Anyone have a 2016/2017 Tacoma 2.7?

kevh

New member
I currently drive a 1998 4Runner with a 3.4 V6 and auto trans. Once upon a time I had a 1991 4Runner with 22RE and manual which was gutless, but completely bulletproof.

I am looking at buying a new Tacoma in the coming year. I'm leaning towards an SR Accesscab 4x4 with a 2.7 and manual.

Does anyone here have one? What are your thoughts on these? I see on other boards comments ranging from "they're gutless and suck" to "they're fantastic and I wouldn't own anything else."
 

evilfij

Explorer
I love mine and it's fantastic, but it is gutless and slow.

Consensus seems to be that the 2.7 is (1) most reliable vehicle currently sold new (manual trans) and (2) it's slow.
 

whwv

Observer
I have the V6 automatic (4x4 TRD OR), and while I'm not the biggest fan of the drive train, I do love the truck. Truck has plenty of power, but it doesn't come on until around 3700 RPM and transmission does its best to keep it well below that. However, the truck drives so much better everywhere (road, dirt, snow) than my old 1997 Tacoma and it's nice to have an updated interior. I sold my BMW for the new truck and don't regret it at all! My apologies for commenting when my truck is quite different from your stated criteria, but I love the new Tacomas and couldn't help it! 4x4 access cabs look so good!
 

04dblcab

Observer
If you want a $30,000 go pro mount...buy the really under powered truck. I drove a customers yesterday....I will never buy one.
 

Overado

Observer
i have have a 2010 reg cab 4 banger 5spd she doesn't have much spunk but she makes up for it by going anywhere i point her. not a fast truck by any means but she'll get you anywhere you wanna go
 

cdthiker

Meandering Idaho
mine is not as new as you are asking about....

2012 2.7 4 banger 5 speed.

Is it going to pull off the line like a cummins?
no.

But I have no problem holding 85 all day long as the highways out west.

Will do highway speed no problem pulling a trailer up to the rated limit just expect to be in third gear at 50 on long grades.


The truck is not gutless. I have driven the 4.0 tacos plenty of times. is it faster ? sure. but neither of the trucks are fast.

if I get into my 2.7 from a stop it pulls up to sixty just fine. I need to plan my passes a bit better but other then that an one pass in Wyoming right before I cut down to CO that always seems to have a nasty head wind it does just fine.

I would compare it to the zip of driving any of the 4cyl sedans . Not exciting but more then enough

it does just fine with half a ton of wire wood in the back, it is small and light and hard to get stuck

over all the best rig I have ever owned. would buy another in a heart beat.

bullet proof and very driveable with the five speed if you use the rev range and five speed properly.
I here that mated to the auto its worse. Boring and a bit slower but till useable
 

Clutch

<---Pass
mine is not as new as you are asking about....

2012 2.7 4 banger 5 speed.

Is it going to pull off the line like a cummins?
no.

But I have no problem holding 85 all day long as the highways out west.

Will do highway speed no problem pulling a trailer up to the rated limit just expect to be in third gear at 50 on long grades.


The truck is not gutless. I have driven the 4.0 tacos plenty of times. is it faster ? sure. but neither of the trucks are fast.

if I get into my 2.7 from a stop it pulls up to sixty just fine. I need to plan my passes a bit better but other then that an one pass in Wyoming right before I cut down to CO that always seems to have a nasty head wind it does just fine.

I would compare it to the zip of driving any of the 4cyl sedans . Not exciting but more then enough

it does just fine with half a ton of wire wood in the back, it is small and light and hard to get stuck

over all the best rig I have ever owned. would buy another in a heart beat.

bullet proof and very driveable with the five speed if you use the rev range and five speed properly.
I here that mated to the auto its worse. Boring and a bit slower but till useable

Good info! Think I read one of your post about the 2.7 on TW.

For the most part it pulls the mountains here in Idaho no problem, yeah?
 

evilfij

Explorer
If you want a $30,000 go pro mount...buy the really under powered truck. I drove a customers yesterday....I will never buy one.

My go pro mount was only $23,400 plus TTL. SR ACLB 4x4 manual utility package with carpet floor mats. Great deal IMHO.
 

04dblcab

Observer
My go pro mount was only $23,400 plus TTL. SR ACLB 4x4 manual utility package with carpet floor mats. Great deal IMHO.

lol I drove one at work the other day and I didnt like it. I like everything about the interior but not the drive train, maybe it will grow on me
 

evilfij

Explorer
lol I drove one at work the other day and I didnt like it. I like everything about the interior but not the drive train, maybe it will grow on me

To get any power, you really have to get into the higher rpm range, I drive very conservatively, but when merging onto the interstate it has decent enough power, even on an incline, if you put your foot all the way down and let it get close to the redline before shifting. Under 3000rpm there is no acceleration to speak of. I know it is east coast, but I never had problems carrying the pocono mountains in 4th with 750lbs in the truck at 75mph. 5th it slows down and the cruise cancels when it drops 10mph from where you set it (I added cruise for $25 in parts).
 

NVLOC

Observer
Live in BC, Canada. Had a 2012 4cyl 4wd access cab 5spd. Lots of Mtn driving. Felt anemic coming from a 3.4l v6 Tacoma (same configuration, 2001) and a 3.4 l v6 4Runner 1998 auto. Fatiguing on longer drives through the mountains. Constant downshifting, planning way ahead for hills and passing commercial trucks, revving... and that's empty. As soon as there's a load I found it undrivable. And I am most often in no rush. Once your revving the engine that high, the mileage starts going down... and at that point, little advantage to the 4 cyl imo. Let's put it this way: you don't see anyone going from the v6 to the 4cyl. You will see many going from the 4cyl to the v6 however. At first it's a novelty, the concept of simplicity is alluring. The more I drove it and the more dissatisfied I became.
 

andrew61987

Observer
I would not even consider a new Tacoma with the brand new 3.5L V6. It's unproven and is leaving people stranded. If you need to tow I'd find a 2nd gen Tacoma with the 4.0 or a different truck.

The 2.7L, while slow and requiring plenty of downshifting on hills and not a great option for towing over mountain passes, is completely bulletproof, has been in the Tacoma and other commercial vehicles around the world since 2005 maybe longer, and flat out just DOES NOT FAIL. Go ahead and try to find somebody who's 2TR-FE let them down. I'd buy one with 150K miles on it and still expect it to outlive any brand new vehicle bought at the same time. If you're used to a 22RE it's definitely more powerful than that.

Also, the gearing it super low stock. It will damn near climb straight up a wall in 4 low. An absolute beast off road.
 
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andrew61987

Observer
Interesting. I haven't heard of this. What's the issue with the new engine?

Apparently there was a bad run of Crankshaft Position sensors that are leaving people on the side of the highway in the first 10k-20k miles. It's a well documented issue over in the 3rd gen section of tacomaworld. There's an assortment of other issues and complaints that are popping up with the new trucks.

Just a quick search:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dead-truck-after-1600-miles.453862/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/broke-down.452933/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-3rd-gen-tacoma-experience-and-issues.452511/

I'm a die hard Toyota pickup fan due to their legendary reliability and simplicity but I feel they need to know that the love is NOT unconditional and people like myself consider any reliability problems a deal breaker and getting stranded on the side of the road in a new truck isn't acceptable. We do give up a lot in choosing these trucks as they are expensive and were never the greatest when it comes to payload, towing, and power and if the long term 300k+ mile reliability isn't there, we've lost a big reason to buy the truck. I'm not a fan of abandoning the 4.0.

(I currently have a 2008 4x4 w/ 2.7L that I bought with confidence at 130K and I fully intend on taking past 300k)
 
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p nut

butter
Well, that's the price you pay for buying a 1st or 2nd year production vehicle. Not unheard of, even with Toyota. Remember 3.0 V6's and HG problems? 05-06 Tacoma rear ends? Even the 2.7L had exh manifold issues, and if I remember right, chain tensioners as well.

But it does suck to have a new truck die on you and leave you stranded like that. Too bad.
 

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