No one has mentioned the V-10 speculation. A salesman told me a while back that Toyota was going to add two cylinders to the 4.7 (like Ford) to make a V-10 --- nothing like that lately however.
As for how strong it will be: The Tundra and Tacoma still share a lot of parts and I don't see Toyota changing that habbit. I suspect they will follow Titan's lead and build a "big-lightweight". I read somewhere that although they are near the same size the 2500 Chevy Suburban weighs 700 lbs more than the 1500 and they have almost no interchangeable parts in the drive train and running gear. IMO Toyota's move into the much smaller market for 3/4 & 1-tons will be slow and calculated.
For those wondering if the new Tundra will be bigger, all I know is what a friend told me. He's a mechanic at the local Toyota dealership and he said they recently had to put bigger lifts in their service bays to get ready for the new Tundra. So who knows.
I do like the new Tacoma BUT one thing that I don't like is that in the current Tundra access cab you still get a nice rear bench seat but in the Tacoma even though the wheel base is almost as long as the Tundra you STILL only get the two little bumps with pads on them for rear seats in the extra cab. If you go to the Tacoma double cab you trade the nice rear seat for a wheelbarrow size bed. The Tacoma STILL does not have the same interior room as the Tundra OR the same cargo bed size.
With the gas prices sky rocketing and predicted to remain high for the foreseable future, Toyota will suck the big one if they come out with the truck many are mentioning in this post. The commercial market will still be there but will still probably stick with Ford or GM and the "average Joe" truck buyer will probably stick with current Tundra size models if the mileage can be tweaked upward substantially. At fillups of $65.00+ and mileage between 13 and 18 mpg, many future buyers will think seriously about buying a larger truck (or at truck at all). Yes, Toyota will sell trucks. But, they plan market demand in the tens of thousands not thousands that enthusiasts like us TS members are part of. Just look at what has happen to the sales of their Sequoia--down 46%. My local dealer said his Tundra sales are off as well, even with the incentives they can offer. It will be an interesting 06' and 07' for the industry for sure--and Toyota will be no exception even though they build the best truck on the road. The following quote from another thread kind of reinforces my point:
"I just traded in my 2003 Tundra Limited for a 2006 Corolla S.
Just because you can afford the high gas prices, doen't mean you have to.
I did take a huge pounding on the trade-in"
Toyota is going to have to go to Employee pricing to move there trucks and big SUV's
That's a GREAT idea... in theory anyway! But unfortunately, I have my doubts that'll EVER happen with a Toyota product. If they start losing money over a period of time, the chances of that occuring would certainly increase, I would think. I guess we' ll just have to "wait-n-see".
__________________ 2004 SR5 Double Cab 4x4 w/TRD Pkg. Mods to Date:
16" 5 Spoke Brawn Enkei Wheels, Keyless Entry, Line-X Bed Liner, Challenger Running Boards, Husky Floor Liners, Bug Flector II (painted to match), Colegan Bra, Borla Dual (Side-Exit) Exhaust System, 2" Wheeler's Coil Lift, TRD Add-A-Leafs Mods to Come:
265/75/16 BFG A/T's, Possible Mods:
Seat Covers, 3M Clear Bra (hopefully... just cost so friggin' much!)
A sales gimmick is a gimmick !!!! Pricing at "employee rates" is bs... I have worked for dealerships for about 10 years now ... I have watched my neighbors negotiate a better price on a vehicle than what my "employee price" is !!!!
Anybody believe the rumor that the new motor will be VVTL-i?
I couldn't even imagine lift kicking in on an 8-cylinder, especially if it kicks the same way as the XRS Corolla.
__________________ Lisa = 2003 Access-Cab Tundra SR5
C/R/C Tails, Clear Corners, Westin Black Ultimate Bull Bar, Toyota of Dallas Grille, PIAA 510 Ion Yellow Fogs, Putco LED Third Brake Light, Luverne Black Nerf Bars, Bilstein 5100's, Wheeler's AAL's, 285x75R16's on A.R. Trench wheels.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall.
Torque is how far you push the wall.
-Unknown
No one has mentioned the V-10 speculation. A salesman told me a while back that Toyota was going to add two cylinders to the 4.7 (like Ford) to make a V-10 --- nothing like that lately however.
Ford's approach in replace 2 lines of engine (small block 5.0/5.8L and big block 7.5L) with 1 line of engine (Tritons) taught them a good lesson.
I seriously doubt Toyota will follow Ford's footsteps.
I did not think the new San Antonio plant where the new Tundra will be built will be in production until July/Aug time frame next year? Unless they are going to make a run of 07 tundras in the existing plant?
Scott
I work for a company that supplies components for the new Tundra. The first scheduled launch from the San Antonio plant is November 2006.
If those come out in 2007, it's probably best to wait a couple of years so they work out all the bugs. I have a friend that bought a Titan the first year they came out and rue's the day.
Come on Guys, this is Toyota we are talking about! Comparing Toyota to Nissan is like comparing apples to oranges! Sure there may be some small issues, but nothing that would compromise drivability! Nissan wandered from the basic Japanese values that makes Toyota so strong. I would suggest reading "The Toyota Way" to understand why Toyota does everything so well!
A sales gimmick is a gimmick !!!! Pricing at "employee rates" is bs... I have worked for dealerships for about 10 years now ... I have watched my neighbors negotiate a better price on a vehicle than what my "employee price" is !!!!
Come on now--you tell me back in the day you could walk into a dealership and save 10,000+ without saying a word? I dont think so
I "was" looking at Ford King Ranch sticker 43K and I could have got it for 30K without blinking an eye?
The Tacoma STILL does not have the same interior room as the Tundra OR the same cargo bed size. 
But unfortunately, I have my doubts that'll EVER happen with a Toyota product. 
If they start losing money over a period of time, the chances of that occuring would certainly increase, I would think. I guess we' ll just have to "wait-n-see". 
Linear Mode
