L4 vrs V-6 Real World MPG

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Bodacious

Active Member
I'm sure this has been posted b4, tried to search but not much luck.
Looking at purchasing 2014 SR5 Access Cab 4x4. I'm not planning on doing any towing with this truck, and it will be driven on the asphalt, empty most of the time.
I will be getting an auto-trans 4spd if it's an L4, and 5spd if I buy a V6.
The website shows 18/21 for the L4, and 16/21 for the V6.
Are the numbers realistic or not? Given the fact that it would be driven smoothly, and at legal speed limits.

I'd appreciate your personal findings......Thanks!
 
My Daily Driver is a 2011 Double Cab with the 4.0 V6 Automatic. Weekday commutes get the 21 as advertised. When weekend around town driving is included it is 19 something. I was impressed because I upgraded from a 2003 access cab with a 3.6 V6 Automatic with 20/18 mpg. I was expecting to get worse with a larger vehicle and engine.

Not to turn you from the 4x4 but a coworker has the PreRunner 3.6 V6 access cab a gets 26 mpg.
 
I just got 22 on a trip from wv to nc. I have a 2.7 with a 5 speed manual. On avg I get 18 to 19 around town. I also have 265/75/16 at tires. I know you said you will never tow but I get 16 when I tow my 1800 lb bass boat. Some say that the v6 is close to the same
 
tacomawv said:
I just got 22 on a trip from wv to nc. I have a 2.7 with a 5 speed manual. On avg I get 18 to 19 around town. I also have 265/75/16 at tires. I know you said you will never tow but I get 16 when I tow my 1800 lb bass boat. Some say that the v6 is close to the same
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Thanks for the info./........is your L4 a 4x4?
 
MPGs aren't that much better with the 4 banger. Stock I got 21 easy mostly highway with my V6. Honestly a truck is the wrong place to look for MPGs.
 
Bodacious said:
Thanks for the info./........is your L4 a 4x4?
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Yes it is a 4x4. It also drinks a lot more if I go over 60 on the highway. Not to concerned about it. After all it is a truck. I am concerned that they are going to lower the gen 3 to get better Mpgs. All trucks are getting lower to the ground.
 
whippersnapper02 said:
MPGs aren't that much better with the 4 banger. Stock I got 21 easy mostly highway with my V6. Honestly a truck is the wrong place to look for MPGs.
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Yea I hear you. I'm having a hard time convincing myself that a L4 will do the job properly. I've been always a v-8 Silverado owner. Dropping in size and power is a big move. All the domestics full size 1500 trucks seem to match or surpass the MPG numbers on the Tacoma.(They just cost 15K more). More room, 300 plus HP, more creature comforts........I guess it just boils down to what will get the job done cost effectively.

No ya got me thinking....again..............
 
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FYI - Those full size MPG numbers are a lie. You will never see what they claim. The Ecopoop does alright but not great. Put some weight behind it and you burn more than the V8.
 
Yeah, I agree with Whippersnapper. I've got a couple of friends who drive F150s and they don't get the mileage claimed. I used to drive an F150 with the V6, and although the mileage in the highway wasn't bad, 21 was the best i ever got, around town i was lucky to get 15. I just bought an AC PreRunner with the 2.7 and auto and have run about 4 tanks of fuel through it. Mileage is increasing by 1 mpg on every tank as the drivetrain loosens up. I'm pleased and what's more, I can stand on the ground and reach over the side of the bed with no problem.
 
**** my 2010 taco v-6 4x4 dbc gets 240 on 93 oct when it's on high oct map and when it's set to 87 map I get close to 300 miles out of a tank just inner city stop and go no freeway miles but I did notice a difference when I changed the t-case and f/r diff to amsoil it rolls a lot further and it's less noisy it's a truck not a hybrid lol
 
So the general response I'm hearing is, go with the v-6....... driven gently, mpg numbers are quite close to the 4 banger, but the power/torque of the v-6 is noticeable compared to the L4.

The left over 13's I'm finding are pretty much discounted about $650 less than a new 2014 (the Entune 2014 upgrade is a $680 cost....which is a must take item from Toyota)(can't opt out of the Entune crap) So I guess a one year newer truck is worth the $650 over a year old model.
 
I have a uni chip not the greatest but not the worst it's noticeable on power gains and has 5 different map settings with all the bolt ons and supercharger settings
 
StringTones said:
My Daily Driver is a 2011 Double Cab with the 4.0 V6 Automatic. Weekday commutes get the 21 as advertised. When weekend around town driving is included it is 19 something. I was impressed because I upgraded from a 2003 access cab with a 3.6 V6 Automatic with 20/18 mpg. I was expecting to get worse with a larger vehicle and engine.

Not to turn you from the 4x4 but a coworker has the PreRunner 3.6 V6 access cab a gets 26 mpg.
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When did toyota start making a 3.6?
You said 3.6 a couple times, my tacoma has a 3.4 5vz-fe engine : 2004 double cab short bed pre runner.
 
Deano1964 said:
I have a uni chip not the greatest but not the worst it's noticeable on power gains and has 5 different map settings with all the bolt ons and supercharger settings
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Could you give me some info on this uni chip?
I want more power out of my 3.4 v6... Not that it doesn't already haul some serious ass with just a supercharger.
 
The unichip is a piggy back unit that you plug into your ecu box then plug the truck harness into the unit and the chip sits on the blower box I quess from talking to Aaron at the company the chip enhances a few things like timing and the Mass air flow sensors. You can add headers and intake with performance y-pipes and even delete your cats ( state emissions permitting) all you do is go on their website and choose what intake you have since all cai's are different and choose what exhaust you have and program the chip . And you can add items on to your chip like a supercharger and/or turbo programs. If my wife notices the truck quicker off the line and better acceleration and she wouldn't notice a forest fire if she was standing in the middle of one it's got to be doing something lol lol but we ordered the flux 2 screen that plugs into your obd2 sensor and gives you full readout like fuel trims intake and coolant temps timing advances with exhaust egrs and you can choose 5 different maps it's not cheep but I wasn't cutting and splicing my harness for the other stuff and this chip won't leave any footprints in your ecu factory settings so pull it out if your having warranty work done and they won't be able to see if you had it and remember this dosent reprogram your factory programs so it dosent erase anything
 
I have a 2012 Tacoma Full Cab L4 and it pulls a Polaris razor xp1k no problem. Just on hills I need to use 3rd or 2nd gear
 
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