amo292
Adventurer
Hi there folks!
With all the hype about the new TRD PRO line I thought I would give my impression on the Tundra after a walk around and test drive today. Long story short I headed to the dealership today to have the front differential checked out again in my 2008 Tundra DBL Cab 5.7 4x4. While waiting I had to check out that gorgeous burnt orange beast sitting out front of the showroom. I had no intention of trading in my truck or buying a new but you never know, It was the first in New England……While poking and crawling around I was greeted by a great sales woman and was forced into a test drive :wings:. We jumped in the truck with only eight miles on it and we were off. The drive consisted of some highway, some rural roads, and some construction zone.
Be aware, I am not a professional driver or a car expert. I am a vehicle enthusiast and have extensive knowledge about second generation Tundra's. I respect your opinion so I hope you will respect mine.
My thoughts:
Walk Around- This is one Bad*ss looking truck. The burnt orange color paired with blacked out badges, trim, and wheels really looks good. We also can forget about the retro TOYOTA grille. Although it is different it seems to fit the truck well and adds a nice touch. The truck seems really well put together styling wise and nothing really seems out of place aside from the god awful antenna. The body gaps also seemed nice and tight all the way around. The wheels are a great looking design and fit the truck well. After drooling on the paint I crawled underneath to check things out. Almost everything matches the 2007-2015 Tundras and there is nothing super special. Not much has changed in the years. The differences included a TRD True Dual Exhaust, front aluminum skid plate, and some fancy looking shocks/coil overs. I noted that all of these accessories could be had easily for less than $5k. Jumping into the cab I noticed a very well put together interior. The orange stitching and accents with the black fabric and carpet really bring the great looking exterior in. The updated interior for the new model year seems to be much better quality than the 2007-2013 model years. One thing I did notice was the loss of storage space. It seems they gave some up for the better quality and styling.
Drive- With the mixed driving conditions I feel I got a good sense of the handling. I did not get off road (they frown upon that on test drives) but did get to hit some nasty road in the construction zone. The acceleration was very smooth and seemed to mimic my 2008 Tundra. The major difference I noticed was how soft and smooth ride was. Whatever suspension components they used were spot on. Having driven the same loop in my Tundra first, I noticed the differences immediately. I can only describe the ride as glorious in all conditions I experienced. Be aware that may change when really off road. Over all I was very happy with the truck, but it didn't seem to be much different from whats already out there.
Complaints- So there was a few things I noticed in my venture that I was not a fan of. One thing that came with the plush suspension was a good amount of body roll. Going around the rotary it was very noticeable compared to my Tundra. Definitely not a fan of it but its a trade off for a smooth ride I guess. The next thing I noticed that really irked me was the amount of shake in the bed when going over the bumps. The only way to describe it is with a video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db2IaA9yn4o Now I know this is an excessive example of it but the bed did not seem secure or well built at all. My 08 has some shake but nothing like this truck, it was very noticeable when just glancing in the mirrors.
Verdict- After a great experience I did not end up purchasing. For $46k WITHOUT SEAT HEATERS (a must for me) it was extremely over priced for nothing really that special. If you are more interested in styling and cool factor then the practicality then this is the truck for you. I think that for the same price you can build a comparable truck and then paint it what you like! Over all good rig just not worth the hype unfortunately.
Hope this was a good read and helps someone!
With all the hype about the new TRD PRO line I thought I would give my impression on the Tundra after a walk around and test drive today. Long story short I headed to the dealership today to have the front differential checked out again in my 2008 Tundra DBL Cab 5.7 4x4. While waiting I had to check out that gorgeous burnt orange beast sitting out front of the showroom. I had no intention of trading in my truck or buying a new but you never know, It was the first in New England……While poking and crawling around I was greeted by a great sales woman and was forced into a test drive :wings:. We jumped in the truck with only eight miles on it and we were off. The drive consisted of some highway, some rural roads, and some construction zone.
Be aware, I am not a professional driver or a car expert. I am a vehicle enthusiast and have extensive knowledge about second generation Tundra's. I respect your opinion so I hope you will respect mine.
My thoughts:
Walk Around- This is one Bad*ss looking truck. The burnt orange color paired with blacked out badges, trim, and wheels really looks good. We also can forget about the retro TOYOTA grille. Although it is different it seems to fit the truck well and adds a nice touch. The truck seems really well put together styling wise and nothing really seems out of place aside from the god awful antenna. The body gaps also seemed nice and tight all the way around. The wheels are a great looking design and fit the truck well. After drooling on the paint I crawled underneath to check things out. Almost everything matches the 2007-2015 Tundras and there is nothing super special. Not much has changed in the years. The differences included a TRD True Dual Exhaust, front aluminum skid plate, and some fancy looking shocks/coil overs. I noted that all of these accessories could be had easily for less than $5k. Jumping into the cab I noticed a very well put together interior. The orange stitching and accents with the black fabric and carpet really bring the great looking exterior in. The updated interior for the new model year seems to be much better quality than the 2007-2013 model years. One thing I did notice was the loss of storage space. It seems they gave some up for the better quality and styling.
Drive- With the mixed driving conditions I feel I got a good sense of the handling. I did not get off road (they frown upon that on test drives) but did get to hit some nasty road in the construction zone. The acceleration was very smooth and seemed to mimic my 2008 Tundra. The major difference I noticed was how soft and smooth ride was. Whatever suspension components they used were spot on. Having driven the same loop in my Tundra first, I noticed the differences immediately. I can only describe the ride as glorious in all conditions I experienced. Be aware that may change when really off road. Over all I was very happy with the truck, but it didn't seem to be much different from whats already out there.
Complaints- So there was a few things I noticed in my venture that I was not a fan of. One thing that came with the plush suspension was a good amount of body roll. Going around the rotary it was very noticeable compared to my Tundra. Definitely not a fan of it but its a trade off for a smooth ride I guess. The next thing I noticed that really irked me was the amount of shake in the bed when going over the bumps. The only way to describe it is with a video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db2IaA9yn4o Now I know this is an excessive example of it but the bed did not seem secure or well built at all. My 08 has some shake but nothing like this truck, it was very noticeable when just glancing in the mirrors.
Verdict- After a great experience I did not end up purchasing. For $46k WITHOUT SEAT HEATERS (a must for me) it was extremely over priced for nothing really that special. If you are more interested in styling and cool factor then the practicality then this is the truck for you. I think that for the same price you can build a comparable truck and then paint it what you like! Over all good rig just not worth the hype unfortunately.
Hope this was a good read and helps someone!