Are our trucks still cool?

Ooops! Yeah: I see that now. Sorry! my error. My attempt at a joke in appreciation of your joke crashed and burned. lol. To quote "Uncle Leo" on Seinfeld one time when he got busted for shoplifting: "Im old: I was confused."

 

I was a football player but was looked down upon by a large portion of the rest of the team even though I was the biggest guy on the team, I guess they didn't appreciate me playing with my YoYo or playing AD&D

 

We (hockey team) didn't try either, we'd just pick a day once in a while and do it. Never a word in either direction or in protest. Maybe it was the facial scars/missing teeth. Dunno. We did it for our non-athletic classmates. (cuts down on some of the hallway harassment.)

 

If my truck wasn't cool I'd sell it

 

I figured the fancy 3rd gen got disc brakes all around

 

2nd gens are still cool? Yes!!

That's why everyone says 2nd gen best gen (even the third gen folk say it too I think)

 

I couldn't agree more. One I'm working on now.

 

I would argue the 1GR-FE is one of Toyota's best motors. It's been (and still is) used in inhospitable regions around the world by just about every one of Toyota's flagships of offroad reliability - I'd say that's a pretty cool bragging right.

I enjoyed my 3rd gen but I enjoy my 2nd gen just as much. There's something to be appreciated about the spartan simplicity of the 2G Tacoma.

 

My boss has a 2008 (?) Tundra and when I was asking him some questions about it one time (good motor? Decent pickup? etc) he got a big kick out of giving a sniff and tugging his belt up like Barney Fife and answered: "Yeah... Well: it's got the Lexus V8....". like: (tongue-in-cheek here) "what's wrong with you?" Of course I was impressed: Lexus!! So when I got my Tacoma and I told him, first thing he asked me: "What motor?" I of course responded: "It's got the Lexus V6 boss." (1GR-FE). He loved it and I think he was hoping for that response. We got a huge laugh out of it.

So have some fun with people and when they ask: "What motor does it have" or "Is the motor any good, does it have any guts?".... Just respond: deadpan look on your face: "It's got the Lexus V6." Always impresses folks and they give you an impressed look like you're a celebrity and don't ask any more questions. Nuff said: "Lexus". Says it all.

I recall looking it up one time and I'm pretty sure I remember it was used on the GX 400 at least.

 

I'm a younger guy and I bought a 2015 specifically because I didn't want the flash of a 3rd gen. They sort of have a different vibe about them. I've had people tell me they like my truck because it looks like I actually use it (I do), as opposed to having bought it to look good around town, and that usually has come from non-car people.

 

My brother has an 07 DCLB with close to 300k miles- All original drivetrain. He bought it with 90k. Kinda doubt we are gonna see that longevity with the 3rd gen but we will see

 

buying a toyota for cool factor is like going to the club looking for a wife

 

I agree it’s a more bare bones utilitarian vehicle, when compared to full size trucks which are downright luxurious( even my dads 07 Silverado is like a Cadillac on the inside).

 

2nd Gen screams Big Dick Energy.

BDE Gen.

 

Here's some informative reading for you friend - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_GR_engine#1GR-FE

In a nutshell, it's been used in the Hilux & Land Cruiser 70 series for the last decade or so. If those vehicles can't get you to where you need to go, chances are you ain't getting there in a vehicle of any kind lol

 

While I'm a fan of the 1GR over the 2GR, I'm going to play devil's advocate and bet we do see that kind of longevity out of the 3G motor.

Keep in mind the 2GR-FKS has been used in a veritable shit ton of vehicle applications for nearly as long as the 1GR. Toyota has probably produced 10 2GR's to every 1GR made, meaning they've had that many more scenarios to examine for wear characteristics and failure modes.

While I still think the 2GR-FKS is a car motor being dumped into a watered down, light-duty version of the Hilux designed specifically for North American consumers, I think it's much more reliable motor than what the competition puts out there.

 

That's awesome!

 

Great link. I knew I had at least one right and knew there were others, but never imagined some of the Icons that are on that list... I'd sure like to try the 270 hp dual VVT-i version... (In my 2014... lol)

 

I agree probably still reliable than most modern motors but it’s direct vs port injection( maybe it’s port and direct on the 3.5 which is good). I’m sure he’ll get half a million miles out of that truck with no major repairs. Being 5 years out in the Tacoma I’m sure there are some 200k plus mile 3rd gen 3.5L Tacomas out there

 

I totally agree, but not because I know much at all about the current 3G series but because Toyota would be insane to risk their longevity reputation on their trucks by putting in an engine that would flush it all down the drain... and instead going with a watered down next gen unproven replacement that has been nickel and dimed down by the bean-counters. Forged connecting rods, crank: nah. Sodium filled valves? No. Siamese-type intake port? Nobody knows what that is: get rid of it. Accoustic control induction system? The current radio is good enuf: can it. Reinforced this and that? Nope. Variable-length intake? Bye. Now we're as reliable as everything else...... Some other companies have done this and it started quite a while ago. No names needed. It sounds humorous, but it's real.

I have to admit though, if someone was sending me to the Australian outback to do a National Geographic documentary and told me to pick an engine for the Tacoma they were loaning me, I think I would roll the dice until they gave me the 2TR-FE 2.7L four banger (or whatever is in my son's 2005 AC. (with a stick).