Another scathing review.

Ouch, just ouch…

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/...ilverado-1500-zr2-comparison-test-review/amp/

 

Motor Trend has NEVER given Tundras positive reviews. Nothing new here. I'm not defending the 3rd gens, just trying to keep it fair.

 

Either will fare fine getting over the speed humps outside the Piggly Wiggly. If the Chebby could just hold more gas than I do after a chili relleno and enchilada all you can eat, I'd be in one.

 

Their observations are not nit picking though in this instance. I think the negative review is quite warranted.

I’m also perplexed by the consistently bad acceleration displayed by all 3rd Gens above 60-70 MPH. I drive mostly two lane highways, and that 65-90 MPH acceleration is pretty important to me for safe efficient overtaking. The new Tundra seems to fall on its face really hard at those speeds.

 

Yeah the 24 gallon fuel tank would have to be replaced. Ultimately probably cheaper to buy and install a larger fuel tank in the ZR2 than remedy all the suspension performance issues, ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and materials and build quality issues with the Tundra though.

 

Didn't seem that scathing to me. Not great, but not scathing. And somewhat clueless in some respects. Soft brake pedal? I don't have a soft brake pedal. My old Tacoma had a soft brake pedal but not this Tundra. Now only if they would come back and do a 5-year follow up to see which truck is falling apart and rattling. LOL.

And we have seen this many times before in the mid-size truck reviews. They gush over how GM's ride like cars and some other stuff and Tacoma finishes 3rd or 4th. And yet still outsells the competition 3 to 1.

 

as mentioned in another thread, why doenst anyone write up an article of how many domestics are being sold without working features and a promised later to add that in when chips are available?

i have yet to see a toyota being sold without all the features working at time of sale and not a promise to fix it later when chips are available.

 

GM pays motortrend more than Toyota pays them. ER, I mean, “donates” to their programming… Motortrend has been dogging the 5.7 / 6 speed ever since the first EgoBoost rolled in to their parking lot, but they continued to treat the GM 5.3, Ram 5.7, and Coyote 5.0 with kindergarten kiddy gloves full of unicorn praises. They even gave the Nissan 5.6 runner up points with its paltry 300hp and abysmal reliability before it’s rework.

Nonetheless, it’s fun to read how interestingly ignorant reviewers can be.. Of course, I can’t give the new motor a fair shake either because I’ve yet to drive one around. I’ve at least laid foot in a gen 3, but that’s about it.

 

No need. The Tundra was already rattling and squeaking.

I ride around in GM products every day at work that have well over 250K on them and get abused by hired drivers.

Guess what? They still work, and they’re not falling apart.

 

well i agree with a lot of what is being said negatively about the tundra , how stupid is it for the locking differential to only work in 4L , no locking front diff in TRD Pro.
fuel mileage is terrible compared to 6.2 v8 , wimping sound motor of hybrid .
best think is ride on highway and 87 octane vs. GM ride and octane requirements.

 

Do you have proof of this pay to play by Motortrend?

If you don’t you’re just being a butt hurt fan boy who is mad their “team” is under performing.

 

Might want to read the ride quality comments again. The Tundra was soft over bumps. That is the only nice thing they had to say. Other words were jiggly, and lots of body roll. Along with some other unflattering remarks.

 

I think the Tundra TRD Pro is the best looking truck out there, looks better than my Raptor's IMO. But Toyota just didn't knock the off-road capabilities out of the park well enough to excuse it's poor on road acceleration on the highway and body roll. I wanted the Tundra to be the best truck on the market ( I think gen 2.5 TRD Pro is the best on the road), but the Gen 3 just doesn't do it all well enough, or anything one thing well enough to excuse it's other shortcomings. I hope they can at least keep their reliability rating, but I think it'll be '25 MY before we see that.

 

And the F150 outsells the Tundra by at least 3-1 and McDonalds massively outsells Whataburger. Not a good argument for quality.

 

I think maybe you take life too seriously...

 

Fords outsell because old habits die hard. The point is that these reviews are mere snapshots that don't account for much in the long run. So, banking on them or making long term decisions based on them makes no sense. Take the data they provide, for sure, and consider it along with the rest. And if you aren't skeptical about the motivation behind some of these reviews, I have a bridge to nowhere to sell you. This is a silly thread. Back to our regular programming... at least for me.

 

My highway passing acceleration is great. I use a custom drive mode of power engine, comfort suspension, and sport steering.

 

That motor trend review is for 5% of the car market population. The truth is toyota still has something that alot of people value and that is reputation, if the 3rd gen is as bad as it gets reviewed then that notion would eventually change for some people but not many. Majority of people who buy toyotas are not looking for or care about, hard or soft plastics in the cab, brake pedal feel, an infotainment screen that is .8 inches larger or the sound of the doors when you close them. They just want the vehicle to work everyday and not need repairs. Best example is that tacoma is under powered, gets average gas mileage at best and needs a refresh, but people still cant get enough of them. I think the 2.5 gen was like that too. Too early to know about the 3rd gen but i think its reasonable to assume in 10 years on this forum people will advise that the first couple years of the 3rd gen model should be avoided if possible to get a later one when shopping for a used 3rd gen.

 

Exception - receiving 1 key fob and a promise of getting one sometime later.

 

Passing acceleration is way better than my 2020 Tundra. It also tows much better, as it always seems to be in the torque band of the motor. My 2020 screamed when going uphill. These are the main 2 reasons I opted for the 3rd gen.

 

I was waiting for this

 

The 3rd Gen having better passing power than the 2nd Gen isn’t much to brag about when they’re both laggards.

Underperformance is still underperformance.

 

I clicked on the article and didn't read it. Went straight to the bottom where they compare specs on both and immediately noticed they had the TRD Pro at 389 horsepower. Isn't it supposed to be 437? At that point that article lost any credibility to me when they can't get a simple fact straight SMH.

 

I am just growing more and more disgusted with Toyota on this 3rd Gen. They missed so many opportunities to make the Tundra a better more practical truck, and they whiffed on just about every single thing compared to the competition.

Even if the Tundra at some point proves to have above average reliability, it’s still not a particularly useful or functional tool compared to competitors. It’s not as good off road. It can’t tow as much. It can’t haul as much. Has less interior space. Rides worse on the highway. Has mediocre passing power compared to competitors. Rides worse off road. Has poor access to the bed. Has a shallow bed that can’t accommodate many common coolers and a tonneau cover. The list goes on.

A block of high grade steel alloy is no doubt more durable than a hammer with a wooden handle, and both can be used to drive nails…. but one of them is far better at the job. Which one are you going to choose?

 

Yes typos invalidate everything.

 

I just got done with 7 hour trip in the sierras and had no issue passing trucks when needed. Surprised how much get up it had

 

Not that I care about the Gen 3. I drive a 2017, but to be paid to make a mistake like that is unacceptable. The writer was lazy and his review probably was too.

 

Ahhh...another Motor Trend article. lol.

 

I personally agree with you and would never get a 3rd gen. I bought my '21 specifically because it was an unrefined, brutish dinosaur. But in general, we are a very small minority. Most people are going to be happy to have a shiny new toyota that they cant afford that feels fast and thats good enough for them. I dont think the sales will suffer for the 3rd gen, but if the 3rd gen never really gains the toyota reputation, then i think it will be the 4th gen that suffers. (or 3.5 gen knowing toyota)

 

Such a broad stroke statement about 3rd Gen owners.