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Toyota Tundra New Owner Reports

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Comments

  • pjalnpjaln Member Posts: 8
    nissan and toyota talk about building tough work trucks yet they are not tough enough to handle the same plows chevy,dodge ,and ford can handle,in there advertising they give you the perseption that all people want to do is pull things when most pickup truck owners (where ever it snows)want trucks that can push and have a strong front end. ford and dodge with there straight front axles are not in the same catagorie as this truck .paul
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "...ford and dodge with there straight front axles are not in the same catagorie as this truck..."

    :confuse:

    I wasn't aware folks hung their snow plows from the axle; I kinda figured they were hung on the frame......
  • saddaddysaddaddy Member Posts: 566
    No Ford, Chevy or Dodge 1/2 ton pickups have a straight front axle. Tundra is 1/2 ton. What an intelligent post!
  • jerrymcshane1jerrymcshane1 Member Posts: 195
    A guy over on the blogs mastered a photoshop of what the crew cab should look like. http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121001&page=2. Scroll down this page 2 and see the pic. I think it's very accurate indeed.
  • mrjjgittesmrjjgittes Member Posts: 156
    Yeah, I suppose "loaded" you could spend $40k on a Ford F150, maybe. But I was with my friend when he bought a 2005 F150 XLT 4x4 crew with the 5.4 engine for $26,500, after all the rebate/discount nonsense was done. Do you really think the new Tundra, similarly equiped in SR5 trim, will sell in that price range? I just think if Toyota premium prices this thing, it ought to have the most modern features, like side air bags, standard. (Who knows, maybe it will.) Heck, Honda did it on the Ridgeline (that everybody loves to hate).
  • callmedrfillcallmedrfill Member Posts: 729
    Transaction prices much higher, as supply won't be what Ford's is, and Toyota hasn't built a reputation over the past 5 years for "Giving away the Store".

    Toyota customers expect to pay a little more, but get a lot more value.

    DrFill
  • pjalnpjaln Member Posts: 8
    rorr and saddaddy, both of you i guess are defending this truck as heavy duty ,am i right? in other words guys are going to trade in there f250s and 350s and D2500 for this , if so i needs to handle a heavy duty plow period !!or no serious landscaper will go near it.
    what is the sense of building this truck ,the tundra as it sits goes up against the 1/2 ton ford, chevy,and dodge.

    i,m on truck # 17 nobody here can give me an education on pickup trucks .........paul
  • donthegreekdonthegreek Member Posts: 127
    Its looks awkward with the puny tires and wheels.

    GM/FORD/DODGE have nothing to worry about...
  • jimbobjoeginjimbobjoegin Member Posts: 18
    ok how are the tires puny and the "wheels" make it look akward?

    if anything GM and Ford will still have to worry even if this truck is not sucessful

    While we're cutting jobs, they are making better cars
  • tallwoodstallwoods Member Posts: 11
    I look at that dashboard design, and think, "Damm, now where will my knees go?" One thing I really like about the current dash design is that you can spread your legs a bit, and your knees don't strike the dashboard.

    This new design (http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121001&page=2.), there's a giant gearshift poking into your thigh, and the extruded center dashpanel tapers INTO the steering column. No room for us bigger guys anymore (I'm 6'-7"). It's sad. All new truck bigger in all dimensions except driver's knee room.

    Also note the very deep glove box in the passenger side. Right up against your shins if you are tall.

    Stupid stupid stupid! I'm so tired of vehicles not fitting because of inferior design, not because of lack of space!

    NW
  • mrjjgittesmrjjgittes Member Posts: 156
    I thought the point wasn't just to sell to "Toyota customers" but pull guys away from the domestics. I think price will matter.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "...in other words guys are going to trade in there f250s and 350s and D2500 for this..."

    I'm not sure whose lines you're reading between but you need to take another look.

    Nobody said the new Tundra was designed to lure serious f250/f350 owners out of their trucks. The target for the new Tundra is the F150.

    Ford/GM/Dodge sells about a billion of these (okay - slight exaggeration) in Texas every year and I think it fair to say that the % of these trucks which see regular snowplow duty here in the Lone Star state is on the small side. Can the new Tundra handle a snow plow? I've got no idea. But if the Tundra puts a dent in the Texas truck market, you can bet the domestics WILL take notice.

    "...or no serious landscaper will go near it."

    What features would a 'serious landscaper' be looking for in a F150 that they would not find in the new Tundra?

    BTW - what is it about the Tundra which would prevent it from snow plow duty? Just curious.....
  • callmedrfillcallmedrfill Member Posts: 729
    Are you saying domestic shoppers only buy trucks based on price?

    Toyota, in comparisons, will have to prove their truck is better, noticably, then the domestics. Then Toyota will have a chance to sell for the same, or a little more.

    It's all about "perceived value". Tundras aren't seen as being on the same level as the domestics.

    Maybe the new one will change that.

    Toyota knows they can't price it $1-2k higher than the F-150. they know how to price a vehicle, better than the domestics, obviously, since they don't have to discount them $4k each to sell 'em.

    DrFill
  • mrjjgittesmrjjgittes Member Posts: 156
    If I can buy a new 4x4 Tundra for $28k equiped at the SR5 level, Toyota will have asale. I am not holding my breath though.
  • donthegreekdonthegreek Member Posts: 127
    (ok how are the tires puny and the "wheels" make it look akward?)

    Just look at the pics...the tires are to small, the wheelwells to large....i printed a pic and took it to work...and thats the 1st thing all the guys commented on.

    Any Faithful GM/FORD/DODGE guy isn't going to switch to a toyota..yes maybe an occasional one, but overall...not gonna happen.Give me a good reason why i should...i've owned chevys and GMC's, they've all been great trucks.
    The Ford and Dodge guys will say the same.

    The people that buy toyotas may upgrade and there will be new customers..but things really won't change much...the original Tundra was supposed to take over too...it didn't happen. The Nissan Truck didn't do it either...

    (While we're cutting jobs, they are making better cars)

    Ya maybe cars, not trucks...GM etc need to do better car wise...there's nothing car wise i would buy...except maybe the 09 camaro....if they don't change it much.
    The new totyota will be a nice truck...but it ain't gonna tale over from the big 3.....
    Just my opinion.

    don
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    This is a 1/2 ton.. the 3/4 ton and the turbo diesels are around the corner.. bet on it.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    If I can buy a new 4x4 Tundra for $28k equiped at the SR5 level, Toyota will have asale. I am not holding my breath though.

    Depending on the Cab.. all day long anywhere in the US. ( well maybe not right away )

    Typically Toyota doesnt move its prices at all, especially in competitive markets, when a new vehicle comes out. They just add equipment to justify not having rebates. $28-30K MSRP for the truck shown in SR5 trim feels about right.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    You hit the point precisely and everyone knows it, this segment has one of the most loyal maybe the most loyal brand-buyer in the entire industry.

    It will make for interesting times because GM/F/D all make great vehicles. To succeed, this new Tundra has to be 'over-the-top'. Good for the consumers, that's for sure.
  • mikegillermikegiller Member Posts: 602
    Yea I guess when a truck is as big it is, 20" rims look puny.

    :blush:

    Speaking of which, I don't remember the last time a truck's capabilities/success "rode" on the size (+/- 1") of wheels. No pun intended.
  • jimbobjoeginjimbobjoegin Member Posts: 18
    if it wasnt for trucks, the big 3 would be dead by now, the foreigners won the van segment and most of the sedan segment

    the big 3 cannot survive on just trucks, its not gonna work

    the problem is not if the truck is good enought yet, its that people havent excepted it yet and that will take time
    and when that day comes, good bye big 3
  • mrjjgittesmrjjgittes Member Posts: 156
    I pretty much agree. When the Tundra is finally released, I'm hoping it is contented way up, and priced very competitively. Actually, if Toyota really wants to make a dent in the domestics, the tundra really needs to be almost a loss leader until they get a foothold. Could be very good for the consumer as we watch it all unfold between the new tundra, the new silverado, and the f150 that will probably be offered with very attractive discounts until its next redesign. And if gas goes back to $3 a gallon, look for even better deals on all...
  • pjalnpjaln Member Posts: 8
    rorr,
    F150,s1500,d1500,all half tons all three can handle a 7'6" ld plow by fisher this plow weighs about 650lbs fisher will not put these on tundras because the front ends wont take it and it would void any warrantynow if it was made to go up against these three as competition why wasnt it engineered to handle a plow ,and btw i am not talking about the homesteader plow put out by fisher .

    now, to this new truck, will it be able to handle a heavy duty plow at least in the catagorie of the 7'6" fisher if not i just wonder why they would produce it and have the b%%lls to call it heavy duty not that they dont know how to build it toyota sends trucks to different parts of the world that are extremely heavy duty smaaler than an f150 and able to carry 1 ton and easily hold a plow but for some reason we dont see them here ....paul
  • mikegillermikegiller Member Posts: 602
    now, to this new truck, will it be able to handle a heavy duty plow at least in the catagorie of the 7'6" fisher if not i just wonder why they would produce it and have the b%%lls to call it heavy duty

    It can haul more than any of the competitors (+10,000 lbs, heavy duty, no? Or are we missing something), so I have faith that it will be able to handle a plow, a plow 2 times bigger than the domestics can.

    :P

    Oh, and this is all very rhetorical...
  • sandia01sandia01 Member Posts: 3
    Will Toyota ever put a locking fuel door back on there Tundra's or maybe make a locking gas cap? With gas so costly it's something Toyota should review!
  • ssiero1ssiero1 Member Posts: 4
    I saw the Tundra at the show yesterday. Problem is, you can't say much about it because it was on a rotating pedestal and this made the truck's size hard to gauge; but I could say that it is about the same size as an F-150. Other than that, it seemed like a normal full-size truck. I asked the guy presenting if he could maybe disclose some torque figures; no dice. One cool feature demonstrated was that the tailgate has gas struts inside it so you can just pull the handle and let if "fall" to a nice, quiet stop. A problem that may arise from this is that I don't know if the tailgate would then be removable. If not, then this is a stupid and pointless feature. One interesting thing to note: Toyota's display was right next to Ford's but Toyota designed this lame "Tundra Experience" outside the hall itself; perhaps this was so people cannot compare the F-150 and Tundra at the same time?
    Anyway, they had this room dedicated to this truck with a grandiose "workin' class" entrance to it and a long commercial with thickly- (southern)accented blue collar construction workers talking about what they want in a truck. Guess Toyota really wants to be seen as an American compnay.
  • serranotserranot Member Posts: 113
    Why does the possible lack of a removable tailgate make gas struts "stupid and pointless?" I've never had to remove a tailgate and have owned and used pickups for years.

    Another example of someone thinking what they need is what everyone needs.

    Bottom line on pickups: if you're a "Ford" or "Chevy" man, there isn't a feature that Toyota could install that would make you switch brands. The "I drive an American car" mentality is not one that is easily changed, regardless of features or reality.

    I, for one, am looking forward to this new pickup. Big Three capability and Toyota quality merged.

    Regards,
    Tom
  • ssiero1ssiero1 Member Posts: 4
    You say: "Why does the possible lack of a removable tailgate make gas struts "stupid and pointless?" I've never had to remove a tailgate and have owned and used pickups for years."

    And you continue: "Another example of someone thinking what they need is what everyone needs."

    I was going to retort, but you did it for me.

    Thanks.
  • ssiero1ssiero1 Member Posts: 4
    Besides, that was a preliminary guess; it seems that you so fervently want to label anyone a jingoist that sees through snazzy marketing of a truck not due for another 11 months. I'll admit I was excited to see this debut, but was thoroughly disappointed when I did not hear any performance numbers. It would also seal the deal if they planned a diesel as well.
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    I think that Toyota's challenge to Ford, GM, Dodge will force them to lower their prices which will lead to lower profit margins. I assume that Toyota will be as adept at producing Tundras at lower cost than the big three as they are with cars.
    Hino, majority owned by Toyota, produces mostly diesel trucks in Japan. These include diesel hybrids. The hybrid is of the series type, not Toyota's HSD. It is reported that Hino, which imports its trucks now, is planning to build a truck plant in the USA. If I remember correctly, in Arkansas. Toyota itself also produces diesels. The Tundra is entirely American since its engine is manufactured in Alabama. I don't believe Toyota makes any diesels in the USA but with Hino coming there may be a joint Hino-Toyota diesel manufacturing plant in the future
  • sortersorter Member Posts: 146
    All sayings about the truck buyer loyalty to U.S. brand are over rated. Throughout the years, I am sure that has been the claim for small car, then midsize, then full size car. Just few years ago and before the 2nd Generation of Honda minivan and the latest of Sienna, you could claim the same about mini van of buyer loyalty. Look what the landscape it is today. I remember people saying "the entire generation grown up in a voyoger, therefore people will always buy DCX van. Nonsense!
  • toyotaf1fantoyotaf1fan Member Posts: 37
    Toyota has already announced it plans to build a Hino plant outside of Woodstock Ont, Canada.
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    Thanks for the information. Toyota is spending in F1. I'd like to see
    hybrid racing. Perhaps instead of displacement restrictions there would be limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Or fuel limits. Just speculating since you're an F1 fan.
  • toyotaf1fantoyotaf1fan Member Posts: 37
    And spending they are. About 600 hundred thousand dollars this year.

    I think Formula One should have a "Power" button on the cars. Have the energy from the brakes placed into hybrid engine that can give the cars that extra push. I do think that Formula One should be at the limit of what Technology can do.
    Since this year the cars are now running v-8's instead of 10's there is a need for power. This would be a logical usable method for an extra 50-100 horsepower.
    This is something I could run-on about for a while. Too bads its the wrong forum though.

    Mullins
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "Have the energy from the brakes placed into hybrid engine that can give the cars that extra push."

    Way off topic but....

    Do you have any idea about how fanatical the F1 teams are about weight reduction? Any idea?

    For years, they used Champion sparkplugs. Everything was hunky-dory until 1999 when some of the F1 teams told Champion their plugs were TOO HEAVY (at 25.9 grams or about 1/10 of a pound). Champion had to REENGINEER THEIR SPARK PLUGS to save weight (current F1 plugs are around 10.7 grams or about 0.024 pound).

    http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=27&article_id=10259&page_numb- er=1

    I sincerely doubt that F1 teams which are willing to trim 15 grams from their spark plugs (and pay between $35 and $50 per plug for the honor) will be interested in adding the weight of electric motors and a number of heavy batteries for a hybrid system.

    "This would be a logical usable method for an extra 50-100 horsepower."

    Typical specs for a 2005 edition Toyota F1 car were a vehicle weight (driver included) of around 600kg with over 900hp. Call it roughly 1.5hp/kg or 0.67kg/hp

    To keep the exact same power/weight ratio, a hybrid system able to provide 50hp must weigh no more than 33lbs; for a 100hp hybrid system, the whole package must weigh no more than 67lbs. I'd love to see a hybrid system able to provide 50hp that weighed only 33lbs.......
  • swisspraveenswisspraveen Member Posts: 14
    ...the only possibility is a new engine rule by the FIA forcing the teams to put a hybrid into their f1 cars...
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    Well, sure, I suppose that F1 could always FORCE the teams to use a hybrid system. I suppose they could also mandate the fuel tanks be reduced to 3 gallons and tires could be no more than 6" wide.

    My point was that from a performance standpoint, adding a hybrid system to an F1 car would be a giant step BACKWARD.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    I think they are waiting til Fall after Chevy unveils it's new truck. There's no rush on 'Yota's part. Ya cant buy one now anyway. why tip yourhand?
  • swisspraveenswisspraveen Member Posts: 14
    My point was that from a performance standpoint, adding a hybrid system to an F1 car would be a giant step BACKWARD.

    i agree with you, but i think they are worried about the safety, that's why they try to make the cars slower.
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    I agree that putting current hybrid systems in F1 vehicles doesn't make sense now. The purpose would be to begin to improve the systems because of the spare no expense construction of the F1 vehicles. For example lighter more powerful lithium-ion batteries. Or considering the short timespan of a race, using capacitors which store and discharge energy faster than batteries and are generally lighter. None of hybrid racing vehicles have to have the 100000 mile warranty of the Toyota/ Lexus hybrid. The transmissions on the Toyota/Lexus hybrids are continuously variable and are smaller and lighter than the usual transmissions. Obviously hybrid competition would have to be more open than is usual in F1. I believe that racing advances the state of technology and hybrid racing would, in my opinion, lead to big advances.
    I seem to have started this "detour" by replying to an F1 fan and including my thoughts on hybrid racing. I don't regret that.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "i agree with you, but i think they are worried about the safety, that's why they try to make the cars slower."

    Still way off topic but...

    There's simpler ways to make the cars slower. Of course, from an F1 mindset, perhaps it makes some kind of 'sense' to slow the cars down by making them more complicated... :confuse:
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    I think the problem is that some folks believe that just because hybrid powertrains are (in some ways) 'bleeding edge' technology, that they have a place in racing.

    They don't.

    The ONLY way hybrids would have a place would be if a particular race series specialized in hybrid powerplants and the rules were set up to REQUIRE hybrid powerplants.

    An analogy - in Europe they have truck racing on road courses. Not truck racing like we think of it (ie. pickups in Nascar or off-road pickup racing). I'm talking about semi-trucks. Tractor/trailer rigs without the trailers. The cab portion of 18-wheelers. Funny as heck to watch (and those trucks can go pretty fast), BUT I don't think that an F1 team is thinking about running a semi in lieu of their standard car anytime soon. I see hybrids in racing the same way. Sure, you can do it (heck, you could set up a series to race garden tractors too...). But I simply don't see anyone taking an existing series and turning to hybrid technology as a means to go faster.

    Capacitors in lieu of batteries? Good lord. I'm trying to picture the size capacitor needed to provide 50hp worth of juice for 5 seconds......and picturing the number of times an F1 driver would desire that 50hp boost over the course of a 2 hour race.

    Another tidbit to chew over: the engine which Mercedes has unveiled to compete in F1 this season generates 700hp....and weighs 209lbs. That's 3.35hp/lb.

    A 50hp hybrid system would need to weigh less than 15lbs. to have the same power to weight ratio.

    In racing (all forms of racing), the idea is to generate the most power with the least weight. Hybrids have a lot of advantages; power to weight is NOT one of them. Personally, I think the power/weight ratio would have to be improved by an order of magnitude (10x) in order to be competitive with 'standard' ICE engines in racing. And you ain't gettin' there by improving battery/capacitor technology by a few % every year.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    As big as Toyota is in hybrid technology, and since GM has announced plans for using hybrid technology in some of their full-size trucks (more advanced than the current system available in their pickups) - has anyone seen anything definitive regarding hybrid powerplants in the new Tundra?
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    A month or two ago ( NYT ) there was a discussion/interview that compared the GM system to the Toyota system. Someone at Toyota said that they hadnt yet gotten all the 'kinks' out regarding a hybrid Tundra.

    The feeling I believe is that while the HSD is great for initial torque, especially for light vehicles like the Camry/Prius, it's nearly useless for heavier vehicles unless the motor was massive. In additon the HSD system is useless for towing-torque while under way. The constant pressure might burn out the electric motor. Diesel is a much better alternative giving the same FE results.

    However... all that being said, it might be a akin to a CIA misinformation ploy. Suddenly next Dec when the Tundra is announced and all the specs are known.. 'Guess what we solved the hybrid issues, and here it is..BLAM!'

    A major advancement like this in this ultra competitive market is not something Toyota would just throw out for everyone to copy.

    Some things I've heard rumors of but have no firm info on are:
    Hybrid version ( 4.7? )
    2500 model
    Turbo-diesel model ( Hino )
    4 cyl shutting down while under cruise. ( everyone has this )
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    quote:
    Capacitors in lieu of batteries? Good lord. I'm trying to picture the size capacitor needed to provide 50hp worth of juice for 5 seconds......and picturing the number of times an F1 driver would desire that 50hp boost over the course of a 2 hour race.

    All I can say is that my information about capacitors comes from a Toyota publication. Incidentally BMW at the last Frankfurt auto show had a concept car with capacitors in the wheelwells to recapture braking energy when stopping for use in restarting. They appear not to dismiss capacitors as you do

    I would expect the races to be exclusively hybrid but there could be
    open racing such as LeMans.

    The high horsepower of F1 engines (such as your Mercedes example) comes from extremely high rpm's. There's no reason why the ICE in a hybrid couldn't also be designed to rev just as high. Any advances in ICE's equally benefit hybrids using ICE's.
  • toyotaf1fantoyotaf1fan Member Posts: 37
    My last word on this subject

    First off there would have to be a rule change that requires all cars to have similar technology. That way the weight of the cars won't matter(they'll all be pushing their weight new limits anyway). But the advantages of forcing companies to develop this technology would be crucial for our futures. Just imagine how much a racing series would improve and reward us. Just look what variable valve timing did along with everything else. If the rules were changed, there would be no way you could consider this to be a step backwards. Formula One is about using and building new technologies along with pushing things to the limit. Things could only get better.
    Remember I'm not talking about having this installed tomorrow, but down the road a couple of years.

    Secondly, you don't consider a switch to v-8's, the re-introduction of tyre changes and the certainty of going to a single tyre supplier a major step backwards?

    Now back to this forum.
    Mullins
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    Capacitors - not dismissing them out of hand; just dismissing them for F1. However, I can see where they might be used in a racing series established specifically for hybrid powerplants.

    Yes, I'm aware that F1 engines get their hp from high rpm (since torque is limited for the most part by displacement and compression of the engine, the best way to get high hp is through high rpm). I'm sure that a hybrid drivetrain COULD be designed for high rpm.

    I'm just trying to identify the BENEFITS (power? economy?) of a hybrid powertrain in racing and weighing that against the LIABILITIES (weight). If the benefits outweigh the liabilities, then I'm sure you'll start to see hybrid powertrains.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "First off there would have to be a rule change that requires all cars to have similar technology."

    So that all cars can take the same performance step backwards? Yep, would certainly need a rule change.

    "But the advantages of forcing companies to develop this technology would be crucial for our futures."

    Well, that was just slightly over the top. Forcing a race series to use hybrid technology is crucial to our future? :surprise:

    "If the rules were changed, there would be no way you could consider this to be a step backwards."

    Yes way. Let's assume that F1 adopted rules to force hybrids. Who could compete? The total number of engine suppliers would probably drop to 1, 2 if you're REAL lucky. The performance would drop (due to the extra weight) and the cost would go up. Do you think Ferrari has the means to start, from scratch, a hybrid program? Ferrari would be out of F1. What do you think happens to your fan base with Ferrari gone? A rules change forcing hybrids in F1 would be a HUGE step backward.

    "Secondly, you don't consider a switch to v-8's, the re-introduction of tyre changes and the certainty of going to a single tyre supplier a major step backwards?"

    Nope.
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    I have mentioned this in an earlier post. In Japan one sees Hino hybrids. Hino is majority owned by Toyota. Their hybrid from what I can tell is the series hybrid, not the hybrid synergy drive of the Toyota/Lexus cars. I will be in Tokyo next month and, if possible, I will ask. I have yet to hail a Prius taxicab; their meter dropdown rate is 500 yen compared to 660 yen for the usual Toyota Crown cabs.
    I have prognosticated Hino diesels in the Tundra as did another poster
    independently. I would say the same for Hino hybrids.
    Let me say I have no connection with Toyota Motors except as an investor in their stock. I drive an RX400h soon to be traded in for a GS450h.
  • callmedrfillcallmedrfill Member Posts: 729
    Of your experience with the 400h? Why trade it?

    If you're getting another hybrid, you must like it.

    DrFill
  • ideleidele Member Posts: 200
    This has been asked before. I traded my 2003 Audi Allroad 2.7T for the Lexus RX400h. I'm very happy with it and normally would keep it for its 2 year lease. At the time of the Tokyo Motor Show last October somehow I found an email address for obtaining the press release kit for the GS450h. It was sent to me and my eyes fell upon the following paragraph:
    The 3.5-liter V6 engine employs the new D-4S fuel injection system using dual injectors with both in-cylinder direct fuel injection and ported fuel injection. In synergy with the electric motor, this provides 2.0 liter class fuel economy along with the acceleration you would expect from a 4.5-liter power plant..Another feature of the GS450h is its new transmission designed for hybrid applications. The motor power transmitted to the reduction gear has two modes: In high gear, it adds high-speed cruising pleasure, while in low gear, it controls generation of powerful torque, thereby enhancing acceleration and fuel efficiency, while reducing noise.

    There are two very important advances in technology. .
    First the dual injection system. It was clear to me that fuel efficiency of this engine would be at least as good as the 330cc engine on the RX400h. Just today this engine used on the IS350
    got this award.
    TORONTO, Feb. 15 /CNW/ - Lexus today received the 2006 Best New Technology award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) for an innovative fuel injection system introduced on the 2006 Lexus IS 350 luxury sport sedan.

    "We're pleased to accept the Best New Technology award from AJAC," said Stuart Payne, Director for Lexus in Canada. "At Lexus, we strive to develop new technologies that maximize the performance and efficiency of our vehicles, and the injection system on the new IS 350 sport sedan which won this award is an excellent example of that."

    The IS 350 is powered by a 306-horsepower 3.5-litre 24-valve dual overhead cam V6 engine that features a unique fuel injection system. This system combines direct fuel injection - delivering fuel to the combustion chamber - and port fuel injection - delivering fuel to the intake ports. Fuel distribution is controlled via the two types of injection, according to driving conditions:

    - When the engine is running under low or medium loads at lower speeds,
    both systems are used to create a homogeneous air-fuel mixture. This
    stabilizes combustion, improves fuel efficiency, and reduces exhaust
    emissions.
    - When the engine is running under heavy load, the engine automatically
    converts to a direct injection-only system. By controlling the timing
    and duration of fuel being injected directly to the combustion
    chamber, the combustion efficiency of each charge is maximized. It
    also allows the engine to operate at a higher compression ratio,
    thereby improving engine output and performance, by reducing the
    tendency of the compressed mixture to ignite prematurely.

    "Lexus is committed to developing new technologies to help improve the performance of our vehicles, and minimize their environmental impact," continued Payne. "While this award firmly establishes our technological leadership in the automotive industry, Lexus will continue to create leading- edge systems in our cars and SUVs for years to come."
    Okay that's the dual injection. Now on the GS450h a continuously variable transmission is used as on the RX400h. But the GS450h has this reduction gear for cruising or power. This is a spectacular development. On the RX400h at over 60mph you're basically engine only and so highway mileage while good is lower than urban mileage.
    With this reduction gear the highway mileage on the GS450h will be superior to the RX400h. Urban mileage should be equal. I went to my Lexus dealer and became number 1 for the GS450h.
    The continuously variable transmission is smaller and lighter than, say, a 6 speed one. Just imagine, if on a non-hybrid, one had
    such a reduction gear attached to the usual automatic transmission.
    I don't expect to lose out in changing my lease from the RX400h
    to the GS450h. That paragraph I quoted made me not want to wait.
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