Something we all know that Toyota told us but didn't catch

Lol

 

1 less ft/lb of torque at 600 higher rpm for 42 more hp. Worth it.

 

He forgot to mention that the noisy Atkinson cycle engine was installed on a Tacoma in order to help drown out the rear end noise.

 

What matters is engine longevity. Notice Toyota didn't offer a turbocharged engine, like the new Ford Ranger.

I'm expecting this engine to pull 300,000+ like it's predecessors.

 

I will be so happy if the whole truck does that like my Gen 1 did.

 

I don't doubt it. Toyota has to much at stake in the Tacoma brand legacy, and Toyota brand in general. They have done plenty of R&D, and don't doubt this truck will rock the socks off it's competitors 10+ years down the road, when others are falling apart.

 

So thats why when I hit 6th gear on the highway going 75 my speed instantly gets killed and I jump right back into 5th to make up for the so called "made up for lost torque in gear ratio." As cool as the engine sounds it just was married with the wrong transmission. Fix the dumb gear ratios and fix the number one complaint about these trucks.

 

I for one will not have this truck for 10 years because I hate the way it drives. I see you have a manual transmission and from what I hear that makes all the world of a difference, but lets face it more autos are sold than manuals now a days. They need to figure out this transmission.

 

It has nothing to do with rpm. Atkinson does not affect the max torque at any rpm. There is no Atkinson at max throttle (at any rpm). Atkinson is in effect only at low output. The poor performance of the Tacoma is not the fault of the engine.

Below is the torque curve for the Chinese Land Cruiser Prado's 7GR-FKS which is most likely the same as our engine. (Sweers has said they call the Tacoma engine the 7GR.)
At ~1500 rpm it is ~220 lb.ft. (that's as high as 5VZ max torque).
From ~1700 to ~6100 rpm it is above 235 lb.ft (89% of max).

 

That's a great line to repeat when waiting at the dealership for the warranty repairs.

 

Yeah, because no 2nd gen owner ever had to wait at the dealership for the warranty repairs.

 

What warranty repairs? 0.o

 

Well The Prius is an Atkinson’s engine and I repeatedly see those things in the 3-400k mark. Im sure the battery helps ease some strain but the engines are perfectly good engines, just not the fastest. So I don’t see why the Tacoma can’t achieve high miles!

 

Atkinson cycle is supposed to shutoff under higher power demands. (Us putting the throttle down.) However, I don't even see the MPG gains in the first place. All I've got is 265 tires and I'm lucky to get 18 highway on the way home. No power until I floor it and shitty mpgs. Thats a flop in my opinion.

 

I get 22-23 mpg with my Taco (~4,200lbs). I don't floor it, and do a lot of 75mph highway cruising. I also use ethanol free fuel.

Our 2.4L 2005 Element (~3,500lbs) got 20mpg regardless of driving style. My 1994 Ranger manual (~3,300 lbs)with 4.0L V6 got 20mpg.

Somehow, maybe with more tranny speeds (automatic) and Atkinson cycles, my Taco is getting notably better mileage with nearly 1,000 more lbs of mass. I'll take it.

 

Due to the gearing and powerband, this drivetrain does not do so well once you've added heavier wheels/tires (rotating or unsprung mass) and armor/winches (regular mass).

I didn't think that far ahead when I bought the truck, so my MPG's have taken quite a hit after doing some of the above stuff.

However, you have to realize that this motor was never meant to knock people's socks off or compete with a Ford Raptor, only get you to point A & B for 10+ years without a hiccup.

I do wish Toyota would give us another "higher tier" drivetrain option though. Here are the likely contenders in my imagination:

1) N/A V6 w/ more displacement
2) Turbo Diesel
3) Supercharged V6

 

There you go. You know the best gen

 

I noticed the same thing. my wife's 2015 Highlander seems like it has waves more get up and go than the Tacoma...

 

Ford has been using 4 cylinder-Atkinson Cycle motors in all their Hybrids for a few years. i.e.. Fusion/Cmax.

I think the power is at least adequate. Could use a bit more on the low end, but an intake and cat back may remedy this. Otherwise, I'm happy with it,

My Gen3 mated to the manual transmission is a nice match. Driving the automatic, it seemed a little lethargic. When you add a set of E rated tires, the weight and rolling resistance is definitely factor into power delivery.