4 Cyl?

The Hi Lux and Early Tacoma was a small truck and capable. Now the Tacoma is as large as some, not so old, half ton trucks. I drove by a GMC 1/2 ton from the 90's and the truck was not much different than my '16 in size. Maybe wider but no higher or longer. I would love to have a Gen 1 Taco or 80 vintage Hi Lux to go run around the mountain trails here.

 

And I bet you would love the ride and it's propensity to roll over in 4 wd. They all were great off road, but terrible on where most trucks spend most of their life.

 

No just rebadge the present Tacoma as a Tundra and make a truck about the size of the Gen 1 - think Hilux. The present Tundra is outdated and non-competitive relative to the crowded domestic trucks. Toyota hasn't shown much interest in chasing the Domestic full size truck market so why remain there. Too, making the Tacoma in Japan would help. It was Japanese built vehicles that got Toyota the reputation for reliability - the exception being the Canadian built Corolla and the US built Avalon/Camry both of which run circles around their domestic counterparts.

 

Toyota has never been known to leave a market where the largest selling vehicle in the US resides. The Tundra is the base vehicle for their large SUVs which are competitive. They don't expect the Tundra to be as big a seller as the Tacoma. As far as smaller trucks are concerned, I have heard that stuff before. They can't sell the short bed. A smaller truck that costs as much as a larger would go the way of the old Ranger. Every time small trucks got bigger, they sold better for Toyota because of the ride and room. Now, they are too weighty for the four Toyota offers, especially in 4 wd. The solution is simple; a more powerful, 200 plus hp four with over 200 lb feet of torque with out a turbo that you could buy in a base 4 wd for less then $24k. It's more about getting into a cheaper Tacoma not about building a smaller one. A smaller one ISN'T GOING TO SELL; our fat Amercican asses won't fit and people don't want the choppy ride and little room to fit their toys.

 

Btw
The idea that trucks have to be made in Japan to be reliable is a farce. Reliable vehicles are reliable because they are branded Honda and Toyota as a design philosophy in reliability of the company and not GM and Ford. This is with the exception where Toyota literally makes components for other cars. This Toyota and Honda did for both the Prism and the Saturn years ago as examples. It is impossible to rate cars where they are finally assembled as motors and trans and electronics and other parts can come from many suppliers. You can bet Toyota could order components from the same suppliers as Ford, and they do, and their components built to their specs would be more reliable. It happens all the time.

 

Don't regret buying my 2016 4 cylinder 5 speed 4x4 one bit. I had a load of firewood in it last week and it had to be a little over 1,000 lbs. and it handled it like a champ. The bed was about 1.5-2 inches away from the bump stops on the level and it didn't have a single problem hauling it home!!!

 

Corey

Have you been able to test drive a double can 4cyl? Curious to your thoughts

My dealer has no DC SB only the AC in 4 cyl

 

Right. This motor like the old has sufficient torque for moving a 1000 lb load, especially with a six speed. After all, it's only 1000 and it doesn't matter to the motor whether it's in the bed or on a trailer. That's what fours are designed for. With the six, if you have the need, you put 1000 with passengers in seats and cargo in the bed, then tow 4000 on a trailer and cruise at 70 mph on a 400 mile trip. That isn't even heavy towing in this day and age. We live in two different worlds. That is why Toyota makes two different motors.

 

Kim I have not test drove a double cab 4 cylinder. I don't think there is any around me at any dealerships. Reason why i got a access cab is because i like the 6 foot bed since I use it a lot for hauling stuff, firewood, quad, and all kinds of other stuff.

Exactly, The truck will handle what i put in the bed even if I would max it out at 1400 or 1500 it will do fine! And if I do tow a small trailer it can tow 3500 lol. So just waiting on curt to release their hitches and wiring and I'm going to get one! Love my little 4 cylinder and it has never let me down and highly doubt it will as long as I change all the fluids and take care of it!!!

 

The only thing that let me down on my four cylinder Toyotas were the transmissions. Towing too much with a manual, which I did at it's limit, and the clutch began to slip. Over time, it was not an issue with my pontoon boat as it was only twice a year to put in or out. But, if I did it on weekends frequently, you need a different transmission, not necessarily a motor.

The problem is, the more stout transmission will come with the bigger motor. There in lies the rub. I have a tractor that will move 8000 around with a 35 hp diesel and not much more torque. So motor size is not as big a deal for just moving stuff around. It's more about the transmission.......and of course, how slowly you are willing to do it.that's why I feel the six speed makes the 2016 four a more desirable motor then the old four speed auto. In standard, the five speed is fine. Why have a six manual and just get tendonitis in your elbow. .

 

My first 2 Tacos were 2.7's. Never wanted for anymore power. But, then again, I'm not a power-hungry person anyway. That said....I can not complain about the 4.0 in my current truck. It's smooth and has lots of low-end torque. But, if something were to happen to her, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the 4-banger. I like trailing edge tech with lots of proven time and mileage behind it. And you can say what you want....but the 2.7 has proven itself for many years. If I had to get a '16, it would be a base SR 2WD. The only drawback to that is Toyota has dropped the 5-speed in the 2WD. Damn you Toyota!

 

I heard they improved the 4 cylinder transmissions in the 2016s!

 

Amen!

 

You may think that but you would be wrong. The auto manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford etc all do it. They do it on a plant by plant basis. Toyota, Mazda and Honda make cars for other brands because it makes sense for companies like Ford ad GM to enter a market eg Ford Ranger made by Mazda, Nissan buying and using Cummins diesel from Chrysler/Cummins. They can make more money. No other significant reason.

eg "Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has been recognized with a total of 14 Plant Quality awards, which is more than any other automotive manufacturer in the Americas. These include 2 Platinum and 7 Gold awards.[1]+TMMC is the first plant outside of Japan to produce a Lexus brand vehicle. It is also the first Toyota plant in North America and the only automotive manufacturer in Canada to assemble both advanced technology hybrid (Lexus RX450h) and electric (Toyota RAV4 EV) vehicles."

The Corolla manufacturing is being moved to Mexico from Canada to allow Toyota to move higher end, higher valued vehicles to be made in their Canadian plants.

So it would seem it does matter where the vehicles are made and where quality production matters. Like I said I wish the Tacoma was made in Japan.

 

Got a 4cyl 4x4 AC, Utility package in a Standard tran for just over $24K. We bought a canopy with the 'savings'.
Want to get into a Standard in a V6 and it's another $8K.

You want a truck? I think it'll do the job.

 

You bet.
Toyota could easily up grade the four with more HP and the same torque. But, if they did that at $24k, a significant number of sales would be lost in the models several $k more with the six.
A 2.7 four in this day and age can push 200 hp without a turbo and still maintain it's reliability. Toyota can do it, and they may, but not for now. The four on present form is drivable because of it's decent torque and and six speed and that's all that matters to most four customers.

 

I have seen some people pay 32K for the AC on this site, and 40K for the DC. Then you see a "24k" price like you suggested, and I think to myself, that is what a small Japanese truck SHOULD cost.

Maybe I am old....

 

I am happy to see some people sticking up for the 4 cyl. I was catching up on this tread and getting angry, wondering how many of these experts bashing the 2016 4 cylinder have driven one. Then I saw the defenders. Thanks guys. I was about to blow a gasket.
The 2016 4 cyl. has been upgraded. It now has DUAL vvti and the compression ratio has been increased for 9.6 to 10.2. The evidence suggests that it is the same engine used in the new Hilux. That engine is the 2trfe and got the same upgrades this year. The new 2trfe has internal upgrades to decrease internal friction and enhance combustion efficiency. It has coated cylinders and Teflon coated main rod bearings. Don't believe that this engine makes the same HP and torque as the legacy 2trfe. I don't think anyone would sue if they found out that Toyota understated the capabilities of the upgraded engine.
I can attest that the engine more than capable. I am impressed with it every time I drive my 4x4 truck. It carries 1300 lb. of concrete blocks without even breaking a sweat. I can't see how people could make some of these comments after having driven one for more than a few miles. The point of all this is feel free to bash the 4 cyl. but please do it from an informed point of view before spreading unsubstantiated opinions on this forum. People are making buying decisions based on what is written here. If you have driven a 2016 4 cyl., please say so....and I apologize.

 

Toyota also banks (literally) on people buying more than they need. I drove a pre-Tacoma, pre-V6, 5 speed 2.7 2x2 SR for 115K miles and went so many places that most folks wouldn't even try to go without a 4x4, I should be nigh unstoppable with this 4cyl 4x4.

I'm not a competitive off-road racer or 4x4 'driving enthusiast', and if I was towing I'd be going FS pickup. I'm going off road for fishing, hunting, outdoor beard-growing and other manly hobbies, and a V6 isn't going to make them any more likely to happen. I can spend all that extra money on the OTHER hardware for my hobbies (guns, fishing rods, gas).

 

I think there are a few key issues.

1) Most dealer (around me ) don't stock the 4 cyl. As a result not many people are able to test drive it.

2) It is America. Most "self respecting Americans" don't want anything less than a V8 for a truck. Everything else is underpowered. On the Taco forum, V6 is of course key, and Toyota understands that for the NA market, if you see the "take rate" on the Tacoma V6. So these people of course all think 4 cyl is way underpowered.

I had a 1988 Toyota Truck with the 4 cyl. It was NOT over powered, but it was adequate and bulletproof and I kept it till 2008, when I got my current Tacoma. I mean it isn't a Ford Raptor, but then again, I have sports car when I want to go fast. I use my truck for its truck purposes, and I don't tow.

You see this in the Honda Accord world as well. (I don't want to stereotype), but here in Los Angeles, Asian consumers MOSTLY ALWAYS buy the 4 cyl Accord. The Caucasian customers ALWAYS buy the V6 accord because the 4 cyl doesn't have "enough power"

Of course driving in America, highways, high speeds, all take into account, and gas being so cheap (unlike Europe) bigger engine size is wanted here, just like having a bigger penis I suppose is for men.

In SE asia, all these Hilux I see are all converted to CNG (tank in the bed), because fuel prices are so crazy high even in 4 cyl guise.