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Posted on Fri, Dec. 12, 2003
Toyota Double Cab needs beefier engine
By Matt Nauman
Mercury News
With its new Double Cab model, Toyota did a good job of turning the inside of its full-size Tundra pickup into a sport-utility-like cabin. It comes with four doors and tons of back-seat legroom.
Behind it, there's a 74-inch cargo bed that's seven inches longer than the one found in the Ford F-150 Supercrew or the Nissan Titan Crew Cab.
Now if only Toyota could drop in a beefier engine.
And add a dollop -- OK, better make that a 10-gallon-hat-size serving -- of truck toughness, too.
That's where the Tundra continues to suffer.
First, let's recap recent history.
Earlier this year, Ford released its much-awaited 2004 F-150, the industry's bestselling truck for 26 years. It got a stiffer frame, a revised rear suspension, a sleeker exterior and a vastly better interior. It comes with either a 231-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 or the new 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8. Ford just reported that F-Series sales were up 10 percent in November, compared to the same month in 2002.
Then, this month, Nissan delivered its first full-size pickup, the Titan. Although it comes in fewer variants than the F-150, the Titan aims for the center of the segment by providing a boldly designed truck that carries a 305-horsepower, 5.6-liter V-8.
Realizing the big-truck game is changing fast, Toyota responded with a new model of its own, the Tundra Double Cab. It joins a lineup that offers regular cab and Access Cab (with smaller rear doors that only open when the front ones are opened first) versions. Toyota offers a 190-horsepower, 3.4-liter V-6 and a 240-horsepower, 4.7-liter V-8.
And that's the V-8 that the Double Cab gets. It adds four doors, but not a stronger engine.
Not surprisingly, Toyota prefers to emphasize that the Tundra's V-8 makes 315 pound-feet of torque. Still that number is much less than the F-150's 365 and the Titan's 379.
For towing, the Tundra Double Cab has a maximum capacity of 6,800 pounds (4x2) and 6,500 pounds (4x4). Nissan and Ford claim more than 9,000 pounds of towing capacity.
Ignoring the numbers -- and full-size truck buyers won't -- the Tundra Double Cab suffers from Toyota's lack of full-size truck savvy. (As an aside, I've always found the Fremont-built Toyota Tacoma fully competitive with the Rangers, S-10s and Dakotas of the small-truck world.)
Plain and simple, this truck is just too much like a car, like Toyota's own bestselling Camry. What works in a car -- pretty illuminated gauges, fake wood trim, petite interior door handles -- fail miserably in a truck.
These are rugged, duty-doing vehicles. Yes, today's truck buyers like leather seats and fancy stereos, but they also like a more macho approach to design. The Tundra's cabin is just too timid.
That same is true for the truck's exterior. Nissan has a bright, brassy front. Dodge has its menacing big-rig face. The new F-150 has neat lights and a very aggressive silhouette. The Tundra, meanwhile, looks bland, generic. And adding the big rear doors only makes for a more awkward look, compared with the Access Cab model.
Nissan even did a better job of designing the truck's
running boards than did Toyota.
Of course, Toyota loyalists will find much to like with the Tundra Double Cab. The rear seat is extremely spacious. Expect quality to be of the usual Toyota excellence. And for those who don't need big towing or a roaring V-8, the Tundra is plenty strong enough for work or play.
Having the longer bed was nice when we went out to buy our Christmas tree last weekend. The ride was solid, and it's very quiet for a big truck. And the power rear window was a neat touch, too.
Prices for the Tundra Double Cab range from $25,645 to $32,600.
Our 4x2 Limited model had about $5,000 in options, including a bedliner ($299) and color-keyed
running boards ($345). Its sticker price was $34,592. Gas mileage is 14 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.
In a few years, Toyota will redesign the Tundra when its new truck plant opens in San Antonio. Until then, it seems reasonable to assume that Toyota will continue to sell the Tundra to buyers who cherish its brand name and appreciate its refinement. But not to those who think tough and truck go together like peanut butter and jelly.
TEN-SECOND
TEST DRIVE
2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab full-size pickup
• Price: $34,592
• Stars: ***(hstr)(hstr)
• Why we'd buy it: Four doors; big back seat; Toyota quality
• Why we wouldn't: Weak V-8; not enough truck toughness
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Contact Matt Nauman at
mnauman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5701. His fax number is (408) 271-3786.
Where's the beef, Toyota?
gas mileage
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