TEST DRIVE
2018 Toyota Tundra is a durable truck that’s constructed to last
The Toyota Tundra is an honest truck.
While not cheap — our decked-out tester lists for $44,800 — it feels as if it could easily last 300,000 miles or more without a major repair. (We currently have about 300,000 miles worth of personal Toyotas in our driveway, so this is no idle prediction.) If you are around my age — 60ish — this Tundra could be the vehicle that lasts the rest of your life.
Even the name of the exterior color, “cement,” is honest — not some made-up shade such as “cloudy-day gray,” but cold, hard “cement.”
We like it.
Another thing: The Tundra is big. So big that lining it up in a parking place becomes nerve-racking once the white lines disappear under the mammoth hood. It’s available in two cab configurations and three bed sizes. You can also choose between rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive, so there are dozens of possible set-ups.
WHAT IS IT?
The Toyota Tundra is a
full-size, half-ton pickup that competes with the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. Last year, Toyota sold about 116,000 Tundras, only a fraction of the sales volume of the American brands, but Tundra owners swear by their trucks. The Tundra is assembled in San Antonio, Texas.
All the local Toyota stores show an ample digital inventory of Tundras in stock, and holiday weekend pricing will be in effect. It’s a good time to buy.
WHAT WE LIKED
Everything about the Tundra feels well-built, and at cruising speeds the engine is amazingly quiet — dare we say, relaxing. The 18-inch split-spoke alloys, part of the TRD off-road package, are quite attractive and the Cement paint has just the right masculine vibe for the truck.
POWERTRAIN SPECS
Our Tundra Limited Double Cab 4X4 comes with a 5.7-liter, V-8 engine that makes 381 horsepower and can pull up to 10,000 pounds. A smaller, 4.6-liter, V-8 is available if you have more modest towing needs.
The transmission is a six-speed automatic. Although our tester sends power to all four wheels, a rear-wheel-drive set-up also is available.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
On a day trip to Rome, Georgia, seat comfort began to wane on the way home. Also, maneuvering through fast-food, drive-through lanes was a chore.
IT’S GOOD FOR CHATTANOOGA BECAUSE
Legendary durability and high resale value make the Tundra a great “long play” for value buyers — which, let’s face it, in Chattanooga includes most of us.
BOTTOM LINE
If you’re looking for a full-size truck, don’t sleep on the made-in-America Tundra.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook. com/mkennedycolumnist.