New engine has way more power?

Here's what I know:

- 4 cylinder engine
- 6 speed manual transmission
- much newer than 2002

Sometimes people aren't always very accurate with their descriptions, so it's possible that there was some sort of discrepancy with the specs of the vehicle. The original purpose of this thread was to find a mechanical difference that would account for such a significant difference in power out of a similar engine, not to figure out which part of my description could be wrong. Even if some details aren't correct, only three responses have actually answered the original question.

What difference, mechanically, could account for such a drastic power "feel" in essentially the same drivetrain?

 

Which absolutely could be the reason for the discrepancy so why wouldn't we point it out? I have yet to see any evidence that such a truck you describe even exists. I just tried to build one on toyota.com and toyota.ca and couldn't. Are you in a country other than the USA?

I'm glad you got your answer.

 

Its true... there never was a factory 6MT behind the 4-cyl engine. There was a 5MT (R155 2005-2015, R156 2016-2017), and a 6AT (2016+).
It is very disappointing that they've dropped the MT from the 4-cyl options.