5 speed auto vs. 6 or 10 speed auto and gas mileage

One of the big bashing points by the auto literati is the "poor" gas mileage of the 4R being attributed to the 5 speed auto. With the same engine, what would be expected with a more "modern" transmission? I have a buddy with a gizmoed to the gills Chevy Colorado and he averages 25 mph on his truck. I get a shade over 22 when running 55-60 mph in my 2022 4R OR, but 19 and change at 70. Does the final drive ratio of the more modern transmissions operate as "overdrive" or are the final ratios the same with the 4R and other trucks? Gil

 

Usually on an 8+ transmission, the last 2 gears are overdrive gears, highway only. Under tow/haul it will not shift that high.
The sweet, efficient spot seems to be 8 speed, anything after that is just bragging and marketing (not talking about commercial hauling here).
Read a bit about the ZF8 transmission, it is probably one of the best ever made.

edit: what to expect? well, with more gears it can keep the engine in the power band more easily, no need to rev up and down like crazy- this leads to better performance, efficiency, less wear, etc.
Example: with the ZF8 in the Rams, the new 8 speed was faster in the V6 0-40km/hr than the V8 Hemi with the older 6 speed.

 

There are more than a few SUV's that have better road manners and greater MPG than the 5th gen 4R, but the stone-axe simplicity of the drivetrain that our 4Runners have is it's best selling point. I would save roughly $400 a year if I "jumped" from 18 MPG to 22 MPG, but a what reliability cost?

 

I’ve read a lot of complaints about those modern multi gear transmissions are always hunting for gears too. For example, the Tacoma.

I barely drive 4,000 miles a year so I’ll stick with my simple 4R thank you.

 

Toyota has proven, reliable six and eight speed units.

 

I don't think it would be as noticeable as most thing.

We have a 2015 Highlander with the 5 Speed. We now have a 2022 Lexus RX with the 8 Speed. Maybe getting 1mpg more with the Lexus.

 

The transmissions will probably outlast the frame

 

Myself, I prefer HANDS down, a solid manual.in over 50 yrs of owning both cars/trucks/SUV's, I have owned only one automatic...yup, my '97 4runner Limited...great ride..ok gas mileage, built like a tank..and still looks great

 

If you look at the 4Runner transmission ratios they are basically same as recent Honda SUV 6-speeds except 6th is missing. So you take a fuel economy hit at highway speeds because the engine is revving a bit faster than it needs to. I'd guess that with a state of the art trans like the ZF8 mentioned one would pick up 1-2 mpg overall.

 

instead of this turbo engine everyone is clamoring about, my wish is toyota would just add in the d4s tech on the current engine and add in an 8AT. that alone should help with performance and mpgs without having to sacrifice reliability all too much.

 

When presented with this info, I would much rather keep the reliability/simplicity of the 5 speed, than trade it away for complication/efficiency of the 8 speed.

We have an 18 highlander. It’s not like we average 30mpg with the 8speed that it has. In actuality, it gets maybe 3-4mpg better than the 4runner in the long term. If I wanted that 3mpg, I would have gotten another Highlander.

 

Unfortunately you prolly won't have a choice to stick with the 5 speed sooner than later.

 

I sincerely hope I can get 15-20 years out of my 4runner. By that time, there probably wont be any new cars left that even have transmissions lol.

 

I started out with a 2 speed power glide and was happy.
Now people are complaining about only having a 5 speed.LOL

 

i know right? There is a beauty in listening to an engine work it’s way through each gear. You get to hear it wind slowly up the rev range, listen to the harmonics change, feel the power band…These 8-10 speeds rob that beauty from us.

Dont let them rob the beautiful things from us!!!!

 

I'm still waiting for Shimano to step in with a 21 speed.

 

Bike gears are going down.

Most these days are 1x12.

 

I rode as a kid in the 90s so I wanted the most gears. Haha.

 

Campy 1x13 with a 11-52 cassette and a 46/36/22 triple crank. And 10 feet of chain to connect it all. But seriously, the 5 speed works great for the intent of the 4Runner, including real off road and towing work. When it gets it's redesign and becomes just another unibody SUV, an 8 speed will probably be the better choice.

 

I have the 5-speed 4Runner and my wife’s 8 speed Toyota Sienna. I must admit I enjoy driving the van more on long trips because the additional tech is nice (Lane assist, auto dim mirrors, heated steering when in the winter, more pep with 0-60). But if we are going on a trip to go explore then hands down we are taking the 4Runner. The 4Runner might not be the most fuel efficient but it is nice when going somewhere and saying what is that over there? Let’s drive to it versus let’s go find a parking spot because we have to walk. Going on trails that we would never be able to go on with the van. I am glad we have both cars.

 

The Taco has a six speed, for one extra gear over the 4R. The issue is that the programming wants to keep the engine at the lowest rpm. Meanwhile, the engine makes its power at high rpm. Result is a mismatched drivetrain that is always fighting itself.

Toyota needs to focus less on peak hp and more on low rpm torque. The Tundras new drivetrain is a step in the right direction.