6th Generation Thoughts of Mountain Driving: A personal research

bradSRT88

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I've always wondered about the initial thoughts of the 4 cylinder and how well it may do in the mountains? For instance, people who live in Colorado and do go on trips to the mountains, would the 5th Gen be a better option for them or the 6th Gen? Having these thoughts in mind, I did a research and wanted to share my thoughts on here.

So I found out that it’s already been said that in terms of power, it won’t even be close. This is because naturally aspirated engines lose about 15-20% at elevations of 5k ft vs sea level. To have the turbo will be to recapture the power loss.

With respect to reliability, we know the 4.0 V6 on the 5th Gen is really reliable. It’s a proven motor and very very simple by modern standards but also is quite inefficient though under stressed. It’s interesting when I get to read about the same population of fervent Toyota supporters who swear their allegiance to the brand because of their conservative approach to product development, R&D and durability testing, simultaneously say how the new engine is gonna be a dumpster fire and unmitigated disaster.

While it’s def a more complicated engine, if someone is gonna make sure it’s hearty and reliable, it’s Toyota. They wouldn’t gamble the franchise (Landcruiser, Tacoma and 4Runner are legendary brands unto themselves). Toyota knows why people buy Toyotas. Stubborn reliability and resale value as a consequence.

This is a turbo motor engineered as a Toyota turbo motor from inception. It isn’t a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder they then strapped a turbo to like people are making it sound. The compression, cylinder wall pressures under boost, heat generation all have been considered. Not to mention the state of modern materials and metallurgy that also allow for reliable motors with technical specs not possible a decade or two ago.

With all this in mind, I think anyone who has plans to go on mountain trips should go for the 5th Gen. Apart from it being more reliable and efficient, it's also been proven. Which is a valid point for anyone who is looking to purchase either of the Gens for this specific reason.
 

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