Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Toyota Tacoma: Current 3.5l vs Prior 4.0l

I have a 2020 with the 6 speed manual in it and am lucky to get 17 mpg on the highway. I’ve driven land cruisers since 1996 and am used to Toyotas being under powered. The new Tacoma really seems to lag until you get close to 2000 rpms and has a noticeable powerband at 3000 rpm. Im a big fan of Toyota, but if I could have gotten a similarly size domestic pickup with a manual transmission (and now a little diesel motor) I would have done so, after driving the new Tacoma for 9000 miles.

My roommate has a 2020. I helped him change the oil a few weeks ago. Without a lift it is a real pain.

I've driven it quite a few times. Drives nice but gets terrible mileage. I think here on Kodiak driving the 7 miles to work everyday he is getting about 17. Most of the miles are at 55 too. My 93 F150 gets the same mileage and has loads more torque with the 4.9.

My 17 F150 with the 3.5 is 3 times as fast and gets better mileage than his taco.
I think Toyota screwed up with that 3.5

One thing is for sure, if and when you see a low mile '15 Tacoma for sell, if you want it, you better be quick on the trigger.

I've been looking to update my '07 Taco to a newer model. Saw 2 different 15's come available on Craigslist this summer and they were gone in no less then two days. There's a high demand for them, for good reason.

My '07 now has 226,000+ miles. Nothing wrong with it but I'd still like to upgrade. Just have read too many negative reviews from guys that did the same but went with '16 or newer models and found out that they don't like the new power train.

Any idea if the newer models weigh much more than the older ones with the 4.0?

Besides the change in the power curve, adding more and bigger goodies can push the weight up.

I'm not familiar with the new stuff, computers and all that, but can the power curve be changed with a "chip" like folks do with other cars/trucks?

What's the issue with the oil changes? Accessibility to the filter canister? The drain plug?

I'm glad I have my '01, 4cyl, 5 speed, crank windows base model. I think if the engine or other drive train component goes rebuilds will be the ticket.

I bought a new 2012 with a 6 speed manual. It now has 160k on it and not a glitch.
I look forward to putting another 160k on it.

Was in CO recently and completed a pretty technical off road with some jeeps and the Tacoma had no problem handling and going anywhere the jeeps did.

I wouldn't sell it for anything.

I bought an 09 with the 4.0 for a hunting truck. I can't tell you how much I disliked that truck. From the automatic transmission always searching for the right gear to all the electronic crap that wouldn't let me spin the tires to telling me to buckle the seat belts. Absolutely drove me nuts. My kid needed a fuel efficient car for college so he got the wifes Camry and she wanted the truck. I bought a 92 and built it up the way I wanted for a hunting truck. Last year of the wing windows baby. ARB air lockers, 4.88 gears, 33" tires, ARB bumper and Warn winch, Rigid lights on front, canopy to sleep in. It's perfect for offroad and drives just fine everywhere I need to go.

When the motor goes, it'll get a 3.4 and a super charger for 270 hp.

I picked up a 2013 last year with 17k miles. Specifically because I wanted the 4.0, and not the new v6.

No complaints. Has a rear locker, atrac, enough power for me.

I got the last year production of the previous Gen (2015) and it's been absolutely trouble free. Only 64k miles. I'm lucky if I get a bit over 17mpg mixed driving. Typically average just under 16mpg.

I like Tacomas. It's a shame that they are turds off road.

Oh, and all Toyotas get 17 mpg btw. It's mandatory. LOL

Yes, except mine.

Calculations for the fill up the other day:



Not bad considering a pipe rack over the camper shell, a truck box that weighs +/- 50 lbs, a tool box with about 30lbs in it, the "junk" behind the seat for another 30 lbs or so, and my big fat arse. So certainly not an unladen vehicle.

Will admit, it was about 30 miles up in the mountains on USFS roads, and the rest was 95% rural driving. Very little stop and go.

Most people I know who have been disappointed with their 2004 or later Tacomas were unhappy because they were hoping for more MPG. Other than that, they've mostly been happy. My uncle has had a few Tacomas and says people don't keep on buying them because of the great fuel mileage. I agree. Mine wears a lift, 32" mud tires, and a bull-bar with winch. It usually averages around 16.5 to 17mpg with mixed driving.

There it is ^^^^^.

The old ones did better. I knew a guy that claimed to get almost 30 mpg with his 1985 4x4 5 spd 4 cyl.

That would be really good based on my long term experience (14 years?) with an '86 2 WD, 4 cyl, 5 spd, long bed extended cab, again with the fiberglass cap installed.

It regularly got around 25 mpg on the highway, 22 or so around town.

I have the 4.0 in a 2018 4runner. The reason I bought it was the complaints on the 3.5 engine and ever shifting tranny.
My 4.0 gets 20 mpg. I bought a really nice aluminum trailer, so I think I did better than just a Tacoma. More inside room for the dogs, and I think the engine is better. The newer 4.0 does have the sucky oil filter, but it is not too much of a big deal. I have no regrets with the 4.0, but I cant imagine less HP with the 3.5. The 4.0 is adequate at best.

Ive had 2 Tacomas and both never got better than 17mpg. Still have my 02 Dbl Cab.
The older 4cyl Tacomas were a bit better though, both of mine were V6.

I had a 2009 4cyl regular can mt and it would get about 24mpg mixed usually. Should've never sold it. Payed 15k for it with 30k miles in 2013.

I will say on the 3.4 I had in my 01, phuuck the engineer that decided to have the oil filter oriented upside down....[bleep]'em.

Yeah, you might have shoulda kept that one. Was it 2 wd? That's really good mileage even with the 4cyl.

What's with this new upside down oil filter stuff. I'm going to have to look for a picture of that. I like the old filter in a can like I had on my old Chevy, didn't have to get under the car to change it even.

It was 4x4. No cruise control tho. But I didn't mind the crank windows and manual locks. I didn't get anywhere fast, but I got there.

Maybe my memory is off because it's been 8yrs since I changed oil on a 3.4 v6 but I remember the oil filter being at a downward (upside down) angle, causing oil to pour all over the place upon unscrewing it. A real p.i.t.a.

I put 178k on a 3.4 v6 double cab tacoma with no issues (without changing the timing belt...not advised). Great vehicle.

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