Tundra I-Force V6 vs I-Force Max Hybrid

So is the I-Force Max Hybrid worth it over the standard? Anybody have real world experience with both engines? Meaning have you owned one and then the other and preferred one over the other?

 

I've driven both for extended periods of time and ended up buying the TRD Pro with the hybrid. Extra power of the hybrid is nice for towing, but in 90% of daily driving, you won't really notice or need it.

 

Trade off. HP and TQ vs space and no future battery cost .

I only had the hybrids and love I’d but after having my raptor I enjoy the space and don’t miss the hybrid. I’d imagine the non hybrid is sufficient. Prob find non hybrid at deeper discount too

 

I would be keeping this truck for a long time which is why i am considering the non hybrid.

And when you talk about space is it the storage space behind the back seats? Its not also less passenger space correct?

 

Toyota has the longest history of hybrid reliability of any car company, so I wouldn't worry about that.
The only thing you lose is the storage under the back seat.

 

The "missing" storage isn't behind the back seats it is under the back seat. You go from having storage there to having none. Actual passenger space is the same.

 

No difference in room for passengers, no. Legroom is all the same.

You lose the under seat storage space in the back and it does impact certain aftermarket upgrades (I.E. mounting points for sliders are different for hybrid vs non-hybrid). However, those are the only 2 "design" impacts that I can think of.

Curb weight is a little higher and the max payload & towing are slightly lower (but not by enough that you would notice), if that matters to you.

 

Well that sort of depends on how long you plan to keep the truck. The battery WILL eventually need to be replaced and it is a substantial cost. Granted that replacement is at least ten years down the road but it's a matter of when, not if.

 

Sure, but the Prius battery is like $1200 and is like 4 or 5 times the size of the Tundra battery. I'll take that hit in 15 years or whatever.
Hopefully, there will be better battery technology and a way to upgrade to that.

 

There are also lithium ion replacement batteries available for the prius and the swap is pretty easy to do yourself. Should only be a couple years before that is available for the Tundra

Getting to the battery and pulling it out is SIGNIFICANTLY easier in the Tundra since its under the seat. Replacing it shouldn't be more than a 4 hour job

 

Had a 2006 Lexus RX400h for my Mom. Just sold it recently. 17 years, same battery, no issues. I believe the Toyota hybrid system is essentially the same technology from Prius to Lexus to Tundra, etc. I've read pretty incredible lifespan/mileage figures for Prius systems that have been used as taxicabs, etc. Many 100s of thousands of miles with no issue on the hybrid side.

 

Just dont lick the terminals on the 400+ volt battery when you do the installs to check if its charged.

 

op needs to drive both for themselves because

A) hybrid owner will say yea for sure the premium i paid 5k+ for hybrid definitely is worth it and i get my $ worth everyday
B) non hybrid owner will say, my shit pulls 12k and your hybrid doesnt/cant

Then the big pissing match happens

Hybrid owners will say that extra tiny electric hp/trq motor makes the truck pass other vehicles when towing like its nothing

Nonhybrid owners will say - I have 0 issues passing others when towing

I driven both, didnt see any difference from hybrid vs non hybrid, my truck has 0 turbo lag as well vs what others post, and I know all about turbo lag, my last truck was a heavily tuned ecoD, could be those ppl who have turbo lag units ride in a hybrid and think that the hybrids are that much faster?

This hybrid is a joke, this unit was jointly developed by Ford/Toyota, why Ford put li ion and have a 7.2kwh generator vs Yotas old school nimh and no option for a generator is just bizzare.

 

I'm actually really wanting to test drive the hybrid Tundra to see if the throttle response in city driving is much better than my current non hybrid.

My non hybrid really sucks around city... Throttle lag really makes me NOT enjoy driving my truck around the city as the throttle response is so crappy. I had an old v8 hemi ram truck and I loved driving that thing and response was just so pleasant. Hate this v6 turbo throttle feel.

OP do yourself a favor and drive both and pay close attention to the low speed throttle response. I'm so sick of sucky throttle response...

It's better to pay $2k to replace the battery in 10 years, than to suffer driving the truck for 20 years and hate how it drives

 

I don't know, kind of almost wish I had the non Hybrid now. The registration fee is more and mine did some werid stuff today. While driving in slow traffic and at idle speeds it wouldn't go into hybrid mode and was making a noise. I kind of wonder if the system has a fail safe which won't engage the electric motor if it gets to hot. It was trying to engage and raised the idle to compensate while the electric motor was not allowed to engage and made clicking sounds. No check engine light came on and it returned to normal operation when driving at normal speeds. By hot I am talking 110 degrees plus humid ambient temps.

 

I've driven both, really don't tell much of a difference unless you get on it or you're trying to see how long you can go on battery power. But when you get on it it's really nice having the extra power.

 

Well with Hybrid you get an electric locking gas door!! Gotta hold it closed with all that launch force. lol

 

So it doesn't quite move swiftly from a stop like a hybrid Highlander does?

 

the hybrid power delivery is more like a diesel pickup, lots of torque on the low end to get you rolling and off to a good start. It really only makes around a 8 to 10 percent difference in MPG but at 587 foot lbs of torque for a truck smaller than a full size domestic. It will scoot off the line in a hurry.

 

That is my line of thinking too and the reason I am going non Hybrid. I know this is not answering OP's question but just try to imagine resale value down the road with a 10 year old battery. I believe non Hybrid's will retain their value longer.

One day non Hybrid's will not be available so who knows what will retain value or not.

 

I don't agree with you.

Hybrid battery will be relatively inexpensive to replace, maybe $2k, so not a big deal.

Going forward more and more cars are hybrid or electric so it's possible that non hybrid will be less desirable.

And hybrid has a locking gas cap

 

I've owned both. First 22 TRD OR Tundra 3.5 TT and now 23 TRD Pro Hybrid with just over 5500 miles owned since December. They are both very nice. That said, the 23 TRD Pro build quality is much better. Credit to Toyota with working through initial issues. Comparing engine performance, the 22 Tundra was powerful and did well on MPG. Long vacation last year posted just over 24 MPG running flatland, no winds and 75MPH. Now to the 23, the Hybrid motor just flat hauls and the low-end torque is amazing. Fill up tonight, mixed driving 60% around town and remaining on the road and calculated 19.1 MPG. Next week, big road trip and hope to see + 20 MPG.

For the record, the only issues I had with the 22 were the fuel gauge reset to full and throttle lag. No issues yet with the 23

 

Imagine that$10,000 mid cycle refresh when you have to replace your turbos.

 

I believe Toyota worked out the wastegate issues aka turbo issues. Should be good now

 

Nah, runs just fine. Like to look at things through clear glasses.

 

True but turbos do wear out, that's why it is a. Mid cycle. They say the turbo is good for 150k miles. I wasn't even referring to the wastegate issues, I think for the most part that's resolved.

 

I wonder if the hybrid extends the lifecycle of the turbos by utilizing battery at low speeds or taking the load off during acceleration

 

I'm hoping that my turbos will break before my 120k extended warranty runs out, so that it'll be replaced under warranty once

 

These turbos, if taken care of, will last a long long time. So over engineered. Their own cooling system that can even run after the engine is shut down, cooled exhaust ports cool exhaust gases before going into the turbos. Variable vane technology to control turbo speed and efficiency. Increased oil galleys and lines to its bearings with oil cooler. Boost is only 18psi above ambient pressure. If you’re smart, you’ll never rev this truck above 3000 rpm making them last even longer. There’s no need because you’ve already exceeded its peak performance envelope.

 

Lol at the folks obsessed with "resale value".

Hybrid goes like gangbusters. I test drove both and went with hybrid. No ragrets!

Just towed my TT from CA to UT on vacation, hybrid was very powerful going up Halloran Summit and had no trouble pulling/passing going up grade. Pegged both turbo and hybrid meters on more than one occasion. Definitely a great ride!