Why the tundra

Never owned a truck but love how the tundras look. Just curious, what made you buy a Tundra TRD pro vs competition. And why is the tundra TRD pro so cheap vs competition (Ford raptor, etc)

 

Doesn't matter what trim. Your answers are here -> https://www.tundras.com/threads/why-did-you-pick-your-tundra-over-another-choice.72449/

 

I choose Toyota for my vehicles because it's a better product for my money. I have worked in automotive for much of my career, both at companies not affiliated with Toyota and I have worked as an Engineer for Toyota Motor Manufacturing. Toyota is a different company when it comes to quality. They are the inventors of manufacturing methods that inherently build quality into the product. Domestic manufacturers try to copy those methods without success in most cases because it isn't in their DNA like Toyota.

Why are they less expensive? 3 main reasons...
1) No Unions
2) Much more efficient manufacturing resulting in fewer quality issues leading to rework and warranty costs to cover. Plus fewer workers can do more work.
3) They don't have huge discounts off of the msrp. You may see a 10% discount at most as opposed to the 20-25% you may get on a truck sold by the big 3.

 

A Tundra Pro is not really comparable to a Raptor. Different animals and price points.

A chose a Tundra for reliability. The competition just does not have as reliable vehicles. They may get slightly better MPG, have more electronics and features, but at the end of the day I want a truck I could count on and that would not be sitting at the dealer all the time for recalls and repairs. I can't imagine spending the huge $ these days on a new/newer truck and having it in the shop frequently.

Just visit forums (like here) for Ram, GM and Ford and read about what issues those trucks can have. Should be all it takes to make a Tundra an attractive option.

 

I guess I should be more specific.... base model tundra price vs Ford GMC dodge all comparable. But for the performance trim....TRD pro is only an extra 6K. The raptor, Denali, rebel, etc all add around 20K. What is the tundra lacking. There has to be a reason other performance trucks are roughly $80,000 and the tundra TRD pro is only $55,000

 

This is an excellent point. As an example, a new 2019 Ram 1500 Limited saw discounts above 30% off MSRP six months after it was released. Although the Raptor is a unicorn in that it rarely sees such a discount.

 

TRD Pros don't have any actual mechanical advantages over the other Tundra trims other than the better shocks and a level kit. That is why they aren't 20K more than your other trims. In the other manufacturers the "performance" trims get things like crawl control, locking diffs, better tires, etc.

 

The Tundra TRD Pro has the same engine and transmission as all other Tundras. For the 5 or 6k difference you are primarily getting suspension and cosmetic upgrades. The Raptor, however, has a high-performance engine, suspension and a number of other upgrades.

If you drop $10k into a TRD Pro to add a supercharger, you are coming closer to a Raptor.

 

I’m definitely going with the tundra. All I’ve ever owned is lexus and I trust Toyota brand

Thank you. This is the type of reply I’m looking for

 

Again sorry if this post is dumb but I’ve never owned a truck. But with a house now....time to trade in the lexus.

 

The PRO is nothing special as an upgrade other than the Fox shocks. Other than that is just a regular Tundra with some stiching and emblems. The PRO is more of a limited production, somewhat exclusive, version of what we all have, not really a upgrade.... Kinda like a club that only we understand, not everyone else. So the price is actually marketable. This is what Toyota is... Not fancy, not blinged, not updated, not trending, and not going to ever let you down. Then we can go up from there. Toyota will never stretch to keep up with how many cupholders there are in domestics, but they will happily offer you a vehicle that is mechanically sound, and of course, the most POS radio ever manufacturered. If you want a "Raptor level" truck, Toyota gives you a super solid foundation to start, and then, if you want to, you can spend the extra $20k on doing it your way.

 

The only real downside to the Tundra in the world of trucks is that it could use a better payload rating. Check out the towing section and you will see what I mean.

As far as the Pro, @Toyotoholic just said it best. You can even get a "lower" trim like the SR5 and for the price difference between it and the Pro you can exceed the Pro's stock capabilities. It really is primarily a club type of thing vs an actual tangible difference. Most of the changes to a Pro vs the other trims are cosmetic.

 

No one mentioned "RUST" , ALL the others rust out in 5-6 years, and look like crap. Get your TUNDRA , Linex it , undercoat it , BUILD IT YOUR WAY , and enjoy it.

 

Ditto! They are dependable and they hold their value

 

I bought mine mainly for these reasons:

1. Reliability, I tend to keep my cars 10 years +
2. One of the better looking trucks
3. Resale value is probably higher than the other trims
4. My kids are hugely into the military thing now and the Army Green color was the perfect choice.