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4.6 vs 5.7

189K views 51 replies 37 participants last post by  Tundergas 
#1 · (Edited)
ok guys i recently traded in a 2007 DC LB with 5.7 for a 2011 DC 4.6 SB and here is some honest comparison between the 2:

Power:
every day driving I barely notice any difference in power,I'm telling you this new engine got some power no doubt, now if you race from light to light yeah will be different but still i don't think you bought this truck for that purpose.In my case I have Infiniti G37 S and a Yamaha R1 in the garage so no problem there:D...

MPG:
Ok i'm commuting 30 miles a day and that is 90% freeway (65-70 mph) with a 5.7 i use to get around 17.5mpg and now with the 4.6 i get 20 mpg exactly so there you go, (please note that this would be manually calculated).

Conclusion:
overall i'm happy with my new truck and honestly if i was pulling something heavy like 7000 lb+ i would definitely go back with 5.7 otherwise 4.6 is fine for every day driving.
 
#3 ·
the 5.7 is the only way to go. you buy a truck for purpose, towing and power. not fuel economy :) imo

for speed i got a 1098 s and rc8r
 
#4 ·
That is what You bought a truck for. It sounds like the OP is very happy with his trade and I thank him for his honest comparision.

I have the V8 4.7 and wish I had the the 5.7.
I got a hell of a deal on my truck which is a RCSB which is what I was looking for but now, I have almost bought a crewmax several times.
 
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#5 ·
if you talking purely about 0-60 than yes 5.7 is a superior engine but 4.6 is no slouch either according to motor trend it propels from 0-60 in 7.9 sec which is comparable with silverado's 5.3 or F150's 5.4 times and the funny thing is that these 2 trucks are the best sellers on the market which proves that most people don't care for the speed when buying a new truck.

I don't think i'm going to have much need for heavy hauling ,and like OkSlim said at the time i was looking for the best deal , i love my new truck and i don't regret it a bit, lots of power for my needs. And Please don't let as have any more arguing ,I was just trying to write honest comparison since i've owned both. We are all here cause we love our trucks and more importantly we love to help others get the most out of owning a Tundra.:D
 
#6 ·
ive never driven one so i cant compare, but i do haul stuff 24/7. so im gonna say for me the extra power is definitely needed. i bet my mpg would suffer a bit with a smaller motor.

to each his own, as long as your happy with what you got! :)
 
#7 ·
my new tundra 4.6 vs my 04 4.7

I believe my new 2011 4.6 is faster than my 04 tundra 4.7 as i have timed 0 to 60 at about 7.5 secs but gas mpg is standing on 17.8, all around town freeway and street and 18.4 all highway with 1000 lbs in truck not towing. towing I got 17.9 with a 3200 lb boat. I also think the 6 speed is responsible for the power transfer and mileage, looks to me like toyota thought this out with the 4.6 I did read on one of the car mags that the heads, intake manifold and headers are off the 5.7 could not get dealer to verify this but they did say the 4.6 was within 3 secs of 5.7 in 1/4 mile
 
#8 ·
I bought the 5.7L V8 because I wanted the power to haul and tow. I don't do either very often but when I do, I want to know that I have enough power to do so. I didn't buy my truck for fuel economy, I bought it because of Toyota's history of reliability and at 45k and 0 problems I'm very happy with it. The 4.6L would be ok for an all around truck for commuting and light duty hauling and towing, which seems like what most people use a truck for now is to drive to and from work so not many people really ever use the 5.7L's power.

IMO it don't matter which engine you get as long as you are happy with your purchase.
 
#9 ·
my other opinion

Yes I agree the 5.7 will tow handier than the 4.6, probably. I think back to the time the chevy service jerk said that my 3/4 ton chevy conversion van had a hole 130hp and we were towing long distances then loaded to the gills with baby stuff and the rest of the crap. You are right, I will only counter that during the gas ripoff that we are expereiencing now i landed on this new 4.6 engine and its a good puller to and if I can eak out a few extra mpg thats good too. Thanks for the input.
 
#10 ·
I haven't purchased my Tundra yet, but intend to in the spring. I am most definitely going
with the 4.6L if I find what I want. It will do all the chores that I want and do it handily.
I suspect that I may see a better outcome on mpg than my present 5.7 Chev. I like
a lot of others have issues with the reliability of parts on American's big 3.
Its time for a change.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the info on the two engines. Does the 4.6 still come with 4.30 gears?
 
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#13 ·
4.6 with tow package comes with 4.10.
 
#12 ·
If you frequent a forum like this one, you may become influenced to buy a 5.7. Even with 5.7, we feel inadequate compared to supercharged ones. And so on. But if you think this out rationally, 4.6 is the right option for many of us. It has an excellent combination of power and economy.
 
#14 ·
That's were I was going Bad Dad. The gears have a lot to do with MPG. Comparing a 4.30 gear ratio truck with 3.73's+/- doesn't work.
 
#16 ·
I traded my Tacoma for my Tundra 4.6 and haven't regretted my decision. I would have gladly bought a 5.7, but I couldn't find one at a local dealer in the configuration I wanted. I moved up from the Tacoma because I needed more space, not so much because I needed more power (although the added power is nice, especially when I'm getting the same or better MPG's!). Whenever we travelled in the Tacoma it was a challenge to comfortably take all our stuff and our dog with us. Only on occasion do I tow a 5' x 10' utility trailer and I don't forsee towing anything over 4k-5k pounds in the near future. The 4.6 suits my needs perfectly.
 
#18 ·
Agreed, buy the truck that matchs what you need in your life. If you need to tow 10k the 5.7 is right for you. If you just need an every day commuter and weekend play toy all motors will work great.
 
#19 ·
Traded my Taco in for my Tundra like many of you guys. Get about the same gas mileage in a much bigger/peppier package. 99% of the time I am glad I have the 4.6, but there is that 1% of the time when I want to really leave somebody in the dust :disappointed:.
 
#20 ·
I drover both a 4.6 and 5.7L. IN town putting around either engine seems fine guessing 2-3 more mpg. But if pulling anything over say 2,000 lbs., then I bet the 5.7L will get as good as gas mpg as the 4.6L does since not working as hard. Being a chevy guy formerly, the best 5.3L engine I had in terms of fun and pulling power and yes, even mpg was the 4.10 rear axle ratio no longer offered in that engine. The 3.73 was o.k. at best and dealer once convince me to get 3.42 rear axle ratio and that thing sucked gas and kicked in and out of gear all the time, what a dog. I think toyota knows what they are doing offering the 4.10 and 4.30 rear axle ratio thus not having to floor the engine to get going makes a huge mpg difference. Yes, the 4.6L is a much smaller cubic displacement vs. the 5.3L chevy and 5.4L ford but the 4.6L offers the 4.10 rear axle ratio thus being a superior engine for pulling and everyday driving pleasure. Rear axle ratios make a huge difference in terms of mpg and pulling power and pleasure to drive.
 
#22 ·
Just thought I'd throw this out there for comparison purposes:

I have an '08 DC 4x4 with the 5.7 and 4.30 gears.
HWY mileage is about 18 and my average MPG (with about 50/50 HWY and in town) varies between 14.5 and 15.5

Stock rims/tires, no lift.
 
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#23 ·
Never been a toyota or chevy fan. I have owened my 04 4.7 liter 30,000 mile tundra for a few months now though. From what I read here seems the new 5.7 gets better mileage then the ol 4.7. I havent been able to break 17 mpg yet. Ive hit 16.9, but thats the best so far with very light loads. I have grown to really like the Toyota, its comfortable and has good power for what I need.
Ive always been a ford fan and still am, but I bought an 03 silverado in 03 based simply on their v 8 mileage at the time. I put 230,000 miles on that truck with only a failed a c compressor which a buddy replaced for me. I was impressed with that truck.
 
#24 ·
ok guys i recently traded in a 2007 DC LB with 5.7 for a 2011 DC 4.6 SB and here is some honest comparison between the 2:

Power:
every day driving I barely notice any difference in power,I'm telling you this new engine got some power no doubt, now if you race from light to light yeah will be different but still i don't think you bought this truck for that purpose.In my case I have Infiniti G37 S and a Yamaha R1 in the garage so no problem there:D...
I got the 4.6L in a 2011 DC. If I want speed I like you will drive my Infiniti G. However, when I drive my truck I like to just chill. However, I have found that it has passing power when I need it. A lot of people are saying it is great to have the 5.7 when you tow. Some like to race I guess. I wonder how many of those same people have the CrewMax. I got the DC instead of the CM because I wanted a full size bed when I haul stuff.

The BOTTOM LINE: Don't get sucked in to what everybody else likes. If it makes you happy then you got the right one for YOU! I love mine!
 
#25 ·
I took the plunge 2 weeks ago, and bought a limited DC with the 5.7 engine only because
I wanted a Limited Tundra. I absolutely love the truck, but find the only thing I am not
content with is the engine. Its is superior engine for sure, but it is far more overpowered
for what I wanted. For me to have been completely happy, I would have liked to have
had a 4.6L engine, that drank a little less fuel, but still be powerful enough for my needs.
 
#29 ·
these 4.7 crewmax were never released in my area. could not even be ordered.
 
#30 ·
I went with the 5.7 4x4 w/ towing package but actually was considering the 4.6. I'm really glad I went with the 5.7 because I now have a 6000lb travel trailer. I'm not sure what the towing capacity is of the 4.6 but I'd guess around 7 to 8k tops and to me that's too close for comfort. If I never towed anything I'd go with the 4.6 as gunning it from a stop light isnt my thing. Although I have to say when I'm on the highway going 65 and I want to pass someone that 5.7 will let you do it quick.
 
#32 ·
with gas prices and rarity of the 4.6, the 4.6 maybe easier to sell in this market for guy looking into a full size truck with slight better gas mileage. but for me, i say screw the gas mileage, gimme the power!
 
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