Who else is happy with the Pentastar?

[Ogre_FL]

I am happy with it, particularly mated to the 8 speed auto.
Not a power house in the Gladiator, but more than fine for how I drive.
It goes pretty well in the lighter 2 door JL.
An affordable option for a 5.7 in the Gladiator would be nice though.

Had the 3.6 in a Grand Caravan with a 6 speed auto.
Provided good service/no issues, but it felt "peaky" with that tranny.
Seemed like it was either a bit doggy or screaming.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Considering that this engine is 10 model years old (2011 first model year) and with over 10 million made (as of a couple of years ago) it's doing quite well.
There have been major revisions, and tweaks, over the years. Can't figure out why they let the flex fuel ability go with the 2016 upgrades to the 3.6 - I'd love to have that ability. My Chevy was flex fuel and although the mpg went down a bit, the trailer pulling power/ability definitely went UP with E85 in that Chevy.
We've had the 3.6 in every WK2 my wife has owned and until the 2021, never ever had a single engine related issue. That was at 800 miles and turned out to be......... SPARK PLUGS of all things.
Other than that, not a single engine hiccup, not a one.

 

[Fortus]

I definitely get your frustration with it and I'm just pointing out that it's the gear choice that was bad, not so much the transmission. I mean it's definitely an old-school AT box and the clunk is just something normal in a 4x4 (though I felt like the Tacoma's driveline slop was a bit excessive). But if you don't want to do the work to fix Toyota's problem, I totally get why you'd run away... those were just atrocious in stock form.

As for finding an MT, mine was the only manual TRDOR at the time in the mid-Atlantic. I was in DC receiving offers from NJ down to SC over into TN and KY and all were selling me the exact same truck that fortunately for me, was on the lot at my local dealership. There's only a 5% take rate which works out to about 10k sold per year so they're an exceedingly rare breed.

When I walked into the Jeep dealership, the sales manager about shit himself when he found out what my truck was - gave me just a couple thousand less than I paid to get off the lot brand new 2 years and 20k prior and saw it parked in the manager spot the next week when I went back in to grab the accessories I had them throw in.

Yea, in general, nothing is going to touch the resale value of a Tacoma. I got $4K over what I paid for my 2-year old Taco. They sold it in 3 days for $5K over what they gave me (e.g. $9K over what I'd paid for it).

 

[AverageDad]

Exact same reasoning and justified every week. I don’t tow and I’m not at 12,000ft, I DD and weekend warrior.
And I’m confident if I rent/buy a trailer and go to the mountains I’ll survive.
My gladiator is faster than the first 6 cars, way more useful than the M3, and reliable. That to me is perfect.
I was regretful I didn’t wait (a week!) to be able to order the diesel but I don’t drive long distances often and would be biting my nails waiting for it to break.

Same for me. Mine is used for DD and WW also. Coming from a BMW, I though I’d miss the power - but I don’t.
The Jeep has good sensory feedback, but different. Where the Bimmer kept urging me to drive faster and corner harder, the Jeep says “relax, enjoy the view”. So I haven’t pushed it to be more than it is. Heck, I rarely get it over 2k RPM. And I’m loving it.
Bonus: I’m averaging over 20 MPG! My 3 series averaged 25 but with premium, so it’s nearly a wash.

 

[Papa-KDog425]

Also, it can be used on both AT or MT. It has a setting for both. As I mentioned, I have the 6MT and it works perfectly.

Want a small hint of what it's like, drive with your traction control on, then turn it off and punch it. Traction control governs the throttle to keep torque down on slick roads.

I love my iDrive!

 

[River2016]

That's a second gen. Tacoma, which is considered the one with the "good engine". The 3rd Tacoma (latest) generation has much torque-less engine.

Yea I just switched from a 3rd gen taco. Not a fan of the way they set that up. Like driving a 2 stroke dirt bike.

 

[cecaa850]

Yea, in general, nothing is going to touch the resale value of a Tacoma. I got $4K over what I paid for my 2-year old Taco. They sold it in 3 days for $5K over what they gave me (e.g. $9K over what I'd paid for it).

That has nothing to do with the brand of vehicle. Ive seen that exact scenario countless times..
Your story is common nowadays with new car inventory almost non existent in some places. Everybody is getting premium dollar's for trade ins lately.

 

[foo.c]

Define happy.

It's ok. It doesn't bring a smile to my face though.

 

[Fortus]

That has nothing to do with the brand of vehicle. Ive seen that exact scenario countless times..
Your story is common nowadays with new car inventory almost non existent in some places. Everybody is getting premium dollar's for trade ins lately.

In 2020/2021, you are correct. Prior to that, and once you remove the "chip shortage" etc. the Tacoma depreciates the least according to various sources that track that stuff. The Wrangler is up there too.

 

[kd1yt]

Question - where would you put the added low-end torque if you could? (RPM range, that is) Just curious, no other reason.

As much torque as I could get, as low as I could get it! I like my 6MT but I find that the torque curve is almost like a shelf, much under 1800 RPM, with a hill or a load, throttle input just doesn't result in much happening. Above 1800, things start to happen, and then from 2000-2200, up, lots suddenly happens. I am just spoiled by having driven things like older US long-stroke inline sixes that will pull like mad, and smoothly, at anything much above idle. My own preference is to have abundant torque on tap, so that you rarely have to downshift to get at least some level of moderate acceleration, but can upshift for efficiency. The shelf-y torque curve of the Pentastar means that downshifts become a must more often and/or I need to keep it revving when I anticipate a hill or a load. None of which is bad. I am just spoiled by some of the things I used to get to drive.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

As much torque as I could get, as low as I could get it! I like my 6MT but I find that the torque curve is almost like a shelf, much under 1800 RPM, with a hill or a load, throttle input just doesn't result in much happening. Above 1800, things start to happen, and then from 2000-2200, up, lots suddenly happens. I am just spoiled by having driven things like older US long-stroke inline sixes that will pull like mad, and smoothly, at anything much above idle. My own preference is to have abundant torque on tap, so that you rarely have to downshift to get at least some level of moderate acceleration, but can upshift for efficiency. The shelf-y torque curve of the Pentastar means that downshifts become a must more often and/or I need to keep it revving when I anticipate a hill or a load. None of which is bad. I am just spoiled by some of the things I used to get to drive.

Funny thing - when I read your first sentences, I thought - I can't think of a modern engine that does that because they rely as much on RPM as anything to get the HP and torque. Most just don't do much in the area under 1800 RPM or so.
Then I continued and saw how you were used to the long rod, long stroke I6s of the past. Yeah, I can take off with my car in 2nd gear and not feel like I should have hit 1st instead. A hill near us is a 5% and I can be at about 1600 RPM, in third and still accelerate up the hill - not lugging it.

Yeah, I almost chuckled at the rest of your post thinking - oh, how I can relate.
I've had several 6s - two were in Ford grain trucks, but most of my I6 vehicles were the 258 and 4.0 engines. Loved the low-end torque, beats the 3.6 below 2,000 rpm for sure.

 

[Jt-wrx]

Oh hell if you’ve spent any time behind a 6bt cummins you know about the low rpm pull with grunt from idle to redline not even 3000 rpm. I crave it also but in a land of 11:1 compression ratio high power v6 modern engines the pentastar has power from 2000-5500 with a 6500 rpm redline. One should realize what one is driving before any bitching. The pentastar is more tractable than any competitors period. It’s at the top of these types of engines imo.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Oh hell if you’ve spent any time behind a 6bt cummins you know about the low rpm pull with grunt from idle to redline not even 3000 rpm. I crave it also but in a land of 11:1 compression ratio high power v6 modern engines the pentastar has power from 2000-5500 with a 6500 rpm redline. One should realize what one is driving before any bitching. The pentastar is more tractable than any competitors period. It’s at the top of these types of engines imo.

And exactly who is bitchen'? Wishing for something isn't a complaint or bitchen.
I like the 3.6 - we've had several, it's just that I DO notice when I switch from my cars to the truck that 1800 rpm just doesn't cut it - it's lugging the 3.6 where others would walk right up the hill.

I am the one that said I knew/realized that modern light-weight engines needed RPM to build power.
The fact that mine has to drop 2 gears to get up our hills while I don't even have to shift my car to do the same says clearly there isn't the low end torque people claim on these.
Above 2,000 rpm it ain't bad, especially for the fuel economy you get in the package.
Just talking "it would be nice if............" No one's bitching.

So you were so happy with yours exactly how it came from the factory, you've changed nothing at all, and wouldn't? Not even wheels or tires?

 

[ChrisK]

I’ve had a lot of luck with the Pentastars. For example, my Gladiator, though only 5k, is great. My Wife’s Pacifica has 20k other than the darn auto start which I believe is finally fixed, runs great and more importantly, from 2012-2018 I ran a Pentastar Dodge Charger with the only
Problem an oil pan going. It should be noted I ran that car HARD. Five days a week, sometimes we’ll over three digits on the speedometer, snow, ice, rain and dry. Class vi roads, paved and frost heaves. As long as I kept up with regular maintenance the car performed well. I’m now in a 5.7 but I used that car long enough to buy the Pacifica to drive my Wife and Kids so…yeah. Good motor. Ain’t a rock star but it’s a solid motor. I have towed a couple of times with my Gladiator so that’s a first but my tows were short so it’s hard for me to weigh in on that but I do love the truck.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve had a lot of luck with the Pentastars. For example, my Gladiator, though only 5k, is great. My Wife’s Pacifica has 20k other than the darn auto start which I believe is finally fixed, runs great and more importantly, from 2012-2018 I ran a Pentastar Dodge Charger with the only
Problem an oil pan going. It should be noted I ran that car HARD. Five days a week, sometimes we’ll over three digits on the speedometer, snow, ice, rain and dry. Class vi roads, paved and frost heaves. As long as I kept up with regular maintenance the car performed well. I’m now in a 5.7 but I used that car long enough to buy the Pacifica to drive my Wife and Kids so…yeah. Good motor. Ain’t a rock star but it’s a solid motor. I have towed a couple of times with my Gladiator so that’s a first but my tows were short so it’s hard for me to weigh in on that but I do love the truck.

I think that's the point - it ain't a rock star but it's solid, it does very well in this particular truck, it's been beyond great in our multiple Grand Cherokees. And for our running around, errands, even our trips to other states, including CO - it did very well. For the steep stuff, I am getting used to using manual mode which is so backwards to me having multiple performance cars with automatics and having to push forward to DOWNshift. For cars without a reverse pattern valve body, it just seems backwards. But I guess it's in what you are used to.
And that's the same for the comments on the older very low RPM high torque I6s - it's what we were used to. I can idle up hills with 'em and accelerate without any lugging or pinging. Long rod, long stroke. But the down side is that the top of the RPM range, they are DONE.
So there's pros and cons to every engine out there (for some more cons than pros but that's another thread)
The 3.6 has a great history of long life, diverse applications and the ability to handle a lot of stuff thrown at it.
No one's griping or bitching about it - just that if I could put in some minor change to get some more low-end torque, I might. But then that's not likely on this short stroke V6. So I love it for what it CAN and DOES do, not what it can't or doesn't.

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