Tundra wins 2008 MT Truck of the Year

It beat out Ford's new Superduy offerings and GM's 2500 and 3500 trucks :eek:

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/truck/112_0802_toty_winner

The F-150, Ram, and Silverado guys had better get out of the rain

What's that supposed to mean? :confused:

That takes away any respect for MT that I might've had left.

And MT continues chipping away at any shred of credibility they had left.....

What's that supposed to mean? :confused:

It means yota paid them more than Chevy,Ford and Dodge of course.:)

Offering that kind of variety right out of the gate is impressive and ambitious; in fact, some might say too ambitious. The recent launch of the new Tundra has not been without a few hiccups. Several months ago, an early output of camshafts in the 5.7-liter V-8 were failing. Toyota tells us they traced down all the affected parts to a specific batch and have since made the corrections to the design. No failures have surfaced since. More recently, there have been some reports of transmission shudder under certain low-speed conditions, which dealers have traced to a torque converter issue. Toyota says these incidents were isolated and have also been resolved. And finally, there's been chatter on the Internet concerning tailgate problems, which Toyota is in the process of tracking down. Our guess is many of these stories spread like wildfire, given the lightning-rod effect this new truck is having with enthusiasts and the speed with which an Internet item can travel. With all that said, let's take a deeper look at what's special about our 2008 winner.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Testing, judging, and story for the February 2008 issue of Motor Trend were completed and printed before the latest safety recall involving 15,600 2007 Tundras to correct a potential driveshaft issue)

:lol:

This was a foregone conclusion when Toyota delayed the intro of the 2007 Tundra by a couple of months. That way, instead of competing against the 2007 GM trucks, they became eligible for the 2008 competition (due to MT's date cutoffs). I'm sure MT reminded Toyota that if they did that (and bought the appropriate amount of adspace), they'd be more likely to win in 2008. In '09, it will be the new Ram or F150.

No way the (better) HD GM trucks would beat the Tundra for this award. Remember, it isn't exactly a head to head competition for this award, but comes down to market significance, "superiority" (in the given market) and such. Otherwise, how would the COTY competition be calculated when a new Corvette is up against a new bread and butter family sedan or compact car?

I'm pretty sure the GM half-tons would have won over the Tundra had the Tundra been entered in the more appropriate 2007 field. Obviously, Toyota and MT felt the same way. That would have left the 2008 field pretty thin (like the 2006 field was, IIRC, with no major intros, allowing the Ridgeline to win). So, it was better for MT and better for Toyota to let the Tundra squeak into the 2008 field and lock an easy win.

I think the rules are that the vehicle has to have been introduced in the 12 month period prior to the award (or, rather, prior to the year in question). So a 2008-eligible entry must have been introduced between Jan and Dec of 2007. Even though we knew all about the Tundra prior to Jan 2007, I think it was "officially" released after that (while the Silverado came out earlier in 2006)...

:tired:

To repeat myself for the 475th time, MT is a JOKE of an auto mag, aimed at the middle school boys in study hall. Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Automobile are much more respectable (though they all have their biases, especially CandD, and some of the newer CandD writers seem to be lacking vs. their predecessors and the veterens...)

What a joke. First off it isn't new for 2008 and second the 2008 Super Duty Ford is a pretty amazing truck. The Tundra is a joke next to that new Ford.

What a joke. First off it isn't new for 2008 and second the 2008 Super Duty Ford is a pretty amazing truck. The Tundra is a joke next to that new Ford.Well, the HD GM trucks aren't new for the 2008 MY, either. But they didn't come out until after the start of 2007, so they missed the cutoff for the 2007 field.

But yes, MT is a joke. :)

Personally, I don't really care. Good for Toyota. BUT I do find it odd that they (Motor Trend) picked the silverado OVER the tundra in a comparison test, YET the "1/2 ton" tundra beat out GM's 3/4 and 1 ton offerings?

So when Toyota releases the 3/4 ton diesel in '09 it will most likely beat out the new Ram and F-150?

What does this award really mean? TOYOTA IS GOING TO ANNOY THE ****ING HELL OUT OF EVERYONE WITH A NEW ONSLAUGHT OF COMMERCIALS, that's what :rolleyes:

GM barely took advantage of the win, they kinda flashed the award at the end of a couple commercials. I guarantee we will be seeing full length Tundra commercials based on the awards "merits." :lol:

Personally, I don't really care. Good for Toyota. BUT I do find it odd that they (Motor Trend) picked the silverado OVER the tundra in a comparison test, YET the "1/2 ton" tundra beat out GM's 3/4 and 1 ton offerings? Again, they don't really compete "head to head."

The Tundra, while perhaps "inferior" to the HD trucks in many ways, is not a direct competitor to those entries. And, at least in the eyes of many in the media, this new Tundra is a very significant entry into the market (whereas the HD pickups from GM and Ford are established players).

But, as has been noted, this award is 99% about marketing...

Again, they don't really compete "head to head."



I completely understand that, but what about all the hoops GM and Ford had to jump through to meet the new emissions requirements while making the Duramax and Powerstroke more powerful with greater than ever towing capacities, all with a refined ride and better handling? That's more impressive than Toyota shoving a 380 horse motor in a half ass truck. GM has engines in their lineup that would blow the Tundra away, yet decided to refine the ride/towing/handling/fuel mileage of what was already working well for them.

This is truck of the year, right? Shouldn't the most badass truck have won? I think the Superduty deserved the win... :eek:

Eh... using MT's methods of judgement, which more or less amounts to the significance of the vehicle on the market... I can understand why the Tundra won. It's the first time the imports have really taken a direct shot at the big burly American work truck market.

Granted it seems they may have partially failed at this attempt.

But it's still of great significance which is really the #1 determinant.

Eh... using MT's methods of judgement, which more or less amounts to the significance of the vehicle on the market... I can understand why the Tundra won. It's the first time the imports have really taken a direct shot at the big burly American work truck market.

Granted it seems they may have partially failed at this attempt.

But it's still of great significance which is really the #1 determinant.

Threxx I think you forgot about the Nissan Titan, like most people have. When it introed it had a top of the line powertrain, outclassing pretty much everyone in HP and certainly had a good 4wd setup. Add in the 5 speed auto and it was certainly a contender on paper.

It means yota paid them more than Chevy,Ford and Dodge of course.:)

Yup!

Eh, you guys all loved it when GM bribed them off for COTY a couple weeks ago.

It seems pretty reasonable that a general interest mag like "Motor Trend" wouldn't pick a HD truck.

Threxx I think you forgot about the Nissan Titan, like most people have. When it introed it had a top of the line powertrain, outclassing pretty much everyone in HP and certainly had a good 4wd setup. Add in the 5 speed auto and it was certainly a contender on paper.
If I remember correctly, the (then) newly re-designed F-150 won that year and MT said that while the Titan outperformed the others in most categories; the nod went to Ford primairly because the F-150 came in so many different configurations (engine and body) while the Titan essencially had only two (and only one powertrain).

These awards are always a matter of opinion - no more and no less - it's nice for those who win but hardly worth getting worked-up about. :)

Eh, you guys all loved it when GM bribed them off for COTY a couple weeks ago.

It seems pretty reasonable that a general interest mag like "Motor Trend" wouldn't pick a HD truck.
Pointing out obvious hypocrisy like that won’t get you very many friends around here! ;)

Pointing out obvious hypocrisy like that won’t get you very many friends around here! ;)

You speak from the heart on this one! :D

In case most people don't notice but any new style of truck from the few players in that game will certainly win the award. This year it's Toyota's turn. Last year it was Chevy's and the new Ram will win next year and whenever the new F150 comes out it will win and then the Titan too. Instead of an award it's more of a door prize for playing.

The COY is more difficult because of the number of real participants in the game every year.

They should rename the award to "Recall of the Year", Tundra would get top honors as well.

I dont see why the Silvy 2500/3500 didnt win over Tundra? 2 different powertrains, the strongest powertrain line up with the 6.0 and 6spd or the Dmax and 6spd auto. Like the half ton, the HD's have fantastic interiors, quality materials, comfortable interiors.
With all the recalls, why did Tundra still get this? What was that remarkable that Toyota make a big truck that made them chose the Tundra over anything else?
Camshaft failures, transmission failures, tail gate failures, now driveshaft failures? And some how this is the TOTY? The best truck in this line up had 4 major recalls in a single year? On top of the fact that Toytoa's quality image is slipping, and the Tundra gets low EPA gas milage ratings?
Why did Toyota win? What did it do better then anyone else?

I dont see why the Silvy 2500/3500 didnt win over Tundra?

To most people, the 3/4- and one-ton trucks are just different models in GM's full-size line-up.

Threxx I think you forgot about the Nissan Titan, like most people have. When it introed it had a top of the line powertrain, outclassing pretty much everyone in HP and certainly had a good 4wd setup. Add in the 5 speed auto and it was certainly a contender on paper.

I actually honestly didn't forget about it - I actually was considering it when writing my post.

For some reason the Tundra just seems like it was the first full fledged effort to make a truck that is better than the domestics.

The Titan was more of a "me too!" truck even though it was, at least, the right size.

Then again maybe that's not how it was at first and it's just hindsight looking at how it really hasn't done much to the market.

I actually honestly didn't forget about it - I actually was considering it when writing my post.

For some reason the Tundra just seems like it was the first full fledged effort to make a truck that is better than the domestics.

The Titan was more of a "me too!" truck even though it was, at least, the right size.

Then again maybe that's not how it was at first and it's just hindsight looking at how it really hasn't done much to the market.

My thoughts were about all the people calling for the Titan to 'break the ranks' of the domestic loyal truck buyers. And to be honest it had the powertrain advantage that the Tundra has now. The biggest difference being the different cab/bed configurations the Tundra offers. But the Titan is is at least competitive even today and is certainly fullsize enough to be considered a full effort.

Eh, you guys all loved it when GM bribed them off for COTY a couple weeks ago.

It seems pretty reasonable that a general interest mag like "Motor Trend" wouldn't pick a HD truck.

Ballsy. But pretty true.

I guess, according to some of the posters here, GM paid MT money to win the COTY and Chyrlser did when the 300 won, and GM did again when the Silverado won. Is it really that hard to believe that the Tundra is more of a significant truck than a heavy-duty truck? MT isn't saying it is better than the Ford, the Dodge or the Chevrolet that it is competing against; it is saying it is the most significant truck to come out this year.

In fact, Motor Trend specifically tested it against a Silverado and guess what; it lost.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/trucks/112_0704_chevrolet_silverado_toyota_tundra/index.html

Considering the Toyota CEO was quoted as saying the Tundra "had brought shame to Toyota..." the award is a twist.

Obviously, quality (or lack of it, if recalls are any guide) isn't a criterion for TOTY.

Eh... using MT's methods of judgement, which more or less amounts to the significance of the vehicle on the market... I can understand why the Tundra won. It's the first time the imports have really taken a direct shot at the big burly American work truck market.

Granted it seems they may have partially failed at this attempt.

But it's still of great significance which is really the #1 determinant.

I think the MT CoTY is actually supposed to be the best new vehicle relative to others in its class. It's Time's Man of the Year which is about significance.

I don't see why everyone's hating on the Tundra. It's got a very impressive engine with excellent power and fuel economy, for one. There may have been a few problems with it, but given the timing of CoTY, it can never be about the most reliable new car.

I question having a Truck of the Year category though, given the small number of new pickups each year. I'm sure $$ has something to do with it....

Motor Trend's awards are based on "market impact" or something which is to some extent a code word for "advertising budget". They're probably not taking bribes, but anyone who wins their Of The Year award is spending a lot of cash with them.

you guys remember that the Ridgeline got truck of the year a couple years ago right?

Honestly, I don't see why this was a shock. Everyone knew that since the Tundra didn't make it in time for last year's TOTY, it was going to win this year...

It no big deal, don't get worked up over it.
;)

Honestly, I don't see why this was a shock. Everyone knew that since the Tundra didn't make it in time for last year's TOTY, it was going to win this year...

It no big deal, don't get worked up over it.
;)


Don't worry guys this is a "good" thing. Toyota's going to sell thousands more of these crap boxes and guess what?
The paper trail that is the recall notices will creep out from under the shadow of this award faster than you can say "whooaa dolly"..
This is egg on the face of MT and a slap in the face to a truck that is not having the best in anythign right now and only will be a loss to Toyota for the future with the problems it is having.

And sure we raved about the new Bu having CotY..heck its awards and praise as as long as the list of the Tundras problems...The bu is setting the stage and having a great run and changing the minds of buyers..and it shows..the Tundra..is changing it all all right..chaning all its parts in recalls..Heck even a stopped clock is right 2 times a day and MT did good like many other publications that the CotY should be the Bu..should the Tundra with its problems??? Lets see how it turns out next year when the problems with this TotY grows on the popularity of the award..


Kinda funny that the truck of the year and in New England we have had 2 major snow days and NOT ONE Tundra was out there with a blade on the front end..sure saw alot of brand new Fords and GM's...kinda makes you wonder...and another side note..also funny is a local Nissan dealer (and I wish I took a pic) had a new Silverado plowing out its lot with the Nissan dealers lettering all over the truck so it was not a contracotrs..where was the Titan??? kinda like Toyota using H/D Chevy trucks to tow thier race trucks..

Uhhh... Does nobody remember 2006? :lol:


Honda Ridgeline: Motortrends 2006 Truck of the Year!!!


:lol: lmfao yea... I lost all respect for motor trend a LOOOOOONG time ago.

Uhhh... Does nobody remember 2006? :lol:


Honda Ridgeline: Motortrends 2006 Truck of the Year!!!


:lol: lmfao yea... I lost all respect for motor trend a LOOOOOONG time ago.

Beat me to it! :mad:

and another side note..also funny is a local Nissan dealer (and I wish I took a pic) had a new Silverado plowing out its lot with the Nissan dealers lettering all over the truck so it was not a contracotrs..where was the Titan??? kinda like Toyota using H/D Chevy trucks to tow thier race trucks..

Wow, that's messed up. Usually the only time you'd see something like that is when the dealership doesn't sell a particular model, e.g. a Suzuki dealer with a Toyota minivan shuttle. Maybe you can't buy plows for Titans and Tundras? Either way, you'd think he'd at least leave his name off the Chevy.

Wow, that's messed up. Usually the only time you'd see something like that is when the dealership doesn't sell a particular model, e.g. a Suzuki dealer with a Toyota minivan shuttle. Maybe you can't buy plows for Titans and Tundras? Either way, you'd think he'd at least leave his name off the Chevy.

Look at this pic. Guess the Tundra 10,000 towing capacity doesn't work so well off the commercials and in the real world when it comes to towing their own race team hauler.

http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/270522-toyota-racing-uses-chevy-towing.html

I thought I heard that toyota voids your warranty if you put a plow on it...

Don't worry guys this is a "good" thing. Toyota's going to sell thousands more of these crap boxes and guess what?
The paper trail that is the recall notices will creep out from under the shadow of this award faster than you can say "whooaa dolly"..

Not flaming, but do people really buy a car or truck based on these awards? Has the 2006 TOTY award helped the Ridgeline sales?

I'm not sure about the Titan, but Toyota voids the Tundra warranty if a plow is installed. :rolleyes:

Look at this pic. Guess the Tundra 10,000 towing capacity doesn't work so well off the commercials and in the real world when it comes to towing their own race team hauler.

http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/270522-toyota-racing-uses-chevy-towing.html
Is Toyota supposed to pull a trailer like that with the Tundra even if the load is greater than the Tundra was designed for (not that we have any real knowldege of just what that total load would be)?

If the Tundra is supposed to be able to handle that load (whatever it is) and chooses to use a Chevy or Ford pickup then there is a valid point to be made, if not then there us no point.

Is Toyota supposed to pull a trailer like that with the Tundra even if the load is greater than the Tundra was designed for (not that we have any real knowldege of just what that total load would be)?

If the Tundra is supposed to be able to handle that load (whatever it is) and chooses to use a Chevy or Ford pickup then there is a valid point to be made, if not then there us no point.

Surely you can still chuckle at the irony....

Is Toyota supposed to pull a trailer like that with the Tundra even if the load is greater than the Tundra was designed for (not that we have any real knowldege of just what that total load would be)?

If the Tundra is supposed to be able to handle that load (whatever it is) and chooses to use a Chevy or Ford pickup then there is a valid point to be made, if not then there us no point.

The irony is that the Tundra is not towing the company hauler. We can't really debate if it could or can't based on the pic other than to say it isn't. And that's the point. :)

So you didn't get enough mud slingin on the Nissan Titan/Chrysler thread and decided to drop in here huh? That thread is one of the most entertaining I've read in quite some time. :D