Unpopular opinion: The current Tundra interior is better than everyone else's.

Yes! We're in the weeds now. Ha. Sounds like we agree that they saved money. I'm still not convinced that the savings is as low or negligible as you're suggesting.

From The True Cost of a Plastic Mold Injection, "For example, if your mold is going to cost $45,000, made out of steel and expected to make 500,000 parts over the next three years think of it this way, the cost per year for 3 years is only $15,000 and your cost per part is only $0.09!"

This suggests that each one of these kinds of precision molds can be reasonably expected to make 167k parts per year and has an extremely low cost/unit manufactured. Given that since the handle was deleted, 808,281 Tundras were produced 2014-2020 at an average of just over 100k-120k/year, it is entirely feasible that they made one of these molds for the handleless drivers side A pillar, or maybe two. Furthermore, how much less (if at all) is the cost of creating a simplified version of a pre-existing mold? It's the same thing minus the handle mount. Surely some portion of the cost is saved just modifying the existing designs in their .stp, .step, .x_t, .igs, .mcx, .sldprt, .dwg, or .sat files.

And I don't believe the cost to make the handles is as low as you're suggesting. I mean, they sell just the handles for $60 themselves. It is very different plastic and much higher quality than, say, a lotion bottle. If it truly cost a buck to make, that is a 6000% markup.

This leads me to another point: out here in the weeds, we can't ignore the profit made from the thousands of drivers who have bought OEM parts to install their own handles.

To me, it just goes along with what Toyota does. These were standard interior features 2007-2013: dual climate, dual glove boxes, driver's side grab handle, illuminated ignition ring, courtesy lights in doors, amber signal/flashers, sliding console, reclining rear seat in the crewmax, more storage throughout. The 2014 refresh brought a very simplified standard interior by comparison (which, again, I prefer over others).

I think they saved a substantial amount of money, it didn't raise their safety ratings in any meaningful way, and it follows the pattern of deleting previously standard items in a long-running generation.

And yes, I do find it curious that it was left in the Sequoia. To me this is the strongest part of your argument. Women are on average 5.4" shorter than men and weigh 27 lb less. Maybe their heads didn't glance off the handle in the same controlled crash tests? But I don't recall seeing any "female" crash test dummies.

I think it's more likely Toyota decided to leave the assisting handle for statistically smaller female drivers getting into that big SUV. Or maybe revamping the production line at all when only 78,090 Sequoias were produced 2014-2020 was going to cost money they wouldn't recoup when only making 11k of them per year.

 

The driver’s grab handle is a deletion that I like. I’m 6’5” and drive stock suspension. The handle would just get in the way of entry. Plus, without it, my mpg is 1.383 mi/gal higher and tranny is 7.362F cooler

Just give me a real transfer case handle, no super bright chrome, and I’m good with the simple interior. It is one of the reasons that I got a new rig before the 2022.

 

Simply delete the speedometer and widen the digital display to say 6” instead of the narrow little strip it is now - move all the temp and pressure gauges to the right and keep the tach

Overall it’s ok - just don’t need a digital display and a speedometer both.

If they could find a way to do “split screen “ so you can see speed AND radio/messages - all the better.

 

My 2021 F-250 has the grab handle stock. I use it all the time, except when I’m walking home from the dealership.

This is for @Tundra234

 

In all seriousness I bought my Tundra for the Utilitarian interior. I don’t like all that fancy crap. My F-250 XLT has a basic interior that I like.

 

Good point. There seems to be a good bit of "Tesla Touchscreen Hype" that really isn't good from a user-input perspective, just cost-saving for a car manufacturer because they don't have to spend time/materials in putting together a dashboard. Again, the downfall is reliability because it creates a single point of failure on all critical systems that I don't like, but if Space X can fly people to orbit on touch screens, it seems like I'm just being the guy that prefers an analog solution vs a digital one.

 

I just want a simple truck interior like this. Also, I need an air freshener that smells like old cigarettes, hay, and a saddle blanket seat cover.

 

Actually, same; literally about the only thing I'd change about it would be to add leather seats...but after driving the other vehicles (and I did), I found that the more 'basic' interior appealed to me. My wife, after riding in it, said "You know...I like this dashboard. It's got just enough tech to have the stuff we really need and some stuff we want...but it's also not super busy like som other vehicles I've seen."

There's some minor niggles (e.g., the auto high beams on and the rear window switch could either have been relocated or combined with some other areas), but I've loved every second I drove it.

 

How much it does or doesn't cost can be debated to death with no progress (moot) because we have no data from Toyota on this. What we do know is that it's one of two scenarios for money savings. Keeping the old molds AND doing new ones is not a money saving strategy. Doing nothing would save the most, or is the plastic saved from the handles was enough, then deleting all the handles would save the most. The absolute worst money saving method is what they went with. This leads me to think their primary motivation was not to save a little money on plastic usage. I believe the change was safety related and they found a way to save as much as they could doing it.

I think you misunderstood me. I was not saying the whole pillar part was a dollar. I was saying that the plastice not used to make the handle would save a dollar's worth of plastic pellets. The actual part cost for the whole pillar piece is irrelevant. It has to be produced, with or without a handle, so the only thing of significance is how must material cost is saved with the deletion of the handle.

Look at other vehicles and companies. When a refresh happens lots of features pop up new or get left off. Look behind 2014+ dash and see if the structure and see if a dual glove box is feasible. IDK if it is.

Dual climate was standard? In what trims. Was it temp based or just two zone blue and red bars? Again, I don't know anything about them.

The sliding seats were planned to be kept, but removed based on customer surveys. You can complain too your fellow owners on that.

Tons of light options change from year to year on all vehicle types. This isn't exclusive to Toyota.

Storage, I agree. Should have had more standard.

It wasn't to raise their rating. It was to preserve what they had.

The sequoia has a different rear suspension and rear load that can keep the rear down in a front impact so there is less of a catapult effect on the driver. At least this is how my late night brain is thinking.

 

I prefer analog, but understand many things require touch. It isn't straight forward as doing it for just the sake of cost savings, since there are new features that need to be developed, a shift from mechanical to increase software/computer development. It is a trade off. It is the ever growing amount of "features" and "customizing" consumers are expecting.

That's why I think in order to keep analog buttons while maintaining it to a minimum, while still advancing in features, many of the new features should be autonomous. Like how the rockets, aircrafts, and shuttle, they have many computer control systems that automatically adjust in the background, to allow for the pilot to concentrate on the actual piloting.

example like windshield wipers, instead of 20 or how many speed levels there are now, that require a large display to scroll through, why not develop better auto sensing windshield tech.

 

I don't think the missing driver handle was just a cost saving, but more for passing safety. The Tundra is very old platform and which does not do well in the small overlap, where it scored 'marginal' on the driver side, while 'poor' in the passenger side, which has the grab handle.

These Are the LEAST (and MOST Safe) New Trucks You Can Buy Today! - YouTube

 

Keep in mind the the DC scored better than the CM in regards to the small overlap test. The DC has always scored higher in safety tests than the CM. Every year. That being said I prefer having the grab handle but decided against putting one in after reading up on the new crash test issues with the dummies' heads hitting it. I agree that it was dropped for safety concerns and not to simply cut costs in this instance.

 

The GM HUD is actually a really handy feature I think,I have driven with them a ton and it is simply a handy,small in front of your eyeline but unobtrusive window that I like for speed mostly. No real negatives that I can think of and I pretty much hate everything.

 

I have a Client that owns Escalades and I drive them around the country for him pretty often so have a lot of seat time behind the Escalade dash.

His current truck has pretty much no knobs or buttons anywhere but instead has a huge honkin touchscreen and that Haptic Feedback crap like the phones have to convince me that I have indeed touched the fucking piece of crap and it is now considering my request.

I have a tough time using that on my phone while sitting alone in a chair in a quiet room but the notion that I can reliably ask the Escalade to do anything while moving and being bounced around is literally insane to me and I want to kill myself after every trip lest I ever have to do that again!

He of course loves it.

 

The grab handle is quite convenient to "grab" onto when getting in. Much better than always grabbing the steering wheel. Especially on a lifted truck. I seriously doubt any driver ever would ever grab that handle while driving but is quite handy to have when climbing in.

 

Very thorough deduction and description. I agree with almost all of it, especially the "why is the truck so outdated?" Because they got it right years ago. The only thing I don't like about the interior is the put your seatbelt on warning. It's far more annoying than any truck I've driven. Basically 1 eternal ongoing loud beep after about 15 seconds. Like shut up!! I'm putting it on ffs!! Anyways good list I'm sure many dodge and ford people here will argue about it. Luckily my ignorant toyota tuned ears can't hear it.

 

Base tundra (all plastic) with aftermarket screen/camera is the ideal setup. Spill something? Take a Lysol wipe to it. Everything is simple. Everything is where it should be. Touchscreen only for things I use occasionally

 

Personally I think most of you will change your mind about the big screen when you’ve had a chance to see what it’s like for yourself . It’s not anywhere near as bad as some think .

 

It is always pretty awesome when it works but when it breaks it costs you tons of money.

 

It’s possible but then you have a reason to go after market .

 

I've had the chance recently to drive a couple vehicles with a big screen. Not a fan.

I prefer not to have stuff break and require after market parts. That's why I own Toyotas.

 

Not a chance at all I'd change my mind.

 

You are wrong..again- Just more BS to break + who needs a damn 12" screen- phones are enough of a distraction and cause of wrecks, these morons don't need a damn 12" screen to be fuking with and staring at..Period!!!

 

I'm an old fart,so imo the screen in my 2018 is as big as anyone should ever need. Give me knobs and buttons, and please keep screens 8 inches or less.

 

I thought a lot of people change their head units in their trucks now ?

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url...ved=0CAgQjRxqFwoTCMj1_9nJkPICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

 

A lot do but the vast majority don't I'm thinking.

 

Why would you be staring at it while you’re driving ? That’s why I said that if you have it in your vehicle and drive it every day it’s not as distracting as people might think . I’m not trying to argue just pointing out something that I’ve had for over 2 years now that’s all .

 

Believe me , I’m an old fart too lol . That’s one of the reasons I like the big screen , easier for my old eyes to see .