Toyota Tacoma Diesel Not Worth it Says Chief Engineer

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/...-diesel-not-worth-it-says-chief-engineer.html

 

So what he's saying is that Toyota can't keep up with other competitors innovations.

If it's difficult to do then don't even bother trying, good motto there. BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and now GM are putting them out, why can't almighty Toyota?

Not surprising from the company that makes quicker minivans than their actual "sports" car.

 

We all know that Toyota will follow if it works for Nissan and others. They let others take the risk to try it out.
Back in late 90's Toyota told me they don't make double cabs because there is no market for small/mid size double cabs. Nissan started, sold good, and then all of a sudden Toyota realized that there was a market and started selling double cabs in 2001. Now they probably sell more DCs than any other configuration.
My prediction is that diesel will come with time.

 

Reading the article, I don't think that's what he's saying at all. From my perspective, it's a business decision. It appears that Toyota feels the money they would need to invest to develop a diesel engine to meet the new standards wouldn't generate the profits they want. I'm sure in the future, if they see a significant loss in their customer base to competitors offering diesels, then they would reconsider. Right now, to them, it doesn't make financial sense.

 

It sounds to me that he is making excuses. Diesel isn't $1.00 more than gas.

Lets use California for example which has some of the highest fuel prices.

Since 2010 the average diesel vs REGULAR gas

2010- $3.15 vs $2.97

2011- $4.08 vs $ 3.67

2012- $4.23 vs $3.80

2013- $4.12 vs $3.63

2014- $4.00 vs $3.55

Im no mathematician but my calculations are that in a 5 years span in California the average price of diesel VS REGULAR gas averaged out to 39.2 cents more per gallon for the diesel. Mid grade and premium are probably more than diesel.

Where is this $1.00 more per gallon literal BS coming from?

EDIT! Edit! I was looking in the wrong section, my fault. Average price of REGULAR in California from 2010-2014 was $3.71 and diesel was $3.91. Only a 20 cent difference, lol. Mid grade averaged 3.82.

Premium averaged $3.90.

 

Re-read the article.

 

I swear to god people don't read around here before they post. Sorry OP, old news seen here before.

 

x2

 

Agreed. Everyone has to realize that even if every TW member on here wanted a diesel, that would only be about 2% of the owners of all Tacoma's in the US. And let's be honest, the EPA is coming down with a SERIOUS hammer on emissions, that is difficult to attain with a diesel. It is expensive as hell to bring about this option.

 

Yeah I saw the date on the article I posted and figured it was new. The whole 3rd gen section is just BS anyways until the trucks actually come out.

 

90% of the people on TW who are whining for a diesel have probably never actually driven a diesel.

Drive one and then see how much you want Toyota to put it in a Tacoma.

It might be all cool and everything in a big ass Dodge with crazy turbo whine, but that isn't what you would get in a Taco.

 

If one manufacturer can do it, they all can. You can bet your ass VW won't stop offering diesel engines in 2017 or 2019 or ever. It's just that they already have a base engine to improve upon and Toyota is too cheap to start from scratch when they should have been on this train years ago.

Also, the only reason diesels get this bad emissions reputation is because a lot of the times their emissions are visible as soot. Some dumb tree hugger hippie then thinks that the soot is killing Mother Earth. The emissions coming out of his/her Prius/Volt/Leaf/whatever is invisible so they obviously don't exist. And no one told them that the pollution created to manufacture their battery pack and one day dispose of it far exceeds that carbon from the diesel.

And finally, I don't want a diesel to put stacks on it or make smoke or go fast etc. I want torque, longevity, and efficiency. Diesel does all three. Gas engines don't.

 

Sienna is low 8s/mid 8s to 60 and FR-S is high 6s/low 7s.

Anyway, they don't see a payback on it. It isn't about innovation. It is about what makes business sense. Considering that Toyota seems to want at least 8 years out of an engine (historically), I'm not surprised that they see the diesel not making sense after the emissions are again tightened. They might be right; they might be wrong.

 

reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee post

 

Every market is different depending on the region. Diesel in Maine has been at least a dollar more expensive per gallon for quite a while. The lowest gas got here recently was 1.97, and diesel bottomed at 2.99.

 

Yes, every market is different ...

...Diesel is $1 more than regular-87 here

 

The Ford turbo diesel is quick. It's at least better than their 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10.

 

I've driven a F350 Super Duty, regular cab, turbo diesel, and it was really quick, and sounded amazing. Totally amazing.

But........that isn't the kind of diesel that the Tacoma would get if it got a diesel. It would likely get a boring little 4 banger.