Will be Purchasing a Tacoma

[TwelveGravity]

I am looking to purchase a Tacoma here in the near future. With Fuel economy & DD with minor offroad capabilities in mind I first opted to look at the 2001 to 2004 Tacoma 4cyl, 5 speed 4x4. After talking with a few owners they are stating about 20 to 23 MPG. I am not sure what to expect from the V6 Automatic as far as fuel economy. I am not very familiar with the Tacoma so I am seeking input in regards to what truck would ge t he better fuel economy, what specifics to keep an eye out for while I search for used trucks. I found one in southern CA on craigslist and I automatically thought of a rusty chassis but after talking with the owner there was zero rust on the truck. It was a decent deal except for the higher miles. The owner recently changed his mind and no longer wants to sell.
Greatly appreciate the help.

 

[Haggis]

I have the V6 with 5-speed. I get around 19 HWY. Great truck, best of luck with your search.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

I've owned the truck you describe since new in '03. Reg cab 3RZ 4X4 Man trans I struggle to get 20 mpg and my rig is perfectly maintained stock. Going 60 MPH on 2 lane blacktop I can get as high as 23 but that's rare. In general my poor mileage is probably due to my right foot. But it's disappointing that the 6 cyl does as well as a 4. And then on top of that a new Ecoboost F150 does as well as my 4 cyl Taco but it's still a Ford.

 

[Kleatus]

I've averaged around 20 hwy and 17 around town from two different 4x4 3.4 Tacomas and a 4x4 3.4 4Runner over lots of miles between them all. One Tacoma was an auto and got slightly better mileage- I routinely got 22 on the highway on that one, a 98 TRD. The autos have a taller OD gear. Stock size tires on all of the above. I've never had a 4 cylinder so I can't comment there.

 

[TwelveGravity]

So I stumbled on the pickup I was looking for. I found a 2001 Tacoma SR5, 4cyl, 5 speed, 4wd.
It has 150k on the odometer. The truck has been taken care of. There are a few minor cosmetic issues that would be expected from a vehicle that is this old and was used as a pickup. I drove the 2 hour drive home and was completely satisfied with the 4cyl over grades even with the AC on. I drove it to work and back today (which will be most of the trucks commute) and filled nup with fuel as soon as I got back in town to check the fuel economy. 21mpg up over a few grades with the AC on was not bad at all. I try to keep it under 2,500RPM as much as I can. So most the drive is in 4th and then 5th on the straights. Very pleased with the truck.




The PO's bought a set of headlights for it, When I got home and opened the box they were the wrong headlights. They are for a 99 I think. More square. So I spent a little time to buff out the buildup on them and they turned out OK.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

That's a really nice rig - nice score. These are getting rare around here due to the rust belt cancer. The miles on yours are nothing. Mine is a straight up regular cab which I like the looks of but in retrospect I wish I had bought the extended cab for the storage space. Enjoy!

 

[White Stripe]

Nice Tacoma. That should run for a long time if properly maintained.