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By Scott BurgessDetroit Newspapers
April 11, 2007
Nearly everyone in Detroit resents the 2007 Toyota Tundra. Big Three executives wring their hands over its arrival and critique every square inch. Metro Detroiters, the most car-educated population in the world, spend hours berating it on the Internet. Even before they see it up close or drive it, everyone wants to weigh in on it. Combining Toyota Motor Corp.'s years of success, American carmakers' floundering sales and a fear of the unknown, it's as if Chicken Little has come home to roost in the Motor City. And the 2007 Toyota Tundra packs plenty to scare the bejesus out of the American pickup makers: The second-generation Tundra is the best truck Toyota Motor Corp. has ever built. It's big, it's powerful, and it promises more potency than a Viagra commercial: Bigger brakes, bigger gears and a bigger body must mean it's a bigger truck. All told, Toyota intends to sell 200,000 Tundras this year, the most ever by a foreign company in the United States. The Tundra, while good, isn't perfect and still needs to improve in some areas to stack up against Detroit's best. Unlike its underpowered predecessor, which lacked size and variety, the new Tundra comes in 31 variations: Toyota offers three engines, three cab styles, three trim levels and an assortment of bed configurations. While a huge leap for Toyota, it falls short of the choices available from the Big Three pickups. General Motors, for example, also offers a number of suspension packages. The Tundra has only one heavy-duty suspension. However, the independent double wishbone front suspension and rear leaf springs, both with nitrogen gas shocks, provided an excellent ride on the SR5 4x4 Double Cab I tested for a week. I hardly ever noticed a bump, even near my home in Gibraltar, a small town renowned for boating and railroad crossings. Truck flies but gulps gas Equipped with Toyota's all-new 381-horsepower 5.7-liter i-Force V-8, the truck flies. This aluminum block engine, which will make its way into other Toyota products, such as the 2008 Lexus LX 570 SUV, creates 401-pound-feet of torque. The power provides excellent acceleration off the line and the six-speed transmission is velvety smooth when passing on the highway. The sheer size makes tight turns a little difficult, but driving this beast was much more fun than I anticipated. The rack-and-pinion steering is crisp and clean. It's effortless to maneuver and precise. Point it in the right direction and the Tundra gets there quickly and quietly. Wind and engine noise was nearly nonexistent and road noise from the standard 18-inch tires is nil. Libraries are louder than this brute idling. However, all that power comes with a price: While Toyota says the engine, which can tow up to 10,800 pounds, should get 18 miles per gallon on the highway, I was never able to average more than 15.8 mpg, according to the truck's readout. Around town, I managed 12.7 mpg, despite an EPA number of 14 mpg city driving. Part of my low city mileage could be attributed to aggressive driving. Between the engine's power and the truck's intimidating size, I always felt like the biggest dog in the pack and drove accordingly. Two smaller engines are available for the Tundra: A 4-liter V-6 and a 4.7-liter V-8, which push 236 and 271 horses, respectively. Both come with five-speed automatic transmissions and provide moderately better gas mileage than the 5.7-liter engine. The biggest engine can tow up to 10,800 pounds. It's big -- maybe too big Toyota increased the Tundra's length, height, wheelbase and width. Measuring 6 feet, 3 inches tall, up to 19 feet long and 6 feet, 10 inches wide, the Tundra wouldn't squeeze into my garage. Its front end conveys its massive size. A sculpted hood, huge thee-bar grille and oversized vented bumper combine some of the best looks of the American trucks. There's some Dodge Ram in the hood folds, some Ford F-150 in the grille and some Chevy Silverado in the bumper. The elements piece together nicely, especially with the oversized headlights that wrap around the front corner. It looks good, but it's hardly original. From the side, the Tundra looks disproportionate, especially when equipped with an extra long bed or largest cab. The front end looks too short and the four-door CrewMax cab looks too big. In fairness, this is not just a Toyota problem. Ford, Dodge and Chevy all have similar profiles -- victims of equating virility to cab length. Perhaps one of the most innovative features on the truck's exterior is the tailgate. A mechanism allows the tailgate to fall slowly when opening. Just pop the latch, let go and watch it softly plop open. It's also easy to lift. Ride with the tailgate down and it won't pop up and bang in place every time you drive over a subcompact. A clean, functional interior The Tundra's interior is simple, clean and oversized. The center console alone can serve as an office (there's a spot for hanging folders), a serving tray (room for a Big Gulp) and a reception desk (drop your cell phone just about anywhere. However, don't let it fall into the passenger's foot well -- you won't be able to reach it from the driver's seat. The center stack, auto talk for the place where the radio goes and other items stacked around it, was designed to use while wearing work gloves. I tried it, and it works. The knobs are big and chunky, easy to use and everything is within reach. While the center of the dash was well laid out, the instrument gauges behind the wheel were pushed too deeply into the dash, making them harder to read, especially during the day. At night, they looked fine. Inside there are lots of helpful little features: Two 12-volt power outlets, a second glove box on the dash, storage nooks along the doors and map pockets on the back. Everything feels nicely organized and thoughtfully constructed. The second-row seats fold up or down, depending on your needs. While it's nice, I never felt at home in the Tundra. Its interior felt clinical and devoid of personality. It's functional, but not inspiring. A base model Tundra starts at $22,935, including $645 shipping, and moves into the low $40,000s for a top-of-the-line model. The Tundra offers a lot of choices for the money, though its starting price is higher than some of the competition. A base model F-150 starts at $19,000 and a base model Chevy is even less. Toyota says its truck is competitively priced because it provides so much additional content, especially when comparing equally equipped more expensive models. Don't underestimate this truck. The Tundra is not likely to fail, especially with the billions Toyota has invested in its trucking future, such as the new Tundra factory in San Antonio, Texas. The 2007 Tundra may not have hit all eight cylinders, but it creates a strong foundation, and perseverance plays to Toyota's strong suit. The sky hasn't fallen since the Tundra arrived, but this Toyota will continue to improve in the years to come. 2007 Toyota Tundra Type: Full size pickup truck Models: 31 model configurations Retail price*: $22,935 to $42,495 Engines 4-liter V-6, 236-hp, 266-lb-ft 4.7-liter V-8, 271-hp, 313-lb-ft 5.7-liter V-8, 381-hp, 401-lb-ft Transmission: Five-speed or six-speed automatic EPA mileage 4-liter: (4x2)17 mpg city / 20 mpg highway 4.7-liter: (4x2 and 4x4) 15 mpg / 18 mpg 5.7-liter: (4x2) 16 mpg / 20 mpg (4x4) 14 mpg / 18 mpg Estimated 12-month insurance costs, according to AAA Michigan: $746 *Includes shipping Report card Overall: *** Performance : Excellent: When equipped with the 5.7-liter engine, the Tundra is powerful. It handles very well for such a large truck. Exterior: Good : Big and menacing, but lacks originality. Interior: Average: Very functional with lots of useful storage but feels cold and clinical. Safety: Excellent: A host of standard safety features include front and side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control. Grading Scale: Excellent: **** Good: *** Fair:** Poor: *
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