

Peace all
Mike

 

[Clutch]

Clutch I admire your last post !!! Although I retired early and well. I sometimes wonder if it was all worth it. Spent my younger days 6-7 days a week and 10-12 a day. And now I way over compensate for lost time with rigs and toys. Had I known this lifestyle was out there I think I'd be your neighbor in beautiful no where Idaho with a older but capable rig and not all the stress. Hats off to you !
But on the other hand I did love the run!
To each there own, I guess we all have different dreams and some regrets that go with those dreams .

Peace all
Mike

Hey man thanks! I used to work an insane amount of hours when I was younger...also spent it faster than I could make it. Now that I have age on me...have become a real scrooge. One of the reasons we moved to Idaho was the low cost of living, and have huge out door playground right out the front door. Heck, you can fly fish right in the middle of town! Finally figured out that less is more. Don't need to much of anything to be happy, and free time has become priceless.

Think my main problem is, I like to look at all the eye candy...good thing I don't act on it.

 

[evilfij]

A new SR 2.7 4x4 5mt ACLB utility package is ~23-24k.

When I was looking, used tacomas made a new one make so much more sense especially because I am in an area that uses salt on the roads and I am a big believer in synthetic oil and I could not be sure how previous owners treated their trucks.

 

[Clutch]

A new SR 2.7 4x4 5mt ACLB utility package is ~23-24k.

The 2.7 gets a bad rap for being underpowered, it surprised me when I test drove it. Seemed plenty peppy enough for me...though it is pretty rare for me to drive over 65 mph the places I go. It got up to 65 in a hurry, wasn't too far off by my butt dyno compared to my 3.4 V6. maybe a little faster since I can't shift my manny as fast as the auto (not that I am in too much in a hurry anymore )

Could barely tell when it shifted, very smooth. Liked the sport mode, where you could hold it in a gear if you wanted to, could see that being useful when it was loaded down going up into the high country.

 

[evilfij]

The 2016 and up auto is 6 speed and has 4.10 gears. The MT is 5 speed and has 3.90 gears. The only I issue I have is off the line. It will do 80mph in the hills fine if you go to 4th in the MT even with 750lbs in the bed.

 

[Clutch]

The 2016 and up auto is 6 speed and has 4.10 gears. The MT is 5 speed and has 3.90 gears. The only I issue I have is off the line. It will do 80mph in the hills fine if you go to 4th in the MT even with 750lbs in the bed.

Good to know! Thanks.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Your butt dyno may be fairly accurate. Numbers between the current 2.7L and the 3.4L V6.

2TR-FE
160 HP @ 5200 RPM
181 ft-lb @ 3800 RPM

5VZ-FE
190 HP @ 4800 RPM
220 ft-lb @ 3600 RPM

You do have to factor in that a 2016 4x4 SR Access Cab weighs 4,220 lbs and a 2003 XtraCab SR5 was about 3,500 lbs. So the overall feel will be more sluggish. And your engine is, of course, running on 5 cylinders no doubt. ;-)

 

[Clutch]

Your butt dyno may be fairly accurate. Numbers between the current 2.7L and the 3.4L V6.

2TR-FE
160 HP @ 5200 RPM
181 ft-lb @ 3800 RPM

5VZ-FE
190 HP @ 4800 RPM
220 ft-lb @ 3600 RPM

You do have to factor in that a 2016 4x4 SR Access Cab weighs 4,220 lbs and a 2003 XtraCab SR5 was about 3,500 lbs. So the overall feel will be more sluggish.

Oh I know mine has more power and the power to weight ratio is better, but I don't use it to its' full potential. If you drive like me, think old lady...and probably why I have 335K on it. The 2.7 has more than enough power for me. Was expecting a real dog for how much people complain about it. Fine for cruising at 65 mph on the work commute, in town speed limit usually tops at 35. I don't tow more than 1500 lbs on the weekends...think it would be A-OK if I ever decide to go that route.

I usually take my time getting up to speed, but the dealer let me stomp on it...had plenty of get up and go. Then I told him...I'll probably never drive it like that, like to sit back and enjoy the view.

Not that I want and auto, but the new 6 speed auto felt pretty good, seems like the gear ratios are a good fit. Of course guys will muck it up by putting larger tires on it...

For a light duty truck for running around, believe it would work. Which is why I started buying Toyotas all those years ago, was nice to hop into something small and nimble after operating heavy equipment all day long. Sure it has grown a bit, still pretty small relatively speaking...and still feels like a Toyota.


The internet is kinda of funny...we bounce ideas off of each other, to help with making decisions. I was comparing a Tacoma SR 4-Cyl ACLB to a F150 Super Cab 6.5' Bed with the naturally aspirated V6....listed my wants and needs. And sure enough have people saying I need a 1 Ton Cummins by the end of it...I am like doooods. It will spend 90% of its' empty running back and forth to work, and will rarely tow 1500 lbs. I don't need a fricken 1 Ton diesel! LOL, good lord! Could probably get away with a Subaru Forester but I can't put a Flip Pac on one of those, and the better half hates them.

And your engine is, of course, running on 5 cylinders no doubt. ;-)

ha!

 

[DaveInDenver]

The Interwebs complain about the 1GR being a dog and that the supercharger should have been standard. It's highly subjective, what's enough power. I think a fair number of people jump back and forth on vehicles so the comparison is to V8 full size, SUVs, sometimes various cars.

I was never exactly unhappy with the 22R-E but you do drive them differently and the power to keep up with traffic climbing uphill and making 2-lane road passes without sweating bullets is nice, too, though.

I agree with you, I'd have no problem with an SR 4 cylinder and probably would have that if the e-locker was a stand-alone option. At the time the factory locker was high on my desires because I was a little fed up with Air Lockers (mine never stopped blowing lube from the solenoids). In retrospect I probably should have given more consideration to chipping in the difference for a new (2015 at the time) one instead of the used TRD OR I got. But it is what it is now.

 

[Clutch]

The Interwebs complain about the 1GR being a dog and that the supercharger should have been standard. It's highly subjective, what's enough power. I think a fair number of people jump back and forth on vehicles so the comparison is to V8 full size, SUVs, sometimes various cars.

I was never exactly unhappy with the 22R-E but you do drive them differently and the power to keep up with traffic climbing uphill and making 2-lane road passes without sweating bullets is nice, too, though.

I agree with you, I'd have no problem with an SR 4 cylinder and probably would have that if the e-locker was a stand-alone option. At the time the factory locker was high on my desires because I was a little fed up with Air Lockers (mine never stopped blowing lube from the solenoids). In retrospect I probably should have given more consideration to chipping in the difference for a new (2015 at the time) one instead of the used TRD OR I got. But it is what it is now.

I was beginning to believe them, then thought, ok I have to go see for myself...sure, on paper it doesn't look very impressive. In person thought it was more than enough. 98% of my travels I am solo...maybe 2 weeks out of the year she'll come with me, then it would be really loaded down, could see it suffering a bit then, but then it is only 2 weeks out of 52. Be a non-issue in the big scheme of things.

Have a locker in mine, maybe used it a handful of times over the course of 14 years that I owned it. Honestly don't really need it, another non-issue if I get the SR. Think I would keep the truck as stock as possible, as I have much for fun exploring the back country on a bike...truck is just a vessel to haul the bike to the good stuff.