And does 381hp mean anything to you?
Just kidding. I think 650Nm converts to around 480lbs of torque. Am I right about this? The 5.7 is rated at 401lb of torque. The 5.7 also tows about at 1/2 ton more that the diesel version using the same exact transmission and ratios from what I have research. Also, there is no way the diesel can get to 60mph faster than the 5.7 gas engine.
So right there. In my mind the winner by far is the 5.7 gas.
In my mind, the diesel does have a longer life cycle (but Toyota gas engines are pretty good) and a much better fuel economy.
This is a complicated subject and not quite as simple as you make it out to be.
Horsepower is an over-rated statistic. I guess in real terms you could say that it helps you to maintain speed, but is not really as much a factor in acceleration as most people think.
Torque is what gets you moving off the line. It is the only thing you can actually feel when driving (that kick in the pants is torque, not horsepower). Horsepower is only a derivative of torque. It will vary throughout the torque, and RPM, range. Dynomometers don't measure hp (not even sure if that is possible since a "horsepower" is in itself an arbitrary creation). Instead, they measure rotational force exerted by the tires on the rollers (i.e. torque). To this measurement a mathematical formula is applied to derive a horsepower rating.
The advantage of a diesel, all things being equal, is that the max torque is delivered at much lower RPMs than in a petrol gas engine. That's one reason that diesels are usually preferred for towing.
Someone else made a good point. If horsepower is only good for maintaining peak speed (which it is) and you care about that, get a Porsche. For a truck that will actually be doing work, IMHO the diesel is much preferred.
There are lots of other reasons to prefer the diesel, some of which you cited.
And tow ratings are a lot of times a political (and marketing) issue. In the U.S. market, tow ratings sell trucks. But in other countries it may not be such a concern, so they may not bother trying to get it rated higher. Who really knows how they think, but I can give you one example where there is a difference for the same truck but in different countries. The rear cross member on the 80 Series is drilled for a NATO pintle hitch. In other countries, it was rated for towing by Toyota. But in the U.S. it was not because Toyota did not want to go through the hassle of certifying it, knowing that most people here would never use it, preferring instead to use a separate receiver hitch to tow. Doesn't mean it couldn't actually tow a significant amount of weight, just that Toyota didn't want any liability for it.
Just don't believe everything you read on the Errornet (including this post). Go out and get the information for yourself and make your own decision, but certainly don't let some corporation's marketing materials make the decision for you.
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