Anyone have any comments/recommendations/life experiences to offer up on 4 vs 6 cylinder with 5-speed manual?

 

I have owned both. In 2000 I bought an '01 Tacoma 4cyl xcab 5 speed. I had a 4" deckplate in my airbox and a K&N airfilter for my only performance modifications, although those mods weren't added until about the last year that I had it. It has plenty of power for offroading, 4wd Low is able to crawl anywhere you want. It is not a hot rod on the streets, though. Around town driving is fine, but get it out on the freeway and you realize a weakness in the engine. I could maintain 75 with moderate hills, but there is always some downshifting envolved. And if you want to speed, it takes some real work to get it above 80 mph. You can almost go faster in 4th gear with rpms screaming than you can in 5th. Passing power is also not so good. Towing capacity isn't great, either. Towing a trailer with 2 ATV's was a serious workout. Mileage-wise, I got between 17-23 mpg depending on the type of driving. Best tank ever was 27 mpg, worse was around 12 mpg (that was the ATV towing day).

Last summer I traded that 4cyl in during Toyota's big 0% finance sale and picked up an '03 tacoma xcab TRD V6 5 speed. 5" deckplate and Amsoil filter are the only performance modifications. The engine is much stronger, for sure. Those struggling on the freeway days are a thing of the past. I have also towed with it and you can certainly tell you've got the extra torque there. Little things, too, like the engine idle doesn't have to kick up when I turn the heater on. And the A/C doesn't take away half my horsepower! Mileage is so far noticeable less, I have yet to break 20 mpg. But it is winter, and the engine is still breaking in. I average about 15-18 mpg. Best tank so far was 19 mpg, which upset me because it was 95% highway driving at reasonable speeds. I miss the 23 mpg days, but that is my only regret at the upgrade.

I hope these little stories help.

 

if it toyota it will last forevery the keep going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going

 

It all depends on your needs. Both are reliable, durable platforms. As long as you match the engine to the intended use of the vehicle you will be happy.

 

i had a 84 22re 2wd extcab pickup with 140k 5speed and it ran strong. you do need to reve it out for the power but you cant kill them. i hit a tree on the pasenger side at 40mph and was going to just junk it so i tried to kill the motor 6800rpms and no or low oil for days at a time the thing wouldnt let go so i gave it to a friend and he is still running the motor no problems it went plenty fast 110-120 and u gota love the mid to high 20's mpg grate truck wish i still had it :cry:

 

Thanks for your replies folks.
I actually had the GF post this as I was out test driving another bunch of runners today.
Took a couple of 4 cyls out, and they were pretty good in the city, but I could tell that they won't do the trip for me on the highway. My commute is 160 miles, round trip, uphill both ways. Well, maybe not BOTH ways, but coming home, it's pretty much a steady climb. I don't think I could get used to rowing through the gears like I had to with my Cherokee.
So, the search continues for a 3.0 5 spd, which seem to be pretty rare in these parts. Good thing I'm not hung up on the 2 door / 4 door issue, because I've never seen another 2 door in all my searching this week!

Please keep the input coming though, as others may need it too!

 

"They" say that the 3.0L V6 is about the same power as the new 2.7L inline 4's. I have never driven a 3.0, so I can't vouch. That is just what I read somewhere....

 

There's something funny about the Tacoma 4 cylinders apparently. I've seen a number of comments over the years about lack of highway power. I've got several 22RE's in earlier Toyota trucks, and highway speed isn't an issue. Each would do 90+mph quite consistently. Towing capacity could take a ton and go up mountain seven degree mountain passes in 4th gear at highway speeds. Yet this isn't what is reported by many Tacoma owners.

 

Maybe the Tacomas are a heavier vehicle, so the engine has quite a task to haul it around?

 

22re is my preference.

 

ive got an 04 2.7L inline 4 in my regular cab. deck plate and K&N. never had a problem with it. could do 95 on the highway no problem. 4 wheel power is there when you need it but not too jumpy. towing.....400lb motorcycle trailer with two 400lb bikes on it and could barely tell it was there. im happy with my 4 banger. with mid 150hp and mid 190torque i cant complain. and im still only at 4000miles. its still got a hundred grand before its broken in!

 

I will say that during the time I owned my 4 cyl, I could justify it as the better truck for me. It could do anything I wanted it to. I would defend it against the V6 crowd. But like I said before, the only regret I have about upgrading to the V6 is the reduced mileage. I definitely think of it as an upgrade.

I think that a regular cab is probably enough of a lighter truck than the Xcab to where the I4 would perform better. I probably only got my 2.7 above 90 mph a handful of times. But I don't think I was ever at a disadvantage while off-roading. 4Low will get you anywhere in the 2.7 that the V6 can go.

 

I have owned a Taco with a 2.4L and now own a Hilux 3.0. Both with 5 speeds.

Based on cost per mile I would say the 4cyl is really easy on the check book.
For thrill, the V6 3.0 is good. But, given the TRD supercharger for 2.7 and 2.4 Taco, I would go 2.7.

There's a supercharger on the market for 22RE if that's a direction you wanted to go.

A few last thoughts. 4cyl have less parts than a V6. Less parts equals less things that could go wrong. And having a 4cyl means you can change your oil easier than a wedged in V6.

 

The 2.7L is a strong 4-cyl. engine. I love mine and for living on the east coast, its a great ride.

 

I love my 4banger! It's economical (22-23mpg), chain drive, and bulletproof! And it isn't bad on highways (90-100mph no sweat!)

 

I have issues with the V6 being a bit underpowered,I can't imagine a 4 banger under the hood of a 2nd or 3rd gen Runner. I though my girlfriend's '94 PU with the 4banger was pretty slow up hills.

 

4cyl lacks the overall power and I do not recommend the auto tranny if you can help it. Especially if you are towing!!! Sometimes I need to either put the pedal to the floor to get it to kick down or I shift it into 2nd Manually.... The engine itself is a solid as a rock though!!!