The real reason why Toyota will not introduce a Tacoma Diesl

To bad the new front end of the titan is pushing away 30% of future sales.

Jesus is it ever ugly.

 

Agree. Looks like ass. Maybe the diesel was added to offset the loss?

 

17% of full sized truck owners, I'd have to assume. I Can only assume that number would be significantly lower for midsized truck owners, just as it would be almost irrelevant for car owners. Diesel really doesn't have a place in a vehicle that isn't used for heavy towing... And people who tow heavy loads aren't buying midsized trucks, IMO. There are better tools for the job.

I for one have absolutely zero use for a diesel. I don't tow with my Tacoma, the added fuel mileage would cost me more in diesel costs and upfront engine costs would be outrageous... Heck, I don't even want to pay the R&D costs for the consideration of a diesel on a Tacoma.

If someone wants a diesel, there are plenty of options on the market, currently. If he or she doesn't want a diesel, there are other options... I think Toyota has probably made an accurate assessment of their target market in this segment.

 

This. If you're just asking me if I'd like a diesel, sure - they are cool and I know all the good things about them. Am I willing to pay $5,000-$10,000 more up front plus higher maintenence costs? NOPE. Kind of like where I work (a big shipping company): if I ask an online shopper if they would like faster shipping, the answer is always yes but when I ask if they are willing to pay more for it, the answer is almost always no.

 

Of the 17% only .5% will actually do it. There is a difference between saying and actually doing it. I did market research in my University so Im no expert but I have some indication.
While Nissan will sell more Titans then it did couple years ago which is not hard considerng they only sold a handful it just wont grab the 1/2 ton market by storm like Nissan says it will. They also said the Titan would be successful which was a complete flop.

 

Exactly. Why is it that people don't understand this concept? If you don't want it, don't buy it.

Also, everyone assumes the want for a diesel is for added capability. On the contrary, I want a small L4 diesel, around 2.0liters would be great. 150hp/250tq would be PLENTY. It would be nice to hold overdrive uphills. I wouldn't care if the towing capacity was 2,000lbs. I just need to get to work (and I already have a tow vehicle).

Also, what are all these maintenance cost every anti-diesel person brings up? Theyhold a little more oil (but usually have less frequent changes) and now take Urea, which adds like a penny a mile in operation costs. That's about it.

 

when people think diesel, they think about the ones they know, like the ones in fullsize trucks. i know for my 7.3l, buying oil is most efficiently done in GALLONS (yes plural at 4.5) and it is done every 5k miles.

thats not to say a theoretical 2.0 liter would take that, but few people have ever owned a jetta tdi or similar. they think diesel and think gallons of oil, gallons of coolant, black-magic additives, filters, injector pumps, grenading turbos, watching egts, a spot in the driveway, etc.

the flip side is those that think about their buddy with his diesel that does a 12 second 1/4 mile with only a mild tune and can tow a tank and will last forever because diesel.

they are the same as gas aside from the fuel and lack of throttle plate. some are fast, some are slow, all of them break, and all of them need to go to the fill station every few hundred miles to stay on the road.

 

Sub to read tomorrow

 

Problem with that is the Nissan is it's only a 1/2 ton, guys using a truck for real heavy duty work are going to want 3/4 and 1 tons. Same thing is happening to the Ram 1500 diesel, sales aren't too high on it because for a small upgrade, guys can get into a 3/4 or 1 ton Cummins that has real towing potential. I think the 3500 Cummins is rated to tow 30,000# or some crazy shit like that. No way you're going to see them kind of numbers out of a 1/2 ton truck without major modification to the frame, chassis, transmission, and everything else.

 

For shits and giggles, I went on the Ram website and built both a 1500 EcoDiesel and a 2500 Cummins side by side, both SLT trims, quad cabs with 6.4ft boxes and 4x4. For about 8k more, you can be into the Cummins and out the door. If a guy is spending 40k+ on a truck, it would just make more sense to go with the Cummins, at least to me anyway. The 1500 came out at around 41k and the Cummins was 49k.

 

Another reason why Toyota does not make a Taco diesel is development costs. The Duramax is developed by Isuzu, who specializes in emissions and diesel technology. Same with Cummins. They have more resources to devote to meeting exhaust standards.

 

Toyota has elves, which specialize in hybrid electric systems. Everyone else has gnomes, which fix delicate things with hammers.

 

Friend in Guatemala has a Hilux turbo diesel 5 speed. Basically a Tacoma.

So they are already built.

They just don't meet US standards for crash and emissions. Which actually would not be too hard to do.

Difference is diesel in the rest of the world IS the cheaper fuel. The poor can't really afford gasoline.

While some folks in the US would happily pay more fuel cost to own a diesel, 'just because' and some would benefit from the things a diesel brings to the table, that's not how the majority of Tacomas are used.

We see lots of stuff around here that would possibly benefit from a diesel, but we are small potatoes (volume wise) in the grand scheme of Tacoma sales.

 

That is the same reason they haven't provided one in 30 years...

 

The diesel engine is more expensive to build than a gas engine as much as I would love a diesel Tacoma I understand the reasoning for not offering it. Unless you drive a Tacoma 300K miles you will never get any savings. It is a small truck putting a diesel engine in it will not increase the towing/pay load capacity and putting a stronger frame under it won't either it just does not weight enough to handle a big trailer the same holds true for the little Chevy. A large percentage of full size diesel truck owners just buy them to be cool a few use them as they were intended to pull damn big loads no one needs 440 hp and 850# of torque to carry a 100# of peat moss.

 

The Ford diesel adds $8000 to the price tag and I'm sure the others are close. So if Toyota put one in a Tacoma it would match the price of a full size gas truck or even Tundra. No doubt about it a diesel will get better mileage but for most they won't see a pay back. I don't sell vehicles unless they have at least 200,000 miles on them and would bet the TW owners polls would show a lot less mileage and age. Toyota already has their own diesel engine so sourcing an engine elsewhere makes no sense they are very nice engines for a very small US market. Most US drivers want the accretion not the pull of a low revving engine guaranteed a similar sized gas engine will beat it in flat out acceleration and that is what sells.

 

In the Zef (South Africa) a 2wd Hilux diesel Access Cab is $31,000 USD.


The 4.0 V6 2wd Hilux Access Cab is $37,500. The 2.7l gas 4cylinder is $33k.

The 1.8l Corolla starts at $22k, to give an idea of the cost variance from our market to theirs.

 

You know you could buy your own diesel engine and trans and put it in your current tacoma if you feel you need one that bad. The guy was right there is a very small market for that engine along with the EPA guide lines down the road. All Diesel engine in cars, trucks will be forced to run DEF like all new simi trucks do now. And as a truck drive that system comes with a lot of weight for that system and its problems as well as cost. The price tag on that Tacoma would be very high with that new system. Of course that would lead to how Toyota is just screwing its customers and the other normal crying that goes on with some members we have.