The Types Of Gas A Toyota Tacoma Uses (Explained)

The Toyota Tacoma is well known as a durable and reliable pickup truck that has been manufactured in the US and Mexico since early 1995 by Toyota. In this blog, we will mainly be discussing the gas it takes in.

Here’s a quick answer on what gasoline to use for your Toyota Tacoma.

Talking about the gas that the Tacoma takes, it is usually advised in the owner’s manual that the vehicle must only use unleaded gasoline and gasoline that are of 87 or higher octane rating. Usage of lower octane rating or leaded gasoline would result in engine knocking. Persistent Engine Knocking could lead to severe engine damage. 

That’s a pretty typical answer for most Toyota vehicles and we see similar fuel requirements in vehicles from the Sequoia to the compact Camry.

So here we, after researching all the generations of Tacoma, could say that it is best to use gasoline with a mid-range octane rating. Also, regular higher octane rating fuels can be used from time to time. This is not the whole story of what gas Toyota Tacoma takes. Furthermore, in the article, we will see the fuel requirements are, the mileage is, the tank capacity, etc., of the Toyota Tacoma. Let’s stick to the end to know more about the gas intake of Tacoma. Now let’s look at the fuel requirements of the Toyota Tacoma based on the engine type.

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Fuel Required According To The Engine Type

Before further details on what gasoline should be used in the Toyota Tacoma, there’s a much quicker way to find this out, As this information is also displayed near the fuel cap. This label tells you essential information about the type of fuel that Tacoma uses.

Also read: The Expected Mileage Of A Toyota Tacoma

2021 – Present

With a 3.5L and 2.7L gasoline engine, Toyota Tacoma is designed to use high-quality unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of 87.

Premium gasoline is not recommended for this vehicle as it would do no additional benefit over regular gasoline. However, the Tacoma is also compatible with premium gasoline that has an octane rating of 91.

2004 – 2015

The 2004 – 2015 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.4L, 2.7L, and 3.4L gasoline engine is designed to use high-quality unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of 87. Premium gasoline is not recommended for this vehicle as it would do no additional benefit over regular gasoline.

1995 – 2004

The 1995 – 2004 Toyota Tacoma came with 2.4L and 3.4L gasoline engines designed to use high-quality unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of 87.  

Also read: Toyota Tacoma Transmissions: Overview, Problems, Fluids

What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?

Oxygenated Gasoline Or E85

One may use unleaded gasoline blended with alcohol or MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), commonly referred to as oxygenated fuels, if the blended mixture fits in the given criteria:

Blends of gasoline and methanol (wood alcohol or methyl alcohol):

• The Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
• The Blend shouldn’t contain more than 3% methanol.
• The Blend should contain more than 2% co-solvents.

Blends of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol):

• The Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
• The Blend must contain no more than 15% ethanol.

Blends of gasoline and MTBE:

• The Anti-Knock Index (AKI) must be 87 or higher.
• The Blend must contain no more than 15% MTBE.

Gasoline With Additives

The quality of fuel impacts the performance, efficiency, and service life of the engine. Therefore, using quality gasoline that the fuel supplier already blends with suitable gasoline additives that do not contain metal.

The additives provide corrosion protection, clean the fuel system, and prevent deposits on the engine. Toyota Recommends TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.

Seasonally Adjusted Gasoline

Many fuels are blended, especially for the winter or for the summer conditions. When seasons change, Toyota suggests that you buy fuel at busy stations where the seasonal adjustment is more likely to be made earlier.

Also read: The Exact Bolt Pattern Of A Toyota Tacoma

What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling?

In the owner’s manual of the Toyota Tacoma, it has been said that hearing a slight knocking from the engine isn’t a cause for concern and completely normal if you’ve used the right kind of fuel.

While, if you hear a loud knocking noise, you have to stop the car immediately and visit a dealer. In this case, you’ve likely used gasoline with a lower octane number.

Using gasoline with a lower octane number would eventually intensify the knocking sound and even cause the car to a complete stall or hesitate when driving. Consistent usage of this kind of fuel in your vehicle may void the New Vehicle Warranty.

This is true not only for the Tacoma but other vehicles so keep it in mind when fueling up everything from RAV4 to a 4Runner.

Does The Tacoma Have A Good Gas Mileage?

The First Generation (1995)

It came with the option of three types of engines and came in Two-wheel-drive (rear-wheel driven) along with a Four-wheel-drive variant.

• 2.4L four-cylinder that gave out 142 hp of power, which produced 217 N.m of torque. 
• 2.7L four-cylinder that gave out 150 hp of power and produced 240 N.m of torque.
• 3.4L V6 engine that gave out 190 hp of power and produced 298 N.m of torque.

The 2.4L, 2WD gave 26 miles-per-gallon, the 2.7L, 4WD gave 20 miles-per-gallon, and the 3.4L automatic transmission gave a 21 miles-per-gallon. The fuel tank capacity was 15.1 gallons.

Engine	Transmission	Combined MPG
2.4L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	21
3.4L, 6-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	18
2.4L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Manual)	22
3.4L, 6-cylinder	2WD (Manual)	19
2.7L, 4-cylinder	4WD (Automatic & Manual)	18
3.4L, 6-cylinder	4WD (Automatic & Manual)	16

The Second Generation (2004)

The Second Generation of Toyota Tacoma came from the year 2004 to 2015. It went through several updates over this period of time, improving the power output and the mileage of Tacoma over time. In 2004, Toyota unveiled a more robust and more extensive Tacoma, launched in 2004 as a 2005 model.

The 3.4L V6 was replaced by a bigger 4.0L V6 and a less expensive option with a 2.7L four-cylinder engine. The new bigger 4.0L engine had more towing capacity.

• 4.0L V6 engine produced 236 hp of power and 361 N.m of torque.
• 2.7L four-cylinder engine produced 159 hp of power and 244 N.m of torque.

Talking about the mileage delivered by the 2.7L engine, in 2005, the 2WD manual 5-speed model gave an average of 18 miles-per-gallon in the city and 25 miles-per-gallon on the highway, and a combined average of 20 miles-per-gallon.

The same engine in 2015 in the same configuration gave 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, along with a combined average of 22 mpg.

The 4WD in 2005 gave a mileage of 17 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and a combined average of 18 mpg.

 In 2015, a 4WD variant was also offered with this 2.7L engine that gave out a mileage of 18 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, along with a combined mileage of 19 mpg.

Talking about the mileage delivered by the 4.0L V6 engine, in 2005, the 4WD variant gave a mileage of 16 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway, and a combined average of 17 mpg. In contrast, in 2015, it gave out a mileage of 15 mpg in the city, 19 mpg on the highway, and a combined average of 17 mpg.

Engine	Transmission	Combined MPG
2.4L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	21
2.7L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	18
3.4L, 6-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	16
2.4L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Manual)	22
3.4L, 6-cylinder	2WD (Manual)	19
3.4L, 6-cylinder	4WD (Automatic & Manual)	16
2.7L, 4-cylinder	4WD (Automatic)	18
2.7L, 4-cylinder	4WD (Manual)	17

The Third Generation (2015)

The third-generation Toyota offers a 2.7L I4 engine paired with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission and a 3.5L V6 engine paired with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota introduced its D-4S system, allowing it to switch from port injection to direct injection based on driving conditions. The 2.7 liter delivers 161 hp of power and 246 Nm of torque, while the 3.5L delivers 278 hp of power and 359 Nm of torque.

The estimated city, highway, and combined mpg for the 2WD automatic is 19, 24, and 21, and for the 4WD automatic, the estimated city, highway, and combined mpg are 18, 22, and 20, respectively.

Engine	Transmission	Combined MPG
3.5L, 6-cylinder	4WD (Automatic)	20
3.5L, 6-cylinder	4WD (Manual)	18
2.7L, 4-cylinder	4WD (Automatic)	20
3.5L, 6-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	21
2.7L, 4-cylinder	2WD (Automatic)	21

What’s The Gas Tank Size Of A Toyota Tacoma?

Being a mid-size pick-up truck, the 2012-21 Toyota Tacoma model came with 21.1 gallons (79.9 Liters) of the fuel tank and generated a torque of 265-180, which would be sufficient to travel around 310-415 miles depending on the models.

The models of 2010 and before had 21.0 gallons (79.5 Liters) which would be sufficient to travel around 290-400 miles depending on the models, and they generated torque ranging from 180-266.

How Much Does It Cost to Fill Up a Toyota Tacoma?

On average, it would cost $67.64 to fill up a Toyota Tacoma with a fuel tank capacity of 21.1 gallons. In Arkansans, it would be the cheapest to fill up the Tacoma at the cost of $60.4, whereas it would be most expensive in Hawaii at the cost of $86.24

Sources

• Gas Mileage of Tacoma   
• State Gas Price Average
• 2017 Toyota Tacoma Owner’s manual
• 2021 Toyota Tacoma Owner’s manual
• 2019 Toyota Tacoma Owner’s manual
• https://www.americanfivestartransmission.com/blog/the-difference-between-leaded–unleaded–diesel–and-bio-diesel-fuel