The first thing that comes to mind when one stands beside, rides in, or drives the new Tundra is the word BIG. Everything about this truck from the oversized gear shift to the massive front end seems as if it were designed with one purpose...to be BIG. If that's the case, Toyota hit it right on the head because at no point in driving this truck does it feel small in any way. Having driven an F-150 supercrew over the last few weeks, I thought it would be a good time to try out a new Tundra and actually be able to honestly compare them.
The tundra I had was the SR5, extra cab model with the 5.7 liter V-8. Please note that as with most of the full-size trucks today, there is a smaller V-8 (4.7 liter) available that would be more than ample for 90% of the population and probably get a little better mileage. As stated above, everything about the tundra feels big. It is a 1/2 ton truck that feels more like a semi. As most guys do, I suppose that I like feeling as if I'm driving something that towers over everyone else on the road and just looks massive in comparison to other cars and even most other trucks. There's just something fun about it! However, in all honesty, it was somewhat disappointing to drive this truck for a week because it's really a pain once the driver gets past the ego driven desire to be BIG. Going from the Ford to the Toyota was quite a switch for me. In my opinion, the Ford is more of an everyday driver and is a lot more user friendly in that regard. The Toyota is harder to see out of, harder to park, and generally not as comfortable to drive. From the positioning of the controls to the huge shifter and big, big A/C control knobs, it just doesn't feel right. However, as stated above, at no point does it not feel BIG. After driving it for a few days, I did get accustomed to it but still found it to just be awkwardly large. I formulated the opinion that the reason for this is that Toyota really had something to prove when they entered the full-size truck market and the method they apparently decided to use in order to accomplish it was to build something that looked and felt larger than anything else on the road. I believe that creature comforts and driveability came in 2nd on the design team's list of priorities with this big dude. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice truck and does have a quality feel to it but there is just so much emphasis on Big-ness that it goes too far. Comparatively speaking, I wouldn't want to drive one everyday even if gas was still under one dollar per gallon. Everyone who spoke to me about this truck commented on how much fuel it drinks and how big it is. I must admit, by looking at it and driving it, one would think that it's going to deliver single digit mileage. However, I was surprised that the 5.7 liter V-8 was still able to pull off 20 mpg during our time together. Granted, this was over about 500 miles, 475 of which were highway miles, but nevertheless, it came in a good 1 mpg over the comparable Ford (5.4liter) and a couple mpg under a comparable Chevrolet (5.3liter) It has a lot more than sufficient power but it could shift more smoothly. Upon starting to move from a dead stop, it always seems to rev a bit before the tranny catches and gets moving. It was bothersome to me because it feels like you're driving a stick and missed first gear. This was only when taking it easy in order to try and get a good mpg reading. When the gas pedal is punched, there is no lag and this thing really takes off. The funny thing is that the payload and towing capabilities of this truck are within the same class as that of the F-150 which seemed like it was designed more with comfort and smoothness in mind rather than how big it could feel. As for the ride comfort, this truck rides smoothly on the open road but I was surprised at how jittery and bouncy it felt on rough roads. It was a very noticeable difference when going over poorly paved or worn roads...perhaps the difference in the way the frame is made between this one and other comparable trucks?
Back to the interiors, the Ford was a supercrew model as opposed to the Toyota being an extra cab model. As a result, the cab of the Ford, particularly the rear seat, has noticeably more room in it than the rear seat of the Toyota. However, on the flip side, the Toyota has about another foot of bed space which is nice if you're really going to use it for hauling cargo. One thing I really liked about the interior of the Toyota as opposed to the Ford was the center console. Both trucks have a good amount of storage space in the cab but the Toyota definitely outshines the Ford in this category. The center console is loaded with bins and can be folded down as an armrest or set up as the rear of a middle seat in the front. The Ford's center console, while having a huge cavity for storage, does not convert into a 3rd seat which, in my opinion, is something that any full-size truck ought to have. I mean, come on, if you're going to be getting sub 20 mpg, you ought to at least be able to haul around 6 people in the thing right? Anyways, the Toyota has an additional storage area underneath the center seat as well. It also has an average size glove box but in addition to that, it has another compartment that opens up just above the glove box! Again, on storage space, it is a winner.
All in all, it comes down to what you want. In my opinion, this truck was built to feel BIG and it accomplishes that task quite well. It is not as pleasant to drive nor operate in tight spaces as the other full-size trucks that I have driven but it will get the job done if BIG is what you like. As far as trucks go, it was more economical than I expected although owners I have spoken with complain that it ain't so great on city driving. The interior is reasonably comfortable but some of the dash controls could stand to be smaller and more conveniently placed. Overall, I have been impressed with the quality feel of the full-size trucks that are available on the market right now. Both of the models which I have written about here seem to be well made and able to serve their purpose well. As a result, the best advice I could offer on purchasing one would be to test drive all of them and see what has the feel you're looking for with the features you need.
My Report Card:
Styling: B
Comfort: B
Ride: C
Economy: D
Drivetrain: B
Overall: C+
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