We just got back from our first trip with the "new" Tundra. This was a 800km round trip with about 100km or so of backroad/resource road 4wd travel in the middle. It really gave us a chance to settle into the new to us truck and get to know it.
My thoughts on the Tundra thus far:
- It's very comfortable to drive on the highway for extended periods of time. This is one of the major reasons I hated my F150 as I'd feel like I'd been hit by the truck rather than driven it after a road trip. I experienced no back, leg or hip pain after this trip with the Tundra. For the record, I'm a relatively in shape 27 year old so if a vehicle makes me sore there's a problem with it. The Tundra wasn't as comfortable as the 2011 GMC Sierra I used to own but it was very close.
Comfort score: 8.5/10
- On-road handling with the Tundra is pretty good. I find the truck responsive and easy to drive. It's agile enough to move around city traffic with ease and doesn't pull or fight you when you're traveling at highways speeds.
Handling score: 9/10
- Off-road handling was where I truly fell in love with this truck. The roads we were on during the back country part of this trip were usually graded or semi graded gravel roads used for forestry, oil/gas and recreational access of the area with industry being the primary users. However, the weather took a nasty turn this weekend and we got rain...lots of rain. The roads turned into rutted, muddy soup. Trucks were slipping and sliding all over the place. The Tundra handled it all and made it look easy. The 4wd system handled the worst of it, the suspension and responsive steering helped make controlling the truck a breeze and the BFG A/T tires gave excellent traction. The truck simply seemed to be in it's element.
Off road performance score: 10/10
- Night time driving was a pleasure with the Tundra. The headlights are bright and well focused. My only complaint is the light sequence (if it's called that?) is a little odd. My light control goes: rotate knob to turn on park/driving/low beam lights, rotate again for fog lights, push lever forward for high beams. The low beams may as well be candles, however when the fog lights are one the light output is about equal to what headlights should be. The high beams are excellent. I think the low beams should be brighter so I don't need to run the fogs for proper low beam output.
Night driving score: 8/10
- Girlfriend approval was met on this trip in spades. She hated driving my F150, and saw the toll and stress it's ownership took on me personally. Having that burden gone and enjoying what I'm driving made me alot more relaxed and happy which brushes off on her. She also took a turn driving the truck, including at night. She has very little night driving experience yet she felt very comfortable driving the Tundra. Not something she could say about the F150 or the RAM 1500 she used to own. She says it's comparable to driving my old Sierra which is high praise indeed.
Girlfriend approval score: 10/10
- The fuel economy was the only upset in the trip. I still need to get final numbers and crunch them, but a quick calculation shows a highway fuel economy of 14L - 15L/100kms. Coming from a 2011 Sierra with a 5.3L V8 that got 11L/100kms highway and a 2013 F150 with a 5.0L V8 that averaged 12L/100km it's a little bit of a kick in the nuts. I know the difference isn't much but it's noticeable. When we pulled into a stop having burned 41L to go 279kms, and were down to half a tank I raised my eyebrows. I will however, accept this due to two factors. 1. This is an older truck with older technology so I can't be expecting great economy. 2. My Ford had a 120 - 130L tank and the GM had a 105L tank iirc. More fuel, more range. The way I look at this is that my debt load is cut in half, my stress load is pretty much gone and my happiness level has increased exponentially. Having to go through what will amount to an extra $50 - $100 per month in fuel is a small price to pay.
Fuel economy score: 6/10
FINAL OVERALL SCORE: 8.5/10.
Not too shabby at all. I'm really glad I bought this truck and I'm looking forward to the adventures ahead with it. I've got a couple glamour shots of the truck with it's first mud bath, so I'll get those posted up a little later today.
