V6 vs V8 guidance

[newbian]

Long time lurker, first time poster here. So I'm finally in a position to be able to get myself a 4th gen 4Runner, but can't decide on the V6 or V8. Sorry to bring this up again, I DID do a thorough search of old posts but people were so divided down the middle it seemed that I couldn't come to an agreement.

The two vehicles I've found are both 2WD, SE trim:

2005: V8, 71k miles
2006: V6, 63k miles

Now a little about me...I live in SoCal, don't do any towing, but do plan on using this car to haul people and luggage in road trips and snowboarding trips. No offroading plans (2WD anyways). Everything I've read says the actual gas mileage numbers between the two are very similar, but my concerns are:

a). Get a V6, and find out it doesn't exactly have the umpf needed to haul a carload of people and gear up hills, etc

b). Get a V8, and find out that a few months down the line that the gas mileage is actually worse than people said and it becomes a big drain

I'm scheduled to drive both cars in the next day or so, but was hoping to get some advice before then. Sorry to clutter the board with this same question again. I'm sorta leaning towards the 2006 (a bit newer, less miles), but want to make sure I'm not missing out. Thanks in advance!

 

[UteRunner]

V8

If you are not planning on towing big stuff and gas money is an issue, then go for the V6. I've driven Taco's, FJ's, and 4Runners with the 4.0 and haven't been dissapointed in the V6 performance. Don't get me wrong, though. I LOVE MY V8! If I am really, really nice to it on the freeway I can eek out 19-20 MPG. Around town is about 16. My .02 and good luck!:thumb3:

 

[zachb_NW]

FYI the V8's are fulltime 4WD. If they are telling you its 2WD, they are on crack.

:bravo: haha check your facts. 2wd models can be V8 or V6

 

[rtuck1]

FYI the V8's are fulltime 4WD. If they are telling you its 2WD, they are on crack.

If you are not planning on towing big stuff and gas money is an issue, then go for the V6. I've driven Taco's, FJ's, and 4Runners with the 4.0 and haven't been dissapointed in the V6 performance. Don't get me wrong, though. I LOVE MY V8! If I am really, really nice to it on the freeway I can eek out 19-20 MPG. Around town is about 16. My .02 and good luck!:thumb3:

The V8 did come in a 2WD drive model but all 4WD models for the V8 are AWD.

V6 has plenty of power to get you to and from and up the mountains. No need for the V8 if you are not towing.

 

[UteRunner]

My bad! Though I was sure that I saw (on this site) that all V8's came only as fulltime 4WD. SORRY! Fulltime 4WD comes with V8 only then. Gotcha!

 

[M1911]

If you are going to use your 4Runner to go up in the mountains for snowboard trips, I'd get a 4WD rather than a 2WD.

 

[chaz]

yup, v8's can be had in 2wd, mpg will vary depending on several things, driving habits, tires, all city (u will notice fairly low #'s), mostly highway (much better), both, etc. i think the real mpg difference is a little more than just 2 , but believe it or not, some guys do complain they get low mpg #'s with the v6. one thing tho, the v8 also needs a timing belt change around 90k. i drove both engines when i was looking & imo, while the v6 is perfectly fine, (my 08 highlander has it) i just loved the smoothness of the v8, its my personal preference, but u cant go wrong with either one. i do have to agree with getting the 4wd for mountain snowboard trips tho & just cause its 4wd doesnt mean the mpg will be any worse than 2wd .

 

[jbmccul]

yup, v8's can be had in 2wd, mpg will vary depending on several things, driving habits, tires, all city (u will notice fairly low #'s), mostly highway (much better), both, etc. i think the real mpg difference is a little more than just 2 , but believe it or not, some guys do complain they get low mpg #'s with the v6. one thing tho, the v8 also needs a timing belt change around 90k. i drove both engines when i was looking & imo, while the v6 is perfectly fine, (my 08 highlander has it) i just loved the smoothness of the v8, its my personal preference, but u cant go wrong with either one. i do have to agree with getting the 4wd for mountain snowboard trips tho & just cause its 4wd doesnt mean the mpg will be any worse than 2wd .

I thought all v8's were AWD, and some had a 4hi 4low settings

 

[chaz]

u can get the v8 in 2wd, but the v8 in 4wd is fulltime 4wd, even tho it works like awd, toyota refers to it as FT4wd since it has both hi & lo, most if not all awd vec.s dont have a lo. (2 speed tranfer case) Toyota 4Runner V8 2WD (2007) - technical specifications - maximum power, maximum torque, fuel consumption - urban/extra urban/combined, maximum speed, acceleration, weight, dimensions, engine, suspension, rims/wheels, tyres, brakes, transmission/gear http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance/81797-2005-4runner-v8-2wd-100k-mile-service-help.html

 

[krupnation]

I got the V8 over the V6 for the exact reason you stated, driving up to the mountain with a car load of friends and all our gear. Our usual mountain is Mt Baker but we also go to Sun Peaks, BC and also Whistler/Blackomb, going over lots of mountain passes each year. I love the power the V8 puts out with a car load of hooligans and I'm glad I chose the V8...my $0.02

Oh, and my V8 SR5 is AWD. Handles awesome in the snow.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Bought my '04 Sport Edition V8 4WD over a V6 for a couple reasons;

-The Torque
-Full-Time 4WD w/ 2spd

Everything else is pretty much the same.

 

[ThreeFiveO]

If it were me, I would wait and get a 4WD, but since this is a V8 or V6 discussion I would still go for the v8.

Something to keep in mind regarding mileage: Most of the debate on mileage is between part time (multimode) 4WD V6 and full-time 4WD V8. Here the V6 has a slight advantage in that it can run in 2WD for better mileage. Being that your looking at both having 2WD, I think the mileage hit to the V8 over the V6 would be a little less.

Also, hauling gear and people up over the mountain, the V8 has the low end torque for the job, the V6 makes torque higher in the RPM range witch will again reduce the MPG difference between the two.

Just my .03..

 

[Casper421]

V8! You won't second guess yourself like you will with the V6. It has tons of power and gets good gas mileage. I get around 18-19mpg's calculated which i think is good for a 2 ton vehicle powered by a V8 and it's pretty close to the V6 territory. Good luck with your decision! :cheers:

 

[JB.]

Everything I've read says the actual gas mileage numbers between the two are very similar, but my concerns are:

a). Get a V6, and find out it doesn't exactly have the umpf needed to haul a carload of people and gear up hills, etc

b). Get a V8, and find out that a few months down the line that the gas mileage is actually worse than people said and it becomes a big drain

I'm scheduled to drive both cars in the next day or so, but was hoping to get some advice before then.

If you want to stay sane, just compare EPA mileage numbers and call it a day. Here they are for 2WD before and after the methodology change. So the difference, to the nearest whole number, is 1 and 2, though I suspect rounding makes the city number more like 1.5. The first set of numbers is a good indicator of what you can get being very gentle. The second is more realistic for typical, reasonable driving.

V8 - 17/20 - 15/19

V6 - 18/22 - 16/21

I'd be surprised if you found the V6 lacking in power.

 

[unixadm]

I have a AWD V8 with 137k miles on it. Runs like new, idles glass smooth, good throttle response and decent power. The V8 does require a timing belt change at 90k, something to consider.

Good luck!

 

[webby]

I debated between a V6 and V8, and I wasn't going to be doing any major towing, so opted for the V6. I am very happy with my decision. I have had a lot of V6's in various vehicles, but this 4.0 liter motor is the most powerful.

We just came from a trip to the mountains, climbing from 1000' elevation to 7500'. We had just an average load, but I had surplus power running out of my ears, so to speak. It just powered up steep highway slopes as fast as I would ever want or need to accelerate.

Gas is high and going higher. We will likely see $5-6 per gallon, maybe more, in the not too distant future. l've got nothing against the V8, but I figured why pay extra for gas when the V6 has all the power I would ever need.

Get the V6. You'll be glad you did, particularly when gas gets to $6-7 per gallon.

 

[Eastcoastrunner]

1-2 mpg difference is negligible

 

[M1911]

I thought all v8's were AWD, and some had a 4hi 4low settings

No.

Toyota made 4th Gen V8 4Runners in two-wheel drive and full-time four-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive models all have 4hi and 4lo, along with a lockable Torsen limited slip diff that allows you to drive them on dry roads in 4hi (or 4lo).

Yes, 1 or 2 mpg isn't much, but with gas at $4 it does add up.

 

[Lineman]

If you're asking "should I get the V6 or V8" you're already questioning if you'd be happy with a V6. Don't question yourself, get the V8 and done.

The 6 or 8 doesn't really matter for gas mileage. If your concerned about a 1-3 mpg difference, the answer is Prius...

 

[msommers]

I am in the same predicament right now. For work, I drive out to sites about 900-1000km, 2-4 times a month and load up with about 200-300lbs of gear and supplies, and just me driving. The v6 seems like it should be able to do the job, especially in the summers when I have no real need for 4WD. I do camp quite often and I can see this vehicle being the go-to vehicle with friends. It's hard to say if gas mileage is going to be very different with a fully loaded vehicle or not. If it's difference of 5-10 bucks a tank, I think I can splurge!

I have no intentions of towing.

Gas mileage is of some concern, it seems like passing power on the highway is similar between the two which is important to me, especially on 2-lane mountain roads where passing quickly is for safety reasons.

Now that the engines have been out for a few years, my biggest concern is actually long-term reliability. Have either of these engines had particular problems surface yet? AFAIK, the tranny's 2007+ are the same for either engine.