Lexus 3.5v6 vs Tacoma 3.5v6?

Got to ride around in a 2017 Lexus ES350 (front wheel drive) today. From what I understand this motor is the similar to the Tacoma 3.5 liter. The Lexus motor not only was quieter (sound insulation maybe) but was also much smoother. The Tacoma motor has more of a rumble feeling. I enjoy both the smooth Lexus feel as well as the more rumble feeling Tacoma. Just curious what causes the difference in feeling of what supposedly is a similar motor in both vehicles.

What exactly are the differences in the two?

 

Lexus cost more money!

 

Different costs and demographic targets. The high powered 2gr's in all 2019 FWD based models are similar to a Tacoma, but likely could not maintain an emissions standpoint in a truck with sustained load.

Biggest difference is usually torque curves, costs and emission goals.

Remember the biggest enemy to Tacoma is the core design of the truck is from 2005, until we get a new body we won't see 9-10 speed transmissions with 300+ HP.

The Tundra isn't supposed to get its big update till 2022 it seems.

 

Judging by the exhaust port design on our Taco 3.5's... it's more than obvious this was designed to be a turbocharged car engine.

Also note... OV tune has revealed that it is indeed the same engine as the 300hp Camry... just with lower shift points and redline.
The Camry rev limiter is 6800 and the Taco IIRC is 6300.

So in a nutshell, we have a 300hp engine but just can't rev it high enough to see the 300hp it makes.

 

Lexus luxury car they actually took the time to put it together …. Tacoma they slapped shit together .. 'It's a Tacoma they will buy it and bitch about stuff later and we will pretend it doesn't exist "

 

^^THIS!^^

But on a more serious note, you're correct, the Lexus has way more sound deadening that our measly 3rd Gen. It also has a different tune, and I believe it requires premium petrol, while ours has the Atkinson cycle as one of the biggest differences.



Enjoy your truck

 

I don’t believe the Lexus engine has the Atkinson cycle. If it does they don’t advertise it as such.
My wife’s 2017 ES350 uses 87 octane as specified in the owners manual
268 Hp @ 6200 RPM.

 

so basically we have a Prius engine ?? wtf lol

 

Almost, except ours is on steroids

 

Different cam and tune for sure.

Taco motor will make more power down lower than the lexus car counterparts.

 

Well I had nearly the same engine in my 2016 Sienna, and while the power feels very similar, they sound nothing alike. It’s probably due to intake and exhaust tuning. In the es350, Camry, and other sportier cars it has a little higher compression, and revs a lot higher. The Tacoma exhaust sounds surprisingly good while the Sienna was silent. All I heard was intake. Which also sounded good, that van was fun to rip to redline but silent under light throttle, while the Tacoma growls at low RPM. It’s a sweet engine. Is it a perfect truck engine? That’s a subject for a different thread I think.

 

What benefit would come from Toyota using a different cam with engines equipped with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) ?

The Taco engine HAS no low end power... so more reason to believe it's a car engine.

 

Hmm. I was pulling a 6K trailer and stopped on a hill and... it started right back up the hill. Amazing for an engine with no low end power.

 

Mine pulls fine. It's also prone to the rumble feeling, but Lexus smooth on premium.

 

It’s atkinson simulated, not a true atkinsonson motor. It leaves the intake port slightly open to push some of the A/F mixture to be used next cycle. Doing so also causes less wear, heat and friction on the engine.



And it’s no secret they don’t have a lot of low end torque, they address that with gear ratios.

 

yall would be complaining even more if they put the lexus 3.5L in the tacoma.

 

I’d bet there would be a lot less complaints if that happened.

 

Don't forget motor mounts/dampers are a total different setup on a sideways motor. A lot of engineering there for smooth quiet power. They may even be vacuum or electronically controlled.

 

That right there is funny. I dont care who you are.

 

The ES350 used the 2GR-FE up to 2018, which is the older version of the 3.5L V6, also used in the older Camry, Highlander, Sienna, RAV4, RX350, etc. Octane requirements and power output depend on the year and model, but it is either 87 or 91 octane for somewhere between 267 and 275 hp.

The 2019 ES350 gets the 2GR-FKS which is the Atkinson cycle version. This is the engine the 2016+ Tacoma has (as well as the current production GS350, IS300, IS350, RX350, Highlander, Sienna and Camry). The engine is similar in all models, but does have a few different specifications here and there between models along with bigger differences in the tune. Again, depending on the application, octane requirements vary between 87 and 91. Power output varies from 260 hp in the IS300 up to 311 hp in the IS350 and GS350.

While the 2GR-FKS does have integrated exhaust manifolds, there are no models that use this engine with a turbocharger, nor are there any plans to turbocharge the engine as far as I know.

The engine mounting and sound deadening in the Lexus models will definitely lead to a quieter driving experience.

The 3.5L Turbo engine is the V35A-FTS and shares no common components with any of the GR series engines beyond typical fasteners, etc.

Jeff