Show us where the new 3.5L fails for offroad or towing /to the old 4.0L

I did Stampede Pass over to Lake Kachess this weekend (about a 3 hour trail, decent assent and then a slow, rocky decent) with my friend who has a similarly equipped 2nd Gen (also an awesome truck.) Both trucks did the trail like it was nothing, neither had any trouble making it up any rocky inclines. We both filled up an hour or so before the trail. When we finally got to the camp site he had about half a tank left and I had three quarters left. On the drive home over I90 I averaged 20.9 hand calculated, and that’s with heavy KO2’s. I was totally happy with my truck every second of the trip.

 

This has been my experience any time I’m out with 2G Tacos. The fuel efficiency naysayers abound on this forum, but if the 3G economy sucks, the 2G economy sucks worse. That’s just the facts.

 

I can believe that, I get about 16mpg on the freeway

 

To be fair, stampede pass can be done in a bone stock 2wd truck and probably a subaru.

 

How is this relevant to the MPG differences? I pointed out that both trucks did the trail like it was nothing already, the comparison was MPG.

Edit: lol not surprised to see that the resident butthurt 2wd Ranger owner liked this comment.

 

3.5 cant pull a string out of a cats ass

 

I'm just happy to see so many people's problems getting resolved in this thread. like a Renaissance or something over here.

 

Never knew that was a thing...

 

My wife spent an hour one night removing a string from our cats ass, seemed pretty terrible for the cat!

 

The important torque numbers are not listed. Peak torque numbers mean nothing when you're trying to motivate a heavy load across a busy highway. Where the torque is important is at 1500 rpm. They don't tell you this but his is where the biggest torque difference is between the two engines. know this... when I get a break in traffic trying to cross a busy highway with a damn heavy load with almost a half ton of tongue load... and i stomp the gas peddle... my fucking tires break free! There is a lot of torque at the bottom of a 4.0L... compared to the 3.5L

 

Wonder how many that have commented have extensively driven and towed with both. And both versions of the 1gr....

I’ve driven all 3 and this is what I experienced (windy/flat South Texas) ...these are my last 3 vehicles
2nd gen for 9 years 80k miles
3rd gen 1 year 10k miles
5th gen t4r last 3 years

My 2-wheel drive 3rd gen 1.75” lifted Tacoma with lightweight FN 5star wheels/p265’s couldn’t hold 6th gear and routinely got 16.5 mpg on the highway at 75 mph when bucking any wind over 12 mph. Bucking 15-25mph wind it would stay in 5th gear (couldn’t pull 6th) and drop to 4th on overpasses. With a tail wind, got 20-21mpg...and shifted down to 5th, sometimes 4th on every overpass. Towing my 16’ flats boat (~1800#) in S-4 (ect on) with the wind...10-11mpg...against 8-9.


My 2017 4x4 t4r with 2.5” lift and 25lb 17x8.5” wheels/P265 Wildpeaks gets 17.5-18mpg bucking 15-25mph wind at 75mph and holds 5th gear, even on overpasses. With a tailwind gets 20-21mpg at 75mph with no downshifts on overpasses and most inclines.
Towing the same boat my t4r in s-4 gets 11 mpg bucking wind and 13+ mpg with a tailwind.

My pre-runner 2nd gen 1.75” lifted with lightweight Konig/P265’s was similar to my t4r but a tad less (maybe 1.5-2mpg) highway 75 mph...and would also hold 5th gear on overpasses. It still got better mpg towing (same flats boat) than my 3rd gen...

Drivability comparison....well, always subjective but there’s a reason I lost my ass on a 1year old 3rd gen Tacoma and got into a t4r with a 1gr....really liked my 3rd gen Tacoma but it’s drivetrain... nope!

 

Just yank like you’re rip starting a lawn mower. That outta do it...

 

Tie it to a doorknob? Or maybe to another cat?

 

'Two cats, one string'?

 

Aaaand that looks about right...

 

They’re the same torque specs about 400 rpm apart

 

The specs don't show torque at 1500 rpm. Also, the 2016 that I test drove felt like a 4 cyl when I stomped the peddle. Certainly no feeling of torque there. I am in no way beating up the 3.5 engine. It's just not the performance I desire in my truck. I like the fact that I can haul a heavy load and it pretty much stays in 4th and the rpm stays around 2000 @ 50 mph. From reading all the towing posts on here, I know this not to be the case for the Gen 3 with the 3.5.

 

The whole "ermahgerd my truck had to DOWNSHIFT going up a hill" crew makes me chuckle. If you don't want the truck making those choices for you, buy a manual.

I was towing today with the company Ferd, F-350 gasser. Makes any engine in a Tacoma look like a weed whacker, with payload/towing ratings that dwarf anything Tacoma. Probably about 6klbs total trailer weight, really not that much.

Guess what. That big bad super duty needed FIRST GEAR to drag its sorry ass up some back road hills at 35mph. If you are going up a hill, you need higher rpms, especially with a load. Its just that simple.

 

Manual ffftwww.