Based on a drive over lava-strewn terrain and undulating highways,
Toyota's new Tundra has the size and power to compete with the
Ford F-150,
Dodge Ram,
Chevrolet Silverado and
GMC Sierra. It is the first full-sized pickup truck truck ever sold by an import-brand automaker.
The Toyota Tundra offers an optional double overhead-cam V8 engine that gives it more than enough power to compete with the big dogs. The Tundra accelerates quicker than base V8 versions of the Ford F-150, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra -- even when a trailer is attached. This new Toyota pickup truck can tow a 7,200-pound trailer or haul more than 2,000 pounds in its 8-foot bed. It offers excellent handling on the highway and over rough terrain. It sports a comfortable cab and delivers a quiet ride.
In a field of great full-sized, half-ton pickup truck trucks, the Toyota Tundra is among the greatest.
The Tundra replaces
Toyota's T100, an intermediate,
Dodge Dakota-sized truck available only with a V6. Though it was a high-quality, durable truck, the T100 failed to attract large numbers of American pickup truck buyers who wanted a V8 engine and a roomier cab. Out with the T100, in with the Tundra.
The Tundra offers two engines, but Toyota expects nearly 95 percent of its buyers will opt for the V8. The 4.7-liter engine will be the first double overhead-cam, 32-valve V8 engine offered for a full-size pickup truck truck. Lifted from the Toyota Land Cruiser, this V8 produces 245 horsepower and 315 foot-pounds of torque. All V8 models come with 4-speed automatic transmissions.
The standard engine is a 3.4-liter double overhead-cam V6 rated at 190 horsepower and 220 foot-pounds of torque. It comes with a choice of 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.
Built at Toyota's brand-new assembly plant in Indiana, the Tundra is available as a two-door regular cab or four-door Access Cab. Two- and four-wheel drive versions are available, which employ similar suspensions and bed heights.
Though attractive, Tundra's styling is bland when compared with the stylish Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 trucks. It shares that Toyota look with the Tacoma compact- and T100 intermediate-sized pickups. Curving lines give it a sporty look, while bulging fenders make it appear ready to go off road.
Access Cab extended cab models come with four doors. The rear doors open in the opposite direction -- they called these suicide doors in the old days. These doors will crash into one another if you close the front door before closing the rear door. Fortunately, the inside of the rear door is padded, so it isn't a big problem.
The pickup truck bed measures 8 feet on the regular cab; it's 6-foot, three-inches long on the Access Cab, which is about 2 inches shorter than the bed of a Ford F-150. Toyota's bed is also a little shallower than Ford's.
