2nd Gen Tacoma Engines

[NoahUrell]

Hi everyone,

I am about to buy my first truck and I am looking at a 2009 Tacoma access cab 4x4 with the i4 and around 85k miles. I love the idea of overlanding and expedition travel and see this truck being my start into this scene. I am curious to know if this is a good enough engine for off roading with a big load in the bed as well as just driving in general. I don't plan to do much if any towing with this truck so I don't need power for that however I do want to be able to haul a bunch of gear around in my bed. Ultimately I am wondering if the i4 will be enough power or if I should shell out the extra cash for the v6?

 

[nucktaco]

I've got an 08 DCLB v6 auto Tacoma. I don't tow with it and with my roof tent, bumpers, sliders and skids it's a gutless dog. I know the access cab should weight less and all that but I wouldn't go for a 4 banger personally though I don't have any experience with them just the 4.0 L

 

[cdthiker]

The 2.7 I 4 toyota motor is the most underrated motor out there in toyota land.
in short, it is awesome. Mated to a 5 speed manual it will accelerate almost as fast as the 4.0.

Mine is a 2012 reg cab 5 speed 2.7 4x4 that just rolled 100k miles. Those little motors will do everything you ask of them and then some things that you most likely shouldnt.
Here is a review that I wrote up about it
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/170847-100-K-Review-2012-2-7-4x4-Regular-Cab

I drive A LOT and this truck is awesome for a DD. In terms of loads off road, I am not sure what you are looking to do but I have many a time been in the middle of nowhere 50 miles down a dirt 2 track with a thousand pounds of fire wood in the bed.
Listen, the truck is not going to win any races but it is going to do truck stuff just fine, while getting good MPG, and having low running costs.
I use my truck like a truck but I also take good care of it. I expect a 300k mile service life out of it with out too many problems.

Not kidding, its an awesome motor. The only time I wish I had a bigger one in it is times where I needed something other then a Tacoma to do the work I was doing. Between my camper shell, tools and other junk there is about 500 lbs in the back of my truck most days. It has seen thousands of miles of dirt no problem. You just have to know how to use the gearing and transfer case in your favor. The 2.7 is a torquey little bastard and in 4x4lo would most likely climb a tree as it has traction. It is a small, and light, and you can put it anywhere.
I have lived out of the back of mine with all the camping gear in the world, the dog and wife for weeks at a time. The motor is no problem at all. Just dont expect to do 90 up a mountain pass, or haul *** through th desert over the whoops and it will be more then enough.

Here is pretty much the best looking regular cab in the world that has plenty of weight, big tires, and off road toys the whole nine yards. The 2.7 was fine for this application. I think he did end up re-gearing at one point becaue of tire size.
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/47519-2010-Regular-Cab?highlight=2010+tacoma+regular+cab

oh, it is also one of the longest lasting motors on the road.

 

[NoahUrell]

Thanks so much for the feedback, It sounds like the i4 will do plenty fine for what I want. Its cool to hear and see everyone so passionate about their trucks!

 

[andrew61987]

I have the I4 with 5speed and I carry around a bunch of crap when I camp. I love it. I also have 32 inch tires which kill your torque. The motor is still fine. Is it slow? Yes. Am I sometimes that guy in the right lane going 45-50mph in 3rd gear going over steep passes? Yes. Do I care? No. Does it get me where I want to go? Every time. Mark my words, 20 years from now it will be known as a legend. I'd buy another in a heartbeat. I think it's the best option for overland style setups.

 

[cdthiker]

I have the I4 with 5speed and I carry around a bunch of crap when I camp. I love it. I also have 32 inch tires which kill your torque. The motor is still fine. Is it slow? Yes. Am I sometimes that guy in the right lane going 45-50mph in 3rd gear going over steep passes? Yes. Do I care? No. Does it get me where I want to go? Every time. Mark my words, 20 years from now it will be known as a legend. I'd buy another in a heartbeat. I think it's the best option for overland style setups.

no kidding....

When Toyota says they are going to stop making the 2.7 five speed combo, I will go out and buy a brand new one. I figure between that and my current truck I should be covered for the next 25-30 years...

They just go and go and go.
Oh, and still simple enough to do stuff like you know change spark plugs in the drive way.
Not 100 percent sold on the throttle by wire but it is good enough and has not given me a reason to doubt it.

 

[andrew61987]

Not 100 percent sold on the throttle by wire but it is good enough and has not given me a reason to doubt it.

Did you know they started doing throttle by wire back with the 1st gens and combined it with a regular throttle cable as well as a backup? I believe 2005 they did away with the cable but by that time we already had multiple years of successful use of the system under our belts. I never hear about them failing, I'm sold at this point.

 

[cdthiker]

Did you know they started doing throttle by wire back with the 1st gens and combined it with a regular throttle cable as well as a backup? I believe 2005 they did away with the cable but by that time we already had multiple years of successful use of the system under our belts. I never hear about them failing, I'm sold at this point.

I I know it has been around for a while. For me it is more of a driving style thing then I think it is going to break thing. I am a fan of less fancy = less to break but then again I have crank windows a five speed rubber everything and manual locks. Heck I dont even have intermit wipers on my toyota.

Now if only they would have put a hand shift vs the twist knob for the 4x4 on my 2012....

 

[NVLOC]

I understand most people love their vehicle. I have owned a 2010 2.7 l access cab 4wd.
Adding my experience as it certainly doesn't reflect he norm here it seems.

- Does not accelerate almost as fast the 4.0.
- will require constant high revving in mountainous terrain to maintain momentum.
- at this point the gas mileage difference is negligible and driver fatigue is exaggerated due to the constant planning ahead and engine noise.
- it's reliable, so is the 4.0 engine. This is a moot point in my mind as neither of these engines have real issues
- 5 speed tranny is the clunkiest toyota tranny I've driven. 1-2 and 3-2 is deplorable.

Interesting to note that you won't find many people that have gone from the V6 to the 4cyl, but quite a few who have done it the other way around. If all you can afford is the 4cyl, by all means go for it. It will be just fine. If you have the option financially and drive in mountainous areas, chances are the lack of any form of grunt on incline and high gearing may wear thin.
I came from a 3.4 l v6 engine to the 2.7l, and went right back to a 3.4l after a year of ownership. The R150F tranny (5spd) is of much higher quality and the 3.4l is much less consuming to drive, empty or with weight. The difference in gas mileage with weight (I'm talking a fibreglass canopy and camping gear for a weekend plus mountain bikes) is very similar, and considering the difference in driving experience, I fail to see who would purchase the 4cyl after having driven both back to back.

Would strongly recommend test driving with some weight in the back. Also remember that the trucks come with P rated tires. The 4cyl has difficulty handling an LT rated tire overall imo. Anyone can drive anything really, but definitely good to be fully aware of what you are getting into when making a major purchase.

To paint a picture: I am not used to driving big v8's. Have always owned mid 90s and early 2000's import trucks and SUVs (other than the 2010 Tacoma). I drive the speed limit and often under. I don't expect to be roaring up sustained incline empty or with weight. I do value the driving experience of a quality vehicle with a well paired engine / tranny configuration.

 

[bkg]

I've got an 08 DCLB v6 auto Tacoma. I don't tow with it and with my roof tent, bumpers, sliders and skids it's a gutless dog. I know the access cab should weight less and all that but I wouldn't go for a 4 banger personally though I don't have any experience with them just the 4.0 L

my '10 DCSB - same thing. no way I'd do a 4 banger for expo unless it was a reg caq 5-speed... and I had money for gears....

 

[surlydiesel]

I think it really depends on your driving style. I have an 06 access cab with the 4banger 5spd. My wife drives an 09 quad cab short bed with the auto. We took her truck out to Colorado last summer with a small trailer. We got 10mpg but we could hold 70mph on most highways and passes. My truck can't hold 65 in 3rd gear on the highway up hill with the same trailer. So it all depends on what you want from the truck.

I find the 4 cylinder keeps me out of trouble. I drive fast if I'm in a fast vehicle, so a slow truck is perfect for me. I can still do 5-10 over the speed limit in most situations but on the highway, I'm in 4th gear holding 65 - 70 on the hills. I do run 32 inch E rated tires. That does also slow it down quite a bit. We had a 4 wheel camper last summer in the bed of my truck and it hauled it great and held 65 - 70 on the highway with little issue. 18mpg while doing it. So if you only plan on loading the bed and don't need to drive fast, get the 4 banger. They are smooth and quiet. If you like to have extra hp and drive quick, get the 4.0 and the 6spd. I'd have lots of speeding tickets if I had one...

On a complete side note, I plan on getting a Tundra for a 3rd vehicle. If I could get one with a Manual trans, I would dump the Taco in a hot minute. I really enjoy driving stick too much to give it up but I really need a Tundra for the stuff I do.

Cheers,
Jorge

 

[crazysccrmd]

I've got an 08 DCLB v6 auto Tacoma. I don't tow with it and with my roof tent, bumpers, sliders and skids it's a gutless dog. I know the access cab should weight less and all that but I wouldn't go for a 4 banger personally though I don't have any experience with them just the 4.0 L

I have an '11 4.0 auto and don't feel it is gutless at all. I have a front bumper and winch, sliders, 33's, roof rack, RTT mounted on the bed and plenty of weight in the bed for most of the summer. It has no problem cruising 70mph, going up hills, passing vehicles, etc. In the winter I don't have the tent mounted but frequently tow around 3500lbs of trailer and snow machines without problems with the bed loaded with crap as well.

 

[Clutch]

I understand most people love their vehicle. I have owned a 2010 2.7 l access cab 4wd.
Adding my experience as it certainly doesn't reflect he norm here it seems.

- Does not accelerate almost as fast the 4.0.
- will require constant high revving in mountainous terrain to maintain momentum.
- at this point the gas mileage difference is negligible and driver fatigue is exaggerated due to the constant planning ahead and engine noise.
- it's reliable, so is the 4.0 engine. This is a moot point in my mind as neither of these engines have real issues
- 5 speed tranny is the clunkiest toyota tranny I've driven. 1-2 and 3-2 is deplorable.

Interesting to note that you won't find many people that have gone from the V6 to the 4cyl, but quite a few who have done it the other way around. If all you can afford is the 4cyl, by all means go for it. It will be just fine. If you have the option financially and drive in mountainous areas, chances are the lack of any form of grunt on incline and high gearing may wear thin.
I came from a 3.4 l v6 engine to the 2.7l, and went right back to a 3.4l after a year of ownership. The R150F tranny (5spd) is of much higher quality and the 3.4l is much less consuming to drive, empty or with weight. The difference in gas mileage with weight (I'm talking a fibreglass canopy and camping gear for a weekend plus mountain bikes) is very similar, and considering the difference in driving experience, I fail to see who would purchase the 4cyl after having driven both back to back.

Would strongly recommend test driving with some weight in the back. Also remember that the trucks come with P rated tires. The 4cyl has difficulty handling an LT rated tire overall imo. Anyone can drive anything really, but definitely good to be fully aware of what you are getting into when making a major purchase.

To paint a picture: I am not used to driving big v8's. Have always owned mid 90s and early 2000's import trucks and SUVs (other than the 2010 Tacoma). I drive the speed limit and often under. I don't expect to be roaring up sustained incline empty or with weight. I do value the driving experience of a quality vehicle with a well paired engine / tranny configuration.

Everyone's butt dyno is different it seems. I find the 2.7 more the adequate....just as peppy as the 3.4. And I came from driving big block V8's...when I was younger, thought I needed absolute power...now that I have gotten older, those little 4 bangers are just right. I don't find the 5 Speed clunky at all....though I used to drive F250/350's with the Borg-Warner 4 Speeds.

As long as you don't hang a bunch of aftermarket BS off the truck and keep it close to stock, it will be ok. The payload is higher on the 4 CYL too. It will yank around a topper filled with gear just fine.

The new 6 speed auto is ok in those trucks too, especially since you can easily manually shift them now.

From all the negative feedback I have heard over the years about how slow those engines are. I was a little shocked how it really wasn't when I finally got to test drive one. Don't really see why people complain about them....must be guys who are always in hurry. Everybody seems like they are in a hurry these days.

If you're going to want it to blast up the interstate at 80-90 mph, you're gonna hate it, but if you're wanting to do "expedition type" travel...stay far away from the interstate and drive on as many dirt roads as you can, it is more than capable.