Both of the 2013 Toyota Tacoma’s engine options are incredibly reliable and easily able to cover 250,000 miles. However, the base 2.7L four-cylinder feels underpowered if you’re looking to tow or carry heavy loads, and the 4.0-liter V6 is very thirsty.
Key Points
- Toyota’s 2013 Tacoma was offered with just two engine options: a 2.7-liter four-cylinder with 159 hp and a 4.0-liter V6 with 236.
- The base 2.7-liter engines feature strong construction with an iron block and forged crankshaft. However, its power is deficient for heavy towing and carrying large loads.
- The bigger 4.0-liter V6 engine offers strong low-down pulling power and can tow up to 6,500 pounds, but its fuel economy is poor, particularly in manual-transmission models.
- In typical Toyota fashion, both engines are known for their long-term reliability, with no serious issues commonly documented for either.
2013 Toyota Tacoma’s Base 2.7L Four-cylinder Features Strong Construction but is Underpowered for Common Pickup Tasks
The second-generation Toyota Tacoma first launched in 2005, and by 2013 truly felt its age, especially with an all-new model just two years away. However, its base 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine remains in production to this day.
Codenamed the 2TR-FE, physical strength and longevity are the focus of this engine. A cast-iron block, forged crankshaft, aluminum pistons with oil jets to keep them cool all feature to ensure it remains bulletproof. As a sign of its age, though, it uses multi-point fuel injection rather than direct and only has variable valve timing on the intake camshaft.
What lets down the 2TR-FE most is its lack of power. Making just 159 hp at 5,200 rpm and 180 lb.-ft. at 3,800 rpm, it was also under-geared with aging four-speed automatic and five-speed manual transmissions available. Both 4×2 and 4×4 configurations were available with both transmissions. It could only tow up to 3,500 pounds as well.
Fuel economy was at its best in the manual 4×2, achieving 21 mpg city, 25 highway, and 23 combined. The 4×4 models were thirstier at 18/21/19 with either transmission.
Oil changes are recommended every 5,000 miles, with 5.5 quarts of 0W-20 oil required. As unlikely as needing to ever replace it would be, Tacoma engines often aren’t cheap to replace, costing as much as $3,500.
2013 Toyota Tacoma’s 4.0L V6 Upgrade Can Tow up to 6,500 Pounds, but it’s at the Cost of Fuel Economy
Headlining the 2013 Toyota Tacoma range is a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V6, the 1GR-FE. Launched a few years before the 2.7-liter, it features more modern all-aluminum construction, although still with multi-point injection and variable valve timing for the intake cam only.
Compared with the base engine, the V6’s outputs are stronger, if still a little on the low side. It produces 236 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 266 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm, that latter torque figure being what’s most important in a pickup. It offers more up-to-date transmissions as well, with either a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual available. While it only tows 3,500 pounds as standard, it can tow up to 6,500 pounds with the optional Tow Prep Package.
Unsurprisingly, this 4.0-liter engine can be a bit thirsty, with automatic models being slightly more efficient than those with a manual. At its best, the automatic 4×2 manages just 17 mpg city, 21 highway, and 19 combined. At its worst, the manual 4×4 achieves only 16/19/17 combined.
Again, a 5,000-mile oil change interval is recommended, with 5.5 quarts of 5W-30 oil required. Attesting to Toyota engines being expensive to replace in the unlikely event you need to, which runs around $4,500 for both used and refurbished 1GR-FE engines.
Both 2013 Toyota Tacoma Engine Options Remain Problem-free in the Long Run
One thing both 2013 Toyota Tacoma engine options have in common is a penchant for reliability. Just 108 total complaints have been submitted to the NHTSA regarding this model; only seven pertain to its engines, and there’s no consistent reporting of any issue. Additionally, none of the six recalls issued for it relate to the engine in any way.
On 2.7-liter models, oil leaks from the front main seal are something we’ve previously reported on, but the problem is easily remediable and fairly minor. As for the 4.0-liter, coolant leaks from the water pump are one of the only issues you’ll hear much of – again, nothing terribly serious. Both of these engines have a reputation for reaching and exceeding 250,000 miles reliably, which is a testament to Toyota’s reputation.
The greatest issue with these powertrains, however, is really just the lack of power. The Car Connection claims the 2.7-liter “can manage basic chores well enough, so long as you’re riding solo and not towing or hauling much,” making it more of a run-about than a serious pickup.
The V6 was better received, however, described as having “a completely different personality.” Its outputs were deemed “more than enough to hustle the Tacoma around quickly, even when you have a heavy load, though things get a little breathless past 75 mph or so on the interstate.”
2013 Toyota Tacoma’s V6 is the Engine to Get… if You Can Tolerate the Fuel Consumption
It’s unquestionable that the 2013 Toyota Tacoma is an incredibly dependable truck with either engine, but the 4.0-liter V6 is the clear option to go for. If you’re going to be using this thing like a truck, hauling and towing loads, it’s the obvious choice with its strong low-end grunt and maximum 6,500 pounds towing capacity. With fuel consumption being its one caveat, an automatic 4×2 will be the thriftiest option available and the one to go for if you don’t require four-wheel drive.
Photos: Toyota
