2.7l MT 2016

Anyone bought one or planning too? Perhaps a test drive, interested to see if there is any difference between the 15 and 16 as far as the 4 cylinder goes. Show it some love.

 

I have one on order, 4x4 access cab M/T. MPG has improved on the 16. The engine has been upgraded for fuel economy. About the same power maybe 5 more horsepower. Has higher compression and is now dual vvti. For info on the new engine search 2016 Toyota Hilux 2tr-fe. Toyota is being pretty tight lipped to the North American market.

 

Bump

 

Whenever you pick it up, please post pics and share how much you enjoy it.. I've seen a few on cars.com, and they look awesome, I want to test drive one but no 4 banger 16s are available in my area yet!

 

There is a reason why 4 bangers are in short supply. Heavy rains in the south east with scattered outages has push the need for sump pumps and generators powered by Briggs and Stratton which uses the same engine in their smaller units provided by Toyota.

 

About Me: I've owned a 1986 Toyota Pickup & 2003 2.7l Regular Cab Prerunner. Driven over 175 different cars, owned about 20 others.

I just drove the auto and the 5spd 2016 2.7L Tacomas over the past two days. The engine may be slightly tuned differently with the changes mentioned above, but it's basically the same damn thing that came in Tacomas nearly two decades ago. That's good in the sense of reliability, but bad in the name of progress. The difference between the AC 4x4 2.7l 5spd of 2015 and 2016 is more like 300lbs actually, with the dimensions more or less the same.

3rd Gen 2.7L Auto: So this new version has different ratios and a 6spd auto instead of a 4spd. This means the tranny needs to hunt around quite a lot for the right gear. This can obviously be jerky and distracting.

3rd Gen 2.7L Manual: Here we have the same proven motor, albeit underpowered, but now Im the one who gets to choose the appropriate gear. This solves my biggest gripe with the autos. The problem as I see it though is that it's completely unexhilarating to row the gears. To me, a large part of driving a manual is the fun. This is not fun. It's work. But then again maybe you like the concentration of having to pre-plan all your shifts and driving habits. In older cars, like my 114hp 1987 Volvo 240 5spd, I enjoy the experience. In my 1989 325iS BMW I also enjoy the sensation of connection and forethought required to maximize performance. I'm just not convinced that a 2016 large truck warrants that same experience. Maybe I'd prefer the auto. I think if I wanted a 2.7L 5spd 4x4 toyota (which is more of a toy/tool than an enjoyable daily), I'm better off buying a 1st Gen. The saving grace of the 3rd Gen as I see it, is that they're much more refined and modern than previous generations. The tinge of utilitarian workman's truck is gone. And I think the automatic tranny compliments that new character much more fittingly. That said, if you actively want a utilitarian work truck, I really can't imagine a better truck or investment for that matter. 5spd 4x4 tacomas have absurdly high resale value if nothing else. It's a good place to put your money. And speaking of costs, your fuel efficiency will be worse with this tranny/engine/drivetrain combo compared to literally every other 4cyl 4x4 5spd Toyota has ever made. Not kidding. When the first 2.7L tacos were around, no one in my family owned a cell phone and it was getting 23-25mpg on the highway. Fastforward to today where I have a pocket sized TV/phone/computer attached to me at all times and Toyota's making the same engine/tranny but it's getting 21mpg? That don't make no sense. Somehow in the 20ish years that Toyota has made this engine, they're actually becoming less and less efficient. To be fair, that's not the engine's fault, it's because the engine is staying a constant while the entire truck is gaining hundreds of pounds every decade.

Part of me is incredibly disappointed that Toyota has been so complacent with the 4cyl offerings. In the name of progress and efficiency, they're pathetically lazy. Maybe they did this on purpose to make the more profitable 6cyl examples more appealing. Maybe they did it because they're not done building the next great 4cyl. I don't know. But I do appreciate the fact that it's a tried & true engine/tranny combo they'll never leave me stranded. I flip flop between wanting the auto & manual 2.L 3rd Gen every other day. I don't know where I land just yet. But for now, I respect both offerings, though relatively speaking Im incredibly disappointed in how little effort Toyota has put into their efficiency-based 4cyls.

 

Very well put and very insightful of all your attention to detail, I appreciate your input on this subject, thank you. thumbs up.

 

Great post Pino! I look forward to seeing what the real world MPG is of the 4 cyl manual is. Lets not completely condem Toyota on this just yet. They have reduced the aerodynamic drag of the truck and they have done some work to the engine internals to increase efficiency. I am also dissapointed that the truck has gotten so heavy. However, I choose to focus on the positive. I drove the v6 version and the chasis wreaks of quality. Quality sometimes comes at the expense of weight. The truck feels robust yet refined, not dump truck. Feels like something that will be around for decades. In a world where cars are becoming hackable maybe even self driving hybrid computers, thanks to Toyota for throwing a bone to those of us want to feel like we are still in control of a small part of our lives. This may be one of those posessions in which our affection grows over the years, maybe even a 'from my cold dead hands' vehicle. Last time I checked, eveyone on the road drives about the same speed. Whether you are driving a Corvette or a 4 cylinder Toyota. I am never annoyed that my transmission is in the wrong gear. I drive manuals. Unlike some people, I don't wonder how those 4 cylinder Toyotas are making it all the way down to the river without 300 horsepower.

 

Thank you for the support and feedback guys. I'll definitely have to drive them both again.

I'm surprised there's so little info on the SR models and i4 motor. No one wants to review it. Keep your head down and buy the all-new la-tee-da v6 everyone.

 

I have the sr 2.7 5 speed 4x4. I had a short boy automatic and hated that thing. Super sluggish with the auto. Had to smash the gas just to get it to downshift. The new sr 2.7 manual is way better. Power is the same I'm sure they haven' changed the 2.7s in over 10 years is what they told me. Figured the 2.7 has proven itself especially with the old 22rs still running out there

 

I also have a 2.7 man 4x4 and I'm in love no power house if I want that I'll drive my Subaru sti

 

The 2016 saw the first real update to the 2TR-FE, which was the addition of Dual VVT-i (previous 2TR's only used VVT-i on the intake camshaft) and the static compression ratio was increased from 9.6:1 to 10.2:1. The peak power and torque ratings remained the same, however there is additional torque at lower RPM and increased efficiency. Not a huge change to the bottom end (new pistons), but the head and timing cover show a number of changes. Additionally some sound insulation was added to various components of the engine near the intake manifold and below the oil pan.

The alternator was upgraded from 80A to 100A, and the EFI/ignition system is slightly updated (new injectors, fuel rail, updated spark plugs). The starter changed from 2.0 kW (Canada) and 1.4 kW (USA) reduction type to 1.7 kW planetary type.

A lot of focus is on the change from the very old A340E/F 4-speed automatic transmission to the 6-speed AC60E/F automatic transmission, but the manual transmission was also updated from the R155F to the R156F. 1st, 2nd and 5th gear ratios are updated to better match the output of the updated 2.7L engine, resulting in closer ratio shifting. Additionally, the synchro for 1st gear is updated from a single cone to a triple cone design.

Also, bigger rear diff, which is neat.

Jeff

 

Cool info.

Also epic thread revive.

 

I'm liking mine so far... a 2016 SR 4x4, 2.7L, 5-spd that I got back in April with only 2201 miles on it.

It seems to lack a little power compared to my 1st gen (2000 SR5 4x4, 2.7L 5-spd) running virtually the same tire height (245/75r16 vs. 265/75r15)... extra weight?... different rear gear ratio maybe?... on't know.

Anyway... I'm content as I'm not planning to lift it or go larger on the tires.

 

I believe it's due to the higher differential gearing.