Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Who has switched from a Full size to a Tacoma or Frontier

My BIL just bought a Frontier, 4 door, 4x4. It's a nice truck, plenty of snap, decent ground clearance, and with the room of the four door I like it.

Went the other way. Last yr got a DC 4x4 Tundra longbed.

I kept the 02 Xcb 4x4 Taco. Taco serves as the wood, stone, crap , Son drives in a month mobile.

From my experience with Toy products you should be happy. But make sure you get the vehicle that "fits" your needs.

I have driven a 91 Toyota 4x4 PU since October 1990. Last year at this time, I was just thinking about getting a new Tacoma Crewcab. But then Ford started advertising about the "Retire your ride program" here in Canada, and about the Ecoboost engine.

So Ford is going to pay me more than I can sell my truck for, plus I am going to drive a fullsize F150 that will get as good or better mileage than a V6 Tacoma will get, and I will ample space for my two teens. What's not to like?

I'm a very keen Toyota fan, but right now, neither the Tundra, or Tacoma is competitive against the F150. I like the Tacoma way better than the Tundra.

Do yourself a favor, check out the F150 with the Ecoboost engine.

I love my Frontier, but the V-6s mileage sucks. I get about 16 around town, and if I REALLY featherfoot it, about 21 on the highway. I like the size, but if I were buying again, I'd probably get a full-sized pickup and get the same mileage.

It parks easily enough, (the Frontier), and that's nice, especially here in town, but I hate to stop at the gas pump. I've had three other Nissan pickups, all with the 4 bangers, and the mileage was outstanding in them (25 highway, at least), the V-6 was a shock to the wallet. I like the power, and it's needed to run the automatic transmission, but I pay for it every time I stop for gas. The others were 4 banger/5 speeds, but my knees wanted an automatic this time. No more clutches for me.

We bought a 2005 4x4 Tacoma V-6 extra cab new to replace my wife's 2000 short bed Chevy 4x4 with the 4.8 liter V-8. At the time, I was driving a GMC 4x4 crew cab Sierra with the diesel and Allison transmission. My wife bought the 6-speed manual transmission over my protests as she was just sure that it would get better mileage. It has consistently registered 1.5-2.0 mpg less than two other V-6 4x4s with the auto transmission here in our little community. We live 75 miles from the nearest real grocery store and 150 miles from any other shopping, so virtually all of our driving is on the highways.

I sold the Sierra a couple of years ago and we replaced it with a Prius for her to drive (which didn't last long--she had a serious argument with the computer-controlled traction system in a snowstorm one day). She then bought a GMC K-1500 crew cab 4x4 with the 6.0 liter V-8 for me to drive. That truck never got better than 17 mpg on the highway and most tanks averaged 14-15 overall. I took the Taco back and she traded the Sierra on a diesel Jetta wagon.

The Taco just turned 177,000 and the only thing that I have done to it is replace the serpentine belt and the middle constant velocity joint in the rear drive shaft (both last summer). It gets 20-21 mpg at 75 mph on the interstate and 22-23 on those two lanes where I mostly drive at 65 mph. I have been through a lot of rough stuff off-road with it, from here to Montana. Other than a camper shell, it is totally stock. I have often wished that I had a limited slip in the rear, but so far, have not really needed one. I pull a double axle flat-bed trailer with my Polaris Ranger to Colorado and back every year with no problems.

It could really stand to have a higher axle ratios, as it will run uphill and downhill through most mountain passes with the cruise control set in 6th gear. If you get caught up in stop and go traffic (as I have a few times on I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe), you get really tired of the clutching and shifting.

That is just about the way I would put it too. I went from a Chevy 2500 that was getting around 10 mpg on the highway to a 4 door 4x4 Frontier. It get 17 to 18 around town and 21 on the road. Full sized trucks are doing about the same now. I haven't had much trouble with the Frontier, but the milage would be better if it didn't blow gas out the tank while filling it up. It doesn't park like a Jeep but it is so much better than my 2500 I can't complain.

This year we took my buddy's '02 Taco on our GA pig hunt. Surprisingly comfortable on the 650 mile drive down there, & substantially better mileage than my '07 Yukon XL (Naturally).

The huge difference, though, was once we got into the swamp. That li'l truck would walk through aNNNything we pointed it toward, including several holes that the property owner later told us not to go into.

If I didn't have 6 kids, I'd very likely go for a dual cab Taco.

FC

I would second this. The "little" trucks are not so little any more and their mileage is not great.

Expat

My Ecoboost is not here yet, but the salesman has had a Lariat for about a month. He is getting 22mpg (imperial gallon) in the city. I can't wait! Another week or so before mine arrives.

What does that figure out to be in U.S. gallons miles per gallon?

I googled a conversion formula; that's 18mpg U.S..
That's what they've been advertizing that 3.5l EcoBoost engine as getting in city driving, and four mpg more on the highway.

I'm very interested in that engine in a F-150 for myself.

I have an '08 4x4 double cab tacoma and Im happy with it. I average 18-19 city and about 22.5 highway cruzing between 70-75. And the v6 in an automatic really has plenty of power. I have a factory installed tow package so I have a tow capacity of 6500 lbs which more then I need. The little truck fits my needs.

I got one of both.My wife has the 2004 Tacoma V6 ,5 speed and it gets 21-21 mpg.Then I have the Dodge Cummins,98, 5 sp. I get 21-23 out of it,but diesel is $.50 per gallon higher than reg gas.
The one thing I particularly don't like about the Toyoatis tehtrack width.Somewhat narrower than a std pick up and its a bear trying to drive two tracks on ranch roads. Either one wheel or the other is in a track, but not both.Keeps flippin a guy back and forth.

I also have a lot harder time shifting smoothly in the Tacoma compared to the Dodge.

In 2005, they apparently changed the track width. My 2005 tracks with everything I have encountered in AZ, CO, ID, MT, NE, NM, TX and WY.

Our 2005 6-speed manual is one of the slickest shifting manual transmissions that I have driven. Obviously, YMMV,,,

My 18 mph is if I'm driving 70+ mph.

If you drive 63 or under in a taco 4x4 you can get 22 mph

I got a 2009 Tacoma dual cab. I drive a stick. It's a fine truck but you will get better mileage with the F150 together with more room, load and tow capacity, and comfort. I'm thinking after a few years of going back to full size....F150, stick of course .

Can't get a stick in the F150. The auto has a manual shift if you want.

I'll let you guys kno what the F150 Ecoboost can do mileage wise when it gets broken in. I only have 800km on it so far.

Way more space than the old Tacoma

Please do, this has caught my attention, and it may be my next truck.

Please do. Many thanks in advance.

That's why I'm still driving my 2005 Sequoia. I get 21 to 22 mpg highway at 70 mph. IMO it and the 2005 Tundra DC are the perfect size - bigger than the Taco DC but smaller than the new Tundra and Sequoia. I've got 175,000 on the Sequo in 6.5 years. My oldest son turns 8 in 2 weeks and he already knows this will be his truck when he turns 16...