Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Diesel Toyota Tacoma?

Does anyone up-north own/drive a diesel toyota tacoma? (Or could it perhaps have the moniker Hilux)

What kind of MPG's are you getting out of it?

I know that they were manufactured up there at one time, and I dearly want a toyota truck. Especially if it is a diesel. But I believe I am out of luck importing one into the united states.
Any chance on this?

Fingers-Crossed

I dont believe Toyota has sold a diesel Tacoma in Mexico in decades, but I could be wrong.
I do know they have em in Mexico though and I would trade my 2012 in on a diesel immediately if given the option.

I love my Toyota with the 22R, can only imagine how nice a diesel would be. Is it just the emmissions or some marketing agreement that keeps them from being sold here?

Emmissions.

Certainly is a conspiracy. They get darn near 30mpg with the smaller diesel. I researched importing a european, south american, mexican, or japanese toyota hilux (foreign equivalent of Tacoma, just diesel engine + styling stuff)
Long story short you can make it happen with enough money; between 25% chicken tax on import + other costs + registration hassles it doesn't seem like a realistic option.

Looks like you can import a 'clip' or hilux chopped in half. Swap out motors etc. but that seems like a dangerous road to travel on.

Why can't I have a diesel?

There is a company in Idaho that installs Cummins 4bt's and adds a solid front axle to Tacomas. It just takes cheddar...

I want a 5.9 Cummins in my '00 tundra...

Hmm. Its all about the Benjamins. Will research that option thoroughly, perhaps a diesel toyota is possible in my lifespan.

I looked into an engine swap on a tacoma from several reputable places online. 15k starting, alllllllll the way up to 25k. You could buy a brand new truck for what they want; just doesn't seem worth it.




**********************************************************
There could be hope!
I spoke with a coworker, his brother works at a dealership. He mentioned that dealers, given the proper licenses can import foreign vehicles.

Id be interested in this. However, I dont think this is accurate.

We never manufactured diesel Hi-Lux (Tacomas) up here. Some guys do import the right hand drives though. Never new on the lot.
Emmission eco-crap keeps them from having a proper left hand drive version manufactured here.

Do they make any Toyotas in Canada?

Rav4s, Matrix, Corollas. I'm not sure if they make anything else.

Turbo Diesel Toyota pickups were imported in the 80's.

George in SD;
As noted by others here already the majority of the off shore diesel rigs seen here in BC are right hand drive models.

There are a few outfits here that specialize in them and while there are some pickups we mostly see 4x4 vans and Land Cruiser type rigs.

They tend to be at least 15 years old - I think anyway??? - and are almost all very low mileage and very, very well maintained.

I've heard it has something to do with not being allowed to drive a vehicle over 15 years old back in Japan - and I guess they typically don't drive that much if the low odometer readings are any indication.

So the good news is here in BC there are quite a few to be found.

The bad news is that because they are optioned out turbo diesel units the asking price is typically a little high - but then they seem to sell all they can bring in - so I guess it isn't that high then.

My neighbor's Dad has a smaller Land Cruiser from Micronesia or someplace like that with a left hand drive that they can't get some parts for here and then too his sister had a bigger Land Cruiser that they either couldn't find some injector/pressure pump parts for or someone who knew how to work on it.

I can't recall the details exactly and apologize for that, but parts aren't seamless up here...

There are other odd things about right hand drives as well, such as the headlights point slightly in the wrong direction for our roads - or so my VW mechanic told me anyway.

If you'd like some links to some of the importers up here, please let me know and I'll fire off a couple to you that I know are busy, but I don't know what they are like to deal with - sorry.

Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck with your search for a diesel Toyota.

Regards,
Dwayne

PS:
We've got an Iseki (Japanese) tractor, a VW TDI and a Cummins Dodge in the yard at present, so we're kinda fond of oil burners at our house too.

That's really not the reason. You don't really think an 18 wheeled Freightliner/Kenworth/Volvo on the highway is more emissions friendly than a Hi-Lux made for the European market, do you?

North American's still have an aversion to diesel powered passenger vehicles, especially in the US. They're used to seeing stinky trucks burning diesel, not the family car. Remember GM tried making some diesel powered cars in the 80's and that went over like a lead balloon. The only diesels that sell well are full size pick-ups, but they've got engines the size of which you'd find in semi's over in Europe.

It would be fair to say that in Australia 80% of 4x4's are diesel powered. In fact,once you've owned a diesel 4x4 you wouldn't go back to petrol,especially since fuel economy with a diesel is so much better - its probably around 50% better. As well as that,today most intercooled turbos diesels drive as well and have as much power as a 6 cylinder family car.

I had this conversation with a fellow at Toyota once, and he said that they have people ask him all the time. I asked what the interference is and he said its the eco-standards of the last decade interfering as each engine is in a class, and has certain standards to meet to be manufactured in North America in that class. I said why the Volkswagen TDI then, and he said `exactly`. Apparently it cost them quite a bit to bring the public to the point that they where in demand, and then they paid even more to meet current standards. But they sell like bloody crazy, and though it took awhile it now makes them money. So take what I said as third hand info.
This is where I am getting my info from. A Tacoma with a 4 cyl Turbo desiel and Volkswagen TDI van would suit me nicely.

There is something going on here that I don't understand, we diesel VW, MB, and big diesel pickups but we cant get a small diesel pickup/ They would sell like hotcakes.

I very much agree. There is more to the story than meets the eye. A small diesel would indeed sell like hotcakes; mabye they don;t want us having a truck that lasts so long and gets great mpgs?


As far as them not being made in canada, that is news to me. Good to know. I haven't heard back from my local dealership yet about importing one, but fingers crossed.

Actually the Kenworths do have more emmissions controls. And the market is small for the reasons you mentioned so it doesnt warrant a new engine design just for north the US market.
They have left side drive, diesel tacomas in some south/central american countries. If importing into CA would fly this might be an option.