2024 GX/Prado Release and Discussion (3 Viewers)

[Specialeyes]

Vehicle prices across the board are nuts right now though.

This has been the sad state of affairs since 2020. Unfortunately as long as people are buying and the market supports it these values will remain higher than what we were accustomed to. I had a hell of a time trying to find my mother a car earlier this year that was less than $20k and not a complete sh!t box. Finally happened across a clean, low mileage CRV with just the basics and jumped on it.

 

[Specialeyes]

What kind of living room do you guys prefer? I'm a big fan of the modern/minimalist aesthetic myself.

 

[TexasFunRunner]

What kind of living room do you guys prefer? I'm a big fan of the modern/minimalist aesthetic myself.
View attachment 3379401

You call that minimalist, this is minimalist, it's let's you drive it off the rails.

 

[Specialeyes]

You call that minimalist, this is minimalist, it's let's you drive it off the rails.

View attachment 3379415

Honestly that's about all the kitchen space I need. Well, along with some counter space for my coffee bar.

 

[carboncycles]

I think we may see a slight price adjustment with the recent change in interest rates.

These predatory loans with long terms and high rates are becoming less attractive with the current market conditions. It’s slowly becoming a buyers market again IMO

 

[Phillyd2]

FFS! I really REALLY wish Toyota offered their diesel engines here but instead of posting about my desires over and over again along with sales numbers for the others who do offer them, I have accept reality as it is because I’m not a child.

What Toyota should do is offer a buffet type list showing ALL of their different frames, bodies, suspensions, electronics, etc. and let us custom build whatever they want. Their refusal can only be seen as proof positive that they hate us.

 

[ThRiLlGmYr]

FFS! I really REALLY wish Toyota offered their diesel engines here but instead of posting about my desires over and over again along with sales numbers for the others who do offer them, I have accept reality as it is because I’m not a child.

What Toyota should do is offer a buffet type list showing ALL of their different frames, bodies, suspensions, electronics, etc. and let us custom build whatever they want. Their refusal can only be seen as proof positive that they hate us.

Maybe, 10-20 years from now, you will pick all your options, pay Toyota and then head over to the neighborhood industrial 3D printer and print the truck you want.

Of course, then you can only drive it back to your pod and go back to watching Netflix since you won't be allowed to drive it out of your zone. Lol.

 

[stridertexas]

Anyone know anything more about the seating position change for the GX? Apparently they moved it…

I went and sat in an LX600 and while not as upright as my Defender I enjoyed the slightly leaning back feel.

 

[M1911]

FFS! I really REALLY wish Toyota offered their diesel engines here but instead of posting about my desires over and over again along with sales numbers for the others who do offer them, I have accept reality as it is because I’m not a child.

That won’t happen. Given the significant added cost for diesel engine plus the higher price of the fuel, it’s pretty hard to make an economic argument for a light duty diesel. We will get a petrol engine and a hybrid.

 

[Jetboy]

One of Toyota's engineers discussed diesel for USA in the Taco a few years ago. My memory is that they did the early estimate on what the cost would be and to meet USA emissions would add about $8k per vehicle. They concluded that no one would probably want it at that extra price bump. I think they're right. A PHEV would cost about the same and perform better in almost all respects - towing, mpg, range, acceleration, etc. I personally do not want another USA EPA complaint diesel. I don't think the fuel efficiency makes up for the increased maintenance and repair costs.

There was a really interesting long format interview with the lead engineer on the 2.4L turbo 4 for the Tacoma I watched recently. It was really interesting how they changed it from the car/CUV version. IIRC roughly 1/3 of the engine parts are new for the truck version. The basic idea is that Toyota corporate standards for trucks is significantly higher than it is for cars, so they had to make a ton of changes to the engine to make it meet all of the truck requirements. I was surprised to hear a Toyota engineer say that the truck engines are engineered to last longer and sustain higher stress. They run the turbo until it turns red then white and then rapidly cool it.

What also stood out was that he discussed how they modified the T24A to run on 87 with more performance than the car version and also increase the service life and meet higher stress tests. And my thought was - why the heck don't you apply those changes to the car engine too? I'm also a bit skeptical that they had very much freedom in the design because they should have scaled it up a bit if it was something more like a clean sheet design. 270hp is just not enough to be class competitive. It might be fine - but I think performance comparable to GM's 2.7 would have been a lot more compelling to buyers.

He also talked about how they plan for service and designed hand work space into the Tacoma to be able to reach all of the fasteners to service the engine by general mechanics. And the claim was that the new T24A truck engine was able to meet all the same durability and longevity testing as the 1GR and is expected to have similar service life.

The other interesting takeaway was a discussion of drivability. He mentioned that the prior gen Tacoma powertrain was designed around metrics that didn't include drivability and that wasn't a consideration until the end when it was too late to fix. Reading between the lines - the development teams were separated and given tasks and goals without consideration of how each teams' output would fit together into a final cohesive product. And they got to the end of the design process and had an engine and transmission that didn't work very well together with the load required by the vehicle. That's a bit surprising to me how a company that's been building vehicles for a long time would fumble one of it's most popular products so badly by poor management. However, apparently they added drivability as a primary metric this time - so, now they can consider it and design to make the new Tacoma nicer to drive.

 

[ThRiLlGmYr]

And the claim was that the new T24A truck engine was able to meet all the same durability and longevity testing as the 1GR and is expected to have similar service life.

I really hope this is true but I still have a lot of doubt based upon the additional stress a Turbo puts on the engine to get the power it needs.

 

[Specialeyes]

Maybe, 10-20 years from now, you will pick all your options, pay Toyota and then head over to the neighborhood industrial 3D printer and print the truck you want.

Of course, then you can only drive it back to your pod and go back to watching Netflix since you won't be allowed to drive it out of your zone. Lol.

If it means we get rid of the traditional dealership model I’m in.

 

[Brown98LC]

Anyone know anything more about the seating position change for the GX? Apparently they moved it…

I went and sat in an LX600 and while not as upright as my Defender I enjoyed the slightly leaning back feel.

I love the seating position and dash placement in my LC300.
It is one of the best of any vehicle I have ever been in.

It's really great.

 

[Phillyd2]

That won’t happen. Given the significant added cost for diesel engine plus the higher price of the fuel, it’s pretty hard to make an economic argument for a light duty diesel. We will get a petrol engine and a hybrid.

The cleverly given point was more about the acceptance of reality as it is instead of how we wish it to be instead of complaining about it.

 

[Phillyd2]

Maybe, 10-20 years from now, you will pick all your options, pay Toyota and then head over to the neighborhood industrial 3D printer and print the truck you want.

Of course, then you can only drive it back to your pod and go back to watching Netflix since you won't be allowed to drive it out of your zone. Lol.

I may be in too but would first need details about my zone. LOL

 

[Jetboy]

I really hope this is true but I still have a lot of doubt based upon the additional stress a Turbo puts on the engine to get the power it needs.

I'm a bit skeptical as well. For me - it's really the turbo that's a concern for me more than the engine. I think the engine appears to be very robust. But if a Turbo is $5k, it's just as expensive as a long block. And if a turbo fails in the field - it's not all that much different functionally from a cam shaft failure if the engine won't run.

 

[ThRiLlGmYr]

I may be in too but would first need details about my zone. LOL

If you see this you know you have come to the end of your zone. Turn around and go back to watching Netflix.

 

[Jetboy]

If you see this you know you have come to the end of your zone. Turn around and go back to watching Netflix.

My employer has a couple of the Spot robots from Boston Dynamics on order to survey the perimeter fence of its facility and haze wildlife away. Not sure how I feel about it. The robotic arm that opens doors is creepy AF to me.

 

[ThRiLlGmYr]

My employer has a couple of the Spot robots from Boston Dynamics on order to survey the perimeter fence of its facility and haze wildlife away. Not sure how I feel about it. The robotic arm that opens doors is creepy AF to me.

That whole dog is creepy. I seriously think it is one of those creepy Boston Dynamics dogs that will be what ends up killing me. Lol.

 

[Specialeyes]

I'm a bit skeptical as well. For me - it's really the turbo that's a concern for me more than the engine. I think the engine appears to be very robust. But if a Turbo is $5k, it's just as expensive as a long block. And if a turbo fails in the field - it's not all that much different functionally from a cam shaft failure if the engine won't run.

So with nearly every manufacture only offering either forced induction or hybrid petrol engines for the immediate future does this effectively level the playing field and take away Toyota's reliability calling card? I suppose their turbos and hybrids could end up outlasting the ones from Ford, Jeep, Honda, and/or JLR, BMW, Merc, Audi, on the Lexus side of things. But if these engines are all ticking time bombs after 100k miles or so the only advantage I could see for Toyota might be out of warranty repair cost.