Why all threads over MPG ???

Mm. Well, I see things differently. And the complexity is the problem. You can accept the complexity. I will not, until the materials used in high temp sensing applications change, for example. Because the cost for me to keep the complex SCR system running aren’t worth it. Would, in fact, make it absurd.


Also I disagree with almost everything you’ve said. I’ve witnessed none of it. Personally. But hey.

 

You own a 2017 Tacoma, and I'm assuming you have the 3.5l v6 with the part-time Atkinson cycle and direct + port injection...you're already accepting more complexity than you otherwise would've with an older truck.

Arguably that level of complexity isn't the same as what's associated with a 6.7l Powerstroke diesel. Toyota does a fairly good job of keeping the complexities to a minimum. But go look at the new crop of ecoboosts that Ford is putting into pretty much all of its vehicles. Go look at all the new technologies that are being proposed or are already implemented for gasoline engines (EGR, HCCI, hybrid systems, cylinder-deactivation, ect.). Complexity is inherent to ownership of any modern vehicle...that's just the way things are progressing.

 

I feel like the early 2000's were a sweet spot for a balance of complexity, reliability, economy and privacy. Fuel injection tech was nice and mature, but we didn't have nearly as much government breathing down our necks or useless widgets crammed in (touchscreens, wifi, power-everything interiors, black boxes, cellular data connections, etc).

I bet eventually the diesels with all the emissions stuff will be reliable; the current stuff was probably rushed out of the door because some politician snapped his fingers and expected engineering magic overnight.

 

No. No offense to my V6 bros, but I do not own the 3.4. I chose the 2.7 for a reason, it has a lot of key strong points, and I’m am not a fan of the simulated Atkinson cycle.

I’m not going to argue with you, rather, I suggest you go buy yourself an ecoboost and enjoy it. Your “progress” is gonna be expensive.

 

Well then you're the exception, not the norm.

A lot of people do own the 3.5l v6.
I'm not a fan of the ecoboost engines (for a number of reasons), but a lot of people own them too. And a lot of them end up in the shop.

You may choose to forgo the more complex engine choices, but the average consumer isn't doing so. And the so-called complexity discrepancy between gasoline and diesel engines is quickly becoming a moot point as the technology advances for both types.

 

We will see. I Predict the diesel for passenger applications will decline.

 

Man your post number 8 and this post hits the nail on the head, some great reasoning.

 

Time will tell.

I don't see diesels going away anytime soon, especially in truck/van/commercial applications. Hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell have the potential to replicate diesel's torque delivery (or even surpass it), but there are still big hurdles for those technologies to overcome in terms of cost, energy storage, logistical infrastructure and outright development.

For all the promises that are being made about the modern gasoline engine's performance and efficiency, I see a lot of real-world results which fail to match the hype. The power and torque delivery has improved a whole lot in the last 10 years, but fuel efficiency goes right out the window when you actually need to utilize it.

Heck even the Tacoma's new 3.5l v6, which is by no means a power-house of an engine, only gets mediocre fuel economy for what is.

 

This is one of the reasons why I chose the engine I chose. It plays by one set of rules with one predictable outcome, with pretty standard figures for power and fuel consumption, as opposed to the other engine, which is attempting to stand on both sides of the fence- claiming power at one end, and fuel economy on the other.

 

Cave men probably went through the same angst when advances in tooling made stone/flint/bronze/etc. obsolete. Some people resist change. "I want my old job back" "sorry, the bottom fell out of the market on conastoga wagons".

 

Seems we are going full circle. Cars and trucks before the mid 80's tho simple had junk for power plants for the most part. 100k and done, of course, everyone has an uncle Bob with a 64 Ford with 800k on it and never even had the oil changed but those of us that lived though it know anything over 100k was free money. Then we went to 200k even 300k being common but mostly stuck at 20 mpg with meager power. Our hunger for power and need to meet epa standards has lead to small displacement engines forced to produce silly amounts of power. A betting man would put good money on the fact that these little turbo and super charged motors will have big problems...about 100k. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

 

I got this a few times stock. I just filled up today, 20.6 mpg with LT265/75/16 Cooper's. Not much highway, some hauling and some 4x4 time too.

 

Did you notice a drop in MPGs when you switched from the stock tire size.

 

$23 a week x 52 weeks x 5 years is 1.5 years of truck payments.

 

I initially switched from the stock P245/75/16 hankook tires to P245/75/16 falken at3w's, and I did lose a couple mpg. I've only had the bigger tires for a couple tanks and mpgs have been similar to the stock size falkens.

 

Are the LT265/75/16 Cooper's pretty quiet?

 

Here’s my two cents on mpgs from my own experiences owning several cars over the years (4 cylinder, 6,8, 12, fwd, rwd, awd, 4x4, turbo, NA, carbureted, fuel injected, S/C, hybrids, EVs)The advertised mileage is achievable in all these, however it is much more volatile and difficult in trucks that are heavy or shaped like a brick. The Tacoma is hard to get the achieved mileage, but it’s doable. However, the degradation in mileage is much more pronounced in stop and go city type driving vs a smaller car. In turbos, you stay out of boost you can leverage the small displacement and go way over the mileage advertised. With hybrids you learn to stay on EV and manipulate the skinny pedal to force it to EV mode more often. The Tacoma will hit its numbers, but Toyota’s definition of “city" must be a one stop light town. Their definition of highway is flat road going 65 mph and as you go up from 65 mph or add a stop light, your mileage goes down crazily compared to sedans etc.That being said, all the aforementioned vehicle types have different pros and cons. I bought the Tacoma for utility and don’t pay much attention to mpgs. I simply notice the differences between other drivetrain types.

 

Once you buy a truck you'll spend more on fuel than anything else and you'll spend it every time you turn the key. It affects your range between fillups which is also how much extra fuel you'll need to bring off road as well as your budget. You may not care what your mileage/range is but you should at least be aware what it is and how various mods affect it, hence lots of discussions.

 

Rich prople don't complain about price and probably don't waste their time in forums when they can just pay someone to fix their 40K trucks. With that said I think OP has it easy because he or she still lives at home with mommy or is one of those people who get paid to do nothing at the office. Either way if he or she was doing that great. What is this person doing on a website that helps the average joe fix their trucks?

 

Agreed.
Smart people factor in the lack of depreciation of the Tacoma in comparison to other cars. This right here, if you worked out the math, could be like doubling your mileage if comparing to something like a Range Rover/BMW/VW other marque that depreciates fast.