Toyota 4.0 V6 ??? Kind of a rant

[mbryson]

My wife is finally looking for a new car again and willing to give me my G8 back. Drove a new 4Runner again. She LOVED it until she drove up a freeway ramp. I had the same experience when I drove a newer Tacoma a few years ago thinking I was buying that instead of the JKU I ended up buying.

Toyota makes motors with a solid punch, why not put them in a 4Runner or Tacoma? Our GX470 was FUN to smack the loud pedal on. Salesperson said they like her to upsell me into a Sequoia or Tundra.... not sure what to believe there. She was dumbfounded by my wife’s comments about why it wouldn’t work for her. Just disappointed in Toyota. (I’m sure I’d never turn a wrench on it in 300k miles—because it runs like a 4 cyl)


Looks like we are stuck with an Ecoboost Navigator. That things a tank. Can’t weigh ANY less than 7500 lbs

 

[Kiel]

Recentley purchased an 07 fj cruiser for a good deal, but have been driving my 99, 100 series and the 4.0 feels down right crisp and peppy compared to it, even though i love tge 4.7. Maybe its the 6 spd manual in the fj

 

[jeeper]

You should try my 5 cylinder colorado. That'll make the toyota feel like a lambo!

 

[DAA]

My former LX470 has a lot more balls than my Jeep, but it's far from peppy. "Lumbering" is kinda how it rolls. Stomping the gas is something you try and anticipate the need for and do ahead of time. It eventually builds whatever speed it needs to though even on grades.

Love my buddies Tacoma, really do, great little truck. But I'm kinda shocked how often he has to downshift on hills, and even more surprising is how often he HAS to put it in 4Lo to get up a little steep spot. Stuff I'd never even think about 4WD in my Jeep, just roll up it in 2Hi without any thought or drama, he's having to stop and fiddle with it to get it in Lo. I'm not talking big steep climbs, just piddly little stuff. His truck is '14 with a manual. HIs wife's '06 with a manual is the same way. Apparently they just have no torque down low.

By the way, are all Tacoma's a PITA to get into 4Lo? He and his wife both drive Taco's and they are both like that. Turn the knob, maybe it goes in, maybe it doesn't. Turn it back and forth. Roll forward and back. Fiddle with it. It eventually goes in but fairly often it takes some messing with. What cracks me up is my buddy is convinced it's all in how you turn the knob. He turns it super, super slow. I keep telling him it's an electric switch, it's on or off, what he's doing is like flipping a light switch super slow - doesn't matter how slow you do it, it's all or nothing, either on or off. He insists that is the secret to getting it to go in Lo with the least amount of messing with it though. He does hate that switch, every time he has to use it he says how much he wishes it had a mechanical shifter.

- DAA

 

[glockman]

This is why I bought a 4th gen v8. I really liked my third gen but it was constantly shifting on any incline. The 4.7 in the smaller chassis GX or runner is actually fun to drive.

 

[Greg]

This is why I bought a 4th gen v8. I really liked my third gen but it was constantly shifting on any incline. The 4.7 in the smaller chassis GX or runner is actually fun to drive.

Yep, our '03 4Runner with the 4.7l V8 was a rocket.... yet the '98 Land Cruiser with the older, yet similar 4.7l is a bit of a dog.

Marc, go test drive a 200 Series LC.... they have the 5.7l V8. That thing is a powerhouse, it moves a heavy Land Cruiser damn well!

 

[mbryson]

When did they start doing 200 series? (I can google )



The real bummer is that the 4Runner was SOLD until the freeway on ramp. My wife pulled NO punches with the salesperson. Salesperson responded with a quip about the extra power wasn’t really needed and my wife shot back that she’s be the one paying for the car, she didn’t care what other people thought of the power level. She wasn’t impressed at all. Sales person called me a couple hours later to let me know they can add a supercharger.

 

[Greg]

When did they start doing 200 series? (I can google )



The real bummer is that the 4Runner was SOLD until the freeway on ramp. My wife pulled NO punches with the salesperson. Salesperson responded with a quip about the extra power wasn’t really needed and my shot back that she’s be the one paying for the car, she didn’t care what other people thought of the power level. She wasn’t impressed at all.

2007+

We've been looking and test driving, seems the lowest prices you can find them is around $25k right now.... and that's usually with over 100k miles. Any newer and with less miles and the prices go up, fast. Catherine plans to sell her '98 100 Series, once she has saved up enough to replace it with the perfect 200.

 

[Hickey]

If Toyota still offered the V8 in the 4Runner, I would have bought one by now. Love everything else about them.

 

[bryson]

2007+

We've been looking and test driving, seems the lowest prices you can find them is around $25k right now.... and that's usually with over 100k miles. Any newer and with less miles and the prices go up, fast. Catherine plans to sell her '98 100 Series, once she has saved up enough to replace it with the perfect 200.

The 200 series is actually 2008 and newer. And yes, they haul ass. And you can get a less than perfect one for less than $20k. Let's not ask how I know that.

 

[Cody]

FWIW, I've never had a single problem getting in and out of 4lo in my taco...and none of the other guys I camp with have ever mentioned having problems.

I do agree that the 4.0 is BARELY adequate. With bigger tires and loaded down, it doesn't like to pull hills unless you go down to 3rd, and then you're wrapped out at 4k rpms to do 60 over the pass. It would be ok if it was a MPG trade off, but it's not. I get 14-15 mpg with mostly highway driving. I'm hoping the new Ranger comes with one of the peppy motor options that Ford has, and hopefully that'll give Toyota some incentive to increase the output of the new 3.5 motor they've neutered in the new ones. That 3.5 ecoboost in a Ranger would be FUN!

 

[mbryson]

2007+

We've been looking and test driving, seems the lowest prices you can find them is around $25k right now.... and that's usually with over 100k miles. Any newer and with less miles and the prices go up, fast. Catherine plans to sell her '98 100 Series, once she has saved up enough to replace it with the perfect 200.

Any idea about towing with one?

 

[Greg]

Any idea about towing with one?

I think it would do well. They have a 8,500# tow capacity.

If Catherine ends up with one, I'll probably sell my truck and tow Jeeps with her Cruiser.

 

[TRD270]

#1 biggest gripe about my wife's FJ, that and the visibility. Any longer hill I just drop it to 4th so the transmission doesn't go back and forth even then it will often end up dropping to 3rd. So wish they had continued putting the 4.7 in the 4runners, and really wish it had been offered in the Tacoma.

 

[Greg]

I think it would do well. They have a 8,500# tow capacity.

If Catherine ends up with one, I'll probably sell my truck and tow Jeeps with her Cruiser.

Some good towing info, sounds like leaving it out of OD is best. - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/towing-with-a-200-series-toyota-land-cruiser.932343/

 

[BCGPER]

My wife is finally looking for a new car again and willing to give me my G8 back. Drove a new 4Runner again. She LOVED it until she drove up a freeway ramp. I had the same experience when I drove a newer Tacoma a few years ago thinking I was buying that instead of the JKU I ended up buying.

Toyota makes motors with a solid punch, why not put them in a 4Runner or Tacoma? Our GX470 was FUN to smack the loud pedal on. Salesperson said they like her to upsell me into a Sequoia or Tundra.... not sure what to believe there. She was dumbfounded by my wife’s comments about why it wouldn’t work for her. Just disappointed in Toyota. (I’m sure I’d never turn a wrench on it in 300k miles—because it runs like a 4 cyl)


Looks like we are stuck with an Ecoboost Navigator. That things a tank. Can’t weigh ANY less than 7500 lbs

I’ll just put this here for Marnie. It’ll mean I give up my truck for a few months, but Beckie has realized it can’t go with us.

 

[mbryson]

I’d love to snag it but she’s pretty set on the Lincoln. It does have the EcoBoost. If she bought a pickup that’d be ideal for me

 

[moab_cj5]

FWIW, I love the GX470 and GX460 platforms. Before you drop coin on a Lincoln Navigator, and she liked the 4 runner other than the on-ramp, see if she will drive a GX460. It has the 4.6L V8, and it scoots. I will likely be selling my GX470 in the near future and getting a GX460 to replace it.

 

[mbryson]

FWIW, I love the GX470 and GX460 platforms. Before you drop coin on a Lincoln Navigator, and she liked the 4 runner other than the on-ramp, see if she will drive a GX460. It has the 4.6L V8, and it scoots. I will likely be selling my GX470 in the near future and getting a GX460 to replace it.

I think the GX460 would be logical but “it looks like an egg. Like everything else out there. They all look like eggs. Stupid fake SUV eggs”

 

[moab_cj5]

I think the GX460 would be logical but “it looks like an egg. Like everything else out there. They all look like eggs. Stupid fake SUV eggs”

I'm not a super fan of the look stock, but lifted with 33's they're sweet. With 35's they're SEXY!