Proud New Tundra Owner

Hi All from Winnipeg, Canada.

So a couple of months ago I bought a brand new 2018 Tundra SR5 CrewMax TRD Off-Road. I was looking to replace my 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan as a tow vehicle. I currently tow a 10' Pop-Up Trailer, for which the van was perfect, but I am now looking at buying a larger travel trailer, for which a truck is necessary.

A few key things drew me to the Tundra; Reliability, Resale, and Exclusivity.

Reliability: You hear PLENTY of stories and anecdotes about Tundra's going 500 000kms with no major issues. Yes, the Tundra is VERY dated with regards to powertrain, efficiency, and interior, but that also means all the bugs have been worked out of it. The 5.7L and 6-Spd Transmission are the least efficient of all the half-ton powertrains, but I'm never going to have a problem with it. The interior is pretty old, but all the plastics look like they'll wear very well, and I know that the manual HVAC dials will never ever break.

Resale: When I was buying, I was initially looking at buying a used 3-4 year old Tundra, but quickly found that a 3 year old Tundra with 50 000kms was retaining 80% of its value from new, and an SR5 model would cost me about $42 000CAD. The MSRP on a new Tundra Crewmax SR5 with TRD Off-Road package is about $52 000CAD, + freight and other misc fees. Call it $54 000 all in, before taxes. When I bought, Toyota was offering $8000 off 2018 models, and my dealership was offering an additional $4000 off my particular truck, as it had been sitting on the lot for a few months. The net result is that my brand new Tundra cost as much (or as little) as a 3 year old used example. Assuming resale on my truck remains consistent (and why wouldn't it), should something happen and my circumstances change, in 2 years time I can sell the truck for what I paid for it. Try doing that with a Dodge!!!

Exclusivity: There are TONS of Rams, Fords and Chevy's half-tons on the road. They are all VERY nice trucks, and to be fair, I looked very hard at a new Ram. However, you hardly ever see a nice Tundra. They are relatively rare trucks, and in my mind, that makes them all that more special. I have a great truck that nobody else on my street has, and there are multiple F150's, GM's and Rams on my street alone.

Anyway, here she is. My 2018 Tundra CrewMax SR5 TRD Off-Road.





I have been VERY impressed with this truck. Mind You, I'm coming from a Grand Caravan, so it's not hard to be impressed.

Things I love:
The Engine: 5.7L V8 and 381hp? Yes Please! This engine makes ALL the right noises, and has PLENTY of thrust.
The Headlights: The new-for-2018 LED headlights and foglights are AMAZE-BALLS.
The Styling: Because of the money offered on the hood of this specific truck, I HAD to take white. I wasn't sure at first, but it has definitely grown on me, and now I think were I to choose again, white would be my first choice. This is one handsome truck, and I am completely infatuated with it.

Things I'm not so in love with:
Fuel Economy: I knew it was going to be bad, and it is. A combination of cold weather, cold weather, and short trips means I'm sitting at an average of 24L/100kms, or 9.8USMPG. That's bad, very bad. I'm hoping it will get better once winter is over.
Entune: While the audio portion works well (i.e. playing music over Bluetooth), the cell phone integration isn't great. Having text messages read out over the speakers is unreliable at best. The Navigation sucks, too. The maps are outdated, and it doesn't have real-time traffic integration.

MODIFICATIONS:

So far I have done two modifications to this truck. I have installed a Tri-Fold Soft Tonneau Cover, as well as winter tires. I'm a HUGE proponent of winter tires in our climate, and have installed them on all my vehicles for the last decade, this truck being no exception. My Go-To are the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-80's, and on this truck I undersized them a little, going with 255/70R18's, on 18" steel wheels. 255/70R18 is the same diameter as the stock 265/65R18, but are a little narrower. The steel wheels are so that I can change over the tires myself in spring and fall, and to keep my nice factory wheels in good condition. With the addition of Blizzaks, this truck is Beast Mode in winter conditions, and isn't fazed on any road conditions, from deep snow to glare ice.

Future mods will be a spray-on or roll-on bedliner, which is something I will do myself in the spring.

 

Congratulations on a beautiful truck! I am looking to purchase my Tundra at the end of the year. Love the white color w/ the TRD Off Road package.

 

Welcome from CO.

"Truck is White. Snow is White. White Tundras become one with the snow and together, they become stronger" - Sean

 

Welcome from NC. You got the best color.

 

Welcome from SE VA....

 

Welcome from SIn City!

 

So, I'd like to add something.

The TRD Off-Road package in Canada seems a little different than the same package in the US. It seems to have a lot more content North of the Border.

With the TRD Off-Road package, I got:

Moon Roof
Front/Rear Parking Sensors
Heated Seats
Navigation
Garage Door Opener
Skid Plates
Anti-Theft System
LED Fog Lamps/Headlamps
Auto-Dimming Rear-View Mirror
18" Alloy Wheels (nicer ones that the standard SR5)
Bilstein Shocks
TRD Decals

For $3120CAD, it is a VERY comprehensive package, and basically a no-brainer to get on an SR5. Ironically, it is much less of an off-road package (shocks, really?!?) and much more of an interior feature package. The only upgrade one would get if moving to a Limited would be Leather and Auto Climate Control (and 20" wheels, if you consider those upgrades).

Seeing as the Limited is an additional $5400 over an SR5 TRD Off-Road, you would want to really, really want leather, as you don't get much else in the way of content. At least not here in the Great White North.

Another packaging difference in Canada is that the 4.6L V8 is ONLY available on the base SR Double Cab 4x2 Truck. As soon as you move up to the SR5 Double Cab, as well as every single CrewMax, 4x4 and the 5.7L are standard. Oddly enough, in the US, you seem to have a lot more choice as far as choosing engine and drivetrain. Here in Canada, almost every >2014 Tundra is a 5.7L and 4x4.

 

Welcome from Ohio

 

Welcome from Oregon!

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Looking good! Welcome from East TN!

 

Welcome to the party!!

 

Hiya and welcome from SoCalif!!!

 

Welcome from Texas!

 

Great intro! Welcome from CO.

 

Welcome aboard from SoCal.

 

Welcome from Nevada

 

You should get Tundra in...

 

WwlWelc from Texas

 

Welcome from Ohio!

 

Welcome from Idaho.

 

WELCOME from Alberta!

Is it -60 in Winnipeg yet? Lol.

 

Haha. Not quite. -30C ambient,

The truck sure is creaky when it's this cold. There is no getting away from that in this climate. But you're from Alberta, so you know how it is. Judging by the TeePee in your build log, you're from Medicine Hat? I recognize that teepee, traveled past it many times on my way to Calgary.

 

Welcome from Northeast Connecticut

 

Yessir! We been lucky so far for weather here in my area knock on wood lol.

 

Welcome from SE PA!

 

welcome from eastern Canada!! nice truck!!