Clutch
<---Pass
Ahh....doesnt really matter...just need a rig to haul our crap around. Doesn't need to be the latest and greatest.
Think we all get too hung up on keeping up with Joneses...
"If it ain't broke, fix it until it is..."
2014 Tundra
- Thread starter haven
- Start date
Ahh....doesnt really matter...just need a rig to haul our crap around. Doesn't need to be the latest and greatest.
Think we all get too hung up on keeping up with Joneses...
"If it ain't broke, fix it until it is..."
SWITAWI
Doesn't Get Out Enough
Amen to that sentiment. I put 200k miles on my last vehicle and had it for 13yrs. I can honestly imagine that I'll be driving/owning my FJC even longer.
If you find what works right for your life in the first place you don't have to worry about changing vehicles unless your life changes significantly (marriage/unmarriage/children).
Clutch
<---Pass
What we have works perfect for our needs/wants.
I am guilty of making up excuses to spend money on solutions for problems I don't have...
Then I do a quick add of dollars up in my head, and hey...what I have (now!) works pretty dang well!
I seriously love my little Tacoma, probably break down and cry if I ever got rid of it.
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austintaco
Explorer
Here's some diesel to throw on the fire
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/20/autos-nissan-diesel-idUSL2N0GL1RX20130820
Toyota! Diesel Now!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/20/autos-nissan-diesel-idUSL2N0GL1RX20130820
Toyota! Diesel Now!
BlueCruiser88
Luke
Sorry to dig up a fairly old thread. There is still some very relevant info in it however.
As we all noticed the blatent contempt for Toyota products from a certain member here, I can understand his position defending the domestics.
However, I am in the middle of deciding between which truck to buy. There is a recurring theme in my travels. Each car salesman drives a Toyota, even the chevy and Dodge guys, I always make a point to ask.
Toyota is still trying to recover from its unfair lynching from the make believe acceleration issues, and are eager to please its customer base and preserve its honor.
From my months of boots on the ground research, talking to actual owners, and driving all of these trucks.....
Ford: I wanted to like this truck. Roll of the dice on warranty coverage. Met a guy who had his T case servo refuse to shift, not covered...it is an "accessory" according to ford, not power train. Rust, my co- workers in the east have has major rust issues (naturally because of the road salt etc) but nothing was done to correct pre-mature rust issues.
Great all around truck. Poor interior for and finish, panel gaps, hard plastics. Door vibrates and shakes when you shut it as if it were made from jello. Very awesome ecoboost motor, time and mileage will have the final say on longevity. Who cares about the super ultra boxed frame, they are still bending (from abuse) and they are foolishly assuming nobody has taken a look at their very own 3/4-1 ton frame designs. This ultra rigid frame they are so proud of drives like a wet noodle over minor bumps in the road, shakes and shimmies, Almost off my list.
Chevy: Drove the 2014, found it to be very quiet, a few squeaks in the cab though, engine felt reluctant, drove heavy (not a bad thing) and substantial, uncomfortable seat. Off the list.
Dodge: Incredible interior and overall build quality (from what I can see). It drove like a luxury car with minimal vibrations and road noise, unmatched features and gadgets.
My issue with Dodge is the poor resale value, and the unproven reliability. They are using world class components in some of their vehicles now, and if you have not driven one yet..do so, it is quite eye opening with how far they have come. Solid interior, nothing shakes and panels match up, soft leather.
Tundra:
I wanted to hate this truck. I am a life long Land Cruiser guy. I first drove my friends 08 sr5 and thought it was a joke. Toyota trying too hard, cartoon like interior, pathetic tailgate and a bucking bronco ride on I-80 east or west.
Then I started to really spend time with the truck and its value became more apparent the more I drove it. It has poor visibility, but you get used to it. It has a small fuel tank, so it seems as if you are constantly at the gas station. It has a terrible stock (non jbl stereo) and a dumb interface. But the dang thing just works, every time. You can trust it. There is something to be said for that. 68,000 miles so far and only oil changes and tires.
Then I used it as a truck and towed with it. It IS a 3/4 ton truck marketed as a 1/2 ton. I don't care what articles or data points Kermit or whoever pulls up to refute the statement. The truck simply pulls as well and controls a 10k load as well as a 3/4 ton truck PERIOD. No other truck I drove or towed with can do this. The motor Pulls hard and the transmission shifts perfectly. The truck does not overheat because it has an enormous radiator, and oil cooler, and trans cooler, and power steering cooler. The other makes in a cowardly move removed their trucks from the SAE J2807. Why?
For instance: Chevy comes out saying they can tow 10,500 lbs. Ford will change NOTHING about its truck and up their tow ratings "We did some re-calculations" we can tow 11,400. Then beat its chest and put down Toyota publicly (you tube propaganda vids) when they make these ratings up in house.
Embarrassing.
The frame does not twist or wobble around as I thought it was going to, it stays where it should, and oh by the way.. ALL of the trucks driven have some sort of "bed bounce" even the precious f-150 with its ultra rigid frame you can hang weight off of. The Dodge exhibits this the least however.
I went into a transmission shop to talk shop about "who makes the best trans". The very knowledgeable gentlemen showed me the venerable ford six speed used in current f-150s. GREAT transmissions, but do fail, and fail often. They took the 5 speed transmission and added a 6th gear but had to reduce the size of the gear sets in order to make this possible. No ZF's in the shop, that is a very high end beast they do not service.
The toyota Aisin 6 speed was engineered as a six speed from birth. Yes, it has had failures, but this gentlemen has not seen any in his shop.
As for the ring and pinion failures. I am not sure if this is still true, but Toyota used to be VERY clear about gear break in on a new vehicle. No speeds over 55MPH and not sustained for over 20 min and with a cool down period. I have No evidence so back this up, but I would be willing to bet some of these gear failures were from abuse of newer gears in new trucks. It may take them 60K to finally give up, but they were not broken in properly, this is critical with any gear set in any differential. Or, the toyota gears are in fact weak, and are prone to failure. In my rock crawling days you use Toyota, Chevy or Ford axles for the beef.
The Tundra is not the end all be all of trucks, but it is a truck that does a little bit of everything better than All the other makes, just nothing spectacular (except towing). I drove the 2014 and it was a Toyota, boring and drove like an appliance. It is as lifeless as a Lexus but you know it will give good service as the tool it is supposed to be used as, not some emotional love affair some people have with their trucks.
In my travels there is always a common theme. Most guys end up owning the Toyota product after enduring the others. They have their share of issues, but if you look at owner satisfaction and warranty repairs, the Tundra cannot be matched.
That being said, I will probably buy a Dodge. They have been listening to their customers and giving them what they want. The Diesel, the lockers, the Power Wagon, the 4:1 t cases, I can go on and on. Other manufacturers give you what they say you want, Toyota included. Toyota cannot even give us a larger fuel tank, or even a transmission temp gauge (removed in 2014, if it is in the EVIC I stand corrected).
If I can get a Tundra limited for less than a Ram limited then I am sold.
I hope this does not come off as a rant. I read through this entire thread and the tone and inflection some members (you know who you are) had and I found it to be unacceptable. The "Big three" Do not assemble their trucks very well, this is a universally known fact, and I have owned some of them. There is always a tradeoff with any manufacturer. SOmetimes you are ahead, sometimes you are behind. Toyotas manufacturing and assembly process is the industry standard. Even Nasa and Military Branches turn to Toyota for help with efficient production and assembly methods. Even the CEO of Toyota stated that they do not re-design their vehicles as often because it destroys the resale value for its current customers, and disrupts the overall marketplace for the sake of having new headlights or whatever... These are the small details that make Toyota what it is and why your chevy with its 10 thousand revisions and build sheet combinations will never match its resale (except the diesels of course).
Funny thing, I have a rental Hyundai Hybrid parked outside the hotel room right now. LIGHT years ahead in build quality to its American counterparts. If only Hyundai built a nice little 1/2 ton to compete.
As we all noticed the blatent contempt for Toyota products from a certain member here, I can understand his position defending the domestics.
However, I am in the middle of deciding between which truck to buy. There is a recurring theme in my travels. Each car salesman drives a Toyota, even the chevy and Dodge guys, I always make a point to ask.
Toyota is still trying to recover from its unfair lynching from the make believe acceleration issues, and are eager to please its customer base and preserve its honor.
From my months of boots on the ground research, talking to actual owners, and driving all of these trucks.....
Ford: I wanted to like this truck. Roll of the dice on warranty coverage. Met a guy who had his T case servo refuse to shift, not covered...it is an "accessory" according to ford, not power train. Rust, my co- workers in the east have has major rust issues (naturally because of the road salt etc) but nothing was done to correct pre-mature rust issues.
Great all around truck. Poor interior for and finish, panel gaps, hard plastics. Door vibrates and shakes when you shut it as if it were made from jello. Very awesome ecoboost motor, time and mileage will have the final say on longevity. Who cares about the super ultra boxed frame, they are still bending (from abuse) and they are foolishly assuming nobody has taken a look at their very own 3/4-1 ton frame designs. This ultra rigid frame they are so proud of drives like a wet noodle over minor bumps in the road, shakes and shimmies, Almost off my list.
Chevy: Drove the 2014, found it to be very quiet, a few squeaks in the cab though, engine felt reluctant, drove heavy (not a bad thing) and substantial, uncomfortable seat. Off the list.
Dodge: Incredible interior and overall build quality (from what I can see). It drove like a luxury car with minimal vibrations and road noise, unmatched features and gadgets.
My issue with Dodge is the poor resale value, and the unproven reliability. They are using world class components in some of their vehicles now, and if you have not driven one yet..do so, it is quite eye opening with how far they have come. Solid interior, nothing shakes and panels match up, soft leather.
Tundra:
I wanted to hate this truck. I am a life long Land Cruiser guy. I first drove my friends 08 sr5 and thought it was a joke. Toyota trying too hard, cartoon like interior, pathetic tailgate and a bucking bronco ride on I-80 east or west.
Then I started to really spend time with the truck and its value became more apparent the more I drove it. It has poor visibility, but you get used to it. It has a small fuel tank, so it seems as if you are constantly at the gas station. It has a terrible stock (non jbl stereo) and a dumb interface. But the dang thing just works, every time. You can trust it. There is something to be said for that. 68,000 miles so far and only oil changes and tires.
Then I used it as a truck and towed with it. It IS a 3/4 ton truck marketed as a 1/2 ton. I don't care what articles or data points Kermit or whoever pulls up to refute the statement. The truck simply pulls as well and controls a 10k load as well as a 3/4 ton truck PERIOD. No other truck I drove or towed with can do this. The motor Pulls hard and the transmission shifts perfectly. The truck does not overheat because it has an enormous radiator, and oil cooler, and trans cooler, and power steering cooler. The other makes in a cowardly move removed their trucks from the SAE J2807. Why?
For instance: Chevy comes out saying they can tow 10,500 lbs. Ford will change NOTHING about its truck and up their tow ratings "We did some re-calculations" we can tow 11,400. Then beat its chest and put down Toyota publicly (you tube propaganda vids) when they make these ratings up in house.
Embarrassing.
The frame does not twist or wobble around as I thought it was going to, it stays where it should, and oh by the way.. ALL of the trucks driven have some sort of "bed bounce" even the precious f-150 with its ultra rigid frame you can hang weight off of. The Dodge exhibits this the least however.
I went into a transmission shop to talk shop about "who makes the best trans". The very knowledgeable gentlemen showed me the venerable ford six speed used in current f-150s. GREAT transmissions, but do fail, and fail often. They took the 5 speed transmission and added a 6th gear but had to reduce the size of the gear sets in order to make this possible. No ZF's in the shop, that is a very high end beast they do not service.
The toyota Aisin 6 speed was engineered as a six speed from birth. Yes, it has had failures, but this gentlemen has not seen any in his shop.
As for the ring and pinion failures. I am not sure if this is still true, but Toyota used to be VERY clear about gear break in on a new vehicle. No speeds over 55MPH and not sustained for over 20 min and with a cool down period. I have No evidence so back this up, but I would be willing to bet some of these gear failures were from abuse of newer gears in new trucks. It may take them 60K to finally give up, but they were not broken in properly, this is critical with any gear set in any differential. Or, the toyota gears are in fact weak, and are prone to failure. In my rock crawling days you use Toyota, Chevy or Ford axles for the beef.
The Tundra is not the end all be all of trucks, but it is a truck that does a little bit of everything better than All the other makes, just nothing spectacular (except towing). I drove the 2014 and it was a Toyota, boring and drove like an appliance. It is as lifeless as a Lexus but you know it will give good service as the tool it is supposed to be used as, not some emotional love affair some people have with their trucks.
In my travels there is always a common theme. Most guys end up owning the Toyota product after enduring the others. They have their share of issues, but if you look at owner satisfaction and warranty repairs, the Tundra cannot be matched.
That being said, I will probably buy a Dodge. They have been listening to their customers and giving them what they want. The Diesel, the lockers, the Power Wagon, the 4:1 t cases, I can go on and on. Other manufacturers give you what they say you want, Toyota included. Toyota cannot even give us a larger fuel tank, or even a transmission temp gauge (removed in 2014, if it is in the EVIC I stand corrected).
If I can get a Tundra limited for less than a Ram limited then I am sold.
I hope this does not come off as a rant. I read through this entire thread and the tone and inflection some members (you know who you are) had and I found it to be unacceptable. The "Big three" Do not assemble their trucks very well, this is a universally known fact, and I have owned some of them. There is always a tradeoff with any manufacturer. SOmetimes you are ahead, sometimes you are behind. Toyotas manufacturing and assembly process is the industry standard. Even Nasa and Military Branches turn to Toyota for help with efficient production and assembly methods. Even the CEO of Toyota stated that they do not re-design their vehicles as often because it destroys the resale value for its current customers, and disrupts the overall marketplace for the sake of having new headlights or whatever... These are the small details that make Toyota what it is and why your chevy with its 10 thousand revisions and build sheet combinations will never match its resale (except the diesels of course).
Funny thing, I have a rental Hyundai Hybrid parked outside the hotel room right now. LIGHT years ahead in build quality to its American counterparts. If only Hyundai built a nice little 1/2 ton to compete.
Clutch
<---Pass
UH!!?? I think you have me confused with Kaisen. A person might take a little offense to that.
I just think the Tundra isn't very good looking, but who cares (?) it is a great truck, and just need it to haul crap around. Drive what you like...you don't have to justify how you spend your money to the world.
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BlueCruiser88
Luke
Hey kermit, I apologize for the incorrect statement. I think after all the reading "Kermit" was a little too close sounding to "kaizen".
To update, I ended up going with a 2014 Limited Crew max tundra about 2 months ago. The myth is true. The ugly truck DOES grow on you and it is amazing how many people like it after seeing it in person.
A few things to note.
The interior door panels rattle near the window switches when the Stereo is turned up. Dealer could not correct this.
Same driving truck as the last years however it wanders a bit on the open highway, pretty annoying after 400 miles or so of fighting it, have read this in other forums as well. Rides a bit softer as well. I have the TRD.
Bean counters removed the trans temp gauge.
The JBL stereo is absolutely terrible. If you are reading this and researching, and your decision hinges on this, don't bother, you can get the non-jbl with NAV.
There is not big difference between the limited and SR5 except cross traffic alert and sonar (which is helpful).
Sounds like a silly gripe, but I am not finding a constant on 12v outlet, and the bean counters also decided we don't need a 110 outlet like the Tacoma has.
The auto climate control needs work. Up here in Bend it has been getting very cold, then warm in the day. Set it at 72 and you are baking, you have to over ride and turn down to 65 to get any useful cooling air. I am always messing with it, in my mind 72 should mean 72 and you forget about it.
Overall I like the truck, but it is clearly missing a LOT of features the other makes have, but for the sake of it being a truck, the simplicity is also appreciated.
The crewmax is HUGE but I think if you have small passengers the crew cab is just fine, and you get more bed space.
Not a comprehensive review by any means, but the truck is serving me exactly as I needed.
To update, I ended up going with a 2014 Limited Crew max tundra about 2 months ago. The myth is true. The ugly truck DOES grow on you and it is amazing how many people like it after seeing it in person.
A few things to note.
The interior door panels rattle near the window switches when the Stereo is turned up. Dealer could not correct this.
Same driving truck as the last years however it wanders a bit on the open highway, pretty annoying after 400 miles or so of fighting it, have read this in other forums as well. Rides a bit softer as well. I have the TRD.
Bean counters removed the trans temp gauge.
The JBL stereo is absolutely terrible. If you are reading this and researching, and your decision hinges on this, don't bother, you can get the non-jbl with NAV.
There is not big difference between the limited and SR5 except cross traffic alert and sonar (which is helpful).
Sounds like a silly gripe, but I am not finding a constant on 12v outlet, and the bean counters also decided we don't need a 110 outlet like the Tacoma has.
The auto climate control needs work. Up here in Bend it has been getting very cold, then warm in the day. Set it at 72 and you are baking, you have to over ride and turn down to 65 to get any useful cooling air. I am always messing with it, in my mind 72 should mean 72 and you forget about it.
Overall I like the truck, but it is clearly missing a LOT of features the other makes have, but for the sake of it being a truck, the simplicity is also appreciated.
The crewmax is HUGE but I think if you have small passengers the crew cab is just fine, and you get more bed space.
Not a comprehensive review by any means, but the truck is serving me exactly as I needed.
