2016 Tacoma 3.5L vs 2016 4Runner 4.0L, my impressions

I recently got to spend a week swapping between my 2016 Tacoma (TRD OR DCSB Auto 4x4 with factory tonneau) and a 2016 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 (my father’s). I was very interested in this comparison because the 4Runner is generally very highly regarded on this forum whereas the 3.5L Tacoma with the 6-speed automatic is often panned here.

We spent several days driving around and comparing our vehicles (as father and son might do) and generally came to the conclusion that the powertrains were remarkably similar under normal use (e.g., mall crawling and highway driving). Climbing hills on the highways around Austin required very similar engine speeds in both vehicles. The 4Runner would downshift to 4th and the Tacoma would do the same (4th). Hills that the 4Runner would hold in 5th were also generally held in 5th or 6th with the Tacoma. Obviously the Tacoma had to downshift twice to get the 4th (while the 4Runner downshifts only one gear), but the resulting engine RPM required to hold speed on the grade was very close. The 4Runner did feel like it had slightly more torque in the 1000-2500 range but it certainly wasn’t dramatically more torque. The Tacoma actually felt more “punchy” around town due to its willingness to immediately downshift and go. The 4Runner required more coaxing before it would finally downshift and get moving.

As a driver, I was left feeling like the 4Runner powertrain was slightly better overall (5% to 10% or so if I had to quantify it) due to the willingness of the automatic to try and hold on to high gear before shifting and that slight bit of extra torque at low revs. Also, the Tacoma’s exhaust is relatively loud which makes you more aware of the engine and it's efforts. The 4Runner dials back the macho exhaust a bit and even though the engine/transmission are doing similar things you are not hearing about it as much (which I prefer).

The good news from my perspective is that the 3.5L and 6-speed really aren’t that far behind the 4.0L and 5-speed under normal use. The bad news is that I’m not sure Mike and company should be terribly proud of this 3.5L and 6-speed conversion. The goal was to boost fuel economy, and the conversion added a fair amount of complexity (direct + port injection, Atkinson cycle, new automatic) all of which may or may not stand the test of time. As BlueT would point out, the 4.0L is a known quantity with truck origins. It was a bit embarrassing, therefore, that during all our various outings the fuel consumption was also very similar between the vehicles (within 1 mpg). I confess that there are obvious differences between the two including aerodynamics (pickup vs SUV), weight (the 4Runner weighs 400 lbs more), and driven wheels (the 4Runner is full-time 4WD). As such, this isn’t an apples-to-apples powertrain efficiency test. Nevertheless, I would have preferred to be “similar with significantly better efficiency” as opposed to “similar with significantly increased complexity.”

In closing, I was left feeling like the overall performance differences between the 4.0L/5-speed auto(4Runner) and 3.5L/6-speed auto(Tacoma) were not nearly as dramatic as implied on this forum. Longevity may be the biggest single difference, and on that front only time will tell if the 3.5L can match its predecessor.


NOTE: We did not use ECT mode in the Tacoma. Neither vehicle was carrying anything notable besides the two of us, chips, and diet sodas.

 

I do know that the 4Runner has slightly more HP and torque than the gen 2 4.0 V6. It was tuned slightly differently to get higher output. Something that gen 2 guys complained about all the time.

 

When I was looking at vehicles I narrowed it down between the 4Runner and the Tacoma. I drove the 4Runner first and then later an automatic Tacoma. I was only able to drive around on flat roads, but I also felt like they both were pretty similar. The 4Runner maybe felt a little more solid chassis/suspension/interior wise and the engine didn't feel quiet as perky, but honestly both felt about equally slow. I ended up going with the Tacoma mainly because the price was lower and the manual transmission. The manual transmission is a lot more fun to drive than the automatic. I'm not really sure if it is faster, but it feels a lot more responsive with the manual. But the 4.0 vs 3.5 auto, driving around town and stuff, they felt similar enough that my seat-of-the-pants-meter couldn't tell much of a difference.

 

So the 3.5 and 4.0 are similar! Maybe I am missing the point but isn't the 3.5 a smaller engine!!!!! I think mission accomplished if there is little difference between the 2.

 

I have a 2015 4Runner and a 2016 Tacoma, feels similar. Really didn't expect that big of a difference.

 

Either way an "all new" Tacoma should get people excited, not wondering if it's an upgrade or not.

 

Or mission fail if the gas mileage is the about the same and dropping a known reliable power plant.

 

I did test a gen 3 auto then a gen 2 auto right after it. Was tough for me to tell the difference. The manual blew both out of the water though. Made it feel like a completely different truck!

 

Toyota is a very conservative company. The engine represents a lot of new technology being used with an old block, and they probably felt that was enough excitement for them. They have a history of making engines that last a long time though, and that's somewhat because they tend to go the conservative route. Exciting stuff tends to be cool, until you get out of warranty and have to start repairing turbos/superchargers/mucked-up-valves/etc. Conservative tends to last a lot longer and give less headaches.

 

True. I'm excited to see what they put in the next gen 4Runner (if it exists). Wonder how the 3.5 would handle the 4runners additional bulk.

 

They will probably give the 4Runner a different tune for more HP and Torque.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the review.

 

Interesting post OP, thanks.

To throw a little different view to this, I come from a 2014 Nissan Xterra 4.0, automatic. My driving is mostly all country roads at around 50 MPH tops, lots of small hills. For 75% of my driving the power plants seem similar. The Nissan feeling a bit more responsive. In the Taco I use manual mode 5th gear exclusively. (6th is saved for the rare highway jaunts).
The most notable difference comes when I get heavy into the throttle. From about 2500 to 6000 rpm the Xterra spanks the Taco soundly, is very noticeable, but at a loss of about 3-4 mpg average.
That said, the Tacoma is more than adequate, but personally I'd trade some top end Horsepower for more bottom end torque. Trucks are not race-cars, they are made to haul STUFF, plus more bottom end torque would make it more pleasant to drive daily...

 

Really with only 261 ponies and about the same weight it's spanks your AC....HMMMM. Datsun not bad but only product I would buy of their's is a GTR

 

Traded in '12 FJ Cruiser automatic with same engine as 4Runner for '16 Tacoma RD OR with manual. Manual is so much more fun to drive! Period. (Do I regret the 1-2 mpg lost on highway? Probably, but the resale value from FJ more than offsets it.)

 

Transmission opinions aside, I think most folks are just disappointed that in the 10 years Toyota took to release a new Tacoma, they put out a smaller displacement motor with a but more HP, same torque aND just slightly better MPG.

But if you look past the specs, I feel the motor is fine for the truck. It gets me where I need to be and hauls great.

 

Thanks for the review OP. Definitely worth the read.

 

exactly

 

Remember that the 4Runner 4.0 has 34 more HP than the gen 2 4.0 had. Different tune. All the Tacoma guys were pissed. So, one reason the 4.0 in the 4runner feels better might be that.

 

Its not a tune, you're talking about the difference between VVTI (4runner) vs non-VVTI (tacoma), the FJ's had both variants, up to 2009 on the non, 2010+ with. Thats most significant difference between the two.

I used to have a 14' tacoma, traded it for a 16 4runner trail. The 4runner serves me better, but they are very comparable when you take power/weight ratio into consideration.

The 4runner has a much better fit and finish, and is better at off-roading IMO, but lacks a real bed. Towing is actually more comfortable in my 4runner (likely due to the higher weight and larger brakes)

I test drove a 16' tacoma, was not impressed, felt more like a car, less like a truck, but the interior was leaps and bounds better. All a trade off, but a net zero imo.