The 2024 Toyota Tacomas all have the same engine: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that comes in three different versions. There are three types of i-Forces: the i-Force Max hybrid, the i-Force with higher output, and the i-Force with no output, which is only offered in the base model. It looks a lot like the 2.4-liter engine in the Highlander and Grand Highlander if you look at the engine in the mid-size truck. Due to the higher job cycle of a truck, though, it has been changed a lot to fit this purpose. Craig Herring, senior engineering manager of the Tacoma powertrain team, says, “We put the trucks through a 50 percent higher standard for ‘commercial grade’ durability.” This is in comparison to our other vehicles and passenger cars. This means that we test for things like better gas economy, longer life, and so on. We do a lot of testing at higher loads and temperatures. That crew will put the engine through its full load while it’s tilted at a steep angle to make sure that off-roaders don’t drain the oil or make it hard for air to circulate. Because the cooling tests for the 2024 Tacoma are stricter, it has a three-inch water pipe. Herring says that size is often used for V-8s by the company. Of course, every company would say that their newest truck engine is the strongest and most durable. Toyota wants to get this engine ready for use in trucks. The company says that only 54% of the engine is shared with the Highlander. The fuel system and valvetrain of the Tacoma are the same, but the block and compressor are not. Now that these changes have been made, the Tacoma can twist at 1700 rpm, which is great for pulling and sliding. Keep in mind, though, that the 2.7-liter engine in the Chevy Colorado is only found in the Silverado and Colorado trucks. The next Ford Ranger’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, on the other hand, comes from the F-150. When this engine is in any form, it is stronger and can carry more weight than Tacomas. Another small difference is between the basic engine with 228 hp and the “i-Force” engine with 278 hp that comes in trims above the SR. If you’re towing in hot weather, Herring says you should get the optional motor instead of the basic truck because it has an engine oil cooler like the i-Force. It will soon have even more power with the i-Force Max, even though the hybrid will be out the next year. At the same time, the new Land Cruiser will be shown off. It has the same engine as the Tacoma i-Force Max. Herring says that even though the new engine was originally made for the Tacoma, it works pretty much the same in the Land Cruiser. The car is made to last as long and be used a lot as the Tacoma, but it is different when it comes to towing and packing. You can’t just put a Highlander engine in a truck that’s made to handle the kinds of situations a Land Cruiser will.
