Sell me on the tundra

11 mpg is without my trailer. Definitely lower than I had expected, but to be fair this is largely around town with stop lights and speed limits of 35 mph or less. I can easily hit 15 mpg when I hit the highway, which isn't very often.

My travel trailer is a non-aerodynamic brick weighing about 4200 lbs loaded and I generally get anywhere from 8.5 mpg to 10.5 mpg while pulling it on the freeway, depending on wind and traffic conditions.

Not the kind of mileage that I expected, but not that big of a deal.

 

There are lots of us here that were Taco converts. I've yet to see or hear of anyone who went from Taco to Tundra and regretted it even considering the fuel mileage.

The truck simply does everything well.

I had several chances to buy a 3rd gen Taco and just could not get into it.

The Tundra was a slam dunk for me.

 

Ditto ... had a 14 Taco Prerunner and a 19 Sr5P 4Runner after a previous 14 Tundra Platinum (2wd ugggg) that had to downsize due to employment.

I traded the 19 4Runner with less than 20k miles for my current 16 Platinum with 65k miles and still smile everyday ! My concern was going from new owner to 2nd owner as all previous vehicles were bought new. No problems so far and now at 71k miles .. it was certified used but was involved in minor front end accident. No regrets and I imagine the 2nd owner of my gently used 4Runner feels the same

 

I had this concern when buying my 2015 but for ~2k one can put in a 46 gallon aftermarket steel tank, with two suppliers to choose from. Fairly expensive for a single item but for me it made sense to go that route.

 

all things aside, check the resale vs any truck.. BOOM

 

To sell you on a Tundra, so all you have to do is drive one.

 

A simple but accurate post!

When I realized the Tacoma was too small for our needs, I started researching the full size, 1/2 ton trucks. I read and watched numerous reviews and comparisons, and spent time on each of their owner forums. The number of owner complaints and issues on the Ford and RAM sites pushed me away from them (even though I really like the RAM). I have previously owned a Silverado and didn't want another. All I had read was how much better the domestics were than the Tundra and how outdated it is. I started following the (very slow) reveal/leaks of the 2022 Tundra but I'd much prefer a V8 truck. So I reluctantly contacted my Toyota dealership. They didn't have any on the lot, but had one coming in within a week. Per their suggestion, I put down a refundable deposit on it to hold it, just in case. In the meantime, I started researching used Tundras but found the used ones were going for basically the same price as the new ones, so that was out. When the one I had on hold came in, I made an appointment to go test drive it, fully expecting to be disappointed by this "outdated" truck and was 90% sure that I would not purchase it.

I was, frankly, completely shocked when I drove it. It felt so refined, roomy, and comfortable. The power was great, the engine smooth. I was instantly in love and brought it home that day. They gave me an insane trade on my Tacoma (more than I had paid for it), so it was a no brainer for me.

The domestics do have more payload (my biggest Tundra complaint) and they do have a lot of extra features, but they are pricey and just not for me.

I just couldn't be happier with my switch over from the Tacoma to the Tundra, even though, again, I loved my Tacoma. It was a great truck.

 

Take it from me. I have the trio 16 taco, 17 4r, 18 tundra, and a I am 5,7. The taco is my all you can do baby. Trd sport 4x4, 16, 33” tires skinnies to save weight on stock 17” rims, dcsb, 4:88, lifted 3” front 2” rear, arb lockers rear, fox 2.5 front, fox 2.0 rear, torque airbags, towing a 5800 dry trailer, tuned by K&D, unloaded getting 19mpg hwy, towing is a whole different story, hitting 5k rpm at 4-9 mpg with smoking brakes down 8% grades, engine temps hitting 240’s and trans temp hitting 230’s pinned and climbing higher that I had to pull over to avoid any higher numbers, thinking the taco could do anything. But this is literally pushing my taco to the limit and parts “will” wear out and its just a matter of when it will needs to be replaced.

Then I get this tundra 18 dc limited 4x4 literally towing like (what I thought was farfetched to hear) “nothing”. Hitting no higher than 4k rpms, engine temps 200’s and transmission temps no higher than 200’s pinned. Only touching 230 under grades and quickly recovers under 200. But...too wide for trails, 3 point parking often, mpg is a hit as a daily driver (keep the taco for daily) as using the tundra trying to be feather foot, with tss on, 11-15mpg >.<. My tundra has the 38 gallon tank and surprisingly when towing my mpg is around 9-11 with my load which is better than my taco when towing.

If you go on trips towing monthly like I do, and your work requires you to drive, keep the taco as a daily driver. Use the tundra dedicated for trips.

 

This was my experience as well. I wasn’t coming from a Tacoma, but I had just test drove one, and the smooth power of the Tundra was startling. There is something very confidence-inspiring about how the Tundra drives and the power band in its drivetrain that I didn’t get from the 6.2 Silverado I had also just test driven. The Tundra felt unstoppable. The 6.2 is faster and more powerful than the Tundra’s 5.7 but the overall experience driving the Silverado did not instill the same confidence in its longevity and durability as the Tundra.

Despite the Tundra’s numbers on paper that are out-of-date or lagging AND despite the fact its curb weight is 1000-1500 more lbs than the competition, it feels like a beast that will put up with anything I throw at it compared to all the others I’ve driven (all but Ram, lol).

 

11mpg on stock tundra.....

 

Do you like to smile?

 

If you can swing the worse gas mileage the Tundra is better in pretty much every single measurable way. I considered a Tacoma originally because of the small footprint but it felt way too cramped. The Tundra felt like a couch on wheels and is worth the size. 74k miles is nothing on these trucks. I bought mine with 114k with nothing but oil changes/maintenance from the previous owner. Now i'm at 139k with no issues other than a seized cam bolt when i was lifting the truck.

 

Bought my TRD Sport in May. Filled up this morning. Total miles drive = 2158, total gallons pumped = 126.0 Average MPG = 17.1

And it is only getting better...last three tanks have been 18.1, 18.1 and 17.5.

 

Yeah with my 3" lift and 34's i get 15. I was getting 18 when stock. Its not terrible imo. Real world use with most other trucks you'll get around that. The guys getting 10mpg usually have a leadfoot and/or lots of mods.

 

I really don't know how you guys are getting those mileage numbers. Like I said, my driving is almost completely around town, but I am not an aggressive driver. I thought I'd be getting 13-14. Oh well.

 

If your tires are bigger than stock and you haven’t corrected your speedometer, your actual number is a bit higher than what the dash says.

 

Nope I'm on the stock tires.

 

I am not as tall as you but I made the switch from a Tacoma CrewMax to a 2021 Tundra this past February simply for the need to have more room inside the cabin for 4 adults. The rear seat of the Tacoma is just not big enough to comfortably fit 2 adults for a long trip; the back seat is cramped with little to no leg room. My wife 5'3" had to pull the passanger front seat all the way forward to make room for the back passenger and I had to do the same (as much as possible) as the driver for the person sitting behind me. A long trip was just impossible with the Tacoma with 4 adults.

Having had the Tundra now for ~7 months, the extra room inside the cabin is wonderful. Plenty of room for 3 adults in the back with tremendous amount of leg room. Another added benefit to me is the size of the truck when traveling down the highway at 70+ miles per hour... certainly nicer having a bigger road presence and feeling safer. I'm getting a little over 16 mph on the highway and it goes a long way with the 38 gallon tank. Just for the comparison, I was getting 20/21 mpg on the highway with the Tacoma so I'm getting 4 or 5 mpg less with the Tundra with all the befits I just described. Both vehicles are 4x4's.

I added a picture so you can compare the 2 trucks... the Tacoma went to my son. It was too good of a truck to let go! Yes, I am kinda stuck on the Magnet Gray!

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

I came from 2.7 Tacoma AC, to a DC tundra…
I need the 6.5 bed, if you don’t need the bed crew cab is good…

 

I get about 17mpg with 50% highway.

The most important thing to me was reliability. The second was resale value. If your going to be trading every three years buy whatever you want.

The Limited is a nice trim.

 

Thanks for your input guys, the big sell is the cab space and power for sure. Safer in a bigger tuck too. Although bulletproof you do feel the 2.7 struggle with more people in it. The limited got sold, but as luck would have it I found a a nice SR5 with 50k miles for $34k. They want my taco for $32.5 (crazy). They offered me free lifetime warranty on the engine too (whatever that’ll cover?). Closing the deal tomorrow. Looking forward to joining the club!

 

Excellent choice! Post pics when you get her home and welcome.

 

I had a 2004 and a 2016 Tacoma. I bought an RV that we did not want to pull with the Tacoma (despite the fact my Tacoma had more payload than my Tundra) so I bought a 2019 Tundra.

The Tundra MPG on the interstate 75-80 is as good as my 2016 Tacoma. On the highway at 60-65 my Tacoma would get 4-5 MPG better than the Tundra. In the city, they both suck gas.

I hate driving the Tundra in the city compared to the Tacoma. On the interstate the Tundra wins hands down.

Off-road the Tacoma shines and the Tundra sucks. Period (for me).

I bought a Platinum because I hated the pleather seats in the Limited. They were horrible imo. I bought a Tundra because they wanted to sell me one more than Ford wanted to sell me an F150.

For a family, I can see the attraction of the bigger cab. I would consider other makes though, and wait to see what Toyota does with the 2022 Tundra. If I was not towing, I would go back to a mid size in a heartbeat.

 

I'm gonna be in the minority and provide you with my honest "suspicions".

Up until 2018 I think the Tundra platform was a solid bet. After that, there is anecdotal evidence that the "bean counters" starting holding more sway over the engineering bureau (transmission cooler delete).

Most think all it takes is to add a cooler and poof your back to 2018 and previous. I dont buy that. If the bean counter theory is correct they didnt stop at the cooler. There could be longer periods between tool changes resulting in wider tolerances, ie cylinder bore diameters. Greater periods of time before destructively testing heat treated components like the rollers of the cam followers, or the cam lobes themselves.

I'm uneasy with buying a 2019 now that I've digested the information provided here. If you get a Tundra get an early one before corporate greed intruded so deeply.

 

Hagrid's account has been hacked! He doesn't "speak" like this.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Now a Troll account.

 

Yeah, buy a 2007. 2nd generation master race.

My '07 base model has dual climate control, grab handle, a trans cooler, and a trans temp gauge. But also crank windows and no intermittent wipers.

 

I literally just made this switch. Had a tacoma for many years. 2 children growing up and the cramped room made me swap to a crewmax tundra. I wish I would have sooner. It is night and day difference in comfortability for everyone involved, plus I can haul my boat and not even tell its back there. Do the swap!

 

This is definitely a drawback to the Tundra (or any full size truck-SUV) IMO. If parking lot is small and tight any full size truck can be a pain to park. However even with this limitation I would never give up my Tundra.

 

I drove a Tacoma first before BUYING my Tundra. I knew I'd regret BUYING the Tacoma after comparing them both, especially for our uses. 85,000 miles and 11 years later, no regrets.