2010 Toyota Tundra Review

The Sum ‘n’ Substance

I don’t know how Toyota do it, but they have some how managed to put out some of the worlds best  heavy duty vehicles. From the famous Landcruiser to the rugged Hilux or the Tacoma as some may call it, all these toys are more than capable of reducing ice-boulders of the Arctic to tiny little ice cubes and treat vast deserts like children’s sand box. You don’t believe me, check out the BBC Top Gear Polar expedition which was aired in 2007.

The one hour documentary is sure to create a believer out of any one, because the Hilux not only reaches the magnetic North Pole, it was also able to drive back to civilization. In other tests, the Clarkson army has not only drowned the car, they set it on fire and also dropped a massive load on it. After all the madness and brutal bashing, the Tacoma was still able to start up and drive away. Now that I got the Toyota glorification out of the way, we got another truck on the block. Built out of the toughest and reliable material produced on this planet, there is a resurgence of the mountain shredder, the Tundra.

The reason why I went on and on about the Hilux is that the Tundra and the Hilux share a lot of similarities. One of them being, the same engine configurations the other two include the resemblance in design and the vehicle layout. The Tundra carries forward its signature American look with a very prominent grill jutting out. The bonnet sports a more beefed up look to house the new engine. The headlight look been upgraded to a more urban look and has five manually adjustable settings. The back end is very simple, although Toyota could have beefed up the rear to match the big front end. Under the big bonnet we have a smaller 4.6 liter V8 engine compared to the older 4.7 liter engine. Don’t get me wrong, smaller does not mean less powerful, it means increased torque, increased power and slightly better mileage.  But if you still want a bigger engine, then Toyota provides you with an optional 5.7 liter V8 with a dual VVT-i, which can control intake and exhaust valve timing electronically, for optimum performance. It also provides flexible timing that allows a more fuel efficient engine which gives more mileage. Another plus point in the 4.6 is, the water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation, which helps balance the temperature of combustion to keep the catalytic converter working more efficiently.

It was mainly designed to improve the emissions but it also saves fuel in the process. The engine is mated to a six speed automatic transmission. It is able to output 310 bhp at 5600 rpm and a torque of 327lb/ft at 3400 rpm. This is enough power to shoot it from 0- 60 in 7.4 seconds but is slower compared to its rivals like the F150. The suspension system consists of a coil and leaf springs and an anti-roll bar. The tundra puts on 18 inch Bridgestone shoes with 13.9 inch ventilated brake discs along with ABS, brake assist and electronic proportioning technology. The payload capacity is around 1424 pounds and is able to haul a maximum capacity of 8300 pounds. As far as mileage goes, the tundra is not exactly a light drinker but it manages an average 15 mpg in city roads and 20mpg on the highway. Inside the cabin, the interiors are very simple with comfortable furniture. The dashboard has nice tube- like dials for the speedometer, the fuel gauge, the battery and the lot. The other consoles like the music player and the radio were decent. However, you might have an issue when you have to load the tundra with a navigator, because most of the dash is full.

As far as performance goes, the tundra had no problems making its way through the slush and muck. The air intakes are placed high above the ground level, so the engine won’t be affected while sucking in air. The water-proofing in the tundra was good too; there was no sign of moisture in the car. While on the highway the tundra was very well-behaved. The steering had good amount of feel to it. It is very rare you get a pick up truck that handles with so much precision.

So bottom line is, the tundra offers you everything need with simplicity. It is something you want to be stuck in when on an adventure. It has an extremely good amount of power with high mileage, a deadly combination to beat. It comes in as a four door pick up and is priced around $ 31,425.