The Detroit News's view

Tundra Double Cab falls short on ride, interior

In a model year bursting with excitement over such impressive full-size truck offerings as the redesigned Ford F-150 pickup and the butch newcomer Nissan Titan, it is easy for the improvements on the Toyota Tundra pickup to be overlooked.

But the Tundra, which in the past has earned high marks in reliability from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, gets its first true crew cab version for the 2004 model year. This means a sedan-like cabin with four full-size doors, a real bonus, especially if the truck does double-duty as a family vehicle and workhorse.

We tested a 2004 Tundra Double Cab SR5 4×4, equipped with several options, including a $430 towing package. It was priced at $30,895. While Anita was impressed by the Toyota’s sheer size, the Tundra does not rank high on Paul’s shopping list.

SHE: It would be so easy to dismiss the Tundra Double Cab because it doesn’t have the sexy cabin options of the F-150 or the brash looks of the Titan. The Tundra, with its conservative looks, reminds me of Clark Kent next to those super trucks, you forget just how big and strong it really is.

HE: More like Jimmy Olsen. The Tundra is not exactly a wimp, but I don’t think it’s in the same league as the big boys.

SHE: I wasn’t convinced either until we put together a comparison chart listing the dimensions and capacities of the three crew cab models from Toyota, Ford and Nissan. In your driveway, the Tundra is not going to be the emotional winner. But if you just look at the sheer sizes, the Tundra Double Cab has a clear edge in terms of bed length, wheelbase, overall length and width. The bed, for instance, is seven inches longer than Ford and eight inches longer than Nissan. And there’s more head room for front passengers.

HE: You can make the case on paper, but our test truck doesn’t measure up on the road. That’s where its substantially lighter weight and lack of a big V-8 engine really stand out. The Tundra Double Cab is almost 400 pounds lighter than the Titan Crew Cab and more than 500 pounds lighter than the F-150 SuperCrew. It tends to bounce around more on the road and exhibits a harsher ride, especially when you.re going over highway expansion strips. The biggest engine you can get on the Toyota is the 4.7-liter V-8, which is pretty anemic next to Nissan’s standard 5.6-liter V-8 and Ford.s optional 5.4-liter V-8. That affects towing capacity, too. The Tundra Double Cab 4×4 can tow up to 6,500 pounds. Towing capacity on the Titan Crew Cab 4×4 is a whopping 9,400 pounds.

SHE: The Tundra has a pretty boring cabin, with surprisingly minimalist features. When we were driving west to visit our new niece on a recent Sunday afternoon, the visor could not be adjusted enough to block the setting sun. And our $30,000 test truck didn’t even come with lighted vanity mirrors. I also was disappointed in the cen ter console, which I know many contractors like to use as a portable office and workspace. It’s just not big enough to be useful.

HE: The Tundra has one big thing going for it, that’s Toyota’s longstanding reputation for quality and reliability. Yes, the Tundra is pretty generic-looking inside and out, compared to the competition. But it’s comfortable and familiar. Even the center stack, with the audio and climate controls, looks like it was lifted directly from one of the company’s passenger cars. Boring, but simple and easy to use. And while the assembly quality throughout the cabin is not perfect, it is still considerably better than the Nissan.

SHE: Last week, we tested the Titan, which impressed me with its optional side air bags and side-curtain bags. You can’t get either one on the Tundra. That.s surprising, considering this looks and feels like a vehicle that’s geared more toward families than commercial users. What I did like were user-friendly features ke the push button, four-wheel-drive system and the power rolldown rear window. For rear seat occupants, Toyota thoughtfully has provided air vents, cup holders and a pulldown armrest. You also can order a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

HE: I know you.ve always had a thing for Clark Kent. On the other hand, you married me. So maybe you.ll be happy with a Jimmy Olsen truck, too.