First-hand experience/opinions from 2007-newer Tundra owners
 

I am/was a proud Tundra owner, had a great 2006 Tundra SR5 nd loved it, still do, but it was in a wreck a couple of weeks ago and they had to total it. So now I am inconvenienced with having to find another truck (thanks guy in the landscaping truck & trailer who blew through a stop-sign and flashing red light; <--I'm not bitter at all as you can see), and wanted to get some folks first hand opinions on the newer body style (2007-newer). My 2006 had a different style and I loved it. I like the looks of the new body, it's a bit bigger of a truck than mine, but I'm really looking for some real first hand knowledge/experience with these trucks. So if you own one currently or did recently please chime in here.

I'm looking for the obvious:

• Handling
  Comfort and feel in interior
  Noise
  Towing
  gas Mileage
  Creature comforts
  you get the point......

I don't want this to turn into a "why don't you look at a ...... truck/model" That's for another discussion. i"m hard pressed for time to find another truck, until I do my boat sits idle. I really loved my 06 Tundra, so I'm hopeful it would be a similar transition (aside from all the problems Toyota had with thei newer models, I think that's since all been fixed).

Thanks everyone...

How dare you!!! Toyota's NEVER have problems. Take that back.;)

(sorry, I don't have anything constructive to add except they are pretty good looking trucks and the rear window that rolls down like in my old minitruck...that is cool)...

Oh, and gas mileage? probably the worst of the full size rigs, but I guess I can't say that, can I.

Tim C, gas mileage on the newer models can't be much worse than my current 2006. I don't have a far drive to work, I was just curious if it got worse because it's a much bigger truck.

You are probably right. But if you have the 4.8 or whatever they had you probably get what...18? on the highway?

the hot rod 5.7 they have now is like 16 or 17 according to fueleconomy.gov...not a huge difference, but it is less than the 6.2 in the chevy. My 85 with the 22r 4banger only got 19 on the highway:rolleyes:

They are pretty cool trucks though, overall. A friend of mine has one and it is pretty nice. I appreciate the huge cabs and like I said...the rear window that rolls down.

Handling is drastically improved because they mounted the steering column on the opposite side of the axle than the 2006. Very early 07 models had an issue with the torque converter I believe. It only affected about 1 months production. Get the 5.7, it's a beast and the gas mileage is about the same as the small V8. It tows great and doesn't ride like a truck. It's everything that you liked about your 06 times 5.

I work in the factory that builds the Tundra frame, well before it moved to mexico anyway. The 07 and newer Tundra from a frame stand point is a much better truck. The stampings are thicker and beefier. The frame is not pre-bowed before it is a ssembled. Its bowed after assembly which means that the frames are much more consistent. The drive drain crossmembers (#1, 2 and 3 crossmembers are thicker, fully boxed and have all the right drain holes in them. What you didn't know about your older Tundra is that there was a engineering flaw in some of the crossmembers, not letting them drain properly. the front control arms, that are installed and the TRUCK assembly plant, not here, are thicker and stronger. It's simply a better truck, from the fram standpoint.

But with all that said, it comes down to what you like. If you loved you "other" Tundra, get another one. You'll prolly like this new one better.

(Disclaimer- I do not work for Toyota, I'm not trying to sell anything. I have more knowledge than I care to have about their Tundra and Sequoia frames, Highlander and Sieanna Cradles. Its my job... that is all!)

Let me start this post by saying I am a Chevy/GM guy. Now having said that if there was another brand truck I was going to buy it would be the Toyota Tundra. My best friend has an 07 and it is a super nice truck. I have driven it well over 1k miles so I feel like I can give a little bit of an opinion on it. The interior is huge! It has got to have the most interior space of any truck on the market. I remember when he test drove it I sat shotgun and the salesman sat behind me. The salesman was 6'5 and I was able to put the seat all the way back and recline it some and he still had plenty of room. The center console is freaking huge! You can easily fit a laptop in it. The performance is really good as well. That 5.7 and the 6 speed transmission really work well together. It tows really well and gets decent gas mileage on your daily commute for a big truck.

I have an 2011 crew max and love it. mine has the new 4.6 engine. It's got plenty of power for flat land towing. If i towed in the hills, the 5.7 would have been perfect. I drove several of those and they are impressive. Almost like a diesel. Anyway, I have no complaints so far. We love the size of the cab on the crew max. The rear seats slide forward and recline which makes it very comfortable. Getting around 20 mpg on the highway at 70mph. The 6 speed transmission and a super low 1st gear are also on my like list. It definitely doesn't handle the mud like my Tacoma did though!

I have a 2010 Tundra DC with the 5.7 engine, tow package, and 4.3 rear end. I absolutely love the truck! It tows really well for a 1/2 ton gasser. Doesn't get great mileage towing (right about 10) but it doesn't get great mileage ever. My wife drives it to and from work 8 miles each way in town and she averages about 12.2 MPG, hand calculated.

I can't compare it to many other trucks but I have spent a lot of time towing with a 01 Tahoe with the 5.3 and an 01 & 03 chevy 2500 with the 6.0 and I think it tows a lot better then both (especially the Tahoe with the 5.3). I think the Tundra is underrated as far as payload goes (but again so are most trucks now days) because I have hauled a lot over it's ratings without issue.

If I were to do it again, I would buy the crew max no questions asked. The double cab is nice and the back is large enough for most adults, but when we bought the truck we were 3-5 years away from having kids (so we thought). Only a few months later we found out my wife was pregnant. The angle of the back seat in the double cab is actually comfortable compared to the Chevy and Fords, but nothing like the crew max. I would compare the double cab to the pre 2010 Dodge quad cabs as far as room goes.

We have the 'bench' seat up front which is split roughly 40/20/40 and while it's OK, the seats aren't really comfortable on long trips. They are big, but lack lumbar support and other adjustments. Nothing beats the captain chairs in my dads Tahoe. Super comfortable on long drives and they adjust 100 ways :) The stereo is complete garbage (even the JBL system) but I didn't care cause I have already changed out the HU and plan on changing out the speakers.

The truck has a few quirks though....

1. Bed bounce is a real issue for some owners. I haven't ever experienced it, but others on the Tundra forums have and say it can be bad. There is a 'fix' out there for it but some don' t like

2. The whole gas pedal issue has been proven to be complete and total BS so don't let that issue sway your opinion. The only thing that was wrong in the first few cases was a crappy design of the floor mats. Nothing more.

3. There is an issue with spindles or yokes or something that will sometimes cause some Tundras 'jolt' when coming to a complete stop. I have only noticed it a few times when stopping on a step grade (such as my parents driveway). But for others it happens all the time. There is no fix for the issue as Toyota says it's not an issue. It would bother the he!! out of me if mine did it all the time.

4. If you get the 5.7 with the tow package it's geared low and stop and go traffic can be a bit annoying sometimes. I really feel like the truck just wants to be towing and not stopping every 5 seconds. Can't explain it in words, it just shifts 'rough' though that's not a good word to describe it.

You should really spend some time on www.tundrasolutions.com or www.tundratalk.net and read up about real owners issues, likes, and dislikes. All in all I love my truck and hope that it's built with the Toyota quality of the past because I would like to keep it 10+ years.

Thanks for all of you input, it's much appreciated. I just realized that the crewmax model's bed is only 5.5 ft long while the double cab models' is 6.5. My 06 is a quad cab and is a 6.5 ft. bed. I'm going to have to look at both to get a feel for which I like better.

Quick question for any of you with double cab: Do the rear seats fold down and then up?

Nope, they just fold up. There is a really easy mod to make them fold down though. Then you have either option. It's takes about 30 minutes (tops) a socket set and a hack saw. Something that the factory could have easily done. I haven't done it yet, but plan on doing it when I finish off my stereo and mount the amp behind the back seat.

As far as DC vs CM debate I have found that the cab gets used MUCH more then the bed and I would rather have the room in the cab. A perfect truck would be the CM with a 6.5' bed. The only time that I need the 6.5' bed is when we go camping. Other then that it's usually just hauls a baby stroller and every now and then gravel/bark dust for house projects.

Patrick that pretty much sums up my exact situation. I really only use the bed to go camping, but I also leave stuff in the back under the tonneau. A CM with a 6.5' bed would be perfect! And I saw today how the seats fold. I actually like the way they fold, versus what they did with my model. It seemed to create a bit more space between the back of the driver's seat and the rear seat.

I test drove a DC today with the 5.7L, real nice. Smooth drivability, obvious pep when you step on it, nice sound to the engine, didn't hear any real "road/truck" noise, and the cab is huge compared to my 2006. I really just wanted to see the double cab and also get a test drive, I have a few more Tundra's to look at before I make a decision.

I have 2010 Tundra CM 4x4. I have never bothered to calculate MPG, guessing its about15 MPG, but I have somewhat larger and wider tires. About 33x12.5x20. Before this I had a 2005 Nissan Titan. The things I really like about the Tundra over the Titan are the interior, traction control, and 6 speed transmission. The traction control is great when it snows or pulling the boat up a slippery ramp.

Well I ended up picking up a 2008 Tundra Double Cab in magnetic gray on Wednesday. Had to make a few sacrifices from options my last Tundra had but overall I really like the truck and am jhis will be the first time in the water for the year, what a late start. But I am so glad that this is whole ordeal is finally over. Enjoy the season everyone! Thanks for all of the input from the contributors

Congrats on the purchase! You won't be disappointed!

I just towed over a 4,800ft pass with my truck yesterday and I was very pleased with how it did. The gas mileage barely broke 10mpg, but the power was great! Was going up a 5% grade and went to pass someone and easily jumped up from 50 to 70 to make the pass. Great power for a 1/2 ton gasser!