4Rescue said:
How are emissions regs of any concern??? THe d4d meets the new Euro regs as for as I knew. Meaning it will pass the new US standards. we don't get small diesel's "because American consumers don't want them..." funny how after all the crying out on alot of different web-boards and a trend towards favoing diesel's and VIOLA!!! Suddenly talk of small diesel's are creeping in all over.
US Emissions laws have always been different from those in Europe. In a way, this is a form of protectionism, because it erects a significant barrier to importation. I don't know if the US emissions regs are finally going to be the same as the Euro regulations, if they are, we can probably expect to see small diesels here, but I'm not holding my breath. Regardless of how things will work in the future, as of right now, US emissions regs are different enough to keep diesels out, because they would require modifications to the engine that would raise the price out of reach of any potential buyer.
I din't know about you, but the fully boxed fram is something I'd like to have just because tougher is tougher eh...
Leafs versus Coils, I'll take leafs for payload reasons and ease of lift. Control arms just add to the complexity of suspensions. Sure they ride better, but I have a truck, not a car, I'll sacrafice a little ride quality for durability.
Do the new Tacomas have coil springs in the rear? That seems odd for a truck. My '04 has leaf springs in the rear.
Yes the grass is always greener, but that's over simplifying it. Look at the reat of the world and how Toyota markets things... To the rest of the world, toyotas are utlitarian and not always plush and comfy... you can get stripper models, tougher frames, locking diffs (in the LC's) 70 series LC's, and in general all of the things we AMericans go and add to our trucks here. American vehicles are on average, softer, comfier and full of all sorts of bells and whistles I don't want.
But Toyota (and others) have tried to sell stripper models in the past, and they've watched US consumers walk right by their stripper models and buy Explorers and Blazers with velour upholstery, power windows and 10 - speaker stereos. Regardless of what people
say they want, it's what people actually
buy that drives Toyota's export policies.
You may well prefer the rugged stripped down trail rig (as do I.) But the reality is that we are a tiny minority in the US auto market and Toyota is going to cater to the majority because that's where the money is.
Just like the mafia says when they "whack" somebody, "It's nothing personal. Just business."
