New to Tundras, and just want to see if the idea I have of the 3rd gen is right.

So I have a 2017 F150 that I like, but at 149,000 miles it’s time to move on. The truck is already sold to a friend, so I need a new vehicle.

In really like the look of the new Tundra’s and I drove an I-Force Max yesterday. JEEZ that thing can move! And with AVS it was so smooth.

But, I’m aware that the engines are problematic. Here is what conclusions I’ve come to, just based on what I’ve read: just want to know if I’m wrong?

1) I can see lots of threads by people saying they’ve had issues with the engine. But, it mostly seems it’s the non-hybrid engines. Still, if you buy one you should get the extended warranty.

2) the depreciation is more like an American truck, not a Toyota. On Carmax I’m seeing a 1 year old Platinum with 9k miles that’s $10k off new. A three year old Capstone with 16k miles that’s $20k off. But! I also see a 1 year old Limited for just $8k down.

so, is depreciation really that bad?

3) fuel economy with the I-Force Max is essentially as stated. Though, being light in the pedal does improve mpg it maybe a bit more than you’d think.

4) if we were all smart, we’d give up on making the Tundra work and go buy a Grand Highlander, which basically doesn’t depreciate and let’s face it how many of us really need a 450hp truck?

So, how far off am I?

 

For some, it tow capacity. Grand Highlander max is 5k.

 

Oh definitely, I apologize that last bit was meant more as a joke

I actually really liked the GHL I drove yesterday, but I *really* liked the 1794 Tundra. But if it’s going to depreciate like mad and the engine is going to let go well….

so yah just seeing if my first three points are accurate.

 

Yup. My TRD Limited with 18K miles has deprecated $14.5K in less than 2 years (per KBB).
Are you going to trade in 3 years or keep it for 10 years. If the latter, than depreciation is moot.

 

Toyota has sold close to 160,000 Tundras in 2024, and as of August this year almost 101,000. I'm only counting the 24's & 25's since they have 0 engine recalls, and very few engine issues. Even if you add in the start of the 3rd Gen trucks, the percentage of ACTUAL engines going bad is very low compared to how many were built.
Me personally, its a non-issue. With that being said, I did buy a 10 year 100k Toyota extended warranty when I got my 24, just to cover everything. I have no worries with my truck & I wouldn't hesitate in any way buying a new Tundra these days.

 

Keeping 3 years:
Buy a 2nd gen or
Lease a 3rd gen

Keeping 8+ years:
Buy a 2nd gen or
Buy a 3rd gen with extended warranty

 

To assess the depreciation correctly, make sure you consider that most of us have been able to enjoy purchase new at 8%-10% discount off MSRP. Others may correct me, but I believe that the engine factory build problems got corrected in the late 2024 MY. I'm in the same camp as Raven67. Agree, the hybrid version is very quick.

 

The big discounts offered now were not available to me in November 2023 when I bought, so that’s a fair point.
Jury is still out on whether the engine issue(s) were resolved in late 2024.
Check out recent posts from sudobash as he has reason to believe that the real fix has recently happened or is about to be put in place.

 

The depreciation, probably mostly due to the engine issue and lack of real confidence building communication from Toyota, is the main downside... especially after driving a Tacoma that hardly depreciated in 15 years. That is a serious kick in the gut. I really don't need the truck, although is does come in handy at times I could force most of my uses into an SUV. That GH sounds like a decent option is you are like me.

 

1) Buy an extended warranty for a great price from Troy Dietrich. His info is on the forum here, I used him myself. He can sell Toyota warranties, not just 3rd party. For example, my 10 yr was 3350 from the dealer with a 100 deductible, troy was 1800 with 0 ded. Huge savings, same Toyota warranty.

As far as failures, of course you'll find many posts about it on vehicle forums, Toyota Tundra is no exclusive item in this regard. The nature of people is to post more about something they dislike than something they do. But if you look at the overall % rate of failures, its hardly 1%. Numbers dont lie. I own an Audi and it has a recall for turbos and engine failures, and the rate of failure is greater than 10%, so 10 times what these tundras are. You get a factory warranty, and as I pointed out, you can extend it out to 10 yrs for very cheap on a Toyota, I chose to enjoy my truck, and my Audi, not live in fear.

2) pretty avg depreciation there, better than many vehicles. Consumer vehicle avg is 15-25% 1st year, depending on make and model.


3) the hybrid wasn't designed for mpg, however I can say how you drive it will make a difference. I've learned on my daily commute where I can work the pedal and ride in hybrid only for a good long ways.

4) Go drive a grand highlander and see how you feel about it. It felt severely underpowered to me. Needless to say we purchased a different brand SUV.

Think again about depreciation.... Grand Highlander 32% depreciation after 5 years, Tundra 29%. Almost identical depreciation.

Toyota Grand Highlander Depreciation
Years Old VALUE
1 85.18%
2 78.35%
3 76.01%
4 71.59%
5 68.16%
6 65.04%
7 58.74%
8 54.45%
9 48.78%
10 45.12%


Toyota Tundra Depreciation
Years Old VALUE
1 91.05%
2 75.42%
3 73.92%
4 72.42%
5 70.92%
6 65.60%
7 60.68%
8 58.64%
9 57.11%
10 52.83%

 

This just highlights the norm of any vehicle and depreciation, the greatest % drops are in the first few years, always.

 

My two cents . . .
If buying a new truck you really only have 3 choices:

1. A new F150. Solid truck. Dated looks to me. Known to you. Huge dealership network.
2. RAM. Solid truck. Better interior to me. Not as great dealership network.
3. Tundra. Solid truck (24’ or 25’ year). Great looking exterior. Hybrid for towing if needed. Huge dealership network. Fairly inexpensive extended warranty for peace of mind

GMC or Chevy. Hmmm not for me as lots of gremlins.

I was cross shopping all 3.

• Drove 2 different 2023 F150 Tremor. Like it. Seemed dated on the exterior. Great truck if you just want a workhorse.
• Drove 2 different 2023 Ram Rebels. Liked the exterior, and the interior is top notch. Nearly bought
• Drove 1 2023 Tundra Limited TRD. Loved it. Best exterior in my opinion. Interior good. Great acceleration and drive feel.

I liked it so much I bought a second Tundra, 2024 Platinum TRD with factory 3” lift and sold the Limited.

All 3 have pros and cons, but to me the engine recall is WHAT SEALED THE DEAL for me. Toyota is standing behind the issue and replacing motors. Granted that should not have been needed, but I would bet Ford or Ram would side step it a bit.

I don’t buy cars worrying about depreciation and they all depreciate roughly the same.

Now if you want the Highlander, I can’t help you other than to say it holds purses and groceries better. (I kid of course, but it’s not in the same category)

If I was in the market today, it would be a 2025/26 Tundra Platinum or above grade with the TRD package and whatever other options you need or want.


Good Luck . . .

 

AI stats or a projection? The Grand Highlander was introduced in February 2023

 

On my 25, I got the 10 year, 125k warranty for $1600. Couldn't beat it.

 

I bought my 24 platinum TRD OR with 9k miles in May 25 for $55k. I do believe they lose value quick. I also bought a non hybrid. They have the same engine so why would they have more issues than Hybrid? I did buy an extended warranty. As for the towing, the non-hybrid has a higher towing capacity, but thats a dead horse i refuse to beat. We looked at the GH for my wife and we hated the black plastic cladding on the bottom.