If your in the mtns make sure you get the 6 cyl cause it will drive like a 4 cyl up here, i speak from experience with both!

 

get the v6.with a shell you'll get about 18 mpg combined.

 

newer Tacomas seem to have more power, but I have a V6 2004 and I need everything I have to get up the hills

 

All of the above is true about the 6cyl. engine. Those trucks are great. I have 300k on mine and still running strong. I bought mine new in 99. 4x4 might be something to look for also being up in the mountains. I get offers on mine about once a month. They are hard to find from what I hear.
Good luck.

 

I've got a extended cab 4x4 V6 2003. The MPG rating are about 1 MPG less than the comparable 4 cylinder. I'd definitely go for the V6 again. I've got 165,000 trouble free miles so far. Average 18-19 miles per gallon with a topper and gear constantly in the back. For the '05 model year the V6 got bumped from 190 hp to 235 hp.

My only partial regret is not getting the crew cab. You lose 7 or 8" of bed space - but for skiing, road trips, traveling to rivers, and sometimes for long shuttle runs not having the extra real sized seats is a bit of a bummer. Since I'm 6'5 i can't sleep in the back unless I go diagonal, and therefore solo, so that kills one of the big reasons for the long bed in my book. Regardless - great truck.

Final thought - i used to have a 1992 Toyota pickup with a 4 cylinder, 4x2, regular cab. That truck averaged 27 mpg. I think that the late nineties 4x2 models with the 2.4L engine got the same gas mileage or slightly better. Not a great mountain truck - but with studded snow tire for the winter and some patience (going uphill) you would get great gas mileage.

 

Get the new full cab trd sport it has a 6 foot bed. You can get it in a 6 spd manual transmission. That's what I'm getting when my 2000 4Runner kicks the bucket (which probably won't happen for 10 more years)

 

My truck: 99 Tacoma camper shell w/ lumber rack V6 avg 18mpg Can't go wrong

 

Yeah im definitely getting a 4x4. Thanks for the input guys

 

I had a 1997 2.4L 2x2 extended cab tacoma for 9 years, put on 250,000k with no issues, wen through 3 sets of Toyo tires and 3 sets of life time shocks. Got 27 to 28 mgp consistently on the highway. Never got stuck, drove it all kinds of places I shouldn't have, it was also not speed racer. I got a really good deal on a newer one a I couldn't pass up, so I now have a 2003 tacoma extra cab 2.4L 2x2 same everything, it only gets 24 to 25 mpg, every thing else performace wise is the same, but the body shap is a little different and a bit bigger, hence the reduced mpg. I drove it through some pretty nasty mudbogs (maybe 20 or 30 individual bogs from 40 to 200 feet long) coming out the SF Owyhee this year rally car style didn't get stuck, went over the hood at 1 stream crossing and made it. I have only been stuck while driving other 4x4s (extra confidence I geuss gets me in trouble). Always have had a canopy and rack

 

I had a 97 Tacoma with the 2.7 cyl engine. This is a bomber engine for the flat lands but totally inadequate for the mountains of Colorado where you can drive for 20 miles going uphill. You will be doing that in 3rd gear going 45 miles per hour with everybody else wizzing past. It is down right dangerous not to have that extra power under these conditions so I would go with the 6 cyl.

 

There is an epidemic of Tacoma's in the Fort right now....lifted,fancy wheels,winches etc.....but they all usually have one thing in common;the short(er) bed. wth. Am i the only one that thinks you probably don't need a truck if you want a bed thats SO small. The cargo capacity is ridiculous. Get a 6ft bed and stop trying to look cute & sporty!

 

I bought an 09 with the long bed crewcab, I agree about the shortbed--almost useless. MPG so far seems to be 19 on the hwy, if I drive the speed limits.

 

former tacoma owner. i got pretty much the same results w. my 99 4wd v6 ext cab trd as everyone else has posted. hope you like it when you buy it, because it will last forever and you'll get tired of it before it dies.

 

Having had some other Toyota's in the past I agree with most of the past statements. Our current Tacoma is a 97, V6 4wd, 6-speed manual. It has the small cab for the backseat, which is our main complaint. Holds 3 okay on a road trip, but 4 adults isn't comfy enough, thus I would potentially opt for the 4 door version (we have the small reverse opening doors). I would definitely get the V6, and the manual transmission provides some nice extra power for those that like manuals. My other complaint is that the plastic interior layer of the bed of the truck doesn't have side walls nearly as strong as the older all metal models... and I cracked the side panel by overloading the utility rack with construction materials. Boats and gear wouldn't weigh enough to cause a problem. The Tacoma's total weight is much lighter than my late 90's T100, so what it gains in speed and mpg, it unfortunately loses in snow driving ability. I throw some extra weight in the back for driving to the mountains in the winter. We are nearing 110k miles with very few problems... only a broken u-coupling on the drive shaft, which I think I caused by hitting a rock off road and cracking the piece where the pin connects. Toyota warrantied the part. All in all, we are very pleased with our Tacoma.

 

Yeah if you plan on driving up I-70 very often definitely go with the V6. I had a v4 manual 2000 Tacoma when I lived in Denver and driving in the mountains sucked. Everywhere else it was great but creeping up the passes in 3rd gets old. It had no problem pulling a small Uhaul trailer from SLC to Laramie though. I have a 98 4cyl 4Runner right now and it's the same story but since the drive to the mountains here is relatively flat it works great. I still think my favorite is my wife's 89 toyota truck (before the tacoma). That thing is a tank.

 

I own a 2002 v6 4wd Taco double cab. Get the v6.. I have a friend with a 98 ext cab taco 4cy and it's really sluggish in the mountains and you really can't really tow anything in the hills either...

 

Oh and I get about 17 mpg overall

 

I had a '89 4x4 4cyl regular cab and rarely got over 20mpg. The 4cyl suby I have now tows my raft trailer so much better. If I get another truck it will be a full size with a V8, since some of the newer trucks get mileage approaching 20.

 

I owned a 1994 (they weren't Tacoma's yet, they started that name the next year) Xcab 4 cyl 4x4. I LOVED that truck, probably mostly because I bought it brand new. However it was completely gutless and got horrible gas mileage. The final straw was this past March, I was driving to Hood River to do some boating and coming out of the Tri Cities I was in 3rd gear (common for passes and similar). Yeah, I was pulling the raft trailer, but even without I couldn't go much faster. I always said I had to pedal. Anyways, I got passed by a flipping SMART CAR! That was the final straw. My husband had been shopping for Tundras for a year, yet I wasn't willing to part with my baby truck. I called him and said it's time, and we had a 2006 Tundra in 4 days. Go for the V6.

 

I own a 96 4x4 Tacoma extended cab with the 3.4 L 6 cyl. Definitely get the 6cyl if your looking for any sort of power. Granted you will probably get better mileage around town with the 2.7 L , the advantages of the 6 cylinder greatly outweigh the disadvantages concerning mileage. The 3.4's run great, take a beating and keep going. Mine is lifted with 33" tires and mileage is 16.5 mpg across the board with mixed city/hwy driving. Wouldn't trade it for anything- Hasn't missed a beat since I bought it.

 

Well i want more power than my 95 4runner 4 cyl, but has anyone had any experience with a ford ranger with a v6? i need 4x4 but i was also considering a tundra. i don't have a ton of money to spend but i definitely want more power in a truck

 

Put in a TRD super charger for the old V6 taco and you will be flying past any v8 truck. I have a 99 V6 taco with 230000 miles on it, and it's still purring. I can rally up all the passes at about 60-70mph with topper, raft, trailer, gear and four men in my rig in mostly 4th gear sometimes 3rd gear if someone cuts me off. Heat that oil up and burn some rice! FORD=found onthe road dead.

 

Oh btw the older tundras get better gas milage than the new model tacomas.

 

98' Tacoma TRD Xtra Cab, Shell w/ rack, 209,000 miles. Love it. Now that I have 2 kids and a dog I wish I had a 4 door. Even better would be the 4 door with a 6ft bed. Was great for The wife, me and the dog though. The raft is in the same position. To small for the whole family. yet I don't want to part with them either.

I see a 2005 4 door Tundra and a 16ft raft in my near future.

 

ok so from the sounds of it i should get a late 90s tacoma extended cab with the v6 and a 5 speed for the best combo of mpg, power and cost. of course i am going to test drive it but thanks for the input everyone

 

I just can't see myself driving a vehicle that proudly proclaims itself to be a TRD (and there is only one way to pronounce that).

 

Hey TSKOE23, hate to spoil the Tacoma party but I have a 2000 Chevy with the small block 4.6 liter V-8 and 5 speed and I regularly get 16-18. And for that it has the extended 4-door cab, with a pretty comfy bench seat in the back and will haul 5 people long distances comfortably. So, not dissing Toyota - - very good quality - - but if you want to haul gear and shuttle, etc., don't overlook GM. My buddy got a Toyota and every time we do a trip where we need to shuttle or haul a bunch of gear we end up taking mine. Definitely more roomy and roughly the same gas mileage.