2007 Toyota Tundra Review

PROS
Good passenger and cargo room, Powerful engine, Quiet ride

CONS
Numb steering and brakes, Indifferent interior

Playing with the Big Boys Despite shrinking market share, U.S. automakers still have a stranglehold on large pickup sales. Ford's slice of the large pickup pie is more than 32 percent. GM, with Silverado and Sierra, is still higher at almost 40%. Even Dodge garners more sales than the imports with roughly 18 percent of the market. Large pickup owners are clearly a loyal bunch and the domestic auto manufacturers clearly know how to make their buyers happy.

In 1993, Toyota decided to try and crash the domestics' big pickup party with a half-hearted entry called the T100. It didn't make a dent. It was too small, underpowered, and overpriced. Then in 2000, Toyota introduced a replacement for the T100 called Tundra. While larger and more powerful than T100, it was still not as large as the domestic trucks and lacked the pedigree necessary to become a "work" truck.

The domestics got a wake-up call in 2004 when Nissan introduced the Titan. It was every bit as large as the domestic trucks and had a 305-horsepower V8. Initial sales of the Titan were good, but it was plagued with quality issues and a dealer body that had never supported a vehicle that large. Once again, the domestic trucks had withstood the onslaught of the imports.

If you are sensing a brewing pickup-truck war, you're 100% right.

Tundra comes in three body styles: regular cab, DoubleCab, and CrewMax. DoubleCab and CrewMax have four regular conventional doors. Regular-cab models come with an 8.1-foot cargo bed. DoubleCab is available with the 8.1-foot bed or a shorter 6.5-foot bed. CrewMax models come with a 5.5-foot bed. Regular cabs have a 3-person front bench seat or two front buckets. DoubleCab and CrewMax models add a three-place rear bench seat.

Two engines carry over, a 236-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 and a 271-horsepower 4.7-liter V8. They mate to a 5-speed automatic transmission. New for 2007 is a 5.7-liter V8 that makes 381 horsepower. It is coupled to a new 6-speed automatic. All Tundra models come with either rear-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive, which features a low-range for off-road use but is not intended to be driven in four-wheel drive mode on dry pavement. When equipped with the 5.7-liter V8, Tundra has a maximum towing capacity of 10,800 pounds.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, tire-pressure monitor, and front, side, and curtain side airbags. Front and rear obstacle detection is available. A rear-view camera is available as part of the towing package.

Three trim levels are available: Base, SR5, and Limited. The base comes standard with air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, limited-slip differential, and, on V8 models front tow hooks, tow-hitch receiver, and seven-pin wiring harness. SR5 models add to base cruise control, eight-way power driver seat, keyless entry, and power mirrors, windows, and locks. Limited features dual-zone climate control, power tilt-telescope steering wheel, center console, memory seat, 6-disc CD changer, Bluetooth cell-phone link, rear-privacy glass, and fog lights.

Get Up and Go Tundra's 5.7-liter V8 is a very powerful engine. Even in the heavy four-wheel-drive DoubleCab, it has plenty of muscle around town and provides exceptional passing response in the 50-70 mph range. Compared to similar V8s from Chevy, Dodge, and Ford, the 5.7 feels more responsive and energetic.

The engine also mates very well to the new six-speed automatic transmission. Gear ratios are spaced for even power delivery and good economy and shifts are truck smooth--meaning they are felt but don't jolt. Downshifs are prompt. Another bonus is the standard traction control and limited slip-differential. These two features help limit wheel spin in hard acceleration on slippery surfaces and are welcome standard features on any pickup truck.

Interestingly, the engine isn't as refined as you might expect from Toyota. On first startups there's a disconcerting clatter as oil begins to circulate. Then in passing situations, engine noise grows coarse. Even though the 5.7 is an all-new engine, the lack of refinement is unusual for Toyota.

Sadly, the EPA ratings with four-wheel drive and the 5.7-liter V8 are only 14 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. Those are slightly lower than the ratings of similar offerings at Chevrolet and Ford. In real-world driving, don't expect to average much better than 16 mpg in city driving. Even in gentile highway cruising, Tundra is unlikely to crack 18 mpg. According to Toyota, all Tundra engines run fine on regular-grade fuel.

On the Road
Toyota didn't reinvent the pickup when it redesigned Tundra. It still rides on coil springs up front and leaf springs at the rear. That said, Tundra rides as smoothly as most competitors. The longish wheelbase and solid frame work together to smother most bumps, however, the ride isn't at all car-like. Optional 20-inch wheels provide a much firmer ride that borders on jittery. With an empty bed, Tundra hops around fast corners just like any other pickup. Put a few hundred pounds in the bed and the ride softens considerably.

As you might expect, given its sheer size and mission in life, Tundra doesn't have race-car moves. Thanks to slow and numb steering and a lifeless brake pedal (though stopping power is impressive), the Tundra feels ponderous at times. Overall, Tundra's with 18-inch wheels holds the road as well as domestic competitors. When equipped with the 20-inch wheels, handling and steering feel improve a notch.

Interior noise levels are lower than you might expect with a large pickup. There's scant wind whistle and only modest road rumble. As noted, the engine can grow coarse in hard acceleration, but is quite docile in routine commuting.

Behind the Wheel In years past, pickup trucks featured crude interiors and simple creature comforts. Today, most pickup trucks tout car-like interiors with loads of electronic goodies. Ford and Chevy even offer a basic interior for work trucks and a deluxe interior for multi-use trucks.

Toyota tries to strike a balance between the two with a single interior. For the most part it works well. Materials and fit and finish aren't as good as top-line interiors from Ford and Chevy, but they are still acceptable for a pickup. Gauges are deep set and a bit small and the flat dashboard design places climate and audio controls too far from the driver. Still, the buttons and knobs are large and clearly marked.

Front bucket seats are typical pickup fare, which means flat and soft but not all that supportive. Leg room is great; head room adequate. The tilt-telescope steering wheel makes it easy for most drivers to find a comfortable position. Outward visibility is great, but the rear-view camera screen isn't as large or bright as those offered in competitors.

Tundra DoubleCab has nice conventional wide-opening rear doors. That's a plus compared to some competitors. In addition, the rear seats offer adult-size room and comfort. Leg room is great if the front seats are half-way back but only adequate if they are all the way back.

The tailgate is counterbalanced to make it easier to close and features a lock. Unfortunately, that lock is not power operated and requires a key. The pickup bed features a couple of tie-down points and there's an optional system that includes a bunch of adjustable tie downs.

Bottom Line Tundra is the best import effort to date in the full-size pickup wars. It's certainly large and powerful enough. However, it is also quite expensive and has mediocre interior fittings. Given the fierce brand loyalty in this segment, it is unlikely many buyers will feel compelled to switch to Toyota, but there is no doubting that it's considerably better than the vehicle it is replacing and worthy of a test drive.