3rd gen drive review from 2.5 owner

Opinions are what they are... Here's my quick review from an extended drive on a new limited

Blue limited 4x4 with black interior. It has the upgraded JBL system, air suspension, tow mirrors, panoramic roof, and some other goodies.

First and foremost I've been skeptical about the V6 sound more than performance. I thought it sounded better than expected. It's not a V8 but it has a decent enough note. It's much better than I thought. I'm not generally a fan of V6s so use that for context. Performance was great. It feels faster than mine. You can barely hear the turbos with the windows down - would augment that if I bought. Transmission is smooth. Visibility is good. Road noise is an improvement. The ride is soft and floaty as I expected. I like the ride of mine better with toytec 3/1.5 and 285/65/20s but that's preference. The tow mirrors are nice. The power features are a nice touch over the previous generation.

It's a nice looking truck but it sits too low! Easily fixed though. The interior is really nice. It has good lines. The seat ventilators are much better than the 2014. The windshield looks small. I wonder if it's a function of the screen position. I've heard a few complaints and can see it but it didn't bother me. It has really large underseat storage - huge fix. There is also some storage behind the rear seats that's easily accessible. There is plenty of room in the back seats. I'm 5'11" ~200lbs for reference and I didn't have any issues. I think I could ride back there.

JBL sound is better than 2014 when comparing new to new. The system has more bass and is probably a little clearer. I've upgraded my speakers through James and mine definitely sounds better. I'm undecided if I would upgrade speakers at this point but it wouldn't be the first thing.

There are lots of controls and buttons that I haven't totally figured out. I would like to figure out how to fix the the air suspension to my desired height - more reading involved. I would like a turbo gauge but that's a geek comment. Overall I really liked the truck, much more than expected. I've been debating making the jump and this alleviated some of my anxiety. I would probably buy a 1794 but again personal preference and ability to buy.

This truck is for sale at Bill Kidd's Toyota in Timonium if interested.

 

Nice and a concise overview.

 

Thanks that was the goal. I see positives and negatives but more positive overall.

 

Nice to read what appears to be a balanced and unbiased review from a 2.5 owner (one of the toughest looking trucks Toyota has ever built). I, too, have some issues with the air ride suspension (I think that's what you were referring to as AVS). Mine is sitting way too low on "Normal". I've got roughly a half-inch between the bumpstop and the axel. I definitely need to do some adjusting. It has that bottoming out feel on even mild dips in pavement. I suggest everyone with this suspension to check the spacing on their trucks if they are unhappy with the ride quality.

 

Agreed that the 2.5 is a highwater mark for exterior styling. I like the new body lines and even more with a little higher ride height and larger tires.

I think there are ways to permanently adjust the ride height but I haven't really looked into it. I want the platinum exterior with 1794 interior. So clearly this turn into a project!

 

On the “sits too low” note: Does the Gen 3 really sit lower than previous?

To me it felt like my 2022 was noticeably higher than my 2017 was stock for stock.

Edit: I didn’t have the adjustable suspension in either of mine though.

 

Fair point and I didn't compare to stock 2.5 height. I have a lift so my comment was about that personal preference. All of them sit too low out of the box. That being said I haven't seen the pro yet. I would also consider Toyota's factory 3/1 lift when it becomes available.

 

Nice review, mirrors my experience since I’m came from a ‘14 too.

AVS isn’t available on the limited trim I think, just the rear air suspension. If you get the digital gauge cluster then the right side can be configured to show the turbo spooling but it’s a bar instead of a round dial.

 

Nice review, thanks for sharing. I plan on waiting another year or so before I even consider making the change. I am more interested in the hybrid engine.

 

Yeah I'm not sure if that's AVS or not. There was a manual mode for that suspension.

I guess the digital gauge cluster is the fancier one I've seen listed in the platinum or 1794 builder

 

Thanks

I have complicated feelings about batteries and our current path but that's a topic for another day.

As for these specific trucks, the loss of underseat storage is a deal breaker for me. I think that's a miss.

 

AVS is Toyota’s branding for the adjustable shock absorbers. They offer AVS on several vehicle lines. On the Tundra, it’s separate from the load leveling air suspension. Also as someone else said , a boost gauge is only available with the digital instrument cluster unfortunately. There are two types though, a round style gauge shown by itself and a bar style gauge shown with engine and transmission oil temps.



It’s interesting you mentioned the ride height. Did you test drive a 4x2? I think those are an inch lower than the 4x4.

 

Noted on the AVS - I changed my original notes above. Thanks

I like the digital cluster. Does that come with the heads up display?

Nope for sure it was 4x4.

 

This is my first Toyota, but I think it sits noticeably lower than most (all) trucks in the same category. I came from a '19 Nissan Titan with stock wheels etc, when parked side by side, the Tundra was several inches lower. My wife says, this is one step from a low rider. When I gave my 82 year old mother a ride, she says, "wow, this is so much easier to get into being so low" LOL...

 

Does the interior feel cramped to you? That was my first impression sitting in one compared to my ‘20, but didn’t actually drive it. Felt very tacoma-ish. Seats narrower, console narrower, dash closer, less head room. And I’m a small guy, 5’7”, but I love my ‘20s big open feel. Otherwise I love the look and I’m sure it drives nice.

 

It does seem to sit lower than most... I need to pay more attention when I park next to other trucks and take a look. I can for sure hit the front and back of my truck with my steep driveway if I'm not careful.

 

Not really the backseat felt larger than online reviews indicated. I can see why you felt cramped in the driver's seat. The dash and center console are bigger. I think the front seats have more side bolstering too.

 

Thanks for your review. Liked the points you hit on. Only sat in one at a dealership and have no interior complaints. Simple fact is I absolutely can't get over the embarrassment of the front end and the grill. Its deal breaking for me. Hopefully that will change in the near future. I'm under the impression that Toyota has been made aware this disaster.

 

I don't mind the grill other than Toyota's maddening obsession with chrome and not being able to deselect on a given model.

 

One other point, I still don't think the sound system is as good as it should be. It's better than the 2.5 but it's not as clear as it should be for the price tag. I wish they would give us the option for a Lexus level sound upgrade. Make it ~3k; I would consider it.

 

The HUD can only come on models with the digital cluster, but not all digital clusters have the HUD. The HUD is included as part of the "advanced package" available on 1794, Platinum, and Capstone trims (possibly already included on all Capstones). The annoying part of that is the advanced package, and thus the HUD, is not available on any model with the TRD-Off Road package or the TRD Pro. I wish my Pro had the HUD, but oh well.

 

I just came out of a Tacoma into the 2022 Crewmax Tundra. To me, the interior obviously feels incredibly spacious. I do hear from online and others that it is slightly smaller than the previous gen Tundras (Crewmax and Double Cab). I think in reality the Crewmax probably has plenty of interior space for most people's needs, but I can appreciate that there is probably an adjustment period for those getting out of an even more spacious 2007-2021.

 

I’ve taken the seat measurements from a 2nd and my 3rd gen truck and they’re almost exactly the same. The difference is the seat and back bolsters are much flatter on the 2nd gen so the 3rd gen seat looks smaller. Interior space felt pretty similar to me, especially with the seat in the lowest position.

 

With some tuning I actually thought the stock radio sounds really good.
I’m happy with it for not being the more expensive JBL option.

 

Coming from a 17 crew max to 22 crew max - if anything the inside feels bigger to me. The rear may be a little smaller, but I don’t notice much and none of the kids said they can tell a difference.

 

Yeah sure and everyone is different. It's better than 2.5 gen. However there is still room to improve.

 

Interesting. I sat in a pretty stripped down SR5, I need to sit in a higher trim and drive it one of these days. I’m on the list for a pro but my dealer told me $74k sticker with 10k markup…. NOOOO thanks on that.