toyota pickup questions

[airmanwilliams]

I recently went on a trip to vegas with my sidekick and got 18mpg that im not happy with. I also am tired of folding the backseat all the time when hauling parts so I am going to be looking for a toyota pickup soon and had some questions to ask you toyota geniouses(sp?).

What years came with a backseat?(need one for my sons carseat)
What mileage would be a good point to buy and what wouldnt? 150k? (not sure how good the motors are between years on how long they last)
What mpg are some of you guys getting that have an extended cab toyota? And what year do you have?

 

[sixstringsteve]

the 1989-1995 extended cab pickups had the jump seat in the back. In 1996 the pickups became tacomas. The tacomas also have the rear jump seats.


Don't expect to get much better than 18 mpg with a pickup. You might get 20-22 if you left it completely stock and drove like a grandpa. Even the 2wd regular cabs only get about 24-26 mpg. My '94 got about 21 mpg stock.

regarding mileage, it all depends on how well it's been taken care of. If there are no leaks and the timing chain and guides have been replaced, I would look for a rig with less than 250k. I had a 4runner with 360k and I never had a problem with it.

I would stay away from the 3.0 v6 models. They get worse MPG and they don't have much more power than the 22re. Many have headgasket issues as well. If the headgasket has been replaced, then you don't have to worry about reliability issues.

That being said, you're going to be surprised how expensive the 22RE 3rd gen pickups are, especially with under 150k on them. It's almost cheaper to get a tacoma at that price.


On a side note, is your speedometer/odometer dead accurate on your sidekick? Or does it show a slightly different speed than what you're actually traveling? If there is a discrepancy, then you need to factor that in when calculating MPG.

 

[TurboMinivan]

I recently went on a trip to vegas with my sidekick and got 18mpg that im not happy with. I also am tired of folding the backseat all the time when hauling parts so I am going to be looking for a toyota pickup soon

Personally, I feel that the way to true nirvana is via multiple vehicle ownership.

Every vehicle--and I do mean every vehicle--is a compromise in one way or another. Whenever you optimize a vehicle for one specific need, you undoubtedly make it lousy for some other specific need. So rather than try to impossibly make one vehicle excel in every conceivable situation, why not own two (or three, or four) different vehicles, where each one has strengths different from the others?

It looks like you've built your Sidekick into a decent wheeling machine. Great! If you would like good fuel economy on road trips, why not simply purchase an econo cruiser and use that for your next jaunt to Vegas? With some forethought and careful selection, I'm sure you could find something which will observe far, far better fuel economy than a 4wd 22re pickup would get. As an added bonus, you'd still have your built-up Sidekick to take 'wheeling.

It's just a thought.

 

[cackalak]

I don't think I can fit my kid's car seat in the back of my ext cab Tacoma. She'd ride front with the airbag off. If you need to fit a car seat in the back, I'd look at 01-04 double cabs. I got 21-22 mpg freeway 100% stock going 70-75. They do fetch a premium price, though.

 

[airmanwilliams]

Thanks guys. I am going to look at a pickup tomorrow and also a couple of stock sidekicks a guy might trade for mine.

 

[bryson]

For a car seat you better look at 4Runners... I don't think a carseat in a jumpseat is a wise idea. Even if it is possible, it probably isn't (nor should it be) legal.

My 87 4Runner with 250k on it (less on the engine) gets 21mpg with 35" mud terrains and 5.29s. Even better (~23mpg) on long highway stretches. And, since it is a 22RE, the pedal is on the floor all the time.

 

[Marsh99]

For a car seat you better look at 4Runners... I don't think a carseat in a jumpseat is a wise idea. Even if it is possible, it probably isn't (nor should it be) legal.

My 87 4Runner with 250k on it (less on the engine) gets 21mpg with 35" mud terrains and 5.29s. Even better (~23mpg) on long highway stretches. And, since it is a 22RE, the pedal is on the floor all the time.

x2

 

[I Lean]

For a car seat you better look at 4Runners... I don't think a carseat in a jumpseat is a wise idea. Even if it is possible, it probably isn't (nor should it be) legal.

My 87 4Runner with 250k on it (less on the engine) gets 21mpg with 35" mud terrains and 5.29s. Even better (~23mpg) on long highway stretches. And, since it is a 22RE, the pedal is on the floor all the time.

....but that 4runner is weird. My '89 pickup with a 22RE never got more than 18MPG, even when it was stock. Once modified it hovered around 16-17.

 

[airmanwilliams]

What are some of you guys with 22re toyota ext cab pickups getting gas mileage wise and what are your setups?

 

[airmanwilliams]

also, how much mpg would you guys think the trail-gear rock ripper headers with 2" exhaust and extreme air intake would add to a 22re motor?

 

[sixstringsteve]

I was getting about 22 MPG stock driving like a grandma. With 5.29s and 35s I was getting 18-20.

 

[airmanwilliams]

I was getting about 22 MPG stock driving like a grandma. With 5.29s and 35s I was getting 18-20.

big ol tires! 18-20 isnt bad. I was getting 18mpg a month ago in the sidekick when I was driving it, blew the clutch cable and now need to replace that before I sell it. what do you think would be the right gears with 31-32"tires? I am researching everything before buying a pickup! I dont think I want to go any bigger than 31-32" tires but still like to hear what people are getting and if I find a truck with bigger tires with decent mileage I can always go down.

 

[Kevin B.]

what do you think would be the right gears with 31-32"tires? .

Which engine? If you're looking at the 22RE or 3VZE, you really want to have the right gears. Trucks with those engines and 31 inch tires came with factory 4.56 gears if you had a manual, and 4.88 if you have the automatic. Later models had the 3RZ 4cyl and the 5VZE 6cyl, both of which are more powerful and would let you get away with being undergeared.

 

[airmanwilliams]

Which engine? If you're looking at the 22RE or 3VZE, you really want to have the right gears. Trucks with those engines and 31 inch tires came with factory 4.56 gears if you had a manual, and 4.88 if you have the automatic. Later models had the 3RZ 4cyl and the 5VZE 6cyl, both of which are more powerful and would let you get away with being undergeared.

22re motor manual trans is what im thinking right now.

 

[Kevin B.]

also, how much mpg would you guys think the trail-gear rock ripper headers with 2" exhaust and extreme air intake would add to a 22re motor?

Not much. 2.4 liters just isn't much to work with, no matter how many go-fast parts you bolt on. Skip the headers and cone filters, just tune it right and sit back while it lasts longer than your bodywork.

 

[Kevin B.]

22re motor manual trans is what im thinking right now.

Factory gears for the 4 cylinder manual were 4.10s for the 28" tires, and when 31s became a factory option they shipped with 4.56s. You REALLY don't wanna be undergeared with that engine - I've got about a 30.5 tire with 4.30 gears on mine, and headwinds and hills bring the suck. Frickin' Zukman kicked my ass up Hwy 6 in his little ... Sami? Tracker? One of those, anyway, and he was pulling a trailer to boot.

 

[jentzschman]

If you want to put a car seat in the back, the only way to go is a 4 door, IMHO. 2001 is when they started and I love the style.

I have a 2000 ext cab and it is not big enough for a car seat for the child to really sit comfortably. I have put my little cousin back there a number of times and when he falls asleep, because the car set is so upright, his head is always falling forward.

Just a thought.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I think you should look into a '91-95 4-door civic. Dirt cheap, dead reliable, and they'll get 40 MPG.

 

[jentzschman]

Oh ya, you are right Steve. Thanks for the correction. (Error corrected)

 

[airmanwilliams]

do you guys think that swapping a couple bucket seats in the front and getting rid of the bench like steve did I could have room?