# Why Toyota trucks?



## lbzdually (Aug 3, 2014)

I've read over several threads on here and other forums and I am just not seeing the major advantage of them, other than they are small and light-weight.  I see where there are certain items you have to do at less than 100k miles or your timing belts will break or other major breakdowns may occur.  I see people's fuel mileage with the 4cyl and anything larger than stock tires, say 31's will net in fuel mileage in the high teens at best and you can barely pull a wet noodle.  I remember riding in my uncle's Toyota when I was under 10 and with three people in the front seat, you had to turn sideways just to fit.  A full-size Ford or Chevy (not going to mention Dodge lol) comes stock with 31 inch tall tires, with a V8 that gets 14 around town and 17mpg plus on the highway.  I had a ext cab Chevrolet 4x4 with a 350 that got 19 all day long at 75 mph, and a 2wd 5.3 that would get 20-21 at 75.  You could pull a trailer with  3-4  4-wheelers on it and haul tail to south Georgia with 3-5 people in the truck comfortably.  I see people talk about reliability of a Toyota, but I've seen numerous Chevy's with the 5.3 that have never had the valve cover off and have 300k miles and I've also seen Ford 4.6's and 5.4's with 370k and never had to touch the motor.  

I purposefully started this in another thread because I didn't want to mess up anyone else's thread.  So Toyota folks, tell me where I'm wrong on any of this.

Towing power-Advantage Full size by far.
Fuel economy-slight advantage to Toyota with stock tires.
Room-Full size.
Reliability-Push with slight advantage to full-size.
Price- full size, people want top dollar for a Toyota.
Resale- Toyota, see above.


----------



## oldfella1962 (Aug 3, 2014)

I haven't owned a recent Toyota truck, so I can't say. When I had one in the 80's it was cheap, reliable and got good gas mileage. Check out videos or pics of warfare in the Middle East or Africa. You'll see Toyota four cylinder pickups all over the place. This is because they are cheap, reliable and get good gas mileage. I loved mine, but had to sell it when I joined the Army.


----------



## Corey J (Aug 3, 2014)

Reliability reliability reliability.


----------



## Hooked On Quack (Aug 3, 2014)

Corey J said:


> Reliability reliability reliability.





Same can be said for Chevy and Ford.  Just sold a 14yr old GMC Z71 SLT loaded with 116k miles for $9k.  Never had a minutes trouble out of it.


----------



## Corey J (Aug 3, 2014)

Hooked On Quack said:


> Same can be said for Chevy and Ford.  Just sold a 14yr old GMC Z71 SLT loaded with 116k miles for $9k.  Never had a minutes trouble out of it.



I dont dislike Chevy or ford, they're great trucks. But toyota definitely has a great track record.


----------



## Timberman (Aug 3, 2014)

Been since 04 that a v6 Tacoma needed a timing belt, maybe 95 for a 4cylinder. Even if it needs it it's a non issue

Mostly they run and run. Tacomas should easily top 275-300k miles. I've seen it many times. In terms of trucks I've only seen Chevys come close. I'm sure there are examples of dodge ford and Chevys running forever,  but I'm in the used car business and day in day out toyotas just outlast.


----------



## glynr329 (Aug 3, 2014)

I have a 94 with 385,000 miles and on the 4th motor so honestly I see no advantage for me but if I want to go across a field or through the woods I go. You sure can not pull anything with them and I replaced the motor about 4 months ago with a rebuilt motor. Honestly I am not sure if this motor is going to be any better. Do the math that is not what I call dependable. I know you can get a lemon but 4 that is not very good odds.


----------



## oops1 (Aug 3, 2014)

I've owned two of them over the years. The 81 had to rebuild and the 92 had to replace the timing chain at 80000. I'm not dogging them but I'm  not impressed by them either. Plus.. I'm kind of tall and the way you sit in them kills my back on long trips. I'll probably buy my son one for his first truck but I'll never have one for my personal vehicle again.


----------



## tree cutter 08 (Aug 3, 2014)

Like mine so far. Regular cab 4x4. Small and easy to get around in. Close to 120k with regular maintenance. Hope to go for 500k. Also got a tundra with the 5.7 with 50k miles and no issues. If I had to replace either tomorrow I would go with the same thing.


----------



## lonewolf247 (Aug 3, 2014)

I have owned and bought both over the years.  I am a Chevy fan all the way, but I also like Toyota products.  It's the reliabity of them that attracts folks.  They have made a good name for themselves.  

I do all of my maintenance, and most repairs myself.  I will say that Toyota, and Chevy both keep things pretty simple and user friendly as far as doing maintenance and repairs.  

I think Chevy has come a long ways in the engine and reliabilty department.  I have read where a couple of chevys have gone to the 1 million mile mark on the original engine.  

I currently have a chevy 2500hd, and wife has an Acadia, but I have an old Toyota Camry as a work car.  My wife has owned a hylander, and a camry in the past. I also owned a couple toyota trucks back in the 80's-90's. 
Can't really complain about any of them.

In the future, I might buy a Toyota Tacoma to use as my work truck and truck to drive in the woods.  Much lighter than my chevy 2500, and tear up the muddy dirt roads less.
However, not getting rid of my chevy!

When it comes to towing, I can appreciate my 3/4 ton Chevy truck!


----------



## 7mmMag (Aug 3, 2014)

Well the 22r and the 22re motors were the trucks to have. Gas milage dependable but not power. Then everyone started thinking their 6cyl was worth as much as the 4 cyl was and people were paying crazy prices for a 6 and not getting the reliability of the 4. I can't see where the newer trucks are worth the money at all. You can buy a Chevy or a ford with the same or better gas milage more room and 3 times the towing. I have had 2 toyotas 22r was 1st over 300k the man asked the other day if I wanted to buy it back. The 2nd 22 re 200k still have it running strong. I have a f150 to do my hauling or pulling.


----------



## lonewolf247 (Aug 3, 2014)

7mmMag said:


> Well the 22r and the 22re motors were the trucks to have. Gas milage dependable but not power. Then everyone started thinking their 6cyl was worth as much as the 4 cyl was and people were paying crazy prices for a 6 and not getting the reliability of the 4. I can't see where the newer trucks are worth the money at all. You can buy a Chevy or a ford with the same or better gas milage more room and 3 times the towing. I have had 2 toyotas 22r was 1st over 300k the man asked the other day if I wanted to buy it back. The 2nd 22 re 200k still have it running strong. I have a f150 to do my hauling or pulling.



Yes your correct on the 22R's!  Also, the four cylinder in general with toyota's. Every Toyota I ever bought has been 4 cylinder. Once you go with the 6 cylinder, you've lost the good milage and reliabity. You just as well go with a chevy or ford as far the fuel milage goes at that point. Also, the cost.


----------



## rjcruiser (Aug 3, 2014)

Ive owned several toyotas and the reliability and resale is what makes them. They shined during the 80s-90s when American full size trucks suffered.  I also love the way they look and for the most part, they've made very little changes to the body style. 

Not many ford's last over 150k....although I am more of a Ford guy than Chevy guy....seems like Chevy V8s do better than Fords. My inlaws are Chevy folks....and they've all done well. All well over 150k...only issues were transmission related. 

Currently own a 2008 Yukon that is about to hit 100k on the ticker.  Like it....a few issues,  but nothing too big.  Had a '93 Toyota pickup 22re that I drove 3 years and 55k miles and sold it for $250 less than I bought it. Did very little other than routine maintenance. Then had a 2002 Ford Ranger, 3.0 v6 that was the worst truck ever, but I think it may have been thr prior owners issues that I ended up with.


----------



## Robert28 (Aug 4, 2014)

I've owned 3 Toyota trucks in my life(1995, 2007, 2012). My honest opinion is this, the older Toyota trucks like my '95 and before were dang near bomb proof. When they came out with the new Tacoma in 2005 they don't hold a candle to the older ones. I guess you can say that about a lot of things, not just Toyota trucks. There's a reason why everyone wants a first gen Tacoma or older(pre-2005) and there's a reason why they command the prices they do....and sell for those prices....quickly. 

I had issues with the throw out bearing with my 2007. Got tired of fooling with it and sold it. Bought a brand new 2012 double cab, v6, 4x4, TRD off-road. A/C went out with only 22,000 miles. Dealers gave 4 attempts to fix and never did fix it. Sure they were jerking me around trying to wait until my warranty ran out to all of a sudden fix it(I'm no fool) but I wasn't going go to a independent mechanic to have it fixed only to pay for something that should be covered under warranty. That not only soured me with the reliability of the truck, the dealership turned me off Toyota. Not to mention it's hard to convince me to buy a smaller truck that gets WORSE gas mileage then what my 2014 Z71 gets. 

I also have a very good friend who's a salesman at a small GM dealership and ain't nobody gonna be his prices and service.


----------



## George J (Aug 4, 2014)

I have a 2004 tacoma v6 4wd drive. It is small on the inside but it hauls my atv, stands,and 350 pounds of corn in the bed, Which is all I need it for. I get 18-19 on the hwy. I never have had a problem with my fords.


----------



## lbzdually (Aug 5, 2014)

I think I understand, a Toyota is like the framing hammer that works to do what exactly what you need it for, but if your going to knock down a house, you use the bigger tool, the ten pound sledge, aka the full size truck towing a larger load.  I can appreciate that.


----------



## ribber (Aug 6, 2014)

lbzdually said:


> I've read over several threads on here and other forums and I am just not seeing the major advantage of them, other than they are small and light-weight.  I see where there are certain items you have to do at less than 100k miles or your timing belts will break or other major breakdowns may occur.  I see people's fuel mileage with the 4cyl and anything larger than stock tires, say 31's will net in fuel mileage in the high teens at best and you can barely pull a wet noodle.  I remember riding in my uncle's Toyota when I was under 10 and with three people in the front seat, you had to turn sideways just to fit.  A full-size Ford or Chevy (not going to mention Dodge lol) comes stock with 31 inch tall tires, with a V8 that gets 14 around town and 17mpg plus on the highway.  I had a ext cab Chevrolet 4x4 with a 350 that got 19 all day long at 75 mph, and a 2wd 5.3 that would get 20-21 at 75.  You could pull a trailer with  3-4  4-wheelers on it and haul tail to south Georgia with 3-5 people in the truck comfortably.  I see people talk about reliability of a Toyota, but I've seen numerous Chevy's with the 5.3 that have never had the valve cover off and have 300k miles and I've also seen Ford 4.6's and 5.4's with 370k and never had to touch the motor.
> 
> I purposefully started this in another thread because I didn't want to mess up anyone else's thread.  So Toyota folks, tell me where I'm wrong on any of this.
> 
> ...


I agree with everything. I had a 94 yota with the 'famous' 22re and at 140k miles I had replaced just about everything on it but the engine. It was something all the time, and all I kept hearing was, 'Toyota lasts forever'. Average mpg was 19-20 and it had no power at all. I maintained it properly and never abused it, maybe I got a bad one. But it was enough to turn me against Toyota for a while.


----------



## hold em hook (Aug 7, 2014)

They hold value!  I bought a basic 2002 extended cab Tacoma 4 cylinder with 70,000 miles for $6800 drove it 3 years and sold it this year with 125,000 miles for $7300.  All I ever did to it was brake pads and oil changes.  I almost regret selling it!


----------



## xs5875 (Aug 7, 2014)

^^This. I just sold my 2011 Tacoma Double cab prerunner. I paid 26,500 and sold it for 24000. Three years and 45k miles later. Im on my 8th Toyota. I like to buy'em, modify them and sell them...


----------



## joey1919 (Aug 7, 2014)

I loved driving my 2007 Tacoma and it would flat out GO offroad. got really good money when I sold it at 80k miles.

but...my chevy lbz diesel gets the same mpg as the Tacoma and it has bigger tires, weighs a lot more, and has 450hp.

I will second the OP that the chevy 5.3 is a great motor. I had an 02 reg cab short bed and tried to kill it for 178,000 miles. I replaced a fuel pump and a window regulator in that time. sold it to a friend, he stopped by the other day and the truck is still running strong at over 300k. best vehicle I ever had.


----------



## puddlehunter (Aug 9, 2014)

Toyota trucks earned their reputation with the early models and the 22re and people have been paying too much for their v6's thinking they are getting reliability ever since.


----------



## JoeKnowsBows (Aug 9, 2014)

No truck out there holds it's value like Toyota does! That's the biggest incentive for me to own one. You can get into a Tacoma now and sell it in a few years for almost the same price. I just bought this used Tacoma last month and love it so far. It's a great piece of mind knowing I can sell it anytime for more than I paid for it.


----------



## Hooked On Quack (Aug 9, 2014)

JoeKnowsBows said:


> No truck out there holds it's value like Toyota does! That's the biggest incentive for me to own one. You can get into a Tacoma now and sell it in a few years for almost the same price. I just bought this used Tacoma last month and love it so far. It's a great piece of mind knowing I can sell it anytime for more than I paid for it.





Not true.  GM's have the highest resale of any truck on the road.  Just sold a 14 yr old GMC SLT Z71 for 9k.


----------



## Hooked On Quack (Aug 9, 2014)




----------



## BRADL (Aug 9, 2014)

I bought a 2012 Tacoma 4x4Trd and have got several letters from the dealership wanting to buy it back from me for a fraction less than I payed for it 2 years ago.Went to the beach in it with four people and luggage and it got 21.8 mpg.


----------



## GA DAWG (Aug 9, 2014)

Because the small ones go like no other truck around. When I point my 98 in a direction. It goes. Tough as nails. Ive owned 5 of em.


----------



## puddlehunter (Aug 9, 2014)

Actually according to Kelly blue book the top three trucks in 2014 with the highest resale value are the Tundra, Silverado and Gmc Sierra.   Tacomas are like Wranglers, they have a large fan base that pushes inflates the actual resale value, especially private party sales.

Also from the Detroit bureau site

According to the new study, the models that best held their residual values were:
2012 Ram 1500 (3.4%)
2012 Nissan Titan (2.2%)
2012 Dodge Charger (1%)
2012 Ford F-150 (.9%)
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (.7%)
2012 Jeep Liberty (.5%)
2012 Ram 2500 (.2%)
2008 Dodge Ram 2500 (.1%)
2012 Jeep Wrangler (-.6%)
2012 Chevrolet Tahoe (-.8%)


----------



## rmp (Aug 9, 2014)

PH, the trucks you have listed are for the full size category. Mid size is still ruled by the Tacoma according to KBB. It's just a website sharing its speculative data but there's no denying the Tacoma pulls in the money.  A friend of mine in the car business always says, "If you see one on a lot for sale, you better buy it because it will be gone tomorrow."





			
				KBB said:
			
		

> "For more than a decade, the Tacoma has dominated the segment thanks to its legendary reliability, versatility and some of the highest resale values in the industry. And for those reasons, the Toyota Tacoma has once again earned the title of best mid-size pickup truck."


 100% correct on the fan base.

They have Toyota / Lexus listed as the 2014 best resale value brand which really is no surprise.


----------



## puddlehunter (Aug 9, 2014)

I think the only thing that beats it on resale value is wranglers and CJ's.  The right model and right time of the year they can actually appreciate..

I like Toyota trucks, had an 06 for a while, I needed more bed space and pay load so I had to move up to a full size.

I was not as impressed with the 06 as I was with the 87 I had


----------



## rmp (Aug 9, 2014)

Concur on all points. 

I sold an '88 that I wish I had back.


----------



## jigman29 (Aug 9, 2014)

I have had a few of the late 80s Toyotas and they were bullet proof.I don't maintain a vehicle at all and the Toyotas would get 300k everytime.I have a 12 year old z71 now that had 45k when I dought it and now has 250k.I change the oil every 16-20k and the truck is still running strong.I took it to Washington county today(3 hr round trip)without a hitch.I loved my Toyotas but if I had to get a new model truck it would be a chevy.Money is close but the fuel economy is just as good if not better with the full size and I can pull whatever I hook to.


----------



## JoeKnowsBows (Aug 9, 2014)

Hooked On Quack said:


> Not true.  GM's have the highest resale of any truck on the road.  Just sold a 14 yr old GMC SLT Z71 for 9k.



Actually it is true but chevy is second in resale value to Toyota.


----------



## JoeKnowsBows (Aug 9, 2014)

http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/best-resale-value-awards/best-resale-full-size-pickup-truck/


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 12, 2014)

I've owned a few of the toyota pickups over the years, oldest one being 1984 pickup and newest being 1996 tacoma.

I can say that that OLD toyota trucks in the 80's and early 90's will run forever if you keep oil in them.  Two issues are common on 22R/22RE (4 cylinder).  "blown head gasket" and "timing chain slap".  They aren't necessarily "easy" fixes.  In fact I just did a head gasket on my 1989 4x4.  It isn't hard, but a little time consuming.  Parts will run less than $200.  And these are very high quality parts.  Do the timing chain at the same time...  Other than that they tend to run forever. And the resale value is absolutely insane.  Old 20-30 year old trucks fetching $3000-5000 - when they cost $6000-10000 new.

The 4 cylinders are completely gutless in a 4x4.  The 2wd small trucks actually are fairly peppy for what they are.  But the 4x4 standard cab is so slow.  Towing?  Yah, hard to imagine towing anything more than its own weight.

-----
Chevy trucks I believe have a very reliable drivetrain.  Transmissions had some issues when they went to the 4L60.  They would last a typical 100k miles before needing a rebuild.  My old 1996 tahoe is on it's 3rd transmission.  But the famous chevy 350 would run and run.  Moving to newer "LS" based engines (4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 6.2) engines seem to last forever and ever.  Saw a 2002 tahoe at auction with 335k miles.  Still sold for almost $4,000....!!!!  And the newer 4L60E trans last decent.  The 4L80 trans is just about bulletproof unless you tow a house daily.

Ford.  Hey I love the v8 mustangs....but spark plugs blowing out? Trans issues? the 6.0 diesels....yah.  The old 302, 351, 400 and 460 were tough long lasting..... but the newer stuff.....well, I'm gonna stop there. 

The old nissan z24 and KA24 engines are excellent.  Complete gutless jokes just like the 22R-....but run forever with keeping in oil in them.

I'd avoid the v6 in Nissan and Toyota for the 80's/early mid 90's.  The Tacoma 3.4 and 4.0 engines are stout.  Same with the Nissan 3.5 and 4.0.  The Nissan 3.0 and 3.3 are slightly more powerful than a 4 cylinder but tend to have more issues than their 4 bangers.

---- just my humble two cents.


----------



## goob (Aug 12, 2014)

*Toyota*

I've got a 1991 ext cab, 6cyl, 5sp, 33" tires and 3" lift. It has 270K on it. I have pulled the zero turn on a trailer to where I cut. I can take my pickup wherever I hunt so thats what I use instead of a four wheeler. I also have a 7.3L Excursion too. And it gets about 19 mpg, long as I dont get into the throttle.


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 12, 2014)

Excellent point. 
A lot of people like heat and a place to keep dry vs a 4 wheeler. My old beater toyota will go anywhere a 4 wheeler will. And I have the body dents, dings, and scratches to prove it 

Personally I don't see the big advantage of a 4 wheeler. Just me however. We have members with $10,000 machines. But they complain when it's cold or raining. 

That's probably another good reason why those old Toyotas hold their value so well.


----------



## Buzz (Aug 13, 2014)

George J said:


> I have a 2004 tacoma v6 4wd drive. It is small on the inside but it hauls my atv, stands,and 350 pounds of corn in the bed, Which is all I need it for. I get 18-19 on the hwy. I never have had a problem with my fords.



Not picking, just pointing out this is what I simply don't get with a Taco.   I'm consistently getting 21+ mpg with a 2014 GMC Sierra 5.3L Z71 4x4.   That's not hypermiling either that's just driving 70 on the highway with an engine that has 355 hp and one that will tow a small truck backwards.

I think all of the trucks today are pretty good but certainly Toyota made a name for themselves with the old 22r and 22re motors.

However, today the Tundra is at the bottom of the barrel in terms of gas mileage.   They seem to have the perfect truck for what could have taken the market by storm 10 years ago but the truck that far less want today.

I'm not a brand loyalist when it comes to vehicles.   My last truck was a Ford.   I've owned plenty of Honda and Acura vehicles as well.   I bought this GMC because I liked it.   To listen to a couple of my Toyota friends I'll be lucky to get 70k miles out of it.  Nevermind that the dozens and dozens of friends with full sized GM or Ford trucks are also getting very lengthy (for the most part) trouble free lives out of their trucks too.  I can certainly name far more that have gotten 200+ (including one with 330k and another with 460k) than I have those who have had to scrap them with a short life.

Personally, I don't want to keep a vehicle until it has 300k miles because I will be 70 by then and I'd like to have another newer model between now and then.


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 13, 2014)

That's one thing I could never understand. 
Why can't Toyota get the MPG up on their trucks. My buddy has the 2012 tundra and he will never see 17mpg. Now that his is supercharged it is way less. And the Tacoma v6 can rarely break 20?  When full size chevy/gm consistently get 20+. 
Now Toyota cars manage excellent mpg. 

And baffled that more 1/2 trucks aren't available with diesels. RAM brought one out this year, 26-28 mpg. But is a dodge truck. No thx. 

Ford. Chevy/gm. Toyota. Get with it!


----------



## Buzz (Aug 13, 2014)

I would have loved a small diesel.    Like you said RAM was the only option at the time and they were not coming off the price at all!   I could have gotten a 2500 Chevy or F250 for about the same $$$ and I simply don't need that kind of capacity.

This is about the heaviest thing I tow.


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 13, 2014)

Here's my beater 1989 Toyota 4x4. It's been through heck and back, twice. Dirt is holding the rust together. If I wash it, it may fall apart. Lol

I think it will be around for my son to drive 

----- this truck heads permanently to the hunting club this week.  Some members purposely make their honey hole trails really narrow and my Chevy Tahoe won't fit.  This is my secret weapon...used it around my property here in Suwanee and occasionally to Home Depot/Lowes (yes, people would stare at it)...now she is going to tackle the 4 wheeler trails.  She has already kissed a few trees, so i'm not too worried. 

Love this truck...!  Runs like a million bucks now that I replaced the head gasket.


----------



## rjcruiser (Aug 13, 2014)

Buzz said:


> Not picking, just pointing out this is what I simply don't get with a Taco.   I'm consistently getting 21+ mpg with a 2014 GMC Sierra 5.3L Z71 4x4.   That's not hypermiling either that's just driving 70 on the highway with an engine that has 355 hp



Interesting. ..I've got a 2008 Yukon 4x4 qith the 5.3 and around town is 15 and on the highway is 18 cruising 77mph.  Wouldn't think 7mph would translate to 3mpgs.


----------



## chocolate dog (Aug 13, 2014)

rjcruiser said:


> Interesting. ..I've got a 2008 Yukon 4x4 qith the 5.3 and around town is 15 and on the highway is 18 cruising 77mph.  Wouldn't think 7mph would translate to 3mpgs.



The 2014 is more fuel efficient than the older 5.3 even though they have more horsepower.

My 2011 Z71 4X4, 5.3 is averaging 18.6 over the last 1200 miles and it has seen nothing but city driving in that time.  

Plus, I could be terribly wrong but Im pretty sure the Yukon is a heavier vehicle.


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 13, 2014)

The new 2014 5.3 are more efficient ...yes. And pretty sure most yukons have 3.73 gears. Plus more weight. 
My 5.3 Tahoe 4x4 won't break 18mpg. Towing is 15 and under, as seen here. 





Making the 122 mile one way to hunt club. I don't like this tow dolly but my big trailer is at the club. Sheesh.


----------



## Buzz (Aug 13, 2014)

rjcruiser said:


> Interesting. ..I've got a 2008 Yukon 4x4 qith the 5.3 and around town is 15 and on the highway is 18 cruising 77mph.  Wouldn't think 7mph would translate to 3mpgs.



Window sticker on truck says 16 city and 22 highway.  Just drove through horrendous city traffic today and it averaged 16.3 mpg.  





Last trip to the deer camp I got 22.2 running 70-74 mph (it's best is 22.7).   I've verified it by hand as well and it actually gets better than the computer says when towing and right about dead on unloaded.

As you can see I pretty much get exactly what the sticker says.






Your 2008 doesn't have direct injection or variable valve timing either - plus the displacement on demand is said to have improved.  GM claims the VVT makes the 2014 more powerful at lower RPM which translates into nearly all Z71s having 3.42 rear ends.  Additionally, GM shed some weight off the new ones.  Ford is set to cut 730# off the F150 this model year.


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 13, 2014)

Not bad for a 4x4. 
Bet the 355hp really gets up too


----------



## 7mmMag (Aug 17, 2014)

95g atl said:


> That's one thing I could never understand.
> Why can't Toyota get the MPG up on their trucks. My buddy has the 2012 tundra and he will never see 17mpg. Now that his is supercharged it is way less. And the Tacoma v6 can rarely break 20?  When full size chevy/gm consistently get 20+.
> Now Toyota cars manage excellent mpg.
> 
> ...


----------



## JohnK (Sep 5, 2014)

Life's too short for me to bounce around in an old toyota beater for 300,000 miles. I sold the last 3 GM's at 150, 000 or so and they were still running good.
Just sayin'....I don't know of any major company that uses pickups daily for work that buys Toyota. If they have a bookkeeper tracking expenses like purchase price, repair and maintenance, resale price etc, then they ain't driving Toyota's.


----------



## benellisbe (Sep 5, 2014)

I have a 2000 Tacoma Ext. Cab 2.7L with 200k on it.  I am finally having to put some work into it.  The valves need adjustment and I just flat out didn't get around to it.  A new cylinder head with valves/gasket is about $600 without the core charge.  With that said, I get 20-21 mpg with 31" duratracs on it. The side is severely dented, from a guy at my hunting club bumping a tiny sweetgum, and I had a guy offer me $6k for it last week.  I have considered selling it, but as good as it has been to me I just can't. Hopefully my son can drive it when he gets of age (it will probably be on it's first engine rebuild by then).


----------



## coyotebgone (Sep 21, 2014)

I purchased a new toyota tundra 2wd in 2011 with 8 miles on it.  Sold it last month with 238,000 miles. I got 13000.00 for it.  It won't do that with a ford or chevy. 

(not one bit of maintenance other than routine stuff)  

Purchased another new tundra.

Fuel economy does stink!!!!!!


----------



## Tacoma (Sep 21, 2014)

I have a 1995 Toyota truck.... I drive it slow and treat it like a baby every day. I stop to buy gas ($20) and could have sold it at least 100 times at gas stations. A few have said... just name your price. No parts needed, just service it and go. I'll keep it til I die...


----------



## littlewolf (Sep 21, 2014)

No complaints here. I bought my 2001 Tacoma new...14 years later it's pushing 300k miles on the original engine and still runs strong.  And I have put some rough miles on it.

Never had to do anything major to it other than maintenance.  The tranny is starting to show some signs of wear but that is probably my fault as I used it for heavy towing quite a bit, especially when I was building my house.  Should have installed a transmission oil cooler but never got around to it.  

Had to replace the radiator and thermostat at 250k and swapped out the water pump at the same time.  Had to replace a coil pack around that same time after I left it sitting for awhile (??).  Currently I need to replace a few things (shocks, cat converter, etc) but the engine still runs strong and I am very pleased with how it has held up.


----------



## littlewolf (Sep 21, 2014)

coyotebgone said:


> I purchased a new toyota tundra 2wd in 2011 with 8 miles on it.  Sold it last month with 238,000 miles.



Holy cow that's alot of miles in 3 years


----------



## glynr329 (Sep 21, 2014)

I guess I am the most unluckiest person in the world. I put the third motor 22RE in last year July to be exact. (rebuilt) It is in the shop getting the motor replace again. Total rebuilt so I think 22 RE is by far the worst motor I have owned.


----------



## Tacoma (Sep 22, 2014)

My 22RE is perfect... depends on how you drive them and keep it serviced, I guess. I drive mine slow, don't take off from a light like a rocket, service it every 3500 miles and treat it like a baby.  It will last if it is driven gently and serviced often.


----------



## 95g atl (Sep 22, 2014)

Tacoma said:


> I drive mine slow, don't take off from a light like a rocket,



With the 22RE i don't have a choice other than to drive it slow.  They are not speed demons on the 4x4 trucks.  Quite frankly, they are slugs...  Mine is now dedicated to 100% trail use at my hunt club.

Years ago, I had two base 1993 trucks, 2 wheel drive, with the 22RE and 5 speed.  They were actually pretty peppy around town.  Their curb weight was around 2400-2500 lbs and would often out accelerate many of the 4 cylinder cars on the road in that era.
Also I would yield mid 20s mpg around town and over 30 on the highway.  

The 4x4 trucks really kill accelerate performance and economy.  Most cannot break 20mpg.

----to the poster on his third engine.  There are two well known and documented issues with the 22RE.  Not all engines will have these issues, of course, but they are common.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE.  
TIMING CHAIN GUIDE.  (plastic guide)

If the head gasket fails and is not re-done properly it will often fail again in a short time.  Also, using some inferior auto chain parts will cause early failures as well.  As always, the preparation of the job (IE: making sure the block and head are flat (decked) can yield better results.  Taking short cuts, as in not using new parts such as new head bolts, not torquing head bolts AGAIN after the engine has had some heat cycles run through it, may cause early failures yet again.  Often times when having a third party work on your engine, they may (or may not) take shortcuts to just get the job done.  Will it work, Yah, but for how long.

Timing Chain Guide typically will last about 100k miles from the factory.  Some get more, some less.  Replacing with steel guides will resolve the issue and may last for the life of the engine.  

Keep them full of oil, don't overheat OR over-rev the 22RE and it should last several hundred thousand miles.  There are many well documented 22R/22RE's with 300k,400k,500k and more on the original block and head.

On the flip side, the good old chevy 350 has many documented cases of well over 500k miles.  Same with the newer style LS (or Vortec 4.8,5.3,6.0).  Really good engines....

------------Why the old Toyota 4x4 trucks go for a premium and have high demand sometimes baffles me.  I believe the older mid 80's early 90's Nissan Hardbody with the good old KA24 (4 cylinder) last every bit as long as the Toyota 22RE.  The Nissan doesn't seem to fetch a premium price...  

I suspect one of the reasons why these old trucks may be very popular with hunters is the cost of new SIDE BY SIDEs.  $10000 for a base model and over $20,000 for a deluxe four passenger side by side?  Wow, no heat, no A/C (yah, you can get options for that)....and NOT street legal by factory.  Hmmm, $4000 for an old Toyota seems much more feasible. 

$20,000 for a side by side....Ummm, we can get a brand new Jeep Wrangler for a couple thousand more than that.  Heat, air, and street legal.


----------



## Tacoma (Sep 22, 2014)

My Toyota 22-RE is a 2-wheel drive, low to the ground truck and I'm well pleased with the power.


----------



## 95g atl (Sep 22, 2014)

Tacoma said:


> My Toyota 22-RE is a 2-wheel drive, low to the ground truck and I'm well pleased with the power.



yes indeed.....2wd 22re have some pep.


----------



## buckeroo (Oct 6, 2014)

Boils down to personal preference and usage, IMO. I have owned three Tacomas and never had a seconds trouble EVER!  I agree that new V8s from Chevy get as good and better mileage as te 4.0 V6 gets, but keep in mind the current 4.0 Taco engine is over 10 years old. As far as V6 reliability goes, it may have not been as good as a 4 cyl back in the 80s and early 90's, but the 4.0 is rock solid. 

My current 2008 Prerunner double cab has 120k on it and never a single issue. Heck, the entire truck has been perfect so far.

I hang out on a lot of the Tacoma forums and other than the occasional oddity, the 4.0 V6 is overwhelmingly known as indestructible. At 120k, I dont have a split second of doubt EVER in my truck. 

I am a reasonable person and acknowledge the price point and gas mileage issue some take with the Taco vs. full size, but for me, I just feel at home in my truck and dont feel at home in full size stuff. 

The 3 Tacoma and 4Runner I have owned have been so absolutely perfect in all aspects that I have no need in looking elsewhere. I'm looking forward to the next gen Taco too!!


----------



## taxidermist (Oct 20, 2014)

2.7 one of the toughest engines ever built got over 300 thousand on 2 different trucks no issues just regular up keep and also have 2 trucks with 3.4 engine will pull just about anytjhing


----------



## Karal (Jan 19, 2015)

boy I'm glad I found this thread...I am in the market for a truck it needs to be 4wd and a backseat. I'm torn on the Tacoma and a full size extended cab GM or Ford. The reason I put Toyota on top is that Ive had some dang good vehicles from them, van,cars and of course the older pickups T100 and the 4 bangers of old..but the price is making HAVE to look at full size just because you get so much more capabilities, but its capabilities I dont think I need.
Thanks for all the info on here.


----------



## Gixxermike (Jan 27, 2015)

From what I hear the 4.0 in the 2005 and newer Tacoma is pretty peppy, and downright fast with the TRD supercharger.


----------



## TJBassin (Jan 30, 2015)

My 94 4 Runner. 318.000. On the road every day. going to get 500,000 out of it. If she ever breaks shes getting rebuilt.


----------



## livetohunt (Feb 5, 2015)

Hooked On Quack said:


> Same can be said for Chevy and Ford.  Just sold a 14yr old GMC Z71 SLT loaded with 116k miles for $9k.  Never had a minutes trouble out of it.



116k, heck that is when a Toyota is just breaking in...


----------



## Rich Kaminski (Feb 7, 2015)

*Dodge Hemi 28.5 mpg highway*

I recently rented the new Dodge Quadcab, Hemi engine and got 28.6 MPG highway. Dodges have always had very strong engines and transmissions. Now my GMC currently has 170,000 miles. I rebuilt the engine, transmission, AC system, brake system, water pump, alternator, belts, hoses and radiator. My Toyota required minimal maintenance, had no power.


----------



## egomaniac247 (Feb 7, 2015)

I had a 1997 Tacoma single cab 4x4 and I miss it all the time.  

This isn't it but it looks exactly like it.  I ended up lifting it slightly and putting 31 A/T's on it

Such a reliable 5-speed manual transmission truck.  I had a power steering pump go out once and yes, the timing belt needed replacing....but beyond that she was indestructible.  I wish I'd never traded it in.


----------

