Towing Capacity

My rule of thumb for towing is take the vehicles maximum rated towing capacity and divide it by 2 and that's what it can tow comfortably. Diesels will increase that by 25-30% or so providing your vehicle has the brakes to stop a heavy trailer.

That being said I'd be all over a 4 cyl diesel in a midsize in a heartbeat. But I'd take a turbo or supercharged 4 cylinder gasser over the diesel.

 

2,7 L I4 Turbo would have been nice engine....

Looking at Ford ecoboost 2.7 that thing has better specs than our engines.

 

I am looking at the engine, not a truck.

 

Possible, I am going wait to see Titan XD and Colorado Diesel. ... i know I was not goign to buy GM vehicle but I think midsize with Diesel is too much of temptation.
Unfortunately I don't see myself getting new Toyota tuck in near future.
2016 Tacoma is not what I would buy,(turn out to be a designed disappointment) so unless Toyota comes up with better Engine option this is a no go.,

and Tundra is too much money to spend and have frame rusted through in 9 years.

 

hp/tq numbers look good...fuel consumption is lack luster.

they need to quit dicking around and toss in a diesel. The Ram "concept" is good...you can pick one up around the $30K mark which is totally reasonable IMO...just too bad it is in a Ram.

F150 with a diesel, they would knock it out of the park.

 

This trailer wet, probably sits around 3,000 lbs. My current Tacoma has a 5,000 lb tow rating and to be honest, it feels like it has to work real hard to pull this. I never have taken it more than 100 miles from home. A better towing Tacoma would be great, even if it revs high. Shoot, I have to rev the 3.4 liter to shit to get it up certain steep grades around here.

 

Here we go again with people lumping the 800 lb-ft torque monster truck Cummins, powerstroke, and Duramax together with a mid size truck and 4 cylinder diesel, smh. As stated before it will be the same frame, size, weight, bearings, suspension as the 3.6L V6. Will it tow better? Possibly. But the towing capacity won't go up because its in the same truck.

 

Nope. I never said anything about Cummins, powerstroke or Duramax. I was simply stating that a diesel on the same truck with the same tow load would most likely tow the load better than a gas engine in the same truck.

 

This is why, if you switch from 1gen V6 to 2gen v6 with 1Gr you realize you can tow with out revving like crazy.
Low end Torque on 1gr is one of the best I had seen in any small vehicle. The fact that I can accelerate up the hill at 2000 RPMs on 5th with out downshift is absolutely amazing. My only other car that could do this with out V8 was VW Tdi.
So whoever designed that 1GR, hats off for one helluva engine. Not to mention oil filter on top, (briliant) or its longevity...
That engine will be surely missed...

 

Unfortunately they moved this to the bottom with the 5th gen 4Runners.

 

Even on 1gr ? Is it that stupid cartridge too ?

 

It's on the bottom with a cartridge filter which a skid would have to be removed to get to.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17FGXCkAYI

 

Yes. 4Runners went to cartridge filters.

 

I have a poverty 1st gen too, towed a yard of topsoil a couple months ago...and it kinda struggled...luckily only had to go a couple miles.

Majority of the time it is my daily driver, weekends it tows the toys...2-3 dirt bike's and gear, and couple times a year...I take a few 2 week vacations...then it is loaded down with the moto and camp gear....it does "ok" but could be better.

I am pretty much a mid-sized truck target market...want a fuel efficient DD, but have enough power for when I need to do a "little" work...and a little play. I never bought a 2nd gen, because it wasn't that much better than the 1st gen....and looks to be the 3rd gen, isn't going to be "that" much better than the 2nd.

The only thing that is kinda standing out to fit the needs, and seems "a lot" better spec wise, is the diesel Colorado...and that is only if they offer it on the low-end models so the price point is reasonable. I doubt GM will hit the mark...it seems to be, no matter the manufacture they seem to get couple things wrong, wrong enough to keep me from opening up my bank account.

 

How is the Diesel going to be a lot better? Odds are it'll have the same towing ratings and payload as the gas job for an additional cost that will likely cancel out with the increased cost of fuel versus the mpg it could get.

I get it, 350 ftlbs of torque is great for towing and that little Colorado could do much better up hills then a gas job Tacoma, but that's about all you are getting for that extra initial cost. Doesn't seem much better to me. Maybe when it comes out I'll be wowed, but probably not.

 

Honestly I don't need that much torque, though it would come in handy for pulling the mountains here, and be a decent daily driver is what I am thinking. I like VW Sportwagon TDI's, but they aren't a good enough all around vehicle for me to buy...mini/mid-size size trucks have been working for me for 25 years now, not about to change. I want a little truck that gets 30 mpg (hwy), not too much to ask, I don't think.

Be better only "if" it can be had in the $30-35K range. That it makes sense. 30+ mpg (hwy), compared to the 2nd gen Tacoma...which you'll get 20-22 if you're lucky. 3rd mpg is up in the air right now...it would have to be over 25 for me to consider it.

The Ram was real close to fulfilling the needs, 30 mpg hwy easy, offering it in the contractor model, to keep the price point reasonable. I can live with a RCLB and no frills. About perfect configure for what I need and want it to do.

However they dropped the ball on payload, only 1200lbs...which is dismal for a half ton, heck that is Tacoma territory. ...and typical Chry-o product...reliability is not there. It is real close, but missed 2 things for me to throw my money at it.

The GM is looking to have 1500 lbs. pay load, great fuel economy...question that remains is the price point.

So far the 3rd Gen Taco doesn't seem to be all that much better than the out going model...maybe it will get great mpg, we will see.

 

It all depends on what you think is a big upgrade. You are looking for an increase in power, payload, and price than the new Tacoma is definitely not a wow me upgrade for you.

However, for people who love their 2nd gen but want something with more of the gadgets and comfort features that are available on every other model, it is a significant upgrade. Not to mention what mpg might do.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

BTW my friends are now 4 for 4 on Ram 1500's with Ecodiesels that have major issues. The fourth guy bought his in June and I didn't even realise it was an Ecodiesel. He's a customer of mine. Today we met in field and he was driving his old Ford farm truck. His Ecodiesel, which he uses as a farm vehicle, is waiting for a new engine already .

 

For me it is power and mpg. I don't care for gadgetry, as my 1st gen has more than enough for me. If I could buy a brand new 30 mpg version of what I have already I would. I really like my 1st gen, my only complaint is the mileage and it is wee bit underpowered when loaded down.

The 2.5 D-4D in a 1st gen chassis would work for me. I don't need a huge amount of torque, the 3.4 I have now mostly works...the 2.5 bumps it up to 253 over the 220 of the 3.4.

http://www.autoevolution.com/cars/t...ng_toyota-hilux-extra-cab-2012-25-d-4d-144-hp

Yeah, I refuse to buy a Chrysler product.

 

Thats what happens when you buy FIAT garbage....

to me difference between 1gen and 2gen in towing was day and night. Hence why I am not happy that Taco is goign backwards.
Maybe if new 2016 Tacoma was the size of 1gen (lost 2000lb from weight) than that 3.5 would have made more sense... but the same size as 2gen just smaller engine with less torque is stupid idea IMHO.
Not going back to days of revving up to get trailer up the hill, not going to happen.