R & H Toyota

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Driving Impressions

Pick-up buyers can be like beer drinkers. No one will convince them that another brand is better than their own, and their loyalty can rest as much in image as taste (or performance). We won't even try to convince anyone that the Toyota Tundra is better than any other half-ton pickup on the market. We'll simply observe that by objective measure it is clearly competitive.

Pickup manufacturers, on the other hand, like to tout their different tacks on frame design, materials and construction. There's hydro-formed this, C-channel that, fully boxed the other, welded versus one-piece, high-tensile steel versus quiet steel and so on. For the record, the Tundra is a unibody-on-frame, which is fully boxed in the front half, rolled C-channel in back.

Truth, though, is that what a driver really cares about is how it all comes together under the right foot, at the seat of the pants and at the hitch. And with all six full-size, light-duty trucks in play (counting the GMC Sierra), the Toyota Tundra sits near the front of the bench. In some ways it's tops, and in others it falls a bit short. It lacks some features such as optional rear-end ratios that allow owners to tailor a truck more specifically to their needs. In basic technology and overall refinement, the competitors are catching up.

Examples from the powertrain department make the point. The V6 and 5.7-liter V8 are what have been state of the art for a number of years, as are some of the competition's engines, with features such as variable intake valve timing, sequential fuel injection, knock sensors (allowing in most cases use of Regular 87 octane gas), electronically managed throttle-by-wire and dual-length intake manifolds.

The 4.7 is no slouch either, originally stemming from the V8 used in the first Lexus flagships and having been updated a few years back, it matches GM's 4.8-liter overall but Dodge's same-size V8 bests it by 34 hp and 17 lb-ft.

Despite the engines' overhead-camshaft, four-valve-per-cylinder architectures, the Toyota engines tend to make their peak power earlier at lower rpm, where you want it in a truck, than most competitor engines like Dodge's 4.7 and Ford's 4.6 overhead cam and the older-design pushrod setups in GM's V8s and Dodge's Hemi.

On the road, power delivery in the two V8 engines is linear, and commendably strong at low engine speed. This is especially so in the 5.7-liter, where 90 percent of the torque is on tap from 2400 revolutions per minute to 5500 rpm. Very impressive is the absence of any discernible surge sometimes associated with overhead-cam, multi-valve engines. We find the 5.7-liter V8 a delightful engine, very responsive when quick acceleration is needed, smooth and powerful when cruising.

TRD markets a supercharger package that raises the stock 381 horsepower to around 500 hp. This emissions-compliant system can not be financed with a new vehicle purchase but if bought and installed by the dealer at the time the vehicle is purchased, it is warranted for the balance of the factory warranty.

Fuel economy is competitive, though EPA ratings are not best in class.

Maximum towing capacity of 10,800 pounds applies to an unloaded Tundra regular cab with the 5.7-liter V8. Ford has a regular cab rated slightly higher, GM crew cabs tend to have the advantage in that division, while the Nissan Titan (which offers no regular cab) stays near 9500 max and Dodge's 2009 Ram runs to around 9000. We'd tow such loads only infrequently. We've found the Tundra does a superb job of towing an enclosed car trailer, about a 4,000-pound load. We recommend considering a heavy-duty pickup for towing trailers of more than 5,000 pounds. Overkill with tow rigs is nice on long nights or in inclement weather or strong winds.

Based on towing a variety of trailers from sea level to 5000 feet, we're here to tell you the 5.7-liter has more than enough pulling power and appropriate gearing; it frequently outruns the competition while getting better fuel economy, too. Unlike some pickups, the Tundra does not offer an integrated trailer brake controller, but a host of aftermarket controllers do the job.

Overall, both the five-speed and six-speed automatic transmissions work well. Gear changes are smooth, though more apparent when trailering. Downshifts during braking on downhill grades are well managed, properly timed and helpful. In sum the Tundra's transmissions are unobtrusive, which in a truck is usually the best compliment, because in a truck if you frequently notice how the transmission is doing it's job, it probably isn't doing it as well as it could. A Tow/Haul mode is available for increased trailer towing performance and improved transmission durability, and should be used when combined weight of truck and trailer exceeds 12,000 pounds. We use it whenever towing.

Ride and handling in the Tundra might be the best in class. Steering response is sure and certain. Somehow, Toyota's suspension engineers have delivered a setup that leaves no doubt the driver is operating a truck, and yet by virtually every measure suggests the Tundra is anything but. Over severely uneven pavement, the solid rear axle makes its presence known with a slightly skippy feeling, but the Tundra's unladen rear end feels less skittish than some other pickups, and there is rarely any disruption that even instantaneously moves it off the driver's intended path. As with most pickups, the ride gets bouncy on bumpy freeways with an empty bed.

Braking is solid, with firm pedal feel. The Tundra's standard four-wheel discs are a first for a Toyota pickup and push the technological envelope in light trucks. The ABS system has all the control features, including electronic balancing of brake force, that one expects in a luxury car.

The TRD Off-Road Package delivers excellent handling on pavement, and it's especially noticeable when Tundras so equipped are driven quickly on winding, two-lane roads; the TRD Sport package does even better if the roads aren't too rough.

For more severe four-wheel drive use the Tundra offers decent articulation and good low-range gearing; when enabled the traction control van be intrusive. Unlike most pickups, the Tundra 4WD also has an RSCA switch that backs off the thresholds for deploying the side-curtain airbags. This can be helpful on side-angle trails and ditches that might otherwise trigger a side curtain deployment.

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