Hello, I'm in the market for a 2023 Tacoma. I see a lot of them with the V6 and they are priced at about $36k-49k... And they mostly have the small 5ft bed. I see a 2.7L 4cyl 6ft bed for sale for around $31k... A lot less. My question is... What would be more reliable over time? The 4 cylinder Tacoma or the V6? I mainly will use the truck to haul a 4 wheeler or dirt bike in the bed. So I don't think I really need a V6.
An in-line 4 cylinder engine is easier to work on and has less moving parts, so it won’t need as much labor over time.
V6, however, you have to remove the intake manifold to replace the 3 spark plugs in the back (the 3 front spark plugs however are easily accessible).
More info in this video from Scotty; but basically when choosing between I4 and V6, I4 is ultimately the better option.
Removing the intake manifold is only relevant to transverse V6 layouts. The Tacoma is not a transverse V6. That 4 cyl makes 159hp & 182 ft tq. Thats already pretty underwhelming. You add a trailer & a passenger or two and youre not going to be able to get out of your own way. Plus it'll be pushed to its limit just to keep up with traffic. Id avoid the 2.7L.
Id get the V6 in your case. Even though that's not a ton a weight to be pulling the V6 will perform better.
