4cyl or 6cyl

[xjaugie]

Ok, as a newbie,(been lurking for a while) I thought I would beat this horse again, as I'm sure it has been discussed before, but my search did not find too much.

I'm looking to replace my Jeep XJ for a Tacoma xcab and have found that the used 4 bangers are a little cheaper than the 6's. While I do not travel exstreme long distances like some on here, the truck is mainly a fishing, hunting, camping type of travel vehicle. The project will include bumpers, suspension upgrade to run 32"s, lockers, winch and such.

I'm not a horse power freak but would like to be able to climb interstate hills at the posted speeds when the truck is loaded with gear.

So given that info, should I steer clear of the little 4 or would it serve me ok?

 

[twblanset]

Get the six. There's very little difference in MPG's and the six is so much nicer to drive. I used to have a 4 banger and I cursed it every time I labored up a long hill. I've got the six now and I love it. You won't regret the extra money. Cry once.

 

[hurricane harry]

The little 4 will be dependable and solid as a rock. It will not like climbing hills loaded down however, but it will do it. 24mpg on the freeway.

 

[njtaco]

Well, the 4cyl Tacoma motor (2.7 L) is junk. My ex has ours, and after only 130,000 miles it already has thrown it's first CEL code. #3 coil failed. Can you imagine??? Only 130K and already falling apart?

Jeez.


Seriously, the above is true. The truck has been under my care since 2005 and 30K and has needed NOTHING but routine maintenance. The 4cyl runs like a top.

As for interstate driving, when towing I figure on doing the speed limit and dropping it out of overdrive on steep grades. There is a "power" mode via push button that affects the transmission's shifting. The only thing I'd add is a transmission cooler. If you are considering a manual trans, disregard this paragraph.

OTOH, the V6 is also reliable, has more power, 5000lb tow capacity (instead of 3500lb), and takes to larger tires better than the 4cyl without a regear. That may all be moot if you plan to install lockers with appropriate gears anyways. I've read they get about the same mileage, for the most part. The V6 may even do a little better once you weigh the truck down with armor, etc

Budget for a timing belt and water pump if getting a V6, if it has not yet been done.

 

[Martinjmpr]

If you don't do a lot of mountain driving the 4 would probably be fine.

Personally, I would not consider a 4 cyl/auto combo. I have had the 3.4l with both a 5 speed (04 Taco) and an auto (current 99 4runner) and the truck with the auto is sluggish at best, plus MPG sucks. 6 cyl/5 speed would be the most powerful, 4 cyl/5 speed would probably be best MPG.

 

[njtaco]

I agree, if you are in Colorado with big mountains, the V6. In Maryland and our "little" east coast hills, either will work for you.

 

[frobuster]

They are all great, don't pay an extra arm and leg for a six, except the 4.0. Enjoy.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Personally, I would not consider a 4 cyl/auto combo.

This is good advice. I wouldn't get anything but a stick behind a 4 cylinder.

However, personally I drive the 3RZ's ugly cousin 22R-E, live in Colorado and go uphill as much as possible. Speed is over rated, slow down, ease the seat back, put on some tunes, sip your coffee enjoying the day out in the mountains. Seriously, going 10 MPH extra means the trip to Fruita is 4 hours, 45 minutes instead of 4 hours 15 minutes. Shrug. Life's too short to worry about having the mostest, fastest, baddest.

 

[Redline]

I've been spoiled with torque and power for years, but my buddy's 'new to him' 1996 Tacoma 4 cylinder/5-speed is really nice on gas compared to our other rigs. There are some mpg stats from a few months ago on my blog, but 20+ mpg always gets my attention.

If you don't do a lot of mountain driving the 4 would probably be fine... Snip...
4 cyl/5 speed would probably be best MPG.

 

[oxi]

If you are going to get the 2.7l, get the 5-speed manual. You will have better control over shifting especially at the stoplights.

You can get up to speed better with the stick anyway and have better control off-road.

 

[xjaugie]

Thanks for all of the great advise. While our "little hills" in Maryland may not be as tall as those out west, they can be pretty steep. I'm thinking that with the 6, I may not need to regear to run 32s, that savings alone would make up the difference. We'll see.

Thing is I've grown to wheel'n with an auto trany but it would be nice to shift gears again, I guess.

With the budget of $20,000 for the total project, I'll have to see what comes available. What really gets me is the high mileage I see for the price. The truck will not be a daily driver, but I'll still be putting about 10,000to 15,000 miles on it a year.

I'll continue reading to learn all the tricks of the what to do and not do from you all, Looking forward to building another go anywhere anytime vehicle.

Andy

 

[yota1]

i have a 4 banger and love it, not a racer, but it amazes me what this truck can do in stock form, where my old powerstrock f350 got stuck all time.

mileage is ok, but i like to to run a bit in the higher rpm, 2500-3500 so i take the snappy throttle there over the mpg.

i do only about 8.5k a year so i don't care about the slight lose in mpg, but i still average around 19-21

 

[trump]

Well, the 4cyl Tacoma motor (2.7 L) is junk.

Correction, your 2.7L is junk. Many have 300K miles on these motors with just routine maintenance.

That said, I would go with the 3.4L if I did it again. I love this motor, but it would be better suited in something that weighed 1000 lbs less. I get worse mpg than the V6 would carrying this extra weight.

 

[TangoBlue]

Correction, your 2.7L is junk. Many have 300K miles on these motors with just routine maintenance.

That said, I would go with the 3.4L if I did it again. I love this motor, but it would be better suited in something that weighed 1000 lbs less. I get worse mpg than the V6 would carrying this extra weight.

Agreed - what he said.

 

[Hunter'06FLKY]

Well, the 4cyl Tacoma motor (2.7 L) is junk. My ex has ours, and after only 130,000 miles it already has thrown it's first CEL code. #3 coil failed. Can you imagine??? Only 130K and already falling apart?

Hey man don't be bashing the 4 bangers too soon. I've known plenty people that have gotten well over 200k on these motors and they're still going.

As for whether or not they have the power to handle the weight I don't think you'll find much in the way of issues there. There are plenty of guys running these trucks with all of the added weight, including on this forum (Tacovendor). I'm getting ready to add a bumper and sliders to mine and have full faith that it'll handle it just fine. If you head over to TacomaWorld you can find a few more guys running similar setups.