3.5 V6 Atkinson future thoughts...

Agree. We had two Subarus and considered one for my wife. But it was for traveling with heavier loads. No thanks. The Taco with the six is much more comfortable and less tiring for trips. It isn't like these six cylinders either in my 2015 or the 2016 I tried out are great power houses themselves. They are marginal in their own right. Why would a four improve anything. Many want more power then even the six delivered in the 2015 and the 3 gen is no great shakes. It's just reasonable.

 

So...what did you think of the 4 cylinder in the Tacoma when you drove it? This is not a Subaru forum.

 

Longtime Tacoma owner. Loved the 4.0. Love the new 3.5. Haven't had a four banger in one of my trucks since 1983. I think time will show the 3.5 to be a great engine. I would suggest to trust the people that are actually driving with one to give the best opinion.

 

Love mine and feel it has all the power I need. That said I don't plan on adding big off road tires at which point it my be under powered as they are geared to the OEM tire sizes.

 

I didn't even give the 4cyl Tacoma a chance since it's a joke. I bought a 6cyl Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4. Why would I go to a bigger vehicle that has a smaller engine than my Subaru did?! No need for the dick-ish attitude.

 

My sentiments exactly.

 

Just curious. What are you basing your "I just don't like the new engine" on? What you read somewhere in some post? Have you driven one more than just around the block? I am trying not to be cynical or fresh. You don't own one according to your profile so how can you give an educated opinion? Because a friend of a friends brother said so? Okay that was a little cynical. My apologies in advance

 

I've noticed a big change after hitting 1000 miles. Sure still hunts around the gears a little, but seems to have lots more power off the line. I'm light footed, so not trying to be a speed demon at all. Just seems to power off the line better than before. Gas mileage is also better than my 4.0, so no complaints with this new engine/tranny combo.

 

No prob bob! I'm saying it because I simply don't like the theory behind it. Too many techs mixed into one engine. You have DI, and you have the Atkinson/ Otto switching cycle all in one engine. All of that tech mixed into one sounds like a recipe for a lot of recalls/ warranty work/ TSB's.. etc etc.

 

I think I bought your dream truck yesterday. Its awesome. Don't be worried about the motor. I bought the manual and it seems more peppy than the automatic. Good luck finding what you want!

 

No disrespect, but the same could be said about fuel injection, auto trannys, ECUs, electronics ignitions, etc, etc. As new technology becomes available, we all fear it's gonna fail, so we keep saying not for me until it gets proven again.

 

Eo

Wow you must really hate Tesla products. JK. Appreciate your opinion. I guess time will tell. As an owner I will tell you I love the truck so far. Look forward to getting in it and going every day. It's a sweet ride for me. Been driving Toyota trucks/land cruisers since 1978. This truck has been one of the best.

 

Fuel injection has been in it's early infancy since as early as the 1957 Corvette with mechanical FI. The combustion engine since the early 1900's. The manufacturers were taking baby steps when they introduced the ECU's controlling and regulating minimal devices until they started noticing they were getting it right, and began using it to control nearly everything in the vehicle which you see these days. I get what you are saying. What I'm saying though is that they took several giant leaps forward by introducing tech not really tested out in the field nearly long enough slapped on the Tacoma badge and called it and called it the all new 2016. I just think they wanted to introduce too much engine tech into it all at once without giving themselves enough time to truly test it themselves. They are just pawning this stuff off on the end consumer to use for them at a premium price and that's what really irks me.

This is just my opinion, however, so take it with a grain of salt.

Based on all the feedback thus far about the truck from all the new owners I have to say that is great for you. I have heard a lot of bad about it, I mean yes I expect it as a first year model but it has had a lot of bugs so far and it's good you have been lucky and got a good one.

BTW I highly admire Tesla for what they are doing. Especially on the batteries they are using which are essentially Maxwell supercapacitors. They are crossing borders previously never before tested.

 

Um ya it is. Watch this fanboy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbmOYTMirrw

 

Engine PDF
https://www.tacomaworld.com/out/?url=http://www.toyotareference.com/guts/tacoma16_engine.pdf

 

The truth be known, in some respects, all cars are much simpler, including this. Everything is pretty much by wire with actuators instead of mechanical linkages. How much have you complained about your climate control in modern cars ? Never. Btw, everything you do to drive these cars are " suggestions" that has has to pass a final decision made by a computer. If any thing changes, it will be minor, just like the other's have over the years. And, some of it with the software.

 

There are plenty of members here who chose the 4cyl, and who like the 4cyl. That motor has plenty of power for around town, it's adequate on the highway. I've towed jet skis and put dirt bikes in the back plenty of times. The only one whos being "dick-ish" is the one who's insulting the truck he's never even driven.

 

Based on all the feedback thus far about the truck from all the new owners I have to say that is great for you. I have heard a lot of bad about it, I mean yes I expect it as a first year model but it has had a lot of bugs so far and it's good you have been lucky and got a good one. (From 12TRDTacoma) post

Not sure what you are referring to as "all the feedback". By far it appears to me the vast majority of people who actually own the new 3rd generation love it and have no regrets about their purchase. If "a lot of bad" means people trolling this site and bad mouthing anything other than what they have and who don't even own a 3rd. I guess you can go with that. 5 out of 5000 is not a majority. The Atkinson engine has been around for a very long time. I believe your assumption that Toyota just slapped a bunch of tech together with out testing it out is just that, an assumption. Nobody is twisting your arm to make a purchase. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet as being fact. If you were a 3rd owner I would say your comments are valid. Again I would just advise the OP to give weight to what actual owners of 3rd gens say. It's easy for someone on the outside looking through a window of a restaurant to say the food sucks. But until they taste the food do they really know. Okay. Off my soapbox. Back to having fun.

 

All kinds of variables in that little video but it always seems to pop up as the final answer as to which is better.

Curious to see how all three would fair in a longer race against the clock on the same tire.

 

Not sure what this has to do with anything. Drag racing on public roads is unsafe and illegal. 1/4 mile is hardly sufficient proving ground for the performance of a vehicle used in day to day driving. Heck I just saw a video that shows a mobility scooter on a 1/4 mile that would leave all three trucks in its dust
MHO all Toyota trucks are great, reliable, each fun to drive in its own way, enough of this mine is better than yours garbage. We all have good vehicles that we like to drive or we would have got rid of them.