2022 Tundra vs 2022 F-150 opinion?

I'm going to go visit the largest Toyota dealership in MD today that has about 40 Tundras in stock to check out / test drive a 1794. The 2 pickups that we've written off are the 2024 Ram 1500 because of its low payload capacity and the 2023 GM 1500s because of its tiny 24 gallon fuel tank.

Our default choice at the moment would probably be a 2024 F150 SuperCrew 4x4 Platinum with the 6.5 ft bed and 3.5EB. The truck will be used for longer distance road trips, towing a track car on a flatbed tilt trailer, and general carrying duties for yard work and house projects. The 2.0 kW Pro Power Onboard is a huge selling point. A factory installed inverter system capable of powering decent size tools like a tank air compressor for track use is so critical. I think there's better aftermarket support for the F150 suspension at the moment. I also don't want to necessarily lift the F150.

 

If it makes a difference, you can’t buy a tundra right now anyway, since there is a stop sale. The 2KW inverter is as awesome as you think it is. If you have any questions about F150 suspension, send me a PM.

 

should I send him my f-150 test drive video too?

 

I would only consider the 2024 MY for both the Tundra and F150. This gives Toyota an extra year over the 2023 to work out any additional issues. This is not to say that Ford doesn't have issues to work out - they do. I think they need to do a deep dive into their 10 speed transmission shift logic.

Also, for the past decade, we've also custom factory ordered vehicles and wait 2-4 months before delivery. My mindset is, "If I'm going to pay this much money, I'm only going to accept exactly what I want and nothing less." Doesn't have a feature because of supply chain shortages? You can keep it because we have a backup vehicle at home so we can wait out your manufacturing issues.

Pricing wise - I like how Ford forum dealers are upfront about pricing. There is some talk of whether Granger Ford will keep 3% under invoice pricing or whether they might move to 4% under invoice like they have for some 2024 models.

I like the look of the Tundra a bit better, but none of the 4 1/2 ton offerings look bad in my opinion so that's not that much of a factor.

The 2kW inverter is a game changer. It's not revolutionary either - any manufacturer can wire an inverter and outlet into the bed of the truck. I'm surprised this hasn't been done sooner. Although the 2kW rating is probably it's peak rating and it's more likely to be 1.3-1.4kW continuous.

As far as suspension for a F150, I think I would choose between either the Bilstein 6112/5160 combo or the new Fox Performance Elite Series 2.5. I like going the Ford route because if I want better handling for towing, I could retrofit their Heavy Duty Payload Package rear leaf springs which were designed to add about 650-750 lbs to the RAWR of a HDPP truck. [I know this won't increase the legal limits that are on the trailering data plate.] It retains the 3 leaf design as well as factory ride height which makes it much harder to tell it's been modified than let's say a OME 2" rear oil spring on the Tundra.

But by far the biggest impact for my family would be when we do make the choice between Toyota and Ford, we are essentially deciding on a "platform" for the next decade. If we go with the F150, we'll likely replace our SUV with an Expedition Max 2-3 years down the road as well as my mom's current Subaru with a 2024+ Explorer ST. If we go with the Tundra, we'll likely replace our SUV with the Lexus GX550 and the Subaru with a 2024+ Land Cruiser in the next 2-4 years. I'm a believer of the "devil you know is better than the devil you don't".

 

I had a great experience with my custom Tremor order from Granger

FWIW: I think the 10 speed transmission “issues” are largely overblown. Unless I just happened to get one with perfect tuning.

 

I wish the Tremor and Raptor configurations were offered in the SuperCrew 6.5 foot bed.

So if the issue is transmission tuning, I would think it might be difficult to retune it in a way that might affect EPA ratings for that particular MY. However, that major retune opportunity would arise in a new MY where the vehicle has to undergo EPA certification anyways.

If it isn't a transmission tuning issue, then it may be a manufacturing issue as it's not widespread and the design is identical to the GM 10 speed. GM doesn't appear to have as many complaints as Ford.

 

My 10 speed has been perfect. My 3.5 is perfect. It has been electronics that have made me nervous on my Ford but nothing that has stranded me. It is otherwise a fantastic road trip vehicle. The ride in the first couple weeks was so rough once I got it on seriously broken pavement I was ready to look at shocks but once the suspension broke in after about 1000 mi it became perfect.

I can't compare the two because no Tundras were available for test driving near me until I owned my Ford for several months. My main take is Ford and most other manufacturer's weakness is they are doing 6-7 year design cycles with refreshes in between. By the time they have the kinks worked out of something it's time to change it.

Toyota kept the Tundra essentially the same for 15 years which allowed them to bullet proof and perfect it. The Gen3 seems like a nice truck that I think has already had many initial QC problems fixed and will be rock solid across the board in a couple years once the rest of the issues show themselves. Just not sure it's there quite yet but there are a lot of happy owners with no problems.

Also as you mentioned realize that 2k inverter on the Ford has gotten mixed reviews. I think a lot of people buy it expecting that as the continuous rating but it's really surge and a few hundred watts of head room is warranted. Don't go for that option based on a 2k watt or close to 2k watt calculation for your planned use. Across the board rave reviews come from the 7200 watt system, otherwise temper your expectations. People get into arguments about measuring sinewaves and clean ness of the power but it comes down to Ford not being clear about peak vs continuous ratings.

 

I’ll leave my test drive video out of it so @Bannerman doesn’t get all hurt , ha!

but from testing the tundra rides much better and the 10 speed and drive train are much more refined , the powerboosts I drove were clunky and didn’t ride nearly as well although not bad like my 2016 tundra , that rode like a brick

I trust Toyota way more than ford if something goes wrong , bottom line

 

I'm reading now the the powerboost system will just run the engine after the battery is heat soaked @ approx 8 hrs so now you got a 6cyl 5000lb generator * owners state dealerships are no help but once the battery temp drops to normal then turn off truck and restart they get approx another 8 hrs before the system goes full run because of the battery temp to high. That really sucks for what everyone has been told.
https://www.f150forum.com/f129/engine-won-t-turn-off-when-generator-mode-520831/

 

I have found doing most driving in regular mode on my Powerboost in the last year that the transmission is buttery smooth and shifts only get harsher in Sport. I suspect the computer has adjusted to a patter of relatively infrequent aggressiveness. Going by how it felt in sport I'd guess it would feel borderline defective if I floored it everywhere. Though mine was also not bad on the test drive, I can't speak to harsh shifts on a test drive.

 

Until the new Tundra problems get worked out….

 

I am not sure what you mean. I have not tested my Powerboost 7200 watt system for an extended time frame but my understanding from reading is the engine comes on once or twice per hour depending on how heavy of a load it's powering.

My plumber ran his auger off it to clear my sewer line and I've run a full sized freezer and some electric lawn stuff. No over night testing though. May try to get to it at some point. I really want to run most of my first floor for a few hours off it one day when the family is out of the house and I have nothing to do just to sit outside with a few beers and watch these patterns.

 

What's happening from the link is the battery will not stay a constant temp and once it exceeds a set parameter the truck bypasses the the battery and just keeps the engine running. One owner was able to use the dealer laptop or forscan and see the battery cooling system will not keep up when the draw is way below max of what the system is capable of putting out.
Just makes you feel bad for these folks kinda getting screwed alittle.

 

Nice, very nice color too!

 

Interesting. A lot of owners recount the system working as designed for 24-plus hours. I know there is separate engine and electrical cooling loops and a valve on one loop that has had leak issues on some trucks. My guess might be that if the system on some trucks detects insufficient coolant in the electronic loop the engine stays on to prevent a melt down during generator use. Either there is a real coolant leak or it is mistakenly detecting one.

 

I used my dads 23 F-150 3.5EB and 10-speed to haul their boat. Transmission was smooth shifting and not hunting for gears at all, with the load and without. EB has a good amount of power and is nice and quiet while driving.

The only problem his truck has is that the A/C randomly goes full blast ice cold and you can’t stop it. It is intermittent and random, “dealer can’t replicate the problem.”

The trucks transmission pump has what I would call a pretty loud whine at idle which I’m not sure is normal. Doesn’t seem to be effecting function at all.

If I was in the market for a new truck, I’d probably put my money on the F-150 for now until Toyota gets their act together. I may be a customer for the Tundra maybe by the mid-refresh once the bugs are worked out.

 

Transmission whine on the 10 speed f150 is normal. It’s Been on all of them since 2017.

 

you’ll have plenty of your own problems to get worked out, don’t worry , they circle the problem for you , ha!

just ribbing , nice rig

 

That’s a sweet truck.

 

I have a video I posted on here I believe. It comes and goes . I had it on my 21 5.0 lariat and I heard it on a king ranch idling in the parking lot lol. So I assume it’s normal. My transmission is good, it operates similar to my tundras I both had.

 

The leak is in the line for the coolant for the hybrid system. I know because I had it happen on my Powerboost. Hybrid heat exchanger. Ford TSB SSM51134

 

We just came back from checking out a 2023 Toyota Tundra 1974 CrewMax 5.5 bed. I want to divide this reply into two parts:
1. Our experience with the vehicle.
2. Our experience with the dealership.

Experience with the Vehicle
The F150 we were comparing this against would be the upcoming 2024 F150 Platinum 3.5EB 4x4 SuperCrew with a 6.5 foot bed + Max Tow package. There was nothing wrong with the Tundra. We were generally impressed. The interior is on par with the F150. Some things of note:
1. The remote start operation was not as convenient. The vehicle will shut the engine down as you open the door the enter the vehicle. Not sure if this can be changed.
2. Driver seat cushioning felt different than the passenger seat. Driver's seat was softer and the passenger seat was stiffer. It wasn't immediately clear to us why a vehicle with less than 40 miles on the odometer would feel this way even after we both adjusted the seat settings.
3. My feeling is that the F150 rides smoother. Now I would say I have a pretty attuned sense of how a vehicle's suspension feels/reacts. The purpose of this pickup would largely be to pull a flatbed tilt trailer to carry my track car (HPDE/road course). I could feel a bit more of the Tundra's suspension and chassis reacting to surface imperfections compared to the F150. This is not a bad thing in my opinion - it's just an observation.

Other than these points, we thought the Tundra was very comparable to the F150. I will note that there was nothing about the Tundra where I would think, "Gee, I wish the F150 had this feature as well." It was generally the other way around - adjustable pedals , 2.0kW (really 1.4kW continuous) Pro Power Onboard.
We are certainly not ruling out the Tundra, but it would come down to price. If the price were similar to what a 2024 F150 Platinum 3.5EB 4x4 SuperCrew with a 6.5 foot bed + Max Tow would sell for at Granger Ford's 3-4% under invoice less other manufacturer incentives, I think the nod would go to the F150 at this point.


Experience at the Dealership
I think this part is what did not do Toyota any favors. This particular dealership had over 40 2023 Tundras in stock. They had anywhere from 3-6 1794s on the lot that we could see. After checking out the truck and doing a short test drive, we came back in to sit with the salesperson. We told them that we're interested in their allocations for a 2024 Tundra 1794 CrewMax (non Hybrid) with the 6.5 foot bed. He went to get the sales manager who came back to tell us, "Toyota no longer makes the Tundra with a 6.5 foot bed." I told her that the particular Tundra we were looking at was parked right next to a SR5 CrewMax with a 6.5 foot bed. I then asked her, "Are you saying that Toyota's 2024 build configurator is incorrect OR that you don't have an allocation for a 2024 Tundra 1794 with a 6.5 foot bed?" Her reply was to tell us that there are currently no 1794s with a 6.5 bed within 200 miles which did not answer my question. I told her, "Well, then that makes our decision easier." We left after thanking the salesperson for his time.

A buyer that comes in repeatedly saying that he knows you don't currently have a 1794 with a 6.5 foot bed in your inventory but is only considering a 1794 with a 6.5 foot bed is a very specific buyer. Chances are the sales staff is not going to convince that buyer to change his/her mind. The buyer has already told them he's cross shopping the 1794 CrewMax with 6.5 foot bed against a 2024 F150 Platinum CrewCab wit 3.5EB 6.5 bed. You would think that the only move left here for the staff is just to be up front about your allocation for the 2024 1794 CrewMax with 6.5 foot bed and discuss the price. If you're going to try to tell that buyer that this configuration no longer exists, there's only 1 way that conversation was going to go.

 

I wish the f150 had digital rear view mirror, full roll down window, and better camera resolution

 

I did too so I was very lucky the Ford Trans was failing I jumped ship!
Man I wish my Toyota had... hmm Its all good!

 

@Polo08816
It is amazing how the dealers differ from one to another. First thing that comes to mind is that the dealer had a huge inventory so there going to dumb down on you and try to get there inventory moving vs you ordering one. I can't see Toyota on a 3rd generation 2 years in dropping the 6.5 bed so you were right questioning that and you proved it.

 

If the Lexus dealership near would do any warranty work on a tundra I’d be the happiest man in the world. They are so wonderful to deal with my wife’s Lexus. Just had a water pump on it under warranty. They detailed the engine bay and the interior free of charge for me. I didn’t even ask for it.

 

Not surprised. There are three Toyota dealerships within a 30 min drive, and I have had terrible experiences with all of them.

 

I keep hearing mixed reviews on the Tundra ride compared to others and my thought is always if you do the radical move of going to coil springs and you're not getting across the board praise for ride smoothness you did it wrong.

Tundra should be leaving a leaf spring truck in the dust in this category otherwise what was the point. Keep leaves and tune it the best you can if you can't excel with coils.

 

So my thought is that at the end of the day, as long as it's a 1/2 ton chassis and live axle, the difference between coil springs and leaf springs is going to be a very minor change if the effective spring rates are not radically different. You're not going to get a delta on the order of going from a 1/2 ton chassis to a HD chassis.