TOYOTA TUNDRA
Workhorse ripe for upgrade
Dear Mike Sweers:
I know you’ve got a busy schedule as chief engineer for the Toyota Tundra, but I hope you find this letter constructive. I’m writing you because I’ve been thinking about buying a new Tundra. But like a lot of truck buyers, I’m having a problem with the Tundra, so I thought I would explain. As you and I share the belief that there is no such thing as problems — only solutions — I figured you would appreciate some genuine insight from someone who likes your trucks, especially the 2017 TRD Pro I just spent a week with.
Firstly, why hasn’t the Tundra been updated since 2006? You do know that was 11 years ago, a time span in which other truck makers have updated their trucks twice? Obviously, you’re aware Ford, General Motors, Ram and Nissan have all made huge improvements to their trucks in that time, making them lighter, quieter, more fuel efficient, more user friendly and simply more usable in so many ways. But other than the styling refresh in 2014 and the just announced 2018 TRD Sport model that gets new safety equipment and some LED lighting, the Tundra is still the same old truck; it’s still riding on the same chassis, using the same six-speed transmission and same old engines, neither of which are particularly efficient.
Don’t you care about fuel economy, the environment or the cost of ownership? Sorry if that sounds blunt, but the TRD Pro Tundra I just drove couldn’t register any better than 15 L/100 km on the highway and in the city it consumed gas at 21 L/100 km. That’s about 11 miles per gallon from your 5.7-L V-8 or about the same as my 1971 Ford Camper Special. Good thing the Tundra had a 144-L tank, allowing travel of 700 km between fill-ups. Do you know how much I hate pumping gas, especially in winter? I’m sure you do, too. Maybe you use full-service stations, because the Tundra requires a lot of fuel stops.
So why haven’t you addressed this with something other than variable valve timing? What about aerodynamics, direct and port injection or a turbo? Or a hybrid or some kind of combination of the these? A diesel would be incredible. You know, Ford has a diesel coming in the F-150 and even a hybrid by 2020. I’m sure your Prius or Lexus colleagues would happily share parts and technology to make for a really cool powerhouse of a hybrid V-8. Anything to lower the fuel consumption.
You can’t say anymore that your average economy is as good as the Big Three; real-world testing is leaving you behind. Besides, why not try to get ahead of the competition? What’s holding you back? Your bosses can’t be happy selling 115,000 Tundras a year in the U.S. (11,000 in Canada) when Ford moves almost a million F-Series in North America.
I will say, though, driving the Tundra TRD Pro is totally satisfying. The brakes are great, the decade-old hydraulic steering is nicely weighted and the 5.7-L V-8 is as smooth as it ever was. The power is OK, not stellar; your 401 pound-feet of torque is now far less than the 470 in Ford’s V-6 (albeit with a turbo).
The cabin could be quieter, but it wasn’t terribly noisy, even with the louder TRD exhaust, just not as hushed as GM or Ford trucks. The ride is excellent, though. You did a great job making it not too stiff with the Bilstein shocks at all four corners and TRD coilovers up front. I wish there were a full-time 4WD option, though.
My biggest problem isn’t so much with the drivetrain, which I could probably live with, it’s more to do with the architecture. There’s no bed lamps, no standard LED headlamps or tail lamps (both of which are safer), no unique cargo stowing under the rear seat or in the box, not even enough nooks and cubbies up front to store all my stuff. Heck, the doors wouldn’t even accept a regular Nalgene bottle of water. A 25-foot tape measure doesn’t fit well in the front cup holder.
The heated seat controls in the TRD Pro couldn’t even be seen from the driver’s seat and when activated couldn’t be felt. The leather seats were a tad hard. The steering wheel is plastic and there’s no option for a heated steering wheel.
I apologize if this sounds like complaining. We’ve discussed before how much I like Toyota trucks, especially their reliability and resale value, which remain the best. I wanted to love the Tundra TRD Pro and thought maybe it was going to be my next truck. But I’m not sure I can live with its shortcomings. It’s a strong and durable truck for sure and it looks decent, but it’s time it got your attention and ideas.
Should you give it some affection, I promise you’ll get more attention and fan mail from truck buyers than you could ever want.
Sincerely, Derek.