2011 Toyota Tundra Full-Size Pickup
Several Japanese automakers have battled to get a piece of the lucrative North American pickup truck market, dominated for decades by GM, Ram (previously Dodge) and Ford, but of all the contenders, Toyota seems to have made the most progress with its big Tundra.
For various reasons, the Tundra has caught the imagination of pickup buyers and it’s now considered to be a “must see” product even when the domestic Big Three are top considerations. Maybe Toyota’s race successes in the NASCAR Camping World truck series had something to do with it - it certainly impressed fans in the US south. Sales have been excellent, though it’s probably a long-term job to knock a major dent in the conservatism of buyers (especially in the US) when it comes to pickups. There are customers who’ve bought their favourite GM, Ram or Ford for decades and that kind of loyalty takes a lot of dislodging.
Nevertheless, the Tundra is seen these days just about everywhere, even in parts of Canada and the US where buyers seemingly would never be coaxed away from their domestic trucks. The Tundra - certainly in the form in which I tested it recently - is a big, brawny, practical rig that can do anything its competitors can handle. Like all Toyotas, it’s very well engineered and finished and it has to be to compete with the kinds of superlative products the “hometown” makers are turning out now.
My test truck was a 2011 Tundra 4X4 Double Cab SR5 5.7L - a lengthy name, but the designation involves a lot of extra equipment and major features. It’s possible to pay a great deal of money for a high-end pickup - $60,000 isn’t unheard of - so the one I tried was quite reasonable at just under $42,000.
The vehicle looked the part with its huge grill and high stance. The cab of my test truck was as big as a full-size SUV and nearly as luxurious. Some serious potency came from the muscular 5.7-litre i-FORCE V-8 with its 381-horsepower and 401-lb. ft. of torque. I used the truck to haul some hefty loads, but its capability was way beyond anything I could experiment with. The transmission was a 6-speed automatic with a console-mounted gate-type shifter. This is an extra, the basic truck being fitted with a column shifter, although that’s a 6-speed too.
To bring all this might to a safe stop, the Tundra has power assisted all-round disc brakes with ABS and for additional safety, electronic brake force distribution. This kind of braking setup is almost a “must” with a pickup because unladen trucks with no weight over the rear wheels can be a handful in slippery weather (the first vehicles off the road in icy weather invariably seem to be pickups). Four-wheel drive is engaged with one touch of a button - there are no complex transfer box shifters to grapple with.
Other good stuff included with the $2,935 Upgrade Package my truck came with included the aforementioned console shifter, alloy wheels, an 8-way power driver’s seat, a clearance and backup sensor, an overhead console box, a front console box with lid and lots of other useful features. Interior stowage in the Tundra is excellent - especially so for people who work from their truck and need a safe place to stow a computer and other electronic and communications gear. Even under the rear seat, there’s a huge storage tray. As with rival pickup ranges, there are all kinds of cab/bed/engine configurations and a very comprehensive options list - in all, there are 11 basic versions. One of the options is a navigation system - invaluable for getting to jobs in unfamiliar locales.
There’s no question that the Tundra range is here to stay despite the doubters when it first appeared. Toyota has carefully studied what North American buyers need from a full-size pickup and developed this rig accordingly. On the road it has a decent ride for a large truck with rugged tires and it’s comfortable on long runs. The truck will tow over 10,000-lbs with the right package specified.