ken.vs.ryu

If the MT FJ was part-time 4wd like the AT, I would have ordered one. But now I'm on a holding pattern and I'm being pressured to get the AT so that everyone else can drive it. Why didn't Toyota offer the MT in PT 4WD?

Glenn

Who's "everyone"? Is "everyone" making payments or you?

ken.vs.ryu

It'd be easier if I don't feel like driving.

BT17R

Having lived with all of the Toyota 4X4 systems, I'm grateful FJ M/T has FT standard. The expensive locking center Torsen and RR locker both come standard with the M/T. To think it's priced lower than the less versatile PT system is icing on the cake. The M/T FJ is unique. There's no other Toyota or Lexus available with that drivetrain and RR locker. My 2¢, but I'm biased and ordered an M/T because of the FT, shorter gears and lighter weight, not to mention if given a choice will always get an M/T for the fun factor.

Lefty

Don't mean to flame, but even after reading this a half-dozen times, I'm still scratchin my head... What do you believe to be the big deal between PT and FT 4wd ?

And unless "everyone else" is helping with the payments, who cares what they think ? Get what you want !

Steve

Good Times

Steve,

some believe that with a PT system you save more $ compared to a FT system. But looking at the 4th gen 4runner's it doesn't look like there is much of a big difference compared to the FT and the PT system. Of course we have to factor in the v8/v6 change but even with that in place, it's still minimal.

snap-on

what about gass millage between the 2?

between the FT/PT and MT/AT thing? .... any thoughts?

BT17R

1 mpg city (closest to real-world in my experience) less for the FT, but it's impossible to say if the FT is the culprit since it's both a shorter final drive and top gear ratio.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I would have got a manual, bit I have been spoiled by my 4Runner since '98 with its auto.

Plus I prefer auto off road.
Not as easy to coast back on a steep hill.

The 4Runner was my very first auto tranny, and it is nice not having to shift.
Now if I had a sports car or a 60 to 70's muscle car, then yeah, stick all the way.

BT17R

Agreed. The 5A/T-i in FJ has a couple of class-leading features. It has built in AI and learns your driving style. It even downshifts on long downgrades for engine braking, and momentarily retards timing on upshifts to reduce shift shock. After a couple tanks of gas it'll be shifting better than you would in an M/T. It also has a gated shifter so you can drop it into a manual shift mode that will hold selected gears.

I also noticed that all of the FJ extreme off-road videos sound like A/T's. Plus, if I had a freeway commute, I'd get an A/T. Luckily, I'm surrounded by smooth two-lane mountain country roads and my commute is to the coffee pot, so the choice was easy.

Sharp4runr

I have the 4th Gen 4runner with the 1GRFE engine (Same as FJ) and I found being in 2WD or 4WD, the gas mileage didn't differ much at all. You are carrying the weight of the 4WD components all the time and it doesn't appear you are losing a lot of power when you are driving the front wheels in addition to the rear.

The difference in the FJ you'll see from the different gear ratios I think.

bulldog-yota

I will bet that a few years down the line both the A/T and M/T will have the full time 4WD transfer case.

Lance is correct in terms of the fact that numerous peole have run their V6 4R in 4WD or 2WD with the PT case and have recorded very little change in gas mileage. Please keep in mind that the PT TC on the 4R can be used as a FT 4WD as well, since it has a torsen center diff. It completely baffles me the way they have set up the FJC though, they should have just reused the V6 4R case with a lever instead of electric shifters. This would have given the ultimate flexibility with 2WD 4Hi, 4Lo, 4hi locked, 4lo locked.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Bob, I did not know about the AI in the auto tranny.
What will they think of next?

You would think that Toyota is reading the forum here

That is cool though.
It will learn my driving habits, which is nice and easy, almost grandpa style
I am a very conservative driver.

Nahhhh, it will be nice to drive a vehicle that handles traffic much better than my tired rig, and will pass someone if the need arrises.

BT17R

Really? When did that happen? I thought the Torsen was V-8 only?

They did in the A/T models. They're just as you describe with console mounted t-case and e-brake levers.

Edit: Andries, did I understand you correctly in the fuel tank placement thread? Is the 4Runner mid-mount style what you hoped for?

BT17R

How about no maintenance, ever? There's no longer even a tranny dipstick. The super long life coolant is slick, too. 100K for the first change. Then the 12-hole injectors, hmm, OK I'll shut up...for now.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Say what?
This is all news to me

I wonder if it is worth going Amsoil in the auto tranny and transfer case?
I would like to do the diffs and then the engine after it breaks in.

Lefty

That was my point - there's no gas savings, there has been no proof of increased wear/breakdown, so why is it such a big deal ? I guess if you planned on putting manual hubs on it, that would make PT 4wd a benefit... Of course, if I were looking to put manual hubs on my truck, the FT 4wd system would be the least of my concerns.

Steve

bulldog-yota

Torsen center diff has been in all the 4WD 4th gen 4R since day one. The V6 just had the option of engaging 2WD in the transfer case and ADD in the front diff. V8 was only 4Hi and 4Lo.

The way I read the literature on the FJC is that the A/T will not have a center diff, only the M/T. This means you can't run the A/T in 4wd all the time. I was hoping they would just use the 4R transfer case with a manual lever, so you have the choice of running in 4Lo without the center diff locked. Strange thing is that it is availible on the LC100 and GX/LX 470, but with the 4R we have to fiddle with dash switches for 4H to 4L. The FJC, which is marketed as the most capable offroad, it misses some nice features which would have been easy and cheap to put in. Maybe it is an easy fix on the M/T, like the LC 80s. Not a real big deal, just would have been nice.

BT17R

About the 4th Gen, I only paid attention to my V-8 and thought the V-6 was PT for some reason, Right you are.

About FJ, I was only commenting on the console mounted t-case lever.

About fuel tank placement? I wasn't clear what's considered the most desirable location, in front of or behind the rear axle?

bulldog-yota

The 3dr Prado 120 has it's fuel tank behind the axle, which could have been an easy fix to fit to the FJC. The Prado 120 in Oz carries an auxilary tank behind th axle as well (almost same size as main tank). Both these do it since the spare is on the rear hatch door.

So I don't know why they didn't do it on the FJC. Using the tank behind the axle you tend to loose the low hanging tank syndrom of the 2nd - 4th gen 4Rs. Easy enough since you spare sits on the door.

Oh well it is what it is, love it or leave it. I personally would have prefered a 3dr Prado 120 platform directly leveraged with the FJC body & styling. At the moment it weighs the same as the V6 4R and there is not much difference in dimensions with the same suspension.