Why did they not use the 4.0 Dual VVT-i V6?

To answer the ops question, the answer is simple. Toyota is making more profit/epa. It's unfortunate..the old days of having low end torque are gone. Now it's changing to high revving engines that sacrifice low end for mpg, just the way it is.

 

I'm getting tired of people calling it erratic shifting. If you think downshifting when going up hills in erratic, you are ad idiot.

Most people who hate the engine and transmission because of the erratic down shifting are trying to do 70 mph with the cruise control on. You are pushing through a lot of wind at high speeds and the truck wants to be in 6th gear to run at a low rpm. When you start going up hill, your kinetic energy is transferred to potential energy, which makes the truck want to slow down. The engine is running maybe 1800rpm and it has very little horsepower down there in the rpm range. It downshifts once into 5th to bring up the rpm where there is more horsepower at that load. I don't think people understand that the engine does not make 278 horse power all over the rpm range. It might make 50 hp at 1800rpm, if you're lucky, and 260 hp at 5000 rpm. The engine needs to down shift to do what you want it to do.

I drove up the 5 freeway this week to get to Hungry Valley. I drove alongside the trucks at 60mph and the truck would down shift into 4th and run about 2400 rpm and get 16-18 mpg at that rpm and load. If I were doing 70, it would be in 4th doing about 3500 rpm and getting 8-10 mpg.

You people need to slow down. I assume many of you have not taken a physics series to understand how drag, incline, weight, and load affect the needed power to propel a vehicle uphill.

I'm just too smart for my own sanity

 

+1. The 4.0 is a turd. People only like it so much because they became used to it over 10 years. Chevy truck guys were pissed when they got rid of the 305/5.7 small block in favor of the 4.8/5.3/6.0. But the LS engines have proven to be more powerful, more reliable, and better overall.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to call the 4.0 a turd - it's been a pretty successful engine in the Tacoma. Pretty bulletproof for the strong majority. Only thing it was lacking was a bit more mileage but it's not bad for what it has had to do and the technology it has. Not many have power complaints about it unless you are used to running sports cars.

 

I am. My daily driver (except winter) is a "sports car"

 

Agreed, it does seem to be more related to the programming/tbw, etc... i dont expect this thing to pull like a 5.7l but id prefer it if it didnt lag off the line.

 

To me its all the way the accelerator pedal is mapped. If you push it to the same position you would on a normal car, it feels laggy. Push it a little futher and the engine/trans really come to life. I'm not saying push it to the floor and redline it. But just a little more pedal than you are used to.

 

I wonder if there is still availability for a throttle cable like my old 4runner had. Same engine.

 

Why did they not use the 4.0 dual VVT-I v6????

Hey, how exactly is a rainbow made?

How exactly does the sun set?

How exactly does the posi-trac rear end on a Plymouth work?

It just does, they just did. Deal with it

 

I don't think they're separating the Taco and 4Runner. Think what we're seeing is the 4Runner is now a generation behind the Taco. At some point the 4Runner will receive the 2GR. Toyota as done this in the past. When the 2GR debuted in '04 in the '05 Avalon the Camrys and Solaras continued using 1MZ and 3MZ engines. Once the Camry platform caught up to the Avalon in '06 for the '07 model it too used the 2GR. The Solara did not switch platforms and continued to use the 3MZ engine until Toyota finally killed it. One exception I can think of was the 2-gen Sienna. Around it's 3rd year they moved from the 3MZ to the 2GR in the middle of the gen-2 two's run.

CAFE rating are driving this whole thing....not just cost savings.

 

Full sizes easily beat the Tacoma in comfort, and a few even beat it in economy.

 

Speed limits in many areas in North America. 60mpg is no longer a given standard, locally there are 70mph and 80mph freeways. Doing 60 on these roads will get you run over and is dangerous.

 

And is illegal in some localities

 

You've been doing a lot of hand wringing on here about buying a '16 and I think you drove a manual and convinced yourself that the manual is so much better than the auto but moved on because you can't get it in a long bed. Seems like you want the truck but always come up with some type of excuse why you won't get one. Is the truck perfect? No, Show me one that is and doesn't cost six figures.

In the auto the acceleration is not "laggy"....if you think it is, push the ECT button.

The erratic shifting gets better over time, either that or I just don't notice it any more. I've got close to 3500 mi on the truck now and its settled in nicely.

If the truck doesn't meet your towing needs, or whatever perceived need you feel is important then find something else.

 

This has nothing to do with Cafe. 2016 Hilux with 6 speed transmission has 19.6 MPG combined which is better than 2016 Tacoma equipped with same transmission and POS minivan engine. Hilux also gets that mileage with out stupid air dam at the bottom and tonne cover. Power of low end torque.
Truth is Simply Toyota figured out they can save money by reducing the number of engines in US and they are convinced that their #1 pickup will sell because stupid people dont know any better.

Thats the truth, emperor has no clothes.

 

I would believe Toyota brought this engine out for reliabilty, and maintenance probably being easier. The #'s are the similar, just slightly better or worse in some areas depending on need. My guess is Toyota went as far as they could go with the 4.0 with that being said a great company doesn't settle, I expect they know the 3.5 will be more capable in the long run through advancements and technology they already have in development. I think it's safe to say the ceiling is probably higher for the new engine.

 

People have to come up with every reason in the book why they can't buy a truck is what it comes down to

 

2gr reliable engine... must be joking...
Google

2gr oil leak

and read first million hits...

 

Sure-Grip on a Plymouth, positraction is Chevy, not the same, both limited slip.

 

No different than people thinking small block Chevys and Buick 3800 were so reliable. They were junk and leaked so bad they might as well have been total loss oil systems