New Tundra 5.7L = 401 lb-ft
Registered User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 532
From: Jackson, NJ
Well for anyone who's worried that Toyota may have one upped GM just read this: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._toyota_tundra
Here's the important part:
The Conclusion
What follows, then, is a comforting revelation. For years, GM, Ford and Chrysler have deserved criticism for improving their cars and trucks without making them good enough. They tend to target "current models" and then the benchmarked foreign automaker trumps them by getting a much-improved, all-new model on the market about the same time. They were chasing the last Camry without thinking about how much better the new Camry would be.
Toyota does the same thing. That's the revelation. The second-generation Tundra is finally in the hunt, just as the new Saturn Aura is a credible competitor for the new Camry.
Is it as good, or better, than the class-leading Chevy Silverado? An early drive, without the chance to compare them side-by-side indicates that Toyota has been chasing the last Silverado (and the current Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram, which each have less than two more years of shelf-life).
Finally, the Tundra is big enough to run in this pack. Toyota designers have gone out of their way to make the truck look even a bit bigger than its competition. The new V-8 is as smooth and powerful as the best of its competitors. The ride and handling is, for the most part, competitive. The interior falls short - perhaps the last thing over which you'd expect Toyota to stumble. It's a relief to find that Toyota is human, that it didn't perfectly pull off the threat of a serious, big truck for a segment that the Big Three still own. It will be an even greater relief to the Big Three.
IMHO the motor and trans in the new Tundra are nice but that's where the "nice" ends...The exterior is horrible looking and the interior is even worse...
Here's the important part:
The Conclusion
What follows, then, is a comforting revelation. For years, GM, Ford and Chrysler have deserved criticism for improving their cars and trucks without making them good enough. They tend to target "current models" and then the benchmarked foreign automaker trumps them by getting a much-improved, all-new model on the market about the same time. They were chasing the last Camry without thinking about how much better the new Camry would be.
Toyota does the same thing. That's the revelation. The second-generation Tundra is finally in the hunt, just as the new Saturn Aura is a credible competitor for the new Camry.
Is it as good, or better, than the class-leading Chevy Silverado? An early drive, without the chance to compare them side-by-side indicates that Toyota has been chasing the last Silverado (and the current Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram, which each have less than two more years of shelf-life).
Finally, the Tundra is big enough to run in this pack. Toyota designers have gone out of their way to make the truck look even a bit bigger than its competition. The new V-8 is as smooth and powerful as the best of its competitors. The ride and handling is, for the most part, competitive. The interior falls short - perhaps the last thing over which you'd expect Toyota to stumble. It's a relief to find that Toyota is human, that it didn't perfectly pull off the threat of a serious, big truck for a segment that the Big Three still own. It will be an even greater relief to the Big Three.
IMHO the motor and trans in the new Tundra are nice but that's where the "nice" ends...The exterior is horrible looking and the interior is even worse...
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,428
Well for anyone who's worried that Toyota may have one upped GM just read this: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/..._toyota_tundra
Here's the important part:
The Conclusion
What follows, then, is a comforting revelation. For years, GM, Ford and Chrysler have deserved criticism for improving their cars and trucks without making them good enough. They tend to target "current models" and then the benchmarked foreign automaker trumps them by getting a much-improved, all-new model on the market about the same time. They were chasing the last Camry without thinking about how much better the new Camry would be.
Toyota does the same thing. That's the revelation. The second-generation Tundra is finally in the hunt, just as the new Saturn Aura is a credible competitor for the new Camry.
Is it as good, or better, than the class-leading Chevy Silverado? An early drive, without the chance to compare them side-by-side indicates that Toyota has been chasing the last Silverado (and the current Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram, which each have less than two more years of shelf-life).
Finally, the Tundra is big enough to run in this pack. Toyota designers have gone out of their way to make the truck look even a bit bigger than its competition. The new V-8 is as smooth and powerful as the best of its competitors. The ride and handling is, for the most part, competitive. The interior falls short - perhaps the last thing over which you'd expect Toyota to stumble. It's a relief to find that Toyota is human, that it didn't perfectly pull off the threat of a serious, big truck for a segment that the Big Three still own. It will be an even greater relief to the Big Three.
IMHO the motor and trans in the new Tundra are nice but that's where the "nice" ends...The exterior is horrible looking and the interior is even worse...
Here's the important part:
The Conclusion
What follows, then, is a comforting revelation. For years, GM, Ford and Chrysler have deserved criticism for improving their cars and trucks without making them good enough. They tend to target "current models" and then the benchmarked foreign automaker trumps them by getting a much-improved, all-new model on the market about the same time. They were chasing the last Camry without thinking about how much better the new Camry would be.
Toyota does the same thing. That's the revelation. The second-generation Tundra is finally in the hunt, just as the new Saturn Aura is a credible competitor for the new Camry.
Is it as good, or better, than the class-leading Chevy Silverado? An early drive, without the chance to compare them side-by-side indicates that Toyota has been chasing the last Silverado (and the current Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram, which each have less than two more years of shelf-life).
Finally, the Tundra is big enough to run in this pack. Toyota designers have gone out of their way to make the truck look even a bit bigger than its competition. The new V-8 is as smooth and powerful as the best of its competitors. The ride and handling is, for the most part, competitive. The interior falls short - perhaps the last thing over which you'd expect Toyota to stumble. It's a relief to find that Toyota is human, that it didn't perfectly pull off the threat of a serious, big truck for a segment that the Big Three still own. It will be an even greater relief to the Big Three.
IMHO the motor and trans in the new Tundra are nice but that's where the "nice" ends...The exterior is horrible looking and the interior is even worse...
The truck market is the last stronghold of American manufacturers.
Hmmm, I wonder how messed up it'd be if our military prefered Toyotas over GM/Ford trucks...
note: I try to citicize so they improve their trucks and other vehicles, but at this point, GM/Ford are gonna need an onset of nationalism if they hope to take the reins from Toyota.
Last edited by number77; Jan 10, 2007 at 11:46 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,123
From: Melbourne, Australia
I am a BIG GM fan but if Tundra eats into F-series sales then it's only a matter of time before Toyota also bite into GMT-900 sales.... which is why I'm hoping Toyota fail dismally to gain a footing in the truck market. But Toyota don't fail too often when it comes to challenging big league players.
I hope Lutz is right when he says Tundra will mainly contest sales with Nissan.
I hope Lutz is right when he says Tundra will mainly contest sales with Nissan.
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