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Dodge owners - now Tundra Owners

3K views 27 replies 18 participants last post by  mxsjw 
#1 ·
Hey,

I'm new around here. I've ordered a new Tundra Crewmax Limited 4x2 and my other choice was a 08 Ford F-250 6.4L Diesel 4x4. I've been reading a lot of threads and it seems to me that a lot of Dodge people are trading /selling their trucks for the new Tundra. Is it because the new Tundra body looks a little like the Dodge up front and the reliability is much better on the Tundra?? Is this why they aren't buying another Dodge? How many are long time Dodge buyers stepping up to a Toyota?

I gave up on buying a First year Ford release model, I have owned several Toyota's in the past and feel like I can trust the reliability in a First year release Toyota. :tu:
 
#2 ·
I would doubt your Tundra will be so much more reliable. I had 2 Tundras, (had). Transmissions, brakes, oxygen sensors and a host of other nits . Then go and get it fixed and find aftermarket parts. Twice as much!!

What about the time the correct oil dipstick shows up in the mail. Geez how many people ran their trucks a quart low with that little miff.

Only now does Toyota have a reasonably powered and equipped 1/2 ton and everybody wants to give them the world. No way!
 
#3 ·
It may be a Toyota, but I still didn't give them the benefit of the doubt, I bought an extended warranty just in case. At this point the truck is still unproven.
 
#4 ·
Welcome new Tundra owner:tu:

IMO, I think it is a combination of things that are bringing domestic truck owners over to Toyota. With the new platform, Toyota has done an excellent job to compete with the domestics. And with Toyota's legendary reliability, it's not a hard decision to switch. The 5.7L V8 is a monster:D

I have no problems with buying a first year Toyota. I had the new platform 1998 Landcruiser for 7 1/2 years and it was the most reliable SUV I've ever owner. My 2004 DC that I just returned was a first year model and I never had a problem.

Your going to love the CrewMax. What color are you getting? Don't forget to post pictures when you get your CM.

Cheers
 
#5 ·
I was looking pretty hard at a Mega Cab last Summer with the good pricing and all but I couldn't get comfortable with the extra 18 inches of length and even poorer turning radius than my current Quad Cab. Plus, I was getting fed up with all of the little interior pieces falling apart like the ashtray(coin holder), sunglass holder, cup holder, etc.

I decided, then, that I wanted a Toyota. I looked into the Sequoia but the styling seems so dated at this point and I didn't want to go down to a smaller vehicle.
 
#6 ·
Welcome new Tundra owner:tu:

IMO, I think it is a combination of things that are bringing domestic truck owners over to Toyota. With the new platform, Toyota has done an excellent job to compete with the domestics. And with Toyota's legendary reliability, it's not a hard decision to switch. The 5.7L V8 is a monster:D

I have no problems with buying a first year Toyota. I had the new platform 1998 Landcruiser for 7 1/2 years and it was the most reliable SUV I've ever owner. My 2004 DC that I just returned was a first year model and I never had a problem.

Your going to love the CrewMax. What color are you getting? Don't forget to post pictures when you get your CM.Cheers
I'm getting Super White with Graphite Int.


thanks, The 5.7 L helped sell me, 6 speed Auto, towing capacity, Diesel cost 20 - 30 cents more a gallon, Interior, etc. Very nice first attempt in the "Full Size" truck market. I currently and in the past have owned Toyota trucks. I got a 1981 Toyota truck in the stable. lol
 
#7 ·
I am switching from a Dodge to the new Tundra. I always liked the Dodge styling and I guess it may have something to do with the way I feel about the new Tundra ;)

Never actually had a single problem with my Dodge, just looking to change it up this time...always wanted a Toyota too.
 
#8 ·
I also went from Dodge to Toyota. I have nothing bad to say about dodge, other than gas mileage. I wanted a sporty, fun to drive truck and felt the Tundra fitted that moreso than the Rams.
 
#9 ·
Not me! I went from a Tundra to a Dodge and never looked back. I like the new Tundra, but with my 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 4x4 Laramie LWB I don't see myself buying another Tundra unless they make a 3/4 ton Crew Cab with the 8ft bed and a Catapillar inline 6. :D I enjoy the 2,500lb Payload and 13,000lb towing and the 21mpg I get on the freeway empty and 15mpg towing 6,000lbs. :tu:
 
#10 ·
I am looking at the new Tundra from a capability standpoint, where GM, Dodge, lack a true heavy half or light 3/4, Toyota fits that bill, and offer the largest Regular cab, and the largest bed. The 6 speed auto with the 5.7 was a big plus, in getting me to look at the Toyota's this time.
 
#11 ·
I'm getting Super White with Graphite Int.


thanks, The 5.7 L helped sell me, 6 speed Auto, towing capacity, Diesel cost 20 - 30 cents more a gallon, Interior, etc. Very nice first attempt in the "Full Size" truck market. I currently and in the past have owned Toyota trucks. I got a 1981 Toyota truck in the stable. lol
Sweet...Super White always looks so clean. And with the Graphite Interior, it's going to be a good looking truck:tu: Can't wait to see those pictures:)

:ts:
 
#12 ·
I am still un-decided but am awaiting the new 09 Ram to be unveiled. Also the Toyota is nice I drove one. I like the Ram styling better of course, Tundra has a nicer interior but not as nice as the GMs. Money wise I still think you better off with a domestic in the long run. The Tundras are priced so much higher you lose that trade in value or re-sale right when you buy it. My Dodge has had some problems including a blown motor from a valve spring breakage. You take the good and the bad in ALL Brands. I just wished Dodge would bring back the longer warranty like all the other brands have. In all honesty probably not enough difference in the long run to matter. More expensive versus less expensive but Higher resale. So its probably best to buy the truck you like the best simply put.
 
#13 ·
I am still un-decided but am awaiting the new 09 Ram to be unveiled. Also the Toyota is nice I drove one. I like the Ram styling better of course, Tundra has a nicer interior but not as nice as the GMs. Money wise I still think you better off with a domestic in the long run. The Tundras are priced so much higher you lose that trade in value or re-sale right when you buy it. My Dodge has had some problems including a blown motor from a valve spring breakage. You take the good and the bad in ALL Brands. I just wished Dodge would bring back the longer warranty like all the other brands have. In all honesty probably not enough difference in the long run to matter. More expensive versus less expensive but Higher resale. So its probably best to buy the truck you like the best simply put.

"Domestics" have higher resale? Wha??? Since when??

You're either in complete denial, or you live under a rock. There is absolutely ZERO data to support that statement.

And, isn't the new Tundra more "domestic" than the trucks made by Ford, Gm and Dodge? I mean, it's the only full size designed and built EXCLUSIVELY in the USA, and it contains more domestic sourced parts...hmmm.
 
#15 ·
I went from a fully loaded 04 Dodge QC Larame to the Tundra. 7 months ago my ram was worth 24k with 23k miles on it. 6 months later the truck is worth 17k with 25k miles on it. The truck was always squeaky clean and never had any mechanical issues. Resale value has always been with the foriegn auto makers and I don't mind paying a little more upfront to get that value at the end.

The facts speak for themselves loud and clear about which makes are more reliable overall.....so there no need to go over that again.

Why did I go away from Dodge and in to a Toyota......standard safety features, resale value, towing ability, and overall undisputed reliability. I shopped all of the dodge dealers in the DC metro area....they all wanted to sell inventory and not the truck I wanted.
 
#16 ·
I am still un-decided but am awaiting the new 09 Ram to be unveiled. Also the Toyota is nice I drove one. I like the Ram styling better of course, Tundra has a nicer interior but not as nice as the GMs. Money wise I still think you better off with a domestic in the long run. The Tundras are priced so much higher you lose that trade in value or re-sale right when you buy it. My Dodge has had some problems including a blown motor from a valve spring breakage. You take the good and the bad in ALL Brands. I just wished Dodge would bring back the longer warranty like all the other brands have. In all honesty probably not enough difference in the long run to matter. More expensive versus less expensive but Higher resale. So its probably best to buy the truck you like the best simply put.
I have several friends with 07 Duramax HD and Dually's loaded, I wouldn't say their interior is nicer then the Tundra's.
 
#17 ·
I have several friends with 07 Duramax HD and Dually's loaded, I wouldn't say their interior is nicer then the Tundra's.

I agree, I thought the 07 GMCs interior that I looked at was blah compared to the Tundras.
 
#18 ·
It may be a Toyota, but I still didn't give them the benefit of the doubt, I bought an extended warranty just in case. At this point the truck is still unproven.
I would not have either, except I looked at first-year reliability of the Toyota Prius. The Prius--first year, and subsequent years, is way above average reliability (no problem areas). I assumed if Toyota could reliably build a car with an all-new (and unproven) power plant, they certainly could reliably build a larger pickup with a slightly larger sized version of their 4.7L engine.
 
#19 ·
I have an '04 Ram Hemi QC, fully loaded with lots of aftermarket parts. Programmer, CAI, Banks Monster Exhaust, chrome 20s and so on. I have 47k miles on it and never wrecked, and is the best looking Ram around. Once I hit about 35k miles, I started feeling every bump and crack in the road, seats started breaking down, engine didn't seem as peppy (and I very seldomly hot-rodded it), and I started getting really disappointed in my Ram. It is my 3rd Ram ('00 and '98, and had a '97 Z71 before that and it was worse) and looking back now, I have seen the same trend; truck starts "wearing out" way too soon. My truck now has never even been off-road.

I had been reading about the new Tundra for well over a year now and was very excited to see my first one nearly 2 months ago. I test drove a 5.7L DC and couldn't believe it. Toyota has made a sharp looking truck, and looks are very important to me, but not everything. I was so impressed with the ride quality, the interior, handling, the unbelievable powertrain, and I could keep going. My biggest "wow" factor is on the inside, where I think truck manufacturers never give enough attention to. I couldn't believe how comfortable the seats are, how much storage there was, and how relaxed the driving position is. I am 6'9", well above the average man's heighth, and I have a terrible time being comfortable in any automobile. My biggest complaint about my Ram is that the seats are pieces of $hit! For a truck that stickered at over $35k, why in the world does Dodge put a damn folding chair in their trucks covered with a thin layer of cheap foam and cloth/leather. Ford and Chevy are no better. Even my wife, who is 5'8" is completely comfortable driving this truck. I have test driven more trucks in the last 2 months than anybody should ever be allowed to, but I wanted to make sure that I would have the most comfortable, best performing, most powerful, and best looking truck out there. I am extremely particluar and very picky on some things, and my truck is at the top of that list. Most times, you can't have it all in a vehicle. There is always something that could be better, or one can always say stuff like "if I could get a locking tailgate like the Ford's on my Dodge, then it would be perfect!". But for me, in my opinion, Toyota has made the best truck that I have ever seen. Period. There is always something that I am dissatisfied with whenever I have owned or test driven a truck. Other than a few aftermarket upgrades like billet grilles and chrome wheels, and some heres and theres, there is nothing I would really change. I really believe that it is the ultimate truck on the market and is the exact truck that I have always longed for. Everyone else in the industry, and I mean everyone, has alot to improve on. And I think that Chevy, Ford and Dodge should be down right offended and embarrassed. Not only for their shortcomings and laziness for their now inferior truck products, but also for the fact that Toyota is now more American (and especially more Texan) then they are.

Even the new Sierra Denali, which is nice, doesn't do it for me. The driver seat is cramped for me even comparing it to the Ram, Tundra and Titan. I don't understand GM's logic on some of their design features. Why is the radio/NAV under the air vents, causing you to look further down and away from the road? Why is there hardly any storage in any of their crewcabs? Why does it take at least 2 seconds for even the 6L to respond and do something when you put the hammer down? Why are there fuel ratings way off than any of the road tests? I talked to a guy the other day with the 6L in his GMC and he said he has never had better than 14.2 MPG with 70% of those miles on the highway. That's terrible.

I don't want to come off like one of those born-again Tundra guys or something, and I know my heighth contributes to alot of my opinions. But I have done extensive research on every full-size truck, test-driven the hell out of all of them, researched re-sale values, read dozens and dozens of reviews and hundreds of threads and message boards, and with that being said, it is an easy decision for me now. To me, the Tundra is like my mom's Lexus LS 460 in the way it drives, performs and its abundance of comfort and luxury. I have been calling it the Lexus El Camino and I am going in tomorrow and ordering a new 5.7L CM Limited and can't wait to get rid of my Dodge. Like I said, looks great, but drives like a freakin wagon. Very dissappointing and I don't know if I will ever buy a traditional domestic truck again.
 
#20 ·
I have a Dodge 2500 4x4 Cummins, fully loaded. My intentions were to possibly trade for the new Tundra when they came out since I've owned so many Toyotas in the past, and one in the present. After going to look at them and seeing what you get for the price I said, what was I thinking?

My current 2004 truck beats the new Tundra hands down in every category there is. I owe very little money on my truck and I still have more warranty left on my 3 year old truck then I'd get with a Tundra NEW. I guess the tundra might be faster in th 1/4 but who cares about that? Not me, I bought my truck to act like a truck, not a sports car.

As for reliability, I'm good to go. The Cummins 5.9 is without a doubt the best engine EVER put into a pickup truck. I saw one last week that was an 03 that was used to haul horses from KY to NY and FL. 438,000 miles.:cool: I'm good to go on resale too as Dodge/cummins trucks bring some of the highest resale there is.. I clearly figured I had NOTHING to gain by going to the tundra except higher payments.

I know everyone thinks the Tundra looks like a Dodge, but I see more of the late 90's early 00's Ford Super duty. I was never much on Dodge, but unlike others here who seem to know everything, I actually tried a product before I blasted it. I have to say that I LOVE my truck and when the time comes for a new one in a few years I will keep my options open. I have learned to take more into account on my vehicle purchases besides the badge on the grill.
 
#21 ·
I have an 04 Dodge Ram q/c Hemi 1500 and love it. I have 70,000 miles on it and it has had very little problems (power driver seat, rear pinion seal, 1 set of front brakes, 1 set of tires). I have a CrewMax Limited coming in May and went with Toyota due to my son-in-law owning a Toyota dealership, and wanting to try a different truck for a change. I've had 3 Dodge pickups (96 2500 v-10, 98 1500 318, and 04 5.7) and all have been good trucks. The interiors (dash boards) do fall apart after about 4 years due to the sun here in Florida.:cool:
 
#22 ·
I have an '04 Ram Hemi QC, fully loaded with lots of aftermarket parts. Programmer, CAI, Banks Monster Exhaust, chrome 20s and so on. I have 47k miles on it and never wrecked, and is the best looking Ram around. Once I hit about 35k miles, I started feeling every bump and crack in the road, seats started breaking down, engine didn't seem as peppy (and I very seldomly hot-rodded it), and I started getting really disappointed in my Ram. It is my 3rd Ram ('00 and '98, and had a '97 Z71 before that and it was worse) and looking back now, I have seen the same trend; truck starts "wearing out" way too soon. My truck now has never even been off-road.

I had been reading about the new Tundra for well over a year now and was very excited to see my first one nearly 2 months ago. I test drove a 5.7L DC and couldn't believe it. Toyota has made a sharp looking truck, and looks are very important to me, but not everything. I was so impressed with the ride quality, the interior, handling, the unbelievable powertrain, and I could keep going. My biggest "wow" factor is on the inside, where I think truck manufacturers never give enough attention to. I couldn't believe how comfortable the seats are, how much storage there was, and how relaxed the driving position is. I am 6'9", well above the average man's heighth, and I have a terrible time being comfortable in any automobile. My biggest complaint about my Ram is that the seats are pieces of $hit! For a truck that stickered at over $35k, why in the world does Dodge put a damn folding chair in their trucks covered with a thin layer of cheap foam and cloth/leather. Ford and Chevy are no better. Even my wife, who is 5'8" is completely comfortable driving this truck. I have test driven more trucks in the last 2 months than anybody should ever be allowed to, but I wanted to make sure that I would have the most comfortable, best performing, most powerful, and best looking truck out there. I am extremely particluar and very picky on some things, and my truck is at the top of that list. Most times, you can't have it all in a vehicle. There is always something that could be better, or one can always say stuff like "if I could get a locking tailgate like the Ford's on my Dodge, then it would be perfect!". But for me, in my opinion, Toyota has made the best truck that I have ever seen. Period. There is always something that I am dissatisfied with whenever I have owned or test driven a truck. Other than a few aftermarket upgrades like billet grilles and chrome wheels, and some heres and theres, there is nothing I would really change. I really believe that it is the ultimate truck on the market and is the exact truck that I have always longed for. Everyone else in the industry, and I mean everyone, has alot to improve on. And I think that Chevy, Ford and Dodge should be down right offended and embarrassed. Not only for their shortcomings and laziness for their now inferior truck products, but also for the fact that Toyota is now more American (and especially more Texan) then they are.

Even the new Sierra Denali, which is nice, doesn't do it for me. The driver seat is cramped for me even comparing it to the Ram, Tundra and Titan. I don't understand GM's logic on some of their design features. Why is the radio/NAV under the air vents, causing you to look further down and away from the road? Why is there hardly any storage in any of their crewcabs? Why does it take at least 2 seconds for even the 6L to respond and do something when you put the hammer down? Why are there fuel ratings way off than any of the road tests? I talked to a guy the other day with the 6L in his GMC and he said he has never had better than 14.2 MPG with 70% of those miles on the highway. That's terrible.

I don't want to come off like one of those born-again Tundra guys or something, and I know my heighth contributes to alot of my opinions. But I have done extensive research on every full-size truck, test-driven the hell out of all of them, researched re-sale values, read dozens and dozens of reviews and hundreds of threads and message boards, and with that being said, it is an easy decision for me now. To me, the Tundra is like my mom's Lexus LS 460 in the way it drives, performs and its abundance of comfort and luxury. I have been calling it the Lexus El Camino and I am going in tomorrow and ordering a new 5.7L CM Limited and can't wait to get rid of my Dodge. Like I said, looks great, but drives like a freakin wagon. Very dissappointing and I don't know if I will ever buy a traditional domestic truck again.


That's why I'm buying one, I want a "Lexus" truck. I have 2 other older trucks that are paid for to do my dirty work... :tu:
 
#23 ·
The New Tundra is far more truck like than the old. I have read a few reviews that stated its ride is on the firm side for a half ton. I think it might not be as much like a LS470 or a Elcomino as the old style tundra's were. I read here on the forum that Texas titles them as 3/4 ton trucks. I am looking for a light 3/4 or heavy half in my next truck and plan on trading my Dodge for a Toyota next year. I just hope you guys are not expecting the LS470 ride quality, you might be in for a disapointment.
 
#24 ·
The New Tundra is far more truck like than the old. I have read a few reviews that stated its ride is on the firm side for a half ton. I think it might not be as much like a LS470 or a Elcomino as the old style tundra's were. I read here on the forum that Texas titles them as 3/4 ton trucks. I am looking for a light 3/4 or heavy half in my next truck and plan on trading my Dodge for a Toyota next year. I just hope you guys are not expecting the LS470 ride quality, you might be in for a disapointment.
I test drove a 5.7L Limited 4x4 for about 40 miles, ride seems pretty good, handling, power is good, I kicked in passing gear a few times and from a dead roll...I'm not expecting a "Lexus" ride, just Toyota quality. :D :tu:
 
#25 ·
Dang, I think the Tundra rides like a car compared to my Dodge. Course, the dodge was 4wd and had 36 Swampers..hmm... that mightve had something to do with it...:D
 
#26 ·
Well I just thought I would mention that, since I did not notice much differnce in ride quality form my dodge to the new Toyota, but my dodge is a stock 4x4 with OEM 17" tires and wheels. It might have been a little bit better, not sure. I know I never thought wow LS470 when I was driving it.
 
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