My father had a huge, full-sized Chevrolet. It was a 1993, so it was getting a bit old. No air conditioner, no radio and it randomly would shut off even while driving down the interstate. Needless to say, he got rid of it, especially having his last couple of vehicles being Toyota trucks that both lasted twice the mileage of this Chevy with half the problems.

So this time he bought a new Toyota Tundra. He looked and test drove Dodge, Chevy and a Ford and settled on the Tundra. When I went home a few weekends ago, I got to see the new truck and got to take it for a few spins. I also figured it would be a good Epinions topic, so I asked my dad what he thought about his Toyota Tundra, filling in any topics that I could not write about from my test drives. Now, I am not a mechanic so if I do not write about the technical issues of the Tundra, such as its fuel intake valve or something, then do not shoot me. Most consumers do not buy a car based on any of that, anyway.

Engine and the Related Factors

This model of the Toyota Tundra has a powerful V-8 engine. He did not have any need (so he claims) for the four-wheel drive model (not that that has anything really to do with the engine). One problem I have with the Tundra is that the gas mileage is about 16 to 18 miles per gallon. I would be broke just buying gas, but I guess comparing to other trucks of this size the mileage is probably pretty good. Dad's old truck got about 12 to 14 miles to the gallon at best (not to mention when pulling a boat). This is definitely less than the Toyota Tundra.

Pick-Up

The Toyota Tundra has great pick-up. Now, granted, I drive a 1991 Toyota Camry (automatic) that accelerates as quickly as a dead llama pulling a grocery cart. I also drive my girlfriend's Honda Accord (2000? V-6) and my mother's Toyota Avalon. The Tundra does not really have the 0-60 in .0005 seconds like the Avalon, but it is a very powerful truck. I never floored the thing or tried to get it to redline, but when I hit a straight away it took me very little time to reach a good speed. I cannot give you a quantitative stat about how good the acceleration is on this truck, but the Toyota Tundra has more pick-up than any truck I have ever been in and than most cars I have driven.

Smoothness

The ride in the Tundra is remarkably smooth, although the tires are the factory model and not grip tires or anything that may reduce this smooth ride. I drove along a relatively bumpy road. It was obvious I was riding in a big truck and not a smooth car, but it was hardly a factor in the comfort of the ride. Whether I was just starting out, cruising along or accelerating, I surely never felt every single pebble on the road like I have in some of my friends' trucks. In fact, one of the things I do not like about trucks besides the poor gas mileage is the bumpy ride, but in the Toyota Tundra, this would be a nonissue for me.

Towing Power

I did not actually pull anything, so I cannot really say much about towing from my interpretation, but I did ask my dad how his Toyota Tundra towed his boat. His boat is not very big and he used to pull it in a mid-sized Toyota. But he says that the ease of towing the boat in this truck is remarkable. He says it is as if there is no boat being towed behind.

Other Mechanical Stuf

Braking

I never liked driving around in dad's Chevy because braking sucked. The brakes themselves were working properly, but the truck was heavy and the way the brakes worked just were not too cool. They were hard to press and stopping had to start about 2 miles back. The Toyota Tundra is different. The first time I stopped I almost flew out the truck because I was used to the braking in his old truck. This is much different, as the Tundra's braking system is really more like that I would expect in a car. The brakes are sensitive but not overly sensitive and stopping is easy whether I was just going from one block to the next or coming to a complete stop after coasting at 70ish. I never just randomly slammed the brakes to see how this worked, but even the hard braking I did was extremely smooth.

Steering

I just am not used to steering this sensitive. I assume that a month or so from now it will be "broken-in," and the steering will be different. Anyway, when I drove it I felt that the Tundra's power steering was a little too good for me. This is more a personal preference, though, as I think that most people will be amazed with the steering in this Tundra. As I said, I also drive a Honda Accord. I would say that it is easier to control the Toyota Tundra.

Superficial (yet Very Important) Stuff

Comfort

I found the Toyota Tundra to be quite comfortable. The seats are big and comfortable to sit on, and despite the large size of the truck it is easy to reach the steering wheel, radio, and pedals. I could easily sleep on the front seat, and I would have no trouble taking a really long trip in this truck. The back-seat unfortunately is not very roomy. I would not want to be in the backseat of a Toyota Tundra if it was being driven by anyone with long legs. To me, the seats in the back are too wide. They could have had greater leg room if they would have just taken off a bit of width of the seats.

Looks

This is, of course, totally a personal preference. I love the color (almost a black green) of my father's Tundra. I also prefer the body of a Tundra over any other type of truck I have seen. I think the way the bed looks (though some people complain that the bed is too short), and to me it looks more modern than just a "plain ole" pick-up. Actually, the looks is what I think would set apart the Tundra from other trucks if I were in the market for a new truck (if all other things were equal).

Bed

Like I said above, some people complain that the bed is too short. I felt that it was a bit wider than most truck beds, but the length probably is not there. It also is a little high making it harder to get stuff into the bed. When I move in a few months I will probably just borrow my friend's Ranger instead of taking my dad's truck because I could probably carry almost the same amount without having to get on stools to get stuff in (no, it's not really THAT high).

Air Conditioner

This baby works like a charm (right now). I got in and not a block later I was already cold. This is very important in dealing with Louisiana summers. The Tundra's a.c. is also very quiet and easy to operate. Besides being totally comfortable, I never even noticed that the A.C. was on.

Sound System

I do not know how much more the sound system costs, but it is fairly good. I would rather take out the factory CD player and put in a better one, as I really think that the speakers are excellent. I put in a few CD's, turned the bass up, turned the treble up, etc. High bass sounded good (not "booming" like some idiots do) and did not rattle at all. The highs in the truck also were very good, though I think that the volume had to be up a little too loud before getting a totally crisp sound.

So do you buy it or not?

I am not a truck person, so this review is more to just get you started. I will update in a couple of months when the truck has been broken in a bit more. But from what I see on the Tundra, if I were buying a truck, this would surely be the one!
Amount Paid (US$): 27000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Automatic, CD Player, Llama Delivery