What makes our V8 such a beloved engine?

[THEROK]

Toyota UZ engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm not an engineer and in fact a very new truck owner. I've always had sports cars and just uninspiring daily beaters like a Honda Civic and Jeep XJ with the trusty inline 4.0. My V8 Limited is my first Toyota and I thought I wouldn't have much fun driving it, but in the past year, my love for it has grown which is a miracle in and of itself given my fickle automotive nature.

I recently got the itch to switch up cars so ended up test driving a new G55 AMG and same Range Rover Supercharged. Both are incredible cars and given the overall package certainly justify their high price tags per my experience behind the wheel. But honestly, getting back into my 4Runner immediately after each test drive didn't make me feel like I was losing out $70,000 worth of fun delta.

Certainly from a luxury, badge, and looks perspective, the 4R falls well short, but even with the nearly 500HP in both the RR and G55, the V8 in the 4R feels just as smooth if not smoother and torquey enough to keep up.

What makes this engine so nice and so beloved from an engineering and history standpoint? How did it last so long in production being shared across multiple models? What are your general thoughts about this V8 in your personal experience?

Butter.

 

[PlanetAlaska-]

Being in Alaska, the V8 is priceless to me. Up here we don't have 5 lane highways when we drive over 300 miles between 2 key cities. It's one lane in each direction once you're 30 miles out of town. In the summer, you have long convoys of RV's and commercial trucks, so when you need to pass quickly, the torque and power of the V8 is great!

 

[RPC]

I've been wondering the same thing lately, especially after all the hoopla now that the 5th Gen is available but w/o the V8.

I got the SR5 V8 simply 'cause I could and sort of read the writing on the wall with car companies continuing to pump out these big engines in the face of ever increasing fuel costs. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I did because I love this thing, though I do feel a bit guilty considering the complete lack of towing, etc. I do with it...

 

[THEROK]

I do feel a bit guilty considering the complete lack of towing, etc. I do with it...

0 towing here too

 

[paraordnance]

I don't tow either, at least for now. The main reason I choose V8 is its prooven relaiability record. This engine been installed on Land Cruisers forever and if it can handle much bigger vehicle with ease it should be no brainer for 4Runner. I plan to keep my 4Runner for long time and having big unstressed engine is a key in a long run even thought it comes with bigger fuel bills & higher maintenance cost (timing belt etc) that don't bothers me since I dont drive a lot

 

[Sporin]

I don't tow either, at least for now. The main reason I choose V8 is its prooven relaiability record. This engine been installed on Land Cruisers forever and if it can handle much bigger vehicle with ease it should be no brainer for 4Runner. I plan to keep my 4Runner for long time and having big unstressed engine is a key in a long run even thought it comes with bigger fuel bills & higher maintenance cost (timing belt etc) that don't bothers me since I dont drive a lot

Agreed, though we are planning to get a small camper in teh near future.

A big selling point for me was the smoothness of the entire drivetrain, the Land Cruiser connection as well.

Another thing I wanted was the full time 4WD. I'm happy to pay the price (higher wear, lower mpg) for the ease of use, and having it there at all times, not just when I ask it to be. (like in my 93 Land Cruiser, like in my (long gone) 88 Range Rover).

Confirmed a week or 2 ago when my wife, who was picking up my son from a friend's house up a very steep, dirt/snow/ice road... she called and asked "how to put it in 4WD." No worries hon, you're all set.

 

[JB.]

It's not a good engine if you're into the excitement of used oil analysis. Nothing but consistently boring, extremely low wear rates -- with any oil. It's a renowned engine at Bitog.

Like THEROK said -- Butter.

 

[asmtrd]

Why we love it.

Up till the 4th gen that biggest thing you could get from Toyota was the 3.4 V-6. How many of us had an older toyota truck or 4Runner and wished for the power of the V-8? There were ford and Chevy swaps being made but they lacked the Toyota edge we all looked for. So when Toyota dropped in the V-8 in the 4th gen, regradless if we need it or not, we bought it. I bought my 2005 Sport in the summer of 2008 when gas was at its highest price. The salesman at the dealer tried to talk me into one of the V-6 models that they had. I used the V-8 to my advantage in getting a better price.

 

[charlier180]

For me the V8 is one of the major reasons I purchased my 4Runner. I needed a vehicle that could tow my trailer and the V6 engine (with it's lower towing capacity) was never a consideration. The V8 has proven itself many times over the years in towing situations.

The V8 engine with it's smoothness and drive train when combined with the hauling capacity, quietness and ride of the 4Runner and it's rock solid reliability make it the perfect "Utility" vehicle for me.

 

[M1911]

I like for the smooth, powerful low-end torque. You don't have to wind out the engine to get the truck to move. You have torque right off the line, and can move out quickly with low revs and little noise -- no muss, no fuss so the Mrs. doesn't realize just how fast I'm accelerating :lmao:

 

[p nut]

One gripe I have with the V8 is the timing belt. Why not a chain, Toyota? Like the V6's.

And another mini gripe particular to the 4Runner is no 2WD mode with V8's.

 

[M1911]

One gripe I have with the V8 is the timing belt. Why not a chain, Toyota? Like the V6's.

I just replaced mine. With luck, I'll replace it twice more in the life of the truck. Not a big deal to me.

And another mini gripe particular to the 4Runner is no 2WD mode with V8's.

I can't say that I've missed it at all.

 

[progress4m]

One gripe I have with the V8 is the timing belt. Why not a chain, Toyota? Like the V6's.
....

Agreed, but belt is smoother and quieter.

.....

And another mini gripe particular to the 4Runner is no 2WD mode with V8's.

Stability on the road in all conditions and reliability:Switchable system may fail and not switch from 2 wd to 4x4 just when you need it. ( I am sure you have seen threads on this forum regarding this with V6 setup).
And I am sure it is a same reason Toyota LC used 4wd mode only.

 

[Thai]

The other weakness of the 4.7L V8 is the exhaust manifold cracking before 100k miles. Each side fix is around $1000. My brother's LX470 had both cracked before 80k miles. I am not sure if this has been fixed in later years???

 

[Thai]

But honestly, getting back into my 4Runner immediately after each test drive didn't make me feel like I was losing out $70,000 worth of fun delta.

Certainly from a luxury, badge, and looks perspective, the 4R falls well short, but even with the nearly 500HP in both the RR and G55, the V8 in the 4R feels just as smooth if not smoother and torquey enough to keep up.

I am not a fan of the G55 AMG, but the G55 AMG can go from 0-60 in under 5 seconds or something like that! Not many SUVs can keep up with that...at least in a straight line. Since it is a supercharged engine, it is not as smooth as a NA engine. I would encourage you to testdrive the G500 with the 5-speed auto. Mercedes new 7-speed auto has "issues" with it...so, this is why i don't recommend you testdrive the G550 (or the later G500s with the 7-speed auto).

 

[THEROK]

I am not a fan of the G55 AMG, but the G55 AMG can go from 0-60 in under 5 seconds or something like that! Not many SUVs can keep up with that...at least in a straight line. Since it is a supercharged engine, it is not as smooth as a NA engine. I would encourage you to testdrive the G500 with the 5-speed auto. Mercedes new 7-speed auto has "issues" with it...so, this is why i don't recommend you testdrive the G550 (or the later G500s with the 7-speed auto).

not many cars can keep up with that. i think under 5 is quite optimisstic so let me correct myself. it's more like mid 5s which is still PLENTY quick.

i drove the G550. too slow. g500 doesn't have the updates that i want like the HID lights and a few other freshened up bits on the interior. believe me if it was cool i'd love to save some money over the $85K price tag for the G55 i'm looking at.

the g55 is outright a more fun truck to drive and be seen in that the 4R. there is 0 comparison.

G55 or bust for me. i want top of the line just like i have the top of the line 4R.

 

[THEROK]

The other weakness of the 4.7L V8 is the exhaust manifold cracking before 100k miles. Each side fix is around $1000. My brother's LX470 had both cracked before 80k miles. I am not sure if this has been fixed in later years???

interesting. haven't ready too many of these threads.

 

[Thai]

not many cars can keep up with that. i think under 5 is quite optimisstic so let me correct myself. it's more like mid 5s which is still PLENTY quick.

i drove the G550. too slow. g500 doesn't have the updates that i want like the HID lights and a few other freshened up bits on the interior. believe me if it was cool i'd love to save some money over the $85K price tag for the G55 i'm looking at.

Actually, according to MotorTrend in 2005, the G55AMG went from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds! (Link: 2005 Luxury SUV Trim, Steering & Interior - Motor Trend)

According to Car & Driver, the 2009 G550 goes from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. (Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q2/2009_mercedes-benz_g550-short_take_road_test) Not exactly slow either. It may feel slow i guess because you sit really high and the gas pedal is heavy.

Yeah, i think that the updates are pretty cool too. Yeah, given the choice of G550 vs. G55AMG, i would go with G55 simply due to the issues with the 7-speed auto (that i have read about). The 5-speed auto is pretty damn strong (torque capacity on it is around 800 ft-lbs of torque!)...and smooth. And this is why the G55AMG still has the 5-speed...the 7-speed auto cannot handle the torque of the AMG supercharged engine.

 

[Thai]

interesting. haven't ready too many of these threads.

It is a well-known fact on Lexus forums...see Clublexus.com and search on the LX470 subforum.

 

[Thai]

G55 or bust for me. i want top of the line just like i have the top of the line 4R.

If you take your SUV off-road, then you may want to reconsider...the AMG is top of the line in terms of on-road performance, but is more limited than the regular G550 off-road. It is kinda like picking b/w the 2010 4runner Limited vs. Trail Edition...well, the difference is not that extreme like in the 4runner, but it is significant nonetheless.