opinions on TOYOTA TUNDRA for my towing needs

[gemini5362]

How come they went back to rear drums in '05?

I dont know about the 1/2 tons but I had a 2005 model 3/4 ton that I traded for my 2006 and it had disc brakes.

 

[Jarrett]

I dont know about the 1/2 tons but I had a 2005 model 3/4 ton that I traded for my 2006 and it had disc brakes.

It may just be 1/2 tons then. I know my FIL's '05 has rear drums. When I was shopping for another truck in '05, they had drums. I ended up buying used, '03 Silverado 1/2 ton and it has 4-wheel disc, which I like

 

[gemini5362]

.

The first 3/4 ton I drove was in the late 90's (I am only 28). I went with an old timer to a farm auction in Ohio. He drove on the way down as we had a 6x5 round baler on the gooseneck. On the way back he had me drive which was fun except for we hit Cleveland during rush hour. After that all the other driving I have done was easy.

Please tell me you dont qualify an Old Timer as someone over the age of 50

 

[dfkrug]

I do like the toyota commercials, showing the difference between their parts and competitors' parts gets the attention of manly truck buyers.

At the recent World AG Expo in Tulare, CA there was an incredible
Toyota pickup exhibit. It dwarfed the nearby GM, Ford, Nissan, and Dodge
exhibits.

One Toyota booth had displays of the stuff you saw in the TV commercial:
the frame with engine, 6sp tranny, and rear end. Also the competitor's
disk brakes right next to the same from GM, Ford, Dodge. Good visual
impact. In another "booth" they had 5 or 6 4x4 PUs and some huge
piles of dirt. They let you drive the trucks over the dirt piles. Yet another
booth had the trucks themselves on display.

My 04 Tacoma was built a few miles down the road in Fremont, CA. The
frame comes from Dana Corp in Stockton. This is the most "American"
vehicle I have ever owned. My lament is that you can not buy a SMALL
4x4 pu any more. Try to find one with a V6 that weighs less than
4000 lb.

 

[gemini5362]

I just went to the toyota website and the chevy website. I did a build and price on both sites. I included the same interior and exterior options. The difference was that the chevy was a 3/4 ton HD with the duramax diesel and allison 6 speed. The toyota was the gas engine with the toyota 6 speed.
The price difference was the chevy 3/4 ton with a diesel engine was 3800.00 more. That is not a lot of difference for a 3/4 ton versus 1/2 ton and a diesel engine versus gas. I do not know much about the toyota 6 speed but I would not imagine it being better than the allison. I also know from personal experience that GM will deal on their trucks. Toyota has a tendency to say buy it or leave it. For that kind of money if I wanted a truck to pull something there is no comparison in my honest opinion and I believe that if you go to the respective dealerships you are going to see the chevrolet wind up being cheaper plus a lot of time chevrolet has some great interest rates. I have my 2006 on 0 per cent interest.

 

[_RaT_]

I just went to the toyota website and the chevy website. I did a build and price on both sites. I included the same interior and exterior options. The difference was that the chevy was a 3/4 ton HD with the duramax diesel and allison 6 speed. The toyota was the gas engine with the toyota 6 speed.
The price difference was the chevy 3/4 ton with a diesel engine was 3800.00 more. That is not a lot of difference for a 3/4 ton versus 1/2 ton and a diesel engine versus gas. I do not know much about the toyota 6 speed but I would not imagine it being better than the allison. I also know from personal experience that GM will deal on their trucks. Toyota has a tendency to say buy it or leave it. For that kind of money if I wanted a truck to pull something there is no comparison in my honest opinion and I believe that if you go to the respective dealerships you are going to see the chevrolet wind up being cheaper plus a lot of time chevrolet has some great interest rates. I have my 2006 on 0 per cent interest.

With Toyota, I payed $500 over invoice for a Sienna. After 3 Fords, we bought a Toyota Sienna van. The first new car we have ever bought. The 98 Windstar we had was bought used from a family member. It was not a bad car, but after the air suspension went out and then the transmission I was quickly learning where the thing was going. There is no doubt in the latest issue of Consumers Guide on vehicles that Detroit is either going to get innovative or fall further. I'm rooting for them, but not bending over.

 

[gemini5362]

I am not knocking the Toyota Tundra. I have never driven one. The toyota pickup I bought in the 70s was a great little truck. In my opinion the toyota tundra is not as heavy duty as my chevrolet 2500 HD. If I was looking at something for any heavy towing I would not buy a 1/2 ton over a 3/4 ton truck for that purpose. In comparing the toyota with my chevrolet. The duramax engine has been out for a while now and the only real problem I am aware of is a problem with earlier model fuel injectors. The bosche fuel injectors were cracking at the mounting. A lot of the automobile manufactureres use bosche those were just a bad design. I do not know much about toyota truck transmissions but I do know something about allison. If you go buy a 500,000 dollar motor home it will probably have an allison transmission. A good portion of large trucks, semi's etc that have automatics use allison transmissions they are a very proven product. I do not know what the fuel mileage is for the toyota tundra but I am betting it wont be that great. I believe I saw that it had a 4.30 gear ratio rear end compared to the 3.73 that is in my chevrolet. I believe the toyota is probably a great truck but at that price I believe it is just overpriced. I have bought two silverado 2500 hd trucks in a row now and both times the dealership was very willing to negotiate price with me. MY wife wanted to buy a new toyota earlier in the year. She looked at some of the higher end toyotas and to be honest the dealer did not want to negotiate at all. The price they gave was pretty much what they had to have. We bought a new ACCURA TL for not much more than a toyota camry. To us the ACCURA was a much nicer car and they at leat would come down on the price some. I personally am glad to see toyota cars and trucks doing so well in their sales it makes the other manufacturers willing to deal with you in order to get your buisness.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Please tell me you dont qualify an Old Timer as someone over the age of 50

No. My father is going to turn 50 this May and while I consider him a lot of things I don't consider him old yet. The old timer in question was in his 70's and was a good guy. He passed away a few years back now and his farm has been sold off to a couple other farmers.

 

[schmism]

your going to find a lot of good Tundra info over at

Tundra Solutions Forums

 

[Woody_NH]

Isn't the new Tundra just a 3/4 ton truck with 1/2 ton labels so it will trump the other 1/2 tons? From watching the commercials that seems to be what they are pushing (higher towing and braking). But I guess they have to do what they can to gain market share.

I wish it was a 3/4 ton truck, might consider getting one. The payload is only about 1,600 lbs rather than the 2,600 to 2,800 of a 3/4 ton. Also, it can take only a small light duty snow plow according to the Fisher site. It does look like a fine 1/2 ton truck if you have moderate towing needs, 1,600 lbs payload is adequate and you don't plan to plow snow.