As soon as I can get rid of my chevy (01 z71) i will be looking to get an older (1996'ish) toyota tacoma 4x4 and probably a 4 cylinder (i need something super good on gas). any of you own something similar to this? whats the gas mileage like? also, at what mileage should i start to think about reliability? ive found some really good deals on 100k+ trucks....anyways, ANY info on these id greatly appreciate, thanks!

yay- I drove a 2000 tacoma with a 4 cylinder for a work truck. Sense this was not my truck I was glad to beat the hell out of it. And I did, drove every where with the hubs locked, Driving up the I-80 summit bouncing off the rev limiter in the middle of summer, 100s of miles of high speed forest service roads, we would let the trucks idle for hours on end with the a/c on, you get the idea.

The best part is the company I Worked for only changed the oil every 10-15 thousand miles. We never had any major problems with the trucks that I know of. Never blew anything up. They do get kind of a clunking sound it the front suspention though. Dont know what that was. I put over 60 thousand miles on one with no problems.

Mileage was really good for the way we drove them. But I cant remember exact #s. I wasnt paying for gas <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

I would say go for it, they are really great trucks!....John

Yay - Good on gas, reliable, and plenty of room under the hood if u ever have to work on it. I rarely hear of any problems with these other then "noisy for a minute or two when its cold", which i've only seen a couple posts with that problem and these are in 2000+ toyota's.

The 3RZ, which is what the Tacoma 4 cylinder is, is an excellent motor. It's a 2.7 liter powerhouse that makes 150 h.p. and 180 ft/lbs of torque. The torque alone is very impressive. Those are the same power numbers as the Toyota 3 liter V-6 sold from 1988-1995. But the 3RZ gets much better gas mileage. On a bone stock Tacoma 4x4, you'll probably average in the low 20s on the highway and maybe get 25 if you're lucky. Probably around 18-19 mpg in the city.

If you're looking for nice, reliable, daily driver 4x4 pick-up, the Tacoma is the way to go. If you're looking for something to eventually build up into a hardcore off roader, avoid the Tacoma and get a 1995 or older Toyota pick up.

ER...cough...uhhhh...I think he meant 1985 or older <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

No, he meant one with a box frame versus C channel. SAS or not. Personally, I would beef up the Taco frame and SAS it, but I'm getting pretty insufferable about that sort of thing...