Driving Impressions

The Toyota Tundra rides almost as quietly as a luxury sedan, whether it's a four-wheel-drive or two-wheel-drive model. This is the quietest pickup we've driven. There's very little wind or road noise in the cabin. And the ride quality is extremely smooth. The V8 engine provides excellent acceleration. It's very responsive in the 45-mph range, so passing on two-lane roads is easier. Toyota's V8 is silky smooth, quick, and extremely responsive. At the same time, it isn't overly sensitive to the throttle at tip-in, so it doesn't lurch off the line. And it sounds great. Stand behind the Tundra when it is started, revved, or even idling, and you're treated to a classic V8 burble that's pleasant to American ears. Yet, it's super-quiet when sitting inside the truck or standing in front of it. V8 engines with twin cams and four valves per cylinder are usually associated with imported luxury sports sedans. Toyota perfected this design in its Land Cruiser and Lexus luxury vehicles. With distributorless ignition and other state-of-the-art features, the Tundra's 4.7-liter V8 produces nearly 200 pounds-feet of torque at just 2000 rpm and develops 315 pounds-feet at 3400 rpm. This gives it quick response around town and strong power for towing and hauling. It's also efficient, and qualifies as an ultra low-emission vehicle, or ULEV, by U.S. government standards. The automatic transmission is smooth and responsive, communicating well with the engine, and always choosing the appropriate gear. Starting from a dead stop, a two-wheel-drive Tundra Limited easily accelerated up a long steep grade while pulling a 3,000-pound trailer. This rig was stable going around sweeping turns, and when braking from high speeds on steep downhill sections. There were none of the up and down motions when bouncing at low speed over a rough, lava-covered dirt road that some trucks exhibit when their front suspensions aren't up to balancing weight on the rear tongue. Transmission and engine oil coolers are standard. Ride quality is excellent. On rough pavement and bumpy dirt roads, the Tundra's suspension really shines. It damps out unwanted vibration and harshness and controls the movement of the wheels precisely, keeping the tires in contact with the road surface for excellent grip and handling. The 4WD suspension performed amazingly well and was easy to control when bouncing up a steep mountain trail. Bounding over harsh dips and humps, the suspension offered impressive travel and damping. It never hit the bump stops in spite of our efforts to beat it up. While bouncing over moguls, we noticed that neither the cowl nor the front hood shook. The Tundra's chassis is highly rigid with boxed front frame rails. Toyota also claims this truck offers class-leading ground clearance, and that everything underneath is tucked above the frame rails. Both the two- and four-wheel-drive models offer exceptional handling, even with the standard suspension. The 2WD SR5 we drove was incredibly responsive. Everything about it felt exceptionally tight. The Sport Suspension Package promises better handling on paved roads. And for those who prefer fast travel off-road, Toyota offers the TRD Off-Road Package, developed with Toyota off-road-racing legend Ivan "Ironman" Stewart. Using Bilstein shocks and special progressive-rate springs, this suspension is designed for performance in extreme off-road conditions; and it reportedly rides better on rough road surfaces than the standard suspension. The brakes felt great even when pulling a trailer.

Final Word

The Toyota Tundra may not boast the bragging rights found on the other full-size pickups, but it's smooth and quiet, light on its feet, and easy and enjoyable to drive. It offers lots of power for passing or towing. All of this, wrapped up with Toyota's renowned quality, durability and reliability, make the Tundra a good choice among full-size pickup trucks.