Tundra vs. Domestic trucks

So Tundra is my first pickup Truck as I had German sports sedans and still do. So whenever I mention to my pickup truck "friends" about buying the Tundra which I m currently customizing. They all laugh it off asking, DoesToyota know how to build pickup trucks? or it's not a truck if it's not from big three.

I know American Trucks are build to last (at least that's what they advertise). How come Tundra doesn't have really good reviews from automobile/Truck magazines.
I m sure some of you guys switched from Ford, Chevy & Dodge. What was the reason for the change? Price, reliability, Drive, comfort etc??

 

I drove chevys for 20 years. Gosh I'm old last one was an 07 suburban. I loved it and it hurt letting go however the quality in some areas was not what I would have liked. But that said it was the safest to drive of anything I have ever had including tundra.
I traded for a new 2016 ram, it was an amazing pickup including the built in device that made sure I took it to the shop. It spent way to many days in the shop and ram bought it back. I'm only a few months in to the tundra but at my job I have a 1st Gen tundra with 250k and it runs great as well as a rav4 and yaris who each have over 300k and not much work done to any of them. And they are route cars.

 

You are asking a good question.
The best answer, I have, is based in the money. Most reviews are in fotmats that require sponsorship. This is true of every single one except Consumer Reports.
Just as politicians owe their donors, the advertisers/sponsors pay the bills so they better say what is expected or lose their support.
There's more if you are interested.

 

White is the fastest color!

 

Ya That's what she said!

 

I stopped driving Chrysler products because they were unreliable pieces of shit. I didn't want a diesel, don't want electric steering, and the Tundra has strong axles. I found a used Tundra for the right price and have just stuck with it ever since. It's worked out well for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urRT5EnZigU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruri7GEWp2c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71iJuSCPFX0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjUVEfUoOy8&list=PL0AaMmaVOKx2Wo0cytuoPmQ402wZCi9aC&index=14

Question is: do you like your truck?

 

Do some research and you will find that the Tundra is more "domestic" than the so-called domestics. You'll also find it to be one of the most reliable trucks out there. Be sure and trot out these stats, every time you have to give one of your friends a ride to their dealership...in your Tundra.

 

Resale value alone is enough for me but there are many other reasons. As TJ said its the only half ton I will own. If Toyota made a 3/4 ton I would be in that right now

 

I just bought my 3rd Tundra back in January after making the mistake of trying a couple new HD Ram trucks. I traded a perfectly good 2014 DC Tundra on a 2016 Ram 2500 with the Cummins, the truck was a paint shaker. First time I took it on the freeway it vibrated, dealer took their best shot at fixing it. I then drove a co-workers Ram 3500 CC long bed with the Cummins and Aisin trans, smooth as silk and road pretty dang good. So I walked into the Ram dealer and had them locate me one, can you say the nightmare returns. Besides vibrating more violently than the 2500 I traded, it also had electrical and transmission issues. I bought the Aisin trans figuring it was beefy and would not be an issue. After 26 days in the shop and 5 months of ownership I couldn't take it anymore. I went to my favorite Toyota dealer and traded the Ram on my present 2016 Platinum, life is now good.

 

Good question.

I have had a couple of toyota trucks, both Tacos, an 01 with 260k on it when I sold it and a 16 with 35k when I traded it for the Tundra. I have never owned a GMC product - while some of their exterior styling appeals to me, I don't care for the subjective "look and feel" of their trucks on the inside.

After selling my 02 Taco, we bought a 3-year old Ford Expedition that was a tank. We needed the space for our 3 kids and my Wife wanted no part of a minivan. The 99 expedition was a great truck and it saved all of our lives when it was demolished in an accident by a couple of kids with all of us in it; it had 170k on it and ran as strong as day 1. With that, I set out to buy another expedition, used, from a dealer. This time I got the first year of a big makeover - I think it was an 07 Limited. Again from a dealer, Certified, with 60k. Let me tell you, that truck drove great. It was the smoothest riding and driving vehicle I had ever owned. When it ran. The electrical gremlins were never ending. From fuel pump, to the fried head unit, to a seemingly undetectable wire harness issue, to molex connectors melting due to a ground fault on the heated seats. Ok, 3 spark plugs, 3 different times, blowing out of the head. There's more, too. Most all of this seemed to happen as we passed the "Certified" period. But damn it was comfortable.

I drew the line when the truck left me stranded on the 6th floor of an underground parking garage at 11pm one night after a work function. Having that bitch towed out of a garage was a sight. That was a Thursday night. I had it towed to my mechanic and The next morning I told my Wife I was buying a new, redesigned Taco, which I couldn't stop looking at and reading about anyway - just the motivation I needed. I spent another $1600 having the expedition repaired just so I could sell it. I paid $22.5k for the truck, spent $12.9k on repairs in 6 years. That's 57% of the cost of the truck. I sold it to a family of Mexicans for $11k cash.

Enter the Tacoma. Ugh, another first year redesign. But it's a Toyota, it'll be fine. Yeah, it ran like a sewing machine.... you know the ones with the old foot pedal you rock back and forth? You get my drift. I hated the seat, poor visibility, miserable power train combo... worse yet, it had no business pulling our 3500lb camper despite a 6100lb capacity.

With a couple of recalls and a pretty good rear end collision, I began looking at Tundras. I love the look of the Ford, but I couldn't/wouldn't do it again. No GMC for me which left Ram and Tundra. That made the decision for me. Sure, the SR5 TRD Off Road Tundra doesn't have many of he f150 bells and whistles, but I tell you I have never been happier with a vehicle since my original 02 Taco. The engine is strong and reliable. It's comfortable. I can see the road clearly. I can fit a metric ton of shit inside the Crewmax cab. And.... I got a 17. After my 16 Taco, Toyota can keep all their electronic bullshit updates coming on the 18. The 16 Taco taught me that lesson.

It ain't perfect, but damnit, it's a great truck. Mods for me so far are short with not too much planned.

1. Traded in the gum ball p-rated Michelins for some proper LT truck tires in a size bigger, 275/70/18.
2. Ordered some 1" spacers for a slightly broader stance.
3. Tinted the windows - this truck is a big greenhouse - lots of glass!
4. Waiting on the FRAC harness from @TundraTex to add a front parking camera
5. Pull back the seat covers and install heated seats
6. Upgrade the complete audio system
7. 1.5-2" level on the front just to level it out.

Sorry for the long post... you asked (dealer delivery pic attached)!

Mike

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BcYtskkzFo

 

I had a Ford F150 once. I was a POS. Not enough first hand knowledge to give a mathematical certainty. But my 13 Tundra inspires way more confidence. Toyota makes good stuff.

 

That Ram though...

 

One of the biggest reason for the titled answer from most of your friends is because the big three has been around for a very long time and they have been building trucks before Toyota has. Most people only knows about the big three and it gets handed down from generation to generation. Because they've been around longer , those companies are more experienced at making trucks and Toyota just started making 1/2 ton trucks the last 20-30 years and people don't think about Toyota for a truck. Granted , I've never owned a truck from any of the big three but some of my friends do own them and they do have a lot of issues with reliability and their resale value are lowered than Toyota. I personally don't like the interior of American trucks and the Tundra typically cost a lot less than those big three when you get a fully loaded one. Toyota also doesn't make any larger than 1/2 ton and those companies has more selections in the over 1/2 range and that's all you see.

 

I have owned Chevy and Ford pickups...New Chevy Z-71 Off Road '97....Transmission problems.....Ford F-150 Engine problems...Dodge !!!....= TRASH !!!...ALL CHRYSLER PRODUCTS ARE JUNK !!!...Have worked in the Autobody trade for 32 years.....Dodge,Chrysler Is GARBAGE...I KNOW FIRST HAND ....Cheap as hell.....Toyota makes the BEST VEHICLES ON THE ROAD....HONDA TOO !!!!!

 

I will say that Chevy Duramax with Allison tranny is ONE GOOD TRUCK !!!

 

Also forgot to add that i bouvht a new F-250 in 2001...Crew Cab...7.3 litre Powerstroke...NO ISSUES..but of course its in a different class = 3/4 ton truck.....i loved that TRUCK!!!...NO ISSUES FOR 11 YEARS

 

???????

 

I usually touch up the area with some rubberized spray undercoating. I hate the slimy cap GM puts on their frames. It makes a mess of everything, my tools, my hands, my clothes. We recently had a new 2 post hoist put in and we're actually warned about pad placement on GM frames because of that coating allowing trucks to slide.

 

It is worthless lol. If I spend 30 minutes doing a job I spend an hour wiping down my tools. I've learned that nitrile gloves are my friend. I don't have a part number but the stuff I use and like is 3M. It's a white and red rattle can. We get it from a shop supplier but I'm pretty sure the same stuff is available at Advance or Auto Zone, but in a black can.

 

I had an 04 w duramax, Allison trans. Loved it. Ironically the engine had a big Isuzu label on it.

 

That makes sense, @ColoradoTJ isnt Duramax owned by Isuzu? Or was it a partnership between GM and Isuzu?

 

Isuzu produces the Duramax power plant

 

I grew up in a family that drove Toyota and Dodge/Chrysler. I've gone thru an '84 Corolla, an '89 SR5 pickup, a 95 Taco and then my allegiance waivered and I bought an '02 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab. The Dak was loaded, 4.7L, AWD, power everything. It was a great truck, never a problem other than a radiator that failed at about 50,000. I sold that truck a year ago with 268,000 on it and it's still going strong. But when I decided that it was time for a new one, nothing appealed to me accept the Tundra...followed by the Tacoma. I work on Chevys, Fords, Dodges, Nissan, Toyota's and even Mitsubishi and Suzuki, old and new, every day. They all have their pros and cons. People buy based on all kinds of factors, good or bad experiences, price, necessity, opinions of family and friends. I have several firefighter buddies that buy GM in part because of the AFL-CIO and the UAW. Another friend is died in the wool Chevy to the point that he would rather I not park in the driveway when I come over. I also have a friend who was born and raised Ford, is an SA at a Ford dealership and would sooner walk than drive anything but a ford. My boss and his father, Dodge guys thru and thru. My grandmother drove Corolla for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a Chrysler man. My uncle started with a '74 FJ40 (I'd love to have that thing today) and has been Toyota ever since. My brother and father have been Toyota since 2001, both having owned Tacos and now '15 and '16 Tundras. It's my opinion that the Toyota haters base their opinions on ignorance and misinformation. Toyota's quality, longevity and value speaks for itself. The buy American argument has no merit. I hear all the time "that Chinese crap". Toyota is Japanese genius, fail geography class much!? The Ford owners have obviously not been under their vehicles to see all of the assembled in Mexico tags on everything. Same goes for GM. The duramax guys refuse to admit it's an Isuzu and the Fiat guys....????
Advertising is another good one. For all of the awards the big 3 claim to have, my Tundra will still last longer and be worth more. And for the record the only guys that shove a toolbox off a bedrail and into a bed are guys driving company trucks that they're not paying for and if someone ever dumped stone in my truck like they do in that F-150 I'd drag the guy out of the front end loader and beat him. Truth in advertising huh? Edmunds did a study a few years ago that showed that Toyota was a very close second only to Ford in the use of goods and services from inside the US, employed more American workers than any of the big 3 and were more environmentally friendly than any of the big 3. Again, everyone has their opinions based on everything from country of origin, bailouts, bigger, better, faster. It's my opinion that if someone wants to foot the bill, I'll drive whatever they like. Until that time comes I'll keep driving what I believe is the best built truck out there. So, when your 'pickup friends' bash your Tundra throw some FACTS back at them and remember, opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one