1gr-fe in the 3rd gen tacoma .

Can’t help but wonder why Toyota didn’t use the updated 1gr-fe in the 2016 tacoma? but kept running that engine in the 4Runner. I suppose both are great engines and will lasts decades but it does boggle my mind.

 

CAFE standards + cost/fine ratio

Thats my guess atleast, trucks are subjected to different emissions requirements than suv's.

For a 4runner with different cafe standards the 4.0 might just grease by, which would be cheaper for them in just carrying on the same powertrain and updating it and the creature comforts.

For a tacoma, once the generation changed, utilizing the newer more efficient engine may have been a more financially conscious decision in regards to either the standards at the time or in anticipation of the standards to come

 

It’s gotta be CAFE/emissions related. They sell around double the number of Tacomas as 4Runners. I wish that weren’t the case, the dual VVTi 1GR-FE would be a really nice fit for the 3rd gen.

 

Yep CAFE standards. Same reason our 3.5 here in the US say 0W20 and the Mexican one says 5w30. Same engine from the same assembly line used in both vehicles at the plant.

 

Another reason to run 5w30 instead of 0w20

 

I won’t say what I run. It will start a shit storm. But I’m 20k past the 3/36 warranty at 11 months of ownership. Used it since first oil change at xxx miles. That too would start a shitstorm. Don’t need another oil thread. Hehehehe

 

You guys...
Have any of you ever looked up CAFE standards and penalties? Because of the volume of total Toyotas sold in the US, the minor improvement of one engine over another in only 250K trucks don't even move the needle.

My guess? Economy of scale and cost savings. They make a shitload of the 3.5 engines, much more than the 4.0. The more you make of something, the less it costs to make.

 

CAFE doesn’t apply in Mexico.

 

Stock vs Stock
2021 T4R (Red) vs 2018 3G Tacoma (Blue)
Both on Premium Fuel
Both on the same Dyno.

Food for thought...

 

Where they are sold, not manufactured. They take all Toyota vehicles sold in the US, average them together and a score is established.
It is complex, as Toyota can loan credits to Ford or Ford can loan them to Kia. There are a million rules and loopholes.

 

Not going to say I know either way, because I don’t, but I’d think if it were economies of scale, they’d rope the 4R into the group of vehicles that get the 3.5 and do away with the 4.0 altogether.

 

I’ve never seen them side by side. Thanks. Look at the dips in the 3.5. SMH.

 

Agree . . . gonna take a wild guess that the 1gr is only assembled in one location today

 

A lot of that is attributed to the ACIS system that Toyota employs on that motor to improve low end/midrange torque. The application and execution of that system on the 2GR-FKS Tacoma engine leaves a bit to be desired. During activation/transition from the long runner mode to short runner mode, a great deal of torque is lost until the flapper valve sets into it's final position. Unfortunately not much can be done about it if you want to retain the torque advantage from the induction tuning the ACIS system brings.

The 1GR Dual VVTi lost the ACIS system that the Single VVTi 1GR had. As you probably are already are aware.

 

Misleading thread title. Had my popcorn ready for a 1GR swap.

Good thread topic though!

 

My first thought is that an engine with 12% less displacement is making about the same torque over the rpm range and can rev higher. It seems like a clear win for the 2gr-fks.

I haven’t checked, but I’m guessing the 2gr-fks is more efficient (ie better gas mileage) which leads to the same output with a smaller displacement.

 

OP, as I understand it, the 4Runner has remained very close to the same since 2009, whereas the Tacoma got an overhaul in 2016. It’s of no surprise to me that the 2016 Tacoma got a new engine and the 4Runner still has the old engine.

According to Wikipedia, the 1gr-fe was introduced in 2002 and the 2gr-fks was in 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_GR_engine

 

I have a 1grfe in my “third gen” lol. Best of both worlds!

 

2nd gen and 3rd gen Tacoma are similar in many ways. Aside from body panels, interior and what I call a downgrade in drivetrain.

Frame, suspension, brakes, overall platform are almost identical. Tons of parts fit 05+ Tacomas. So I wouldn't call it an overhaul. 4runner got a big update in 2014 with body panels, headlights, etc changing.

 

I understand they didn’t change everything in 2016, but they changed enough, including the engine, for people to call it a new generation.