True...reminds me of a recent thread where folks were discussing why Toyotas are durable/reliable. Most people seemed to agree that one of the the reason why they have such longevity is because they are under-powered.
I'm just wondering if there would be a trade-off in durability/reliability if the power/torque did indeed go up...if so would we still want more power?
I know many folks on here are proud of their 200k+ mile cars
)
I think that of all manufacturers, Toyota takes drivetrain reliability most seriously. We pay the price for that in some regards, but it certainly has its benefits.
Toyota generally tends to run on ten(ish) year powertrain cycles with an update around the 6th year. Looking back ten years...
- 2GR-FE V6 was introduced and quite frankly blew away the competition at that time. It had more power, better MPG and was very smooth (still is).
- 1GR-FE, while down on power from the 2GR, was torquey, very smooth and made for a great choice in the Tacoma, 4Runner, FJ and a few other models around the world.
- 1UR-FE: 5.7L iForce V8 debuted and the only engine that came close was the HEMI at that time, but the iForce V8 put down more usable power in real world use. The version in the LS 460 was, at inception, more powerful than everything but the S550 and had the world's first 8AT.
- 2GR-FSE in the Lexus IS 350 and GS 350 was quite frankly the best V6 engine in the world for a few years, and is still very solid.
Looking at that list feels a bit like the glory days for Toyota - they were on top of their game in more ways than one. Notably, every single one of those engines has been absolutely rock-solid reliable. However, it's also rather bittersweet as little has changed since 2006/2007.
The 5th gen 4Runner is about the only Toyota model since then that's received a different or updated powertrain. No doubt this was done to "up" the V6 in an effort to keep 4th gen owners who would lament the loss of the V8, but using a 5spd in 2010 was already kind of dated and here we are 6 years later when much of the competition is using 6 or 8 gears.
I also think that Toyota was quite frankly caught with their pants down with regard to turbos. They didn't think forced induction would catch on the way that it has and they're struggling to play catch up. My personal opinion is that they bet too richly on hybrids and hard a hard time with successful mainstream application outside of 4 cylinders.
Right now, it's starting to feel a little like deja vu from 2002-2005 when Toyota had an engine lineup that was universally
old.
I'd bet that a new generation of V6s and V8s are going to end up in our hands within the next two years, and I do expect that like 2006 and 2007, they'll be "up" on the competition but my sense is that there will be more of a focus on MPG than horsepower or torque.
Toyota generally likes to test technologies like VVTi, D4S, this Atkinson/Otto cycle programming very extensively before implementing them. That's where we get bitten in the ass. While they take a long time to come, and we're often sitting on our hands or end up buying competing models with more advanced powertrains, once Toyota does release an update, it's usually worth it. Looking at some of Honda's transmission issues or Ford's problems with EcoBoost... I'm happy to drive something more reliable and give up a little power/MPG. At this point with the 4Runner, it's just a matter of "when?"
Last point - and I know I'm rambling here - but the mechanicals that are used in the 4Runner, Tacoma, Land Cruiser, GX and LX are the most durable and reliable parts in the Toyota parts bin. Since they underpin vehicles like the Prado, Fortuner and Hilux around the world - which generally see much harsher use than we have here - reliability and dependability are Toyota's #1 priorities, moreso than power, MPG or stats for bragging rights. Again, we kind of pay a price for that (behind the curve on power/MPG), but it's also hard to find a vehicle that can go for as long as one of these with only routine maintenance and minor repairs.
