Looking at a double cab 2wd, 4 cyl.
I don’t tow much and I don’t pull much.

Should I just stick with the V6 and 4wd.

I would but... It depends.
The compromise would be V6 with 2WD.
I Think the V6 will last longer and give you better resale value.

To each his own, but I doubt that a 4 cyl. Tacoma could get out of its own way.
Rod

All reports are the 2.7l Toyota 4 4cyl is near bulletproof if given even the most basic maintenance. Several high mile examples all over the internet. I wouldn't be afraid of one.

That said, it will not be fast or tow as much as the bigger motor. And economy is about the same (+/- 1-1.5mpg). Boils down to what you need and what u intend to do with it. Also, there's no manual trans option on the 4cyl past about 2017. If that matters to you...

quote:

Originally posted by sig sailor:
To each his own, but I doubt that a 4 cyl. Tacoma could get out of its own way.
Rod

My 4 cylinder, 2 wheel drive, 5 speed manual Tacoma SR5 long bed can do more than just get out of its own way, she actually can haul ass. I have a towing kit on it since I use it from time to time to tow trailers full of mulch, stone, or concrete culvert sections.

If you don't plan to tow and you don't want to worry about a vehicle that is underpowered my recommendation is to buy the 2x4 Tacoma. With 226,000 miles on the clock I have had to put in one clutch, three sets of front brake pads, two cat-back exhaust systems, and a radiator. She still gets between 26 and 30 mpg around town, on the highway between 28 and 32 miles per gallon.

I have a 2013 2wd 4 cyl Tacoma single cab automatic. Great little truck with plenty of power. Just shy of 100k on the odometer and have had no issues with it at all. I wouldn’t hesitate on another when this one goes.

I had a 2006 Toyota Tacoma with the access cab, 2wd and the 2.7 4 cyl motor with manual trans. It ran just fine, never had any issues. The resale value was great when I traded it in on a 2014 Tacoma 4door, 6 cylinder automatic. If you don't tow or haul heavy loads the 4 cyl will do just fine. I have owned 3 Toyota pickups since the late 80s. I am a fanboy.

by a lot of accounts the recent tacoma 6cyl. has been pretty sucky. For want it sounds like you need I am with you on the 4cyl.

Had a family member looking at a new Tacoma. Bought the new Honda Ridgeline instead for about the same $. Seem very happy.

 
Consider the Prerunner, a 2WD model. My 2010 Prerunner is equipped with the 4cyl and 5 speed manual. The Prerunner 2WD gives you the 4x4 suspension, with more ground clearance, 4.11 geared diff, and 6 lug wheels. The 4.11 gears add a little pep, overcoming some of the "can't get out of its own way" attributed to the 4cyl engine.
 
I tow just fine with this truck, within the rated limits, which are a bit anemic. All I ever need/use is a single axle utility trailer. The payload is huge, though, at 1530 lbs. You can put a lot of weight in the bed. I brought back (from CA) an FJ-40 2F engine and transfer case. The 2F is a heavy engine, and the only time I lagged was going up the long, long hill coming out of Indio CA.

I have an 06 Taco 4 banger AT. Around town and easy trips are no problem. It needs dropping overdrive to pull a grade even empty. It is definitely not a race car. But on the flat commutes it does fine.

It kind of depends on what you’re used to also and where you live. If you’re in a warm climate and don’t need 4 wheel drive then you can probably live with the 4 banger. If you need 4 wheel drive and you do a lot of highway driving you might want the V6.

I test drove a Subaru that’s only available with a 4 cylinder and it was so painful to drive that I thought something was wrong with it. It totally took all the enjoyment out of it for me. I haven’t owned a car in over 25 years with less than 300hp so an anemic car is just a bummer to me. If you’re used to puttering around in a car with 150hp it might not bother you.

I owned a Tacoma ‘Prerunner’, 4 cyl, 2 wheel drive, year 2000. It was fine, owned it until Toyota did the rust buy back at 160k miles.

Yeah, most will say 4wd, more options on the lot, likely not a whole lot difference in price.

Say one drives on pavement in FL or CA, not a high need for 4wd. Maintenance is a little less with 2wd, for those that do maintenance. Yes, resale is easier, many want 4wd.

I just sold my 2019 Tacoma. It had the V6, it was 2X4 with the 6' bed. I would get 23 mpg pretty easily in my daily/ weekly commute for work. There were times it didn't seem to have enough power or it was geared too tall. It liked to downshift a lot. Kinda wish I had found a manual with the v6.

I now have a new Tundra, much more HP's...

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

My 4 cylinder, 2 wheel drive, 5 speed manual Tacoma SR5 long bed can do more than just get out of its own way, she actually can haul ass.

Ditto. I owned mine for 14 years and no issues at all. Granted that I never towed anything, but I hauled plenty of things in the bed including mulch, rock, paver stones, retaining wall blocks, tree branches, etc. In my opinion, driving a 4 cyl with the manual trans. is a better combo than with a automatic transmission. Plenty of pep when you down shift.

Thanks Sig2340, I stand corrected.
Rod

I drove a V6 4x4 today on Friday, only because the 4x2 I want is not on the lot yet. Had loads of power and sat really up in the air. I seem to fall out of it to get out.

Compared to a Nissan Frontier (I did have a 2015, previously) it was civil. the finance numbers are kinda close to where I want to be.

We had a 2004 4 cyl 5 speed manual 2WD with the Pre Runner package that required a special order, as it had every available option / upgrade available for a 4 cyl. Our most fun truck to drive, with the possible exception of the 1984 5 speed manual V6 Bronco II that we kept for 18 years. We'd probably still be driving the Tacoma but for the RV we bought (7400 lbs) that necessitated upgrading the tow rating. That Tacoma made two runs a week to Houston (275 miles round trip) for two years pulling everything from a full enclosed 8x12 utility trailer, to a bed full of packed tool chests and furniture, to gravel and mulch to landscape a yard, ripped out old kitchen cabinets and the new ones to replace them, all without problems while caring for failing parents and clearing out / fixing up their houses. My wife still misses that truck. The only downside was the engine was slow to idle down after lifting up on the accelerator (I'm sure that was an emission control "feature", not a bug) that required a short pause on the 1 -2 shift. Didn't seem to affect the higher gears. We also never got > 24 mpg, usually 21 -22.

I'm on my third Tacoma 6c and prior to that had a 4Runner with the 4.0L 6c. None ever gave me a bit of trouble and were a joy to own and drive. I'm a low mileage guy.

From what I've seen hanging around the Tacoma community for many years is that 4c is near bullet proof if maintained properly. I think Toyota sells a lot of this SR and SR5 configuration to fleet operators who mostly jet around town on service calls and do high mileage, stop and go driving. They thrive on that application. The 4c's strong point is not towing or heavy load hauling, although it will do as well as any competitors in this class.

The now discontinued (in Tacoma) 4L as well as the newer 3rd generation Tacoma 3.5L Atkinson cycle 6c are also very dependable. I've read reports on both going over 300,000 with only normal wearing part replacements.

Bottom line, if your driving habits match up well with the capabilities of the 4c and you don't care about for the cosmetics of the higher trim levels, or more powerful 6c (actually the 6c is no neck popping powerhouse either) then it will serve you well. As already pointed out though, the higher trim levels will bring better resale value.

Had a 2-door, 4 cylinder, 5-speed, 2001 Tacoma SST for a couple of years. Bought it with 105k miles. Sold it with 155k. Most days, I drove it like I stole it. It was a fun little truck. Good gas mileage, no issues.

Ran into a guy with the identical truck. He had over 500k on his at the time and it was his daily driver. I still see him in the same truck around town occasionally. I suspect he’ll be one of those guys who gets a free truck from Toyota for driving over a million miles.

Toyota builds good engines. If you’re not towing a lot, the 4-cylinder is good to go.

A mechanic I used for years said that Toyota 4 cylinder engines with 250k miles often still looked better on the inside than domestic brand engines with 50k. If the truck suits your needs you won’t find a better one.