real life mileage diff between V6 and V8

[huntingfora4run]

late spring or early summer I will be buying an 03 or 04 4Runner. In searching the web I see quite a few V8's for sale. I've gotten by with my 98 Blazer and a V6 for many years and I am sure the 4Runner V6 is light years ahead of it. So I question if I really "need" a V8. However, the vehicle I want color and option wise is tough to find. (I've been surfing the web trying to bone up on all things 4Runner and hitting a bunch of web sites searching for 4Runners for sale for months). Invariably, the color and options I want and what I can afford are available in a V8. Mama mia.

This would be my only vehicle so it would serve my driving to work 35 miles round trip w/about 10-12 of that through city and hitting the lake with the boat, birding, driving thought he woods to berry pick and shoot some film.So my question is, with my being a pretty mellow driver how much of a difference in mileage between the V8 with its 5spd tranny and the V6 with its 4 speed tranny should I expect. The boat I pull is a simple 17ft fishing boat with a 60HP 4stroke so no major weight.

Any help on the mpg ? or anything to look out for as I prepare for my purchase would be greatly appreciated.

 

[T4ROR]

Was in your shoes

Hello Hunting,

I was in your shoes 2 weeks ago! I was replacing a Land Rover Freelander that had a V6, and so I was looking for a 4Runner with a V6. I was thinking that this would be prudent as far as gas mileage.

Well, I happened to come across an ad for a 03 Limited V8 way out in the country. The book was more than my budget, but it was loaded being a Limited, so I made the drive. The guy took my offer, and boy am I glad I happened into the V8!

My LR V6 hits 2000 rpm at 40mph. My T4R hits 2000 rpm at 67mph. This means several important things:

• The ride is much quieter and smoother with less vibration
• There is a huge amount of power in reserve for passing at highway speed or for towing
• The engine is going to last longer because every part is moving slower than a V6

My mileage has been 20mpg on the freeway (75mph) and about 16 - 17mpg in the city. That is better than my Land Rover V6 got, and while I am not sure what the T4R V6 gets, I don't think it makes enough difference to make up for the benefits of the V8.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I don't think the 03's come standard with a 5 speed transmission, but the 03 Limited with the V8 does have the 5 speed. This makes a difference in mileage.

 

[Falls]

There are tons of threads / posts on this , do a search and you find more opinions that will even confuse you more ....lol

It all boils down to personal preference. I own a V8 and love it , the V6 is awesome and I would mind owning that either.

They are both pretty close in milage. ALOT depending on driving habits , weather conditions , air pressure in tires , maint. , ect....all in all they are so close to call and everyones situation varies so much that its a crap shoot in my opinion.

 

[ProMed]

Re: Was in your shoes

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I don't think the 03's come standard with a 5 speed transmission, but the 03 Limited with the V8 does have the 5 speed. This makes a difference in mileage.

AFAIK:
03-04 V6 - 4-speed
05-07 V6 - 5-speed
03-07 V8 - 5 speed

 

[huntingfora4run]

mileage info

Thanks so much guys. I really want to make this the best possible purchase and there is no one better to talk to than owners. Like I read in the posts, don't bother talking to a salesperson for that kind of info.

Interesting post on which years and engines have which tranny. I've seen a few 05's with higher mileage than I would like to go for, but when the time comes if I can find the right one with receipts for maintenance I probably shouldn't worry too much. It's a Toyota! At 50,000 a properly maintained Toyota is just getting going.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

I am proud to be driving on '05 with the V6 - and I don't feel any need for a V8 or more power. The V6 has plenty of oomph and has no trouble passing everything on the road except a gas station. LOL! The five-speed auto is smooth as silk too.

Seriously, though, the V8 is great as well. I've yet to drive a V8 4Runner, but one of my co-workers has an '05 with the V8. His mileage is about the same as mine, although I know that my foot is heavier than his.

The V6 4x4 is selectable, and you can switch from 2HI to 4HI and 4LO. The V8 is in 4x4 all the time, though. Your V8 has an oil filter which is nearly impossible to reach, while the V6 has it up on the top of the engine. Also, the V8 has a timing belt that needs to be replaced. The V6 has a permanent timing chain that should hold up for the life of the engine.

I suppose it boils down to personal preference. Some of us here drive V6 4Runners and others own V8 models. I don't think any of us regret our decision, which is a great thing!

Good luck!!

 

[huntingfora4run]

thanks Jeff

I'm thinking the same and with the 05 v6 having a 5 speed tranny and me being a mellow driver by and large unless I am stuck behind some grandpa (worked a few too many accident scenes and was security for the Emergency room), so I would think I'd get decent mileage. The Blazer (98) used to get decent mileage and now it's mileage is in the tank!!!

Say Jeff, what kind of mileage are you getting?

I see some 05s with 60+ thou miles on them but some are even Certified and in my $ range. Hmmm, hopefully spring will bring more used vehicles out of the woodwork. I will prob. fly to the location to buy. Not much in central Minnesota and comparatively little sales competition. Generally its 2 grand more for the same thing within a few hours drive. For that money I can fly to the location for cheap and drive back.

We just lost our Toyota dealer to a buy out, but the new dealer owns a boat load of dealers in the cities and is supposed to be opening in this area soon and a little better to deal with.

 

[Falls]

Even though I do like the full time 4x4 which I thought I would never like , I also like and wouldn't mind the selectable 2wd option that the V6 has.

It seems like my dealer goes in swings with v8 and v6's , right now almost all v6's , a few weeks ago almost all v8's.

Buy what you like , both are great IMO.

 

[Kmvreter]

I keep accurate records.
Taking all my fuel divided by miles for 2006 I got 17.23 USmpg (20.69 IMPmpg.) This is very similar overall for the past 3 years.

 

[boston_kevin]

I think with the 5 spd introduced on the V6's in '05, the difference between the V8 and V6 is smaller unless you are towing. The V6 is the engine of choice for the FJ and Tacoma platforms, so mods should be plentiful. The V6 on average is 1-2 MPG easier on gas than the V8 (or more depending on driving habits).

The silky smooth V8 has power on tap when you need/want it and has a longer history of proven successes (same engine in the previous Tundra and Land Cruiser). The current 4.7L V8 also probably only has a couple of more years as a production engine as they introduced a bunch of new V8 engines (including the 5.7L).

Can't go wrong with either engine. It's just a matter of taste.

 

[TheBlueWave]

In the winter mileage stinks no matter what. I like my v6 a lot, it has plenty of power and although not as smooth and refined as the v8 it is still quite smooth. As long as you don't plan on towing heavy loads, the v6 is fine (with a owner installed WDH, it can pull over 6k lbs.) but if you are a heavy hauler the 4runner is not your vehicle anyway.
The v6 and v8's use the same tranny on '05 and up that was for v8s only before that ('03, '04). So beware that the '05 wants to shift to overdrive too soon, IMO. The v6 can't handle that as well as the v8 can, but other than that, the v6 is great for me! I have been getting 18.4 mpg for the last few months, hopefully that will increase a bit this summer. I bought mine in the cities, but it was real hard to find a good price on the used ones anywhere in MN. 4x4s just cost more here than in warmer places.

 

[sbbamafan]

I am averaging 17.14 MPG in almost 22000 miles. I'm dissappointed, although I do have a very heavy foot. I expected a bit better. The biggest dissappointment is the road mileage. I'm thinking about going to the dealer. I have yet to break 20 MPG on a road trip (which I take often). Cruise is always set between 74 and 79. I don't want to hear all the arguments that cruise control is not for optimal mileage. I know for a fact I should be getting better than this. Problem is mileage is 16-18 no matter where I go (road vs city) or how I drive. I will see numbers in the 15's as often as I see the 19's. Something just doesn't seem right to me. As for the V6, I love it and I have had a lot of V8's in my past. I have nothing but good things to say about it. It easily has bettter performance than my 2002 Dodge Dakota Magnum 4.7 V8 did and gets better mileage overall. Dodge got 13 city and 19 on the road. We will not even get into reliability. By the way mine is 2WD, V6.

 

[tkr128]

My total mileage throughout 62,000 miles is 21.35mpg (62,000 miles divided by about 2900 gallons). The highest I've ever gotten on one tank was 25.56mpg. My lowest was 15.40mpg for the first tank, when it was new. I consistently average about 23mpg with about 80% highway driving. I have an 03 V6 2WD with the 4-speed. Hope this helps with your questions about mileage.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Over 3 years I average 19.80 mpg on the highway, 16-17 city.
This is with 87 octane fuel. I have never got over 20 mpg but here in Arizona it gets very hot so the a/c is on most of the year.

2003 sr5 v8 4x4

 

[Light_Mania]

I am averaging 17.14 MPG in almost 22000 miles. I'm dissappointed, although I do have a very heavy foot. I expected a bit better. The biggest dissappointment is the road mileage. I'm thinking about going to the dealer. I have yet to break 20 MPG on a road trip (which I take often). Cruise is always set between 74 and 79.

I don't think you are likely to break 20 mpg on the highway between 74 and 79 mph in anyone's V6 T4R. Unless:
1. You have a stiff tailwind, or
2. Are driving at 5000 feet or better, or
3. Are drafting a large truck.

You just can't get away from the frontal area x drag coefficient + rolling resistance no matter how efficiently the engine is burning fuel.

 

[RickyCRX]

I also had a '98 Blazer for light towing before I got the 4Runner. The Blazer was a fine vehicle as far as size went, but it was far too unreliable and had MANY breakdowns in the short time I owned it. I needed something that would be reliable and would tow around race cars without breaking a sweat. I do realize that the V6 in the 4Runner is light years ahead of the pushrod 4.3L that's in the Blazer, but I definitely wanted the extra torque that the V8 put out, since the 4Runner V6 wasn't much better than the Blazer's 250ft/lbs of torque. Torque is what pulls things and I'm glad I went with the V8. The smoothness is outstanding and the pulling power when on the highway is exactly what I wanted. Not having to downshift on every small hill makes it a lot nicer. I also love the V8 because it does turn lower RPMs in day to day driving. I've ridden in one of my wife's coworker's 4Runners ('04 V6) and it shifts at much higher RPMs than my V8 does and provides about the same acceleration while it does it. When her V6 is shifting at 3000rpm or so, my V8 would have been shifting around 2,000rpm.

Longevity-wise, I still haven't seen a 4.0L Toyota V6 make it to 300k miles without problems -- they just haven't been out that long (and I'm not saying they won't make it there without problems)... It's just that the 4.7L V8 has done it time and time again in many other types of vehicles (Tundras, Land Cruisers, etc).

Ricky

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Fuel Mileage


My worst fuel mileage was 15.7 mpg -- when I filled it up three days ago. Yuck! My driving was pretty typical, but it was rather cold and I think I did a bit more idling than usual. We also have oxygenated gasoline here - formerly with MTBE but now with 10% ethanol added.


My best mileage I ever got was around 22 mpg on a highway trip with my girlfriend driving. Her foot is not as heavy as mine. My typical mileage of mixed driving is around 17 to 18 mpg, maybe a bit more when the weather is a bit warmer.

The EPA mileage for my V6 4Runner is 17 city/21 highway, so I suppose I am not that far off the mark. I bet those chaps at the EPA don't drive on the highway at the same speed as most people in VA do. The 4Runner is so smooth that it is hard to keep it below 70 mph on the open road.
:bash:

BTW, I use the miles driven and gallons used method of computing mileage. The trip computer is way too optimistic! I find it to be 1.7 to 2.1 miles per gallon above my actual figures.

To "hunting":
My 4Runner's lease expires in January of 2008, so I'll probably be looking to sell it if you are still looking for a 4x4 at that time with about 36,000 well-maintained miles on it. I just turned 20,000 miles last week.
:awais:

Peace and good night to all.

 

[Uneek]

:iagree: with Jeff.

Low: 15.74
High: 22.26
Avg: 19.01 (Total miles and gallons used)

I got the 22.26 driving about 60-65mph in 4WD after some light snow.

 

[huntingfora4run]

BlueWave, you have it so right. If it says 4x4 in MN, plan on paying a big chunk more than any other place. So if I can ask, who did you buy from?

So far I would have to guess that an 04 is in my future, but if I hold off for a few months, maybe some 05s with not so many miles on them will start showing up.

In the winter mileage stinks no matter what. I like my v6 a lot, it has plenty of power and although not as smooth and refined as the v8 it is still quite smooth. As long as you don't plan on towing heavy loads, the v6 is fine (with a owner installed WDH, it can pull over 6k lbs.) but if you are a heavy hauler the 4runner is not your vehicle anyway.
The v6 and v8's use the same tranny on '05 and up that was for v8s only before that ('03, '04). So beware that the '05 wants to shift to overdrive too soon, IMO. The v6 can't handle that as well as the v8 can, but other than that, the v6 is great for me! I have been getting 18.4 mpg for the last few months, hopefully that will increase a bit this summer. I bought mine in the cities, but it was real hard to find a good price on the used ones anywhere in MN. 4x4s just cost more here than in warmer places.

 

[huntingfora4run]

good stuff to think about

I am a pretty mellow driver so the V8 diff in mpg could be quite minimum. Also a good point that the 4.7 V8 has been around for quite some time. I don't tow much weight wise and I am even selling my boat :-( this spring. We adopted last year and it left us a bit more strapped than I like, but being a dad just rocks!!! Eventually I will get another boat and the little guy will be older and ready to go fishing.

Blazer-ohhh yes, breakdowns. Thank God for the 6 yr extended warranty. The dealer just hung their head whenever they saw me coming. MANY, MANY, MANY grand of parts went into it. The darn thing has more replacement parts in it than one might think.

I also had a '98 Blazer for light towing before I got the 4Runner. The Blazer was a fine vehicle as far as size went, but it was far too unreliable and had MANY breakdowns in the short time I owned it. I needed something that would be reliable and would tow around race cars without breaking a sweat. I do realize that the V6 in the 4Runner is light years ahead of the pushrod 4.3L that's in the


Blazer, but I definitely wanted the extra torque that the V8 put out, since the 4Runner V6 wasn't much better than the Blazer's 250ft/lbs of torque. Torque is what pulls things and I'm glad I went with the V8. The smoothness is outstanding and the pulling power when on the highway is exactly what I wanted. Not having to downshift on every small hill makes it a lot nicer. I also love the V8 because it does turn lower RPMs in day to day driving. I've ridden in one of my wife's coworker's 4Runners ('04 V6) and it shifts at much higher RPMs than my V8 does and provides about the same acceleration while it does it. When her V6 is shifting at 3000rpm or so, my V8 would have been shifting around 2,000rpm.

Longevity-wise, I still haven't seen a 4.0L Toyota V6 make it to 300k miles without problems -- they just haven't been out that long (and I'm not saying they won't make it there without problems)... It's just that the 4.7L V8 has done it time and time again in many other types of vehicles (Tundras, Land Cruisers, etc).

Ricky