New Engine / Tranny combo sucks

I think Ford is the only hold out....not sure.That said IMHO all the ratings are over rated.Its one thing to pull a low drag coefficient 6000 lb trailer behind a truck ok and then have shitty experience pulling a high drag trailer that weighs only 3k...weight doesnt mean squat most of the time.

 

..And tell us again about your towing experience with your Tacoma...And what percentage of those with Tacomas rely on their heavy off road and rock crawling capabilities...you are comparing apples to oranges...two different types of buyers for two different types of trucks

 

you tend to waste a lot of your time here,....I believe its an open forum...

 

......I think that 4.0 was an awesome motor.I suspect there might have been more to it than long hood line,I am thinking the mpg nannies in Washington could have had a part in it.When they get involved the companies sometimes will take the path of least resistance instead of improving on what is a proven motor design they put in something that saves a few bucks...who knows

 

That old 4.0 motor is bullet proof. However, it's extremely lacking in high-end power. Good luck trying to go over 50mph on a 6% grade, or pass anyone on a single lane highway at +65mph with anything less than a 1 mile gap.

I miss my old XJ. Torquey on the low-end made it an off-road beast. But fuck driving that thing on the highway.

 

I wish my Tacoma had the low end torque that my Cherokee has with the high end power that it has now. That would be awesome.

 

Same with the 4.9 straight six Ford had......but they just kept running

 

That about describes it. Drop your foot at any RPM and that 4.0 pulled, but promptly fell on its face at 4,000 RPM, right when this 3.5 wakes up from its slumber and rails up to 6k.

 

I expect "new" 3.5 V-6, to prove itself a great engine also. In Lexus 350, if I recall, and is considered one of the best engines ever made, several years in a row won top honors.

 

Yep two different motors for sure....Ford has figured it out with the ecoboost,the motor has it going on at both ends high and low...wish Toyota would get with the program

 

Before it was totaled by a bad driver. Not too long after this picture was taken

 

I do think its proven itself in the past for the type of vehicles it has been in...time will only tell for the new set of wheels its in.

 

The engine is great. I love the engine, you just can't drive it like a truck. Can't be afraid to spin it up and can't expect it to pull through the low end.

 

Perhaps but we won't know for awhile. How the system is used (on what platform) can often make a great deal of difference in how well it holds up. Truck vs. Car.

 

I think "the you cant drive it like a truck" is the problem that some people have a hard time with...its just a matter of what works for the person behind the wheel...I dont have a dog in this hunt,but I do want a truck that drives like a truck ie.. ride,power to the ground etc...I have been a die hard Toyota fan since my first 4x4 truck I got in 85...and wish Toyota would not just keep up with the competition but step ahead.

 

And therein is the problem for many consumers...

 

Blame EPA. They are forcing these stricter standards that push manufactures to raid their parts bins for something suitable. You have the power to do MORE than the last mill, but you need to go get that power. Realistically, we'll probably start seeing more turbo units in the future. The age of NA trucks of any kind might be coming to an end.

 

Nah that's a tired argument that doesn't hold as much water as some of us would like to believe. There are other manufacturers doing more with less. To believe that Toyota is incapable of doing the same is blind homerism.

 

This truck is built to keep pace with standards 10 years down the line, the frontier is running the end of its rope. The GM units are very similar in power, and the full-sized trucks are under completely different standards.

 

Fair points. I agree with you.