What makes our V8 such a beloved engine?

[THEROK]

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: 2009 Mercedes-Benz G550 - Short Take Road Test - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver) 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.

I remember MT back when I had the S2000 said it could do 0-60 in the low low 5s... a wee bit optimistic that mag.

good info on the 7 v. 5 speed. makes sense.

all i need to get are the 22" Hamann Edition Race wheels and i'm good!

 

[THEROK]

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

so is this a lexus thing or a 4th gen 4r thing cuz again i haven't ready too many issues on this board around mani cracks.

 

[THEROK]

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.

i don't off road at all.

 

[p nut]

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

Not a huge deal, but I'd feel better with a stronger chain than a belt. I've heard of belts snapping (even before the 90k mark), but not chains.

Agreed, but belt is smoother and quieter....

But I'd rather have stronger than quieter. Isn't that why you got the V8?

....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.

I actually haven't been on here for a while, so I'm not aware of that issue. Did the people remember to put it in 4WD at least once a month for 10 miles? Never had a problem with my old 02 4Runner. My Tacoma also has no problems with this.

 

[p nut]

I remember MT back when I had the S2000 said it could do 0-60 in the low low 5s... a wee bit optimistic that mag.

good info on the 7 v. 5 speed. makes sense.

all i need to get are the 22" Hamann Edition Race wheels and i'm good!

The S2000 can do sub 14 second 1/4 mile runs, so ~5sec 0-60 is not unbelievable. It's just a hard car to drive well. Got rid of mine due to the no torque down low and weak rear. Fun car, though.

Also never got the point of "Sport oriented" SUV's. ie, Cayenne, X5, RR Sport. Friend had a RR Sport and it was a powerful rig, but what do you do with it? Go real fast on public roads? Can't take it to the track, because they still handle like boats. Cayenne handled like a stock Honda Accord, at best. G-wagons are still cool, but like Thai said, I'd only get the 500, triple lockers, and solid axle f/r.

 

[Thai]

Also never got the point of "Sport oriented" SUV's. ie, Cayenne, X5, RR Sport. Friend had a RR Sport and it was a powerful rig, but what do you do with it? Go real fast on public roads? Can't take it to the track, because they still handle like boats. Cayenne handled like a stock Honda Accord, at best. G-wagons are still cool, but like Thai said, I'd only get the 500, triple lockers, and solid axle f/r.

Agree 100%. I never understood that either. This is why i laugh at the G55 AMG...it absolutely sucks at handling, no matter how stiff they make the suspension! At least, in the Cayenne, you have a unibody with independent suspensions...in the G55 AMG, you are about as far away from a sports car as you can be! High off the ground, body-on-frame, heavy as hell, solid axles with primitive design, narrow as anything on the road, etc.....

 

[M1911]

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???

That was only true on early years of the 100 series cruiser. It was fixed before the 4th Gen 4Runner.

 

[M1911]

Not a huge deal, but I'd feel better with a stronger chain than a belt. I've heard of belts snapping (even before the 90k mark), but not chains.

A friend of mine had a BMW M6. The timing chain failed. IIRC, 6 of the sodium-filled valves had to be replaced, at $100 each. In total, the rebuild cost ~20 years ago was $6000.

 

[THEROK]

The S2000 can do sub 14 second 1/4 mile runs, so ~5sec 0-60 is not unbelievable. It's just a hard car to drive well. Got rid of mine due to the no torque down low and weak rear. Fun car, though.

Also never got the point of "Sport oriented" SUV's. ie, Cayenne, X5, RR Sport. Friend had a RR Sport and it was a powerful rig, but what do you do with it? Go real fast on public roads? Can't take it to the track, because they still handle like boats. Cayenne handled like a stock Honda Accord, at best. G-wagons are still cool, but like Thai said, I'd only get the 500, triple lockers, and solid axle f/r.

I owned an S2000 for 5 years. Sub 14s are HIGHLY optimistic. It's straight up mag racing. It's an easy car to drive well. I never had an issue with my diff because I did not abuse it. I tracked it every summer with friends at the local raceway. Awesome, awesome car.

As for the sporty SUVs, they have great power, look great inside and out and you've got an awesome badge (prestige). Perception counts.

It's that saying: You gotta pay to play. The reason why I like the G is because it's timeless kinda like the 911 of SUVs. The others, they change up the look all the time.

 

[p nut]

I owned an S2000 for 5 years. Sub 14s are HIGHLY optimistic. It's straight up mag racing. It's an easy car to drive well. I never had an issue with my diff because I did not abuse it. I tracked it every summer with friends at the local raceway. Awesome, awesome car.

Plenty have done sub-14's. One guy even put down a few 13.6xx runs. As far as it being an easy car to drive well, I guess it depends what you're comparing it to. There were few gripes on my part - EPS, snap-oversteer, and no torque. It took some effort to keep the rev's up high on the tracks. One little misshift meant seconds off of your lap time. I found my old ITR was much easier to track. I'm not even going to bring up the E46 M3. Nice car, but will never own one again.

As for the sporty SUVs, they have great power, look great inside and out and you've got an awesome badge (prestige). Perception counts.

It's that saying: You gotta pay to play. The reason why I like the G is because it's timeless kinda like the 911 of SUVs. The others, they change up the look all the time.

I'm sorry, but perception counts in what? Could care less what strangers think of me at a stop light. Among peers? Who cares? Most of my friends drive Lexus, BMW, RR, etc. Never once have they looked down on my Toyota. If they did, they probably wouldn't fit in my circle of friends. Maybe business? Though, lot of my clients are up in the millions in assets, most drive regular old Ford trucks and sedans. One guy still drives a 91 Mazda 626. My own father drives a Toyota truck and he's got enough to buy a fleet of G-wagons. I guess if you're paying to play, you have to pay attention to who you're giving your money to. I certainly wouldn't pay a dime to that vendor.

 

[ALLEGRO]

Back to the OP's question:

Just remember, when you push the GO pedal, you are driving a LEXUS. Smooth, torquey and reliable.

Moves a 4500lb SUV around nicely.

 

[p nut]

My bad for going OT.

Back to the OP's question:

Just remember, when you push the GO pedal, you are driving a LEXUS. Smooth, torquey and reliable.

Moves a 4500lb SUV around nicely.

I never understood this logic. A carpet installer came to my house the other day in his newer Beetle Turbo. He was bragging about how the engine was an Audi engine and the suspension was made by Porsche. Give me a break.

No doubt the V8 is torquey and smooth, but make no mistake--it's a TOYOTA!!!! Be proud that Toyota makes great engines. Don't get caught up in snob-status badges.

 

[THEROK]

Plenty have done sub-14's. One guy even put down a few 13.6xx runs. As far as it being an easy car to drive well, I guess it depends what you're comparing it to. There were few gripes on my part - EPS, snap-oversteer, and no torque. It took some effort to keep the rev's up high on the tracks. One little misshift meant seconds off of your lap time. I found my old ITR was much easier to track. I'm not even going to bring up the E46 M3. Nice car, but will never own one again.



I'm sorry, but perception counts in what? Could care less what strangers think of me at a stop light. Among peers? Who cares? Most of my friends drive Lexus, BMW, RR, etc. Never once have they looked down on my Toyota. If they did, they probably wouldn't fit in my circle of friends. Maybe business? Though, lot of my clients are up in the millions in assets, most drive regular old Ford trucks and sedans. One guy still drives a 91 Mazda 626. My own father drives a Toyota truck and he's got enough to buy a fleet of G-wagons. I guess if you're paying to play, you have to pay attention to who you're giving your money to. I certainly wouldn't pay a dime to that vendor.

In the internet, there's always that one guy but in reality there's no way a stock S2000 is going to pull on say an E46 M3 that does mid to high 13s. No way. I had an E46 M3 as well with TCKLINES and BBS LMs. Great, comfortable car. I would own one again, but then I've moved onto bigger and better so it'd be tough now. So not a knock on the car itself. Great ride.

The saying is "couldn't care less" not "could care". If you could care less then you can care less, right?

I said nothing about looking down on others. It's just a luxury item so if you're spending that much you're looking for brand/prestige/aesthetic appeal/after service, etc. It counts. People do it all the time including Toyota owners. They probably like you for you, but they don't like the Toyota better than compared to what they're driving otherwise they'd have one whereas for you it's a financial hill to climb.

And for every story of someone buying for prestige (oh my what a sin), you'll always have stories about that dude who looks like a bum who is but a millionaire.

Blah blah.

 

[andyman32392]

In the internet, there's always that one guy but in reality there's no way a stock S2000 is going to pull on say an E46 M3 that does mid to high 13s. No way. I had an E46 M3 as well with TCKLINES and BBS LMs. Great, comfortable car. I would own one again, but then I've moved onto bigger and better so it'd be tough now. So not a knock on the car itself. Great ride.

The saying is "couldn't care less" not "could care". If you could care less then you can care less, right?

I said nothing about looking down on others. It's just a luxury item so if you're spending that much you're looking for brand/prestige/aesthetic appeal/after service, etc. It counts. People do it all the time including Toyota owners. They probably like you for you, but they don't like the Toyota better than compared to what they're driving otherwise they'd have one whereas for you it's a financial hill to climb.

And for every story of someone buying for prestige (oh my what a sin), you'll always have stories about that dude who looks like a bum who is but a millionaire.

Blah blah.

:flamethrwoer2::AK47::50cal::flamewar:
Come on guys let this drop! :jump:

 

[p nut]

In the internet, there's always that one guy but in reality there's no way a stock S2000 is going to pull on say an E46 M3 that does mid to high 13s. No way. I had an E46 M3 as well with TCKLINES and BBS LMs. Great, comfortable car. I would own one again, but then I've moved onto bigger and better so it'd be tough now. So not a knock on the car itself. Great ride.

Never said it'd pull on the M. In fact, if you look at the trap speed, M's are somewhere in the 105mph range and the S is around 98-100. That should tell you something.

I said nothing about looking down on others. It's just a luxury item so if you're spending that much you're looking for brand/prestige/aesthetic appeal/after service, etc. It counts. People do it all the time including Toyota owners. They probably like you for you, but they don't like the Toyota better than compared to what they're driving otherwise they'd have one whereas for you it's a financial hill to climb.

And for every story of someone buying for prestige (oh my what a sin), you'll always have stories about that dude who looks like a bum who is but a millionaire.

Blah blah.

Well, I definitely do have enough to buy a luxury brand, but you're right, I am not in a financial position to have $70-$100k lying around to put towards a car. Cars are an expense, so I'd rather not sink my cash into it. That's why Toyotas and Hondas make sense for me--good price, reliable. But the cars I do buy, I've all paid with cash. If i ever get to the financial level that perhaps you're at, maybe I'll plunk down $150k on a GT3 RS. Until then, I'm happy with what I've got.

BTW, what do you drive now?