6th gen Speculation Thread

Then it will turn out like Homer Simpson's dream car.

 

And then Uncie Herb will go out of business!

 

The fact that they got rid of it on the Sequoia makes me nervous.

 

I wonder if Sequoia owners were as obsessed with it as us? It seems like the vast majority of the members here enjoy it.

If they get rid of it in order to give us a removable hardtop like the first gen, I could live with that.

 

Maybe we need to start a thread every week entitled "The 6th gen 4Runner damn well better have a roll down rear window, or else I'm boycotting Toyota and and Lexus for the rest of my life!"

 

Well shit.......

There's a lot of contradictory info circling around right now about the 2024 Tacoma powertrain options.

Some are saying 2.4T and Hybrid Max only.

Another source adds a NA 2.7L, NA 3.5L, and 2.5L Hybrid to the above options.

On one hand, the 2.4T/Hybrid Max theory makes sense from a simplicity standpoint but seems like a bit more power than what Toyota would typically offer on a Tacoma. On the other hand, having all those different motor options seems a bit complex for Toyota's liking but is more in line with their typical hp and torque offerings for a vehicle this weight (albeit underpowered for a lot of folks). Also, the NA offerings might help ease some into the next gen??

I'm not sure what to think right now.

Hopefully we get the answer in a few days.

 

. I just hope we don't get the 2GR-FKS. I'd rather have a 22R-E.

 

My guess is if they did offer the 2GR-FKS again, you would at least have an optional 2.5L Hybrid in the same trim.

 

Well, if Toyota discontinues that feature, it lives on in the new Hummer. I recently saw a video review of the new Hummer EV SUV, and it has the roll down rear window. AND T tops. As much as I want to hate it, that's pretty awesome.

 

I have a hard time believing that they're going to offer that many engine choices in one vehicle. Toyota never does that.

I see no reason to offer the 3.5, there's really no advantage of it compared to the other engines. It's not like the 3.5/ 6m is efficient, it only gets 20 mpg highway which is worse than most V8 full size trucks.

And along that line of thinking, why offer the 2.7 either? 2.7 will probably get the worst mileage of all of the engine choices. Maybe as the bottom of the barrel base model for fleet sales? Although really, for fleet sales would probably make more financial sense to order the hybrid for the better fuel economy. A lot of the local auto parts stores in my area seem to use base model Tacoma's for delivery vehicles, which I can only assume have the 2.7. They mostly run around town, which is where a hybrid would shine. Now that I think of it, this would actually be a great application for a small BEV truck if someone would ever make one.

My theory is that the 3.5 was just a placeholder, Toyota likely planned all along that they were going to go to some sort of a 4-cylinder hybrid setup, but needed something new for the 2016 Tacoma introduction. I think it's far back is 2015, 2016, they knew this motor had a limited shelf life.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm actually excited about the prospect of one of the four cylinder turbo hybrids. I see enough 300k mile Priuses on Marketplace to not really be concerned about the reliability, and my 230k mile Volvo on its original turbo has me not too concerned about turbo reliability. And even if one does have to replace the turbo eventually, I can't imagine the cost being any more than a timing belt job on a 4.7, and I never hear anybody complaining about that being a major disadvantage of that engine.

I'm more concerned with the rest of the drive train than the engine. I just really want to see an optional front locker, the ability to fit 35s with little to no modification, and better gearing options.

 

This always sounds great, but it's only as good as the sample size of current owners, and how you weight opinions. Is the hard core offroader opinion worth more than the mall crawler owner?

I do product strategy and design, Toyota is looking at the current owner composition + competitors + market future + cost of manufacturing....you'll never get the perfect vehicle from a mass manufacturer. There have to be compromises to make money.

 

What's the deal with attachment to the roll down rear window? I have never used mine in 2 years, and in fact, half the time it's partly rolled down because we accidentally hit the switch. Which is freaking annoying. Much rather get rid of it, or move the button somewhere else.

 

I can appreciate all you stated great observations. You’re right about sample sizes and having a diverse group of owners, profits and competitors. As an accountant and former stats guy I get that for sure. It’s all about the right focus group.

I am the recreational guy towing my boat, fishing and love the rear window roll down feature when backing a trailer up to retrieve a boat so I can hear better. I am not the heavy duty off roader but love the 4WD and reputation.

I would venture to guess most whether off road or mall crawlers like reliability as a key feature and durability. So many manufacturers screw this up on new products right out of the gate. Hopefully Toyota puts that front and center on the next Gen 4R. We are counting on you.

 

I agree......a lot of motor options which doesn't seem very on brand for Toyota.

However, there are reasons that make sense for Toyota having this many options for the Tacoma.

1) The 2.7L is exactly how you describe. Bottom of the barrel base motor mainly for fleet vehicles.......which is probably a pretty good chunk of change for Toyota when you add them all up. I think that's a reasonable incentive to keep this motor, should they decide to do so.

2) The 3.5L could stick around for those who want a manual trans option. I don't think they mate a manual trans with a hybrid. They could do it with the 2.4LT but it's possible that is reserved for the Pro trim......which brings me to #3.

3) It would be smart for Toyota to offer an exclusive, more powerful motor on the Pro. That would generate a ton of interest in that trim.

 

Agreed. A pro only (or higher trim) option motor would be better than just superficial options.

 

I use mine all the time, as do a lot of folks. I'm not going to die without it, but it's just a feature I really enjoy.

I'd rather see the PRO get special features that are actually beneficial off-road, rather than an exclusive engine.

Or, I guess I should say that it would be pretty annoying if the only desirable engine option was only offered on the PRO. I think a lot of people would be pissed off.

Toyota needs people to want to buy the 6th gen. If they make all of the other trims undesirable, they won't sell very well.

 

That's a valid opinion. Just saying that people that are going to pick the pro models are already going to pick the pro models. Just like now with no extra benefit in my opinion. That's why the SR5 is the top selling trim level.

With Taco, the 2.7 still sells and has a market. The pro version taco is the same way. Same engine, same crawl control, etc as the off road.

My opinion is wanting a bit more that 60k$ will get you. Obviously today's pro level sells well, so people will still buy it. You know just some thing exclusive so just slapping a pro badge on it wont be needing a detective to prove it is not . Lol

 

The fact that people are going to buy the PRO regardless is actually an incentive for Toyota not to put much extra into it.

And, I'd bet PRO buyers who actually off-road would be happy to get a better suspension, maybe bigger tires and lower geared differentials, or high clearance bumpers, or other off-road features. Just my opinion, though.

I also was trying to say that, if the drivetrain in the other models sucks, they're not going to sell as much.

So, what engine would they put exclusively in the PRO? The 2.4 turbo? Then, everyone else gets what? And, this isn't Chrysler, so they're not going to drop in something excessively powerful, because they don't need to.

 

I appreciate the different look at it. And definitely see your side and agree that making it a hellcat is not needed.

 

The fact that they're talking about so many different engine options is just confusing. Regardless of trim, I think most buyers will want better power and fuel economy. It would be cool if they wedged the 3.5 turbo in the PRO, but I don't see them doing it.

I really need to stop looking at these threads so much, because I'm getting way too worked up about stuff we don't even know yet.

 

That's the mind state of a true car nut, is all. No hate from me for being passionate about what you would like to see and/or purchase.

The facts are that Toyota design execs didn't ask for my opinion, so i have to give it to you guys. Lol

 

I just noticed these new to me models coming out, the 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport and 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro. I wonder how many will opt for these instead of the 6th gen 4Runner with its endless delays. After all, many only want the look, stance and imagined capabilities to drive to the soccer field.

 

I can’t wait to see what their asking price will be for the 6th Gen trims. Used to be they would go up $200-$300 from one year to next. Nowadays seems they going up $2-3k from one year to next

 

If they make them to last 30 years maybe could just get a mortgage on one