Camprunner
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Do you think that Toyota is behind in there Diesel engine technology? Or just slow to bring them to the USA ?
Toyota and Diesels ??
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blindside
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I don't think they're behind, it's just probably because of the strict regulations(air pollution) here in the US that's keeping them in having a diesel engine..but see FORD has diesel engines so I'm not 100% sure on this matter but that's just my guess... back in the philippines most of the car manufacturers such as toyota,nissan,isuzu etc had been using diesel engines on most of their vehicles so i'm thinking that, having a diesel engine is nothing new to toyota... 
Jeff Kleb
New member
The main reason you see so few diesels in the USA is because of our fuel taxation policy. Gasoline is taxed at a much higher rate than diesel fuel in most of Europe. Conversely, diesel is taxed more heavily in the USA than is gasoline - even though diesel is actually less expensive to refine.
The new ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel - 15 ppm) standard for 2007 fuel & engines has also done a lot to delay mass development of new domestic diesel powerplants. Give it time, though, and you are eventually going to see more diesel-powered vehicles (besides large trucks) here in the states.
VW does quite well with their TDI and Mercedes is back in the business (finally) of offering a diesel powerplant in new US market cars. BMW and Volvo supposedly have diesels in the works as well. It will be nice to get a diesel option in something other than a 1-ton pickup truck, eh?
:awais:
If gasoline were to be about $3.50 a gallon and diesel was running $2.75, you would see a much greater consumer demand for oil burners; especially since diesels get at least 15 to 25 percent more miles on every gallon of fuel.
I drive a diesel truck at work (large International 4900 Series), and I am so glad the boss pays for me to fill those dual 50-gallon tanks. Yikes!
:bash:
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hulk311
New member
From what I understand diesels are better for conditions requiring the vehicle to drive a lot of miles at a time, think driving 30 miles to work everyday. I read that it's not "good" if you just drive it down to the store which is 2 miles away or to college that's 5 miles away.
Camprunner
New member
hulk311 said:
This I was told as well and this is why we don't get one for work at our company. The box truck my sit for a week or two and then just drive 3 or 4 miles and get shut off. Then again we my take it on a 200 mile drive you never know. But it's the long sitting (sometimes in quite cold weather) and the short drives that keep us from going with the diesel.
Also the boss has figured it out where the extra diesel cost and the low miles we drive we would have to keep the truck like 15 years to justifi the extra cost so for now we stick with gas.
Thai
Elite Member
Americans are clearly ahead in terms of HD diesels (e.g. HD trucks)...it's kinda like Toyota's dominance over hybrid technology. Diesel gas prices are ridiculous these days...price way over premium fuel, which makes their fuel economy savings much less than before/advertised.
But i do appreciate diesel's power, grunt, & durability.
But i do appreciate diesel's power, grunt, & durability.
Northof49
New member
Diesel would be nice for a 3/4 or 1-ton truck/SUV, should Toyota decide to build one....mandatory even. Outside of that, there isn't anything that can't be accomplished better by a gas motor or gas/electric hybrid, particularily with North America's current fuel pricing setup.
- Longer warm-up times
- Noise, vibration, smell
- Messy refueling, not always at a station of choice
- Narrower, lower-rpm powerband
- More expensive maintenence
We simply aren't at a point where the benefits of a diesel motor outweigh the downfalls for the vast majority of passenger car buyers.
- Longer warm-up times
- Noise, vibration, smell
- Messy refueling, not always at a station of choice
- Narrower, lower-rpm powerband
- More expensive maintenence
We simply aren't at a point where the benefits of a diesel motor outweigh the downfalls for the vast majority of passenger car buyers.
I bought a diesel for my business about 3-4 years ago. It is sort of a specialty vehicle; a mobile showroom/office. I had a choice and really wanted the diesel. In addition to the longivity and efficiency, it really excited me that diesel was aobut 30 cents cheaper per gallon than gasoline. I selected a used Ford (International) IDI. Within 3-4 months of purchasing the vehicle, the two fuels were the same, then suddenly diesel skyrocketed - really ticked me off. Fortunately we only use the vehicle for about 10,000 miles per year. Oh well. Fact is- I really have grown to like the driving characteristics of diesels (torque) and have even thought about bying a VW TDI for my daily driver. If diesel fuel would get reaonable again, it would be a no brainer!
charlier180
New member
In the area where I live there are only as few places to buy diesel fuel. The price of diesel fuel varies with the season from 20 cents/gallon to as much as 80 cents/gallon more than regular gas.
I suppose I live in the wrong area for a diesel powered vehicle. A friend in a neighboring state with a VW TDI pays about the same price as mid-grade gas for his diesel most of the time.
I have seen owners of the VW Touareg V10 TDI reporting real world mileage pushing 30 mpg on the highway. If VW can get those kinds of numbers on a vehicle that weighs almost 1K more than the 4Runner, Toyota should be able to get good mileage out of a diesel engine in the 4Runner.
Hopefully Toyota will consider a diesel engine option in the next generation 4Runner sold in the USA. Time will tell if that happens.
I suppose I live in the wrong area for a diesel powered vehicle. A friend in a neighboring state with a VW TDI pays about the same price as mid-grade gas for his diesel most of the time.
I have seen owners of the VW Touareg V10 TDI reporting real world mileage pushing 30 mpg on the highway. If VW can get those kinds of numbers on a vehicle that weighs almost 1K more than the 4Runner, Toyota should be able to get good mileage out of a diesel engine in the 4Runner.
Hopefully Toyota will consider a diesel engine option in the next generation 4Runner sold in the USA. Time will tell if that happens.
techno
New member
Well, where I have spent most of my life diesel suvs are common place.Northof49 said:
They warm up just as fast because they run at higher compression ratios,
noise and vibration and smell were issues 20 years ago,
messy refueling??? 95% of stations had diesel (which would be a problem here)
narrower rmp band is an advantage since you dont have to rev the crap out of the engine to achieve max power
but yeah, maintainance can be more $$ sometimes.
I have driven diesel Hilux's, LandCruisers, 4Runners, Prados and heaps of other manufactures diesel vehicles aswell and would definately recommend them over gasoline engines for workhorses, touring and off-roading.
Diesel 4runners are sold in Central America, could you buy one there and just drive it back over the border??
TheBlueWave
New member
Toyota purchased a stake in Isuzu to aquire some diesel technology, and overseas the prado is offered with a diesel. Toyota is married to hybrid technology now, though, after spending so much time and money to launch it successfully. I would like to see the invention of a CVT that can handle the torque of a diesel engine and then we would see very nice fuel economy.
Northof49
New member
20 years ago? I dunno, but I do know that in 2007, there is still not a diesel on the planet that is as quiet, smooth, and fast as the 4Runner's 4.7L V8 for this application. This is not some weezy 4-banger that needs to be revved to make power...you can run the V8 around at diesel-like rpms, or you can floor it and have the extra hp when needed. There isn't a diesel in any of the models you speak of that can hang with a V6 or V8 4rth gen in any speed/towing contest. The time for many of us to trade-off these advantages for fuel-economy simply has not come yet. In the words of Ricky Bobby.....I wanna go fast.techno said:
Cold-weather performance and warm-up IS a concern....I have helped out guys sledding with gelled-up diesels a few times this past winter. Messy re-fueling? Yes, I own a gas station and the diesel pumps are ALWAYS dirtier compared to the gas units, just because of the nature of the fuel.
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