Revisiting the 2007 Toyota Tundra

Not too long ago, we had the Ford F-150 and new Chevy Silverado take on Toyota’s new full-size Tundra pickup in a Faceoff. The Tundra won, but I’ll admit I had some reservations giving it a complete nod because we tested a larger Crew Max version, and the contenders weren’t perfectly equal.

After driving the Tundra Double Cab (not the larger Crew Max) with the top-of-the-line 5.7-liter V-8 engine, I can now say I’d again go with the Tundra as the winner. Why? Mainly, because the thing is fast — really fast. Zero-to-60-in-6.3-seconds fast. Sure, you’ve probably heard the numbers before, but in real-life driving and merging at highway speeds, the Tundra is actually accelerating with gusto, where the other two trucks just adequately get you there. In that way the Tundra is a fun truck. I never thought I’d say that either, with something this big whose primary function is towing.

Comments

Well! Obviously, the past two articles have been bias toward Toyota. Toyota probably gave big bucks to the site for advertising. The author did not considered the price gap which is substantial; fuel economy, which also is substantial and, last but not least the 4 star crash rating (all other full size trucks have 5 star crash rating)...

Needless to say, I will never read an article from this guy for I see he is a sell out...

Wow, Manuel, that was pretty fervent.
I actually read this as a pretty lukewarm endorsement. He lists a few negatives, mentions the other trucks as good, but then in the end says, "For me, if it’s faster, it’s better." That means he's made his decision based on one factor and one factor only. If speed isn't the end all in your decision, I think he's pretty much implying that you could be happier with another truck. And since trucks aren't used as sportscars are, most likely speed won't be as much of a factor for you

Manuel Chapa, obviously u r bias towards TOYOTA. Everyone seems to be bashing TOYOTA has lately because they know that TOYOTA is going to crush gm in the sales department very soon, my friend. I know you love ur gms and fords, but get used to seeing TOYOTA because they are not going anywhere soon, buddy, sorry.

Dan,
I think you read it perfectly.

As for Manuel: We're not biased towards or for anyone. We ran the post about the four star crash test right on this blog. it just happened to be a few days after I tested the Tundra again.

The interior really is funky and I really like the looks of the Silverado myself. Both are quite comfortable. The prices on the V-8 double cabs are closer than on the base models but yes the Silverado/Sierra is the most fuel efficient.

BJ: I don't think the Tundra is such a slam dunk even though it tests well. To truck guys there are other factors like loyalty and some really want the box frame.

If the truck is as fast as you say, then it wouldn't be to bad for Toyota to make it into sports-truck like Ford did with the F-150 and Chevrolet with the Silverado SS.

I was just wondering when how fast a truck accelerates became the most important factor. For those who use trucks for what they are designed for (work), speed is not nearly as important as payload capacity, towing capacity, comfort and driveabiliy. I'm not saying the Tundra lacks these characteristics, but I think that they would be better qualifiers for a fair review.

Ryan, he's saying FOR HIM, the truck is the right one. Others may have differnet opinions. This has already been established. Please read the other posts. On a side note, it's a bit ironic that Toyota's first real contender in the full-size arena has such an ugly dash. Toyota is usually well regarded for their quality materials and clean dash designs and the domestics usually trail. Regardless of who is currently making the best full-size, this is one area where the domestics are still ahead of Toyota.

Which axle ratio 4.1 or 4.3?
Doesn't the 4.3 come only with the tow package? Did Toyota make that a 'required option' with the 5.7?

I personally love the interior of this truck. It looks futurist, strong, clean and well laid out. The black and silver combo looks fantastic; it really complements the muscular stance of the exterior. Don’t get me wrong, GM’s GMT900s interior looks ok too, especially compared to its predecessor. It’s just that the fake wood in a work truck look too luxurious. It belongs in their SUVs, but not in a pickup truck. Maybe that’s why there’s the work truck dash option. Like Dave, this truck would be my 1st choice…if I ever had a need for a pickup.

we need a real face off once again. start from scratch. but sadly, it won't because we know who will win.

cars.com can't come out and admit they made a mistake. and also remember that the face off was with three editor's. not one like this time. and they didn't start from scratch. the tundar was revisited, not the face-off.

Being compared against the other trucks for a second time and the Tundra comes out as the best choice. It just happens to be that Dave liked the fact that it was fast this time around. The whole point is, the unbiased professional again picked the Tundra. I assure you, it's not only because it's faster. professionals test, drive and evaluate vehicles almost every day. they tend to know what vehicles stand above the others. Am I Toyota biased? I'm sure you think so.... Truth be told, I drive a Honda Ridgeline. It fit my needs, excelled in the areas I was interested in and was priced within my budget. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Nissan, Toyota, or even Honda may be the right choice for your needs but, not someone elses. Be happy with whatever you drive. If you don't drive the brand that's doing well, then deal with it.

Hey Dave T, seems like you know a lot about cars and their history. Well peep this, did you ever remember the Taurus being the bestselling car in America and the Camry was somewhere else on the sales chart. Now do know where the taurus is and where the camry is. ...Okay let me tell, the Taurus is DEAD(dead in its midsize form, reincarnated in the fullsize[a la 500] and SUV forms[freestyle], dumbest idea in the history of the automotive world!!!) and the Camry is the bestselling car in AMERICA FOR OVER A DECADE. All that was to state that the Tundra can do same thing sometime down the road to Chevy/Ford. REMEMBER BJ DONE TOLD YOU!!!

ford was busy with trucks and suvs and forgot about the taurus and starte dmaking horrible versions of it. now ford and chevy will not repeat history and will hold on. and btw, the ridgelien isn't a truck, is a minivan that looks like a bad copy of the avalanche.i work in construction and not once have i seen a ridgeline actually doing hard work. migth as well get the subara baja. get a real truck.

Ryan,
acceleration is NOT the most important factor for truck buyers but the tundra has pretty much proven it can match or top the rest of the competition in towing etc. So if all things are equal (and lets say they are) I'm going with the faster truck.

My real beef is with the crazy interior style for a company known for being conservative in a conservative market like trucks! That's really odd all around.

Honestly, if someone asked between the Silverado and Tundra I'd say, the Tundra is faster but if you like the Silverado you probably won't go wrong.

It's one of those lucky times when you won't make a "bad" choice.

Juan,

Wasn't the Ridgeline "Truck of the Year" for 2006? That would make it a truck. Truck of the year for the first truck Honda ever produced... You have to admit that was impressive cosidering the domestic stronghold on that title for years and years.

A construction work truck? Probably not. But, a truck for a specific market. I'd take the smooth ride, car like handling, 5000lb tow capacity, 4WD, 1550lb bed capability (more than the Dodge 2500), actual room for people in the back seat (more then the F-150 and Tundra), trunk in the bed (anyone else have this??), side swinging tailgate (no-one else has this either), over a rough riding stump puller bouncy riding "more offroad capable" Traditional style/designed "truck" any day of the week.

Enough on that. This thread is about the Tundra. Sooner or later diehard "traditional" brand truck lovers will realize that other companies make good trucks too. Without competition, nobody would benefit. The Tundra is currently that competition. Like it or not.

great to have competition. not a problem. thanks to that we got a better silverado/sierra and will get better rams and f-series. but from the start you gave them a heads up and even now is still a joke. start from scratch and get all three of you on it. but i forget you get tons of money from toyota. something tells me you would have never done the top silverado vs a lesser tundra. and that is our problem.

and so far ionly cars.com has given the tundra the prize. all other publications have given it to the silverado.

ridgeline won for "innovation." liek a crossover, people want to drive suv's that aren't suvs. here is for a minivan that looks like a truck. whatever rocks your boat.

It should be fast when it came with a 4.33 gear. Let me add that optional 4.56 gear to the Ram. However, owning a 03 HD Ram, I had no problem with playing with the latest Tundra. LOL They should remember, these truck come with a manual. first non-tow gear goes 0-40 before shifting....humor.

Juan,
You are flat out wrong. Our Main competitor also labeled the Tundra a winner in the faceoff with the Silverado.

The reason I wanted to revisit with this model was because it is more in line with the Silverado and F150 we DID test for the faceoff than the crewmax tundra. You're not making sense. I'm saying now that we got the granny smith apple vs the granny smith apple I'm still extremely confident we picked the Tundra. Its still a slim margin and AGAIN we say the Silverado is a very good truck.

As for advertising it is completely separate from editorial. The only odd thing is the way online advertising works now is the client gets its ad on the page with its product to target the reader. But thats usually true of everyone so its not really giving a bias it just looks a bit strange.

I had the opportunity to check out the new Tundra at the local dealer about a week ago. The Tundra definitely has some strong points but there is also room for improvment. For the most part I was impressed with the interior on the extended cab (still has seating for 5. They avoided alot of the the plastic overkill that I found in the Titan. The rear seat room was pretty decent and fairly comfortable. I do like the center instrument panel. The flush look is simple and very clean looking although the knobs did tend to stick out like sore thumbs. I was not such a fan of the instrument cluster on the dash though. The faux metal look along with the individual dash cut outs seemed unnecessary and made it look like a motorboat dash. Thinking about it though that may have been the point. Having the drivers side strikingly different than the passengers would give the driver a greater sense of operational control over a big machine. Anyhow the jury on that is still out for me. Externally the truck I think has a really commanding look, it may not be for everyone but it works. The long bed model I admit looks just weird. The proportions look way off. Probably cause of the bed depth and the huge side bed panels. It would be a nightmare to park without a backup camera system. Overall I think the truck will fit right in with the competition. By the posts ive seen on the truck since it started being covered it is definitely ruffling some feathers. I guess that would have to be the point. Love it or hate it we are all still talking about it. As a mid-sized truck owner myself this truck exceeds my needs so I will stick with what ive got but for anyone looking for a comfortable powerful truck this one is right up there with the big three.
On a sidenote just a bit of an aggravation is the people who post saying this site is biased in some way towards a particular auto manufacturer. I read the blogs daily as it is a hobby of mine at work. This site is one of the only ones that I have seen in recent history that has been fair and balanced. They post recalls no matter the manufacturer and nail poor craftsmanship or flaws. Then they give due praise to deserving vehicles or manufactures. It would not benefit the makers of this site one bit if they were biased towards any brand. First they would lose customer hits on the site and then advertising would soon follow. Staying in business is the strongest argument I could give for the site being fair and balanced. We may not like the news coming out of the American auto industry lately but it is just that, news, and these folks report it and then give their opinion. I am confident that the big three will make a comeback as is the nature of business. Tough times may help them produce great innovations and a better products. In the end the people who will benefit most from these innovations are us, the consumers.

Phaeton,
Thanks for the kind words. We try hard to keep things on the straight and narrow and actually maintain a very strict editorial policy too so when questioned we can back up our claims.
Thanks again for reading.

Dave T's quite fair. It's amazing how excited everyone gets about the competition between the big four. Yeah, I'll say it. The big four!
And the glove thing? Gloves on when we're loading hay onto this monster and off when we jump behind the wheel. But our beautiful SFO bay area weather doesn't freeze the steering wheel overnight either.

This is just classic american automotive bias towards foreign brands dominating the american automotive scene. The aura shouldn't habe won the NA car of the year, it should have been the CAMRY and the chevy shouldn't have won the NA truck of the year because there was no "real" competition for that award to begin(y they didn't wait for the TUNDRA). They know that gm is going to bow to TOYOTA sooner or later so they are giving everything to gm now. It boggles my mind that everyone is talkin' 'bout TUNDRA v. Ford v. Chevy v. Titan. Where's the Ram, people seems to totally forgot 'bout, after all it is the third bestselling truck in 'merica. AUTOMOTIVE BIAS BY journalists, publications and whatever else is out there biasing. ONE

Yall need to stop hating on Toyota and stop talking about how bad of a chioce and mistake of picking the all-new Toyota Tundra the winner of the face off the three had why I say that is because u need to look at the Cadillac all-new Escalade EXT hoursepower it has an 6.0L V8 that puts out an 403. I know Toyota is way better then any Ford, Dodge, GMC, or any Chevy full size pickup truck or any american car brand thats out yall need to stop buying these damn cars why I say that is because there damn sure anit all that and it damn sure anit worth wasting your money on some unsafe cars and trucks. I never heard them say that the Ford Taurus ever being the best selling car in America in my life the Taurus needs to dead because its not point in trying to begn that back to life its not going to sell. Yall need to talk about that ugly ass Dodge Nitro SUV.

damn...I love that Tundra, but damn Toyota. This is surely now competition. I mean...this won't really kill GM, but it won't help GM.

Actually a new competetive Tundra WILL be good for GM, as it will force them stay sharp in their game and keep updating their trucks. Remember way back when with no foreign competition, GM kept their trucks virtually unchanged from 1973 through 1987. Now they have to revise on a much quicker time table. Winner? The consumer! We keep getting better and better choices from all the makers.

Hay did you know the "outdated" ford F-150 can carry 800lbs more then all the other trucks. Sure the tundra has more power but what good is it if you cant use it?
(0-60 means nothing to a workman)

Matt,

Does 800 more pounds make a difference to a workman and how about interior comfort and modern amenities? The F-150 is an awesome truck but, dated and unrefined IMO. In a way though, that's what trucks should be. Plain, stout and designed to work.

I agree David. After all, how many owners actually exploit the full capabilities of thier truck on a daily basis. Actually, how many ever use the full capability of thier truck?

1. Shawn you should improve your grammar because I could hardly understand your post.

2. The Ford Taurus was the bestselling car between 1992 and 1996. Ford sold 410,000 Tauruses in 1992.

To rangerxlt its not for u to understand what I write its for other people who understand where Im coming from

once again someone who doesn't understand how ford rates their towing cap. the ford f-150 has a gcvwr of 11,000# yes now look at the letters: gross combined vehicle weight rating this is payload(in the bed) and towing(on the hitch). do the same with the tundra numbers and your looking at 12,800#! and box frame,ha what a joke! box frames are rigid, you may think this is good but
the more rigid some material is the more fragile it usually becomes think of a piece of 22ga. sheetmetal verses a 1/4 thick piece of glass sure the glass on end will hold more weight but take it down a bad piece of road wich would you perfer? frames are open channel on heavy trucks for a reason. every box truck, freightliner, peterbuilt, volvo, white, western star, eagle etc. etc. have open c channel frames.

btw a deisel magazine(wich i cant remember wich one now) tested the tundra against the 2500hd w/ 6.0 and guess what the tundra still out performed the so-called domestic in all catagories, including mpg, empty and towing. except they liked the cheap 80's cadilac dash in the silverado too? i dont get it, why use the same crappy looking dash MOVE FORWARD->>.
oh yeah, the tundra does cost more, but i wont have the repair bills and time down without my truck. and to me and most others, according to the current cars sales report, 20 to 40 more dollars are worth my truck/car not having to be towed in for repairs on a monthly basis.

We just bought a tundra 5.7 regular cab. After test driving the ford f-150, silverado, sierra & avalanche we couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't buy the tundra. The tundra seemed to be a far superior in every way. To us this was the way a truck should drive. Even the price was astounding. All vehicles were priced within a thousand dollars excluding the avalance which was about 10 thousand more. After driving the tundra and the silverado I'm not sure what the hype is regarding this truck. We were not impressed.

I don't know a lot of people with this truck, but the people I know who have them are week end warriors who use their vehicles to take bikes or things like that. The builders and other professionals used the domestic trucks for work.

I know I said I'd never visit this site again, and I have not, technically a friend was looking at it, but I have to disagree with our friend Carlos that Cars.com is given money by Toyota.

REally, do you want to play this game Carlos? I could just as easily say that MotorTrend and Co. are paid by Chevrolet, and thats why it one Car of the Year. And I'd have as much proof as you do that Toyota pays Cars.com.

And also, I know for a FACT that GM pays to have its cars burnished: ever wonder why all the cars in the upcoming Transformer movie are from GM (on the Autobots side)? Because GM ponied up most of the money for the movie.

And if you are wondering who has "journalists" on payroll in the automotive industry: everyone does. I cannot tell you how I know that, but I do.

On a side note: I still think this blog is trash thanks to that ever so lousy "Best Car" poll.

People shouldn't get so mad about anything. About the cars being in a movie, probably in almost all the movie the cars are given by a car company (and the soda, and the clothes...), product placement is called.

The question is to have good variety of choices, then you choose the truck you need and the one you like.

Maybe now things are going to change, but until now, Toyota was considered a truck for leisure more than for work.

I own a 5.7 dblcab 07 Ltd. Big disagreement when you say it is built to tow. This truck falls on its face when towing a 6000 lb trailer. Power, economy are better with the 6.0 Chev. I got 7.7MPG on a 2800 mile trip & then took it to a dealer to see what was wrong. Everything checked out-my truck is in spec with no malfuncttions. It is a drag race winning truck but built like a car when it comes to towing and tranny/engine. If you want a car then great truck, but if you need a truck beware.