D-4s v6

Someone described it well on another thread. Since Toyota loves to apply the same motor to different platforms it was the least shitty options they had at the time to drop into the Tacoma. As a stand alone engine for a truck is it ideal? No, since a lot of the applications were for cars/smaller SUVs and Vans the power band demands are different. but they get the win for standard mechanical practices and parts across a lot of vehicle options. I think they also didn't want to cancel out Tundra sales because a lot of people want the power, but not the size which if I had to guess is what happened with the 4th gen 4runner with the V8 compared to the 1st gen Sequoia.

 

Six years and 43K miles on mine, no issues whatsoever. Here’s some info about the 3.5L engine.

 

gotta be honest, i like going on adventures with the 2nd gen-er's They give about as much of a crap about their truck getting pin striped as i do. I hardly see any other 3rd gen people out on the trails in N Georgia.

 

7.5 years, 91,000 miles here. Performance wise it’s good, though not a ton of low end torque and the transmission can be improved. Drive one before you commit and make sure it suits you.

We have had 2 issues on outs, which is enough to cause me concern with Toyota.

1. AC evaporator coil leaked at 75k miles. Repair was $2,000.
   
2. Coolant passage pipe on back of engine began leaking at 90k miles. This is a $2-3k repair at the dealership. I did it in my garage… 15 hours of labor and $200 in parts. Not fun.

I’d give a strong look at the new frontiers and ridgelines.

 

I'll see you there brotherrr.

Still might get one as the family hauler if I can swing it in a few years. (But I plan to keep the 3rd gen)

 

I've got 80k hard miles on my truck. Of all the complaints I have on my truck, the only one I really have about the motor is I wish it had more grunt. Which ironically is the same complaint I had about my 4.0 in '08.

6 liter LS I owned between really ruined the idea of a torquey Toyota V6 for me.

As for maintenance, pretty straightforward. People bitch about the oil filter, but those types complain about something all the time. Spark plugs were fairly easy if you take your time. Not easy, but not hard. Like 6 out of 10. The plastic retainer clips Toyota uses can F off though. Manual says 60k on the plugs, but I think you can go longer anyways.

 

1. is that located behind the dash?
2. one of my bigger concerns with the vehicle as whole.

 

Should also note that the new $170k Toyota Century SUV will come standard with a 400+hp 2GR-FXS, which is simply a PHEV version of the 3.5 V6 found in the Gen3 Tacoma.

Which might lead you to wonder…could a version of that motor have been an intended option for the Gen4 Tacoma, only to be shelved due to tougher emission reg’s?

 

Probably and the torque numbers and powerband is different and power to weight ratio aside look at the Lexus IS 350 that is 311HP/280 ft-lb torque vs 278 hp/265 ft-lb torque in the Tacoma. Not and eye popping difference but I'd take it along with better stock gear ratio.

There's a lot of potential in these engines Lotus used a highly modified version in the 2GR-FZE and that was cranking out 416 hp and 317-322 ft-lb of torque.

 

this article supports your thoughts

https://www.cars.com/articles/engine-deep-dive-toyota-tacomas-atkinson-cycle-v-6-454806/

 

Interesting add:
"Interestingly, the Tacoma offers the lowest output with 278hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. Most models fall in the 295-302 horsepower ballpark. However, the 2GR-FKS in the Lexus IS 350 and LS 350 offer 311hp and 318hp, respectively."

https://tuningpro.co/toyota-2gr-fks-engine-guide/

 

I mean that’s pretty common for auto manufacturers to detune pick up engines. Just like my 4.0 Ranger had 207 hp and 238 Tq, same engine in mustang and exploder made more hp and tq.

 

Agreed, my speculation is the lower the output so the engine last longer not being as stressed trying to move a loaded truck vs loaded car. I'm not an engineer though. Could even by a truck emissions trick. I don't know. But I feel it's for reasons relating to durability in a truck platform. Gm does it too. Look at the various v8's in different platforms. Even tahoe vs silverado vs police cruise has different intakes for different power output even in the same "platform"

 

Atleast they kept it the same across both transmissions unlike the 4th Gen. Seems like a win if they had structures the pro with more kick to differentiate it from the other trims.

 

It's common to think of hp as just a number but it's always qualified by the engine speed. 278hp at 6000rpm. At half the engine speed you'll produce closer to half that power. At 5200rpm the 3rd gen engine produces about the same peak power as the 4.0.

It's unusual to have an engine rated at peak power at redline, it's the first sign they've some how neutered the output. But on the other hand, the versions of this engine used in other applications have higher peak power rating, somewhere between 6300 and 6600 in some Lexus models (that's where most of the power gains come from). I did a bit of looking by comparing part numbers on the various engines mostly focusing on the cylinder heads. It's been a while, but I don't recall any difference in valve springs, cam shafts, etc. There were differences in upper intake manifolds. They weren't trying to protect the transmission's input shaft speed either as north/south engined awd Lexus also have the same setup. People who've ovtuned and raised their redlines report good result with many running 7000rpm redlines. I did that for a while and my phone's accelerometer says the engine pulls hard to about 6800rpm before power softens noticeably.

 

I don’t know about that man.

My tach rarely sees north of 3k RPMs. Towing, off-road, going up hills etc. Plenty of power power 2.5-3k RPMs and my truck is far from stock. The only times I go over 3k is when i wanna have some fun merging onto the highway or I’m over payload driving through mountain passes trying to maintain 70-80 going up long hills.

 

torque typically resides in the lower RPM regions.

 

Agreed.

According to most TW members though, Tacoma is a “gutless” pig and makes no power below 3k RPMs.

 

Y’all are confusing torque and power.