Tundra vs F150

[Sobaytrigger]

Hey guys I asked in domestic...

But im Looking to upgrade from my 4Runner..... Im gonna space for 3 kids in car seats so the runners getting a bit small.

So I’m looking at F150s and Tundras. Ford 5.0 vs tundra 5.7 both large crew cabs and 4wd.


Ford has locker and a bit better mpg, I had really good luck with my older 4Runner mechanically so I do like Toyota for longeticity and Mx.

No hardcore wheeling, family adventure wagon, fire roads, etc....

I went through this same debate...but took years to make the decision. I went with the Tundra....crewmax, TRD, SR5 with big tank...and I didn't look back. Same use as you : camping, fire roads etc. Slowly modifying it. So far, an ARE camper shell, Baja fogs, ham radio, power in bed, KO2s etc AND car seats.

 

[Dalko43]

My F150 with max tow package hits all of your list except highway mileage. Computer says I get about 23, in good conditions, on the highway. If I actually did the math, I’d guess I’m probably getting 21.

Regarding a post above, about some people seeing the age of the Tundra as a negative and some as a positive, in the end they are both right. I bought my Outback with the flat 6 because it was a tried and true design at the time, but I bought my 2018 F150 because of the Gen2 3.5TT, 10-speed, payload, aluminum body, electronic rear locker, price, fuel economy, massive torque, aftermarket and the fact that they sell so well, most any issue will have a solution available.

Your F-150 already has 200k miles on the odometer?

There was an interview (Truck Show Podcast hosted by MotorTrend) where a Ford engineer confirmed that, unlike the Super Duty's, the F-150 has an approximate service life of 10 years/100k miles...I don't think he meant that the truck would all of a sudden fall apart at the 100k mile mark, but he was explicit enough in saying that the F-150 was not engineered to last as long (or handle the same abuse) as some other trucks on the road.

I'm sure the torque delivery of the 3.5l ecoboost is enjoyable. I'm sure it can eek out half-decent mpg's if the driver does his/her part. The Tundra's 5.7l v8 and even the F-150 v8 can get high teens under the right conditions. And more importantly, in working or realistic commuting conditions, the difference in fuel economy between the v8 and ecoboost engines isn't substantial. And that's taking into account that the Tundra has far lower gearing than any of the other 1/2 tons. So the idea that the F-150 is leaps and bounds ahead of the Tundra (which is what a lot of auto journalists like to claim) is laughable.

 

[billiebob]

"I'm stating the Tundra hasn't fundamentally changed since 2007. I am also stating that it makes no logical sense for someone to spend new-truck-money on a package that hasn't changed in 12 years."

Unless you realize a 12 year old design has evolved to perfection. Others would argue the is no point buying a brand new design which will be plagued with recalls until they perfect the design in 5 years. That brand new F150 will evolve to a much better truck over the next 5 years. Buying a new 2019 Tundra will get one of the best Tundras ever.... likely discounted once the brand new 2020 design hits the showroom.

An all new design is seldom superior to the previous designs last year. And never a "better" buy.

 

[billiebob]

the Tundra has far lower gearing than any of the other 1/2 tons.

Thats a statement which needs qualifying.

The Tundra with a 4.10 or 4.30 ratio also has double overdrive 6 speed transmission with a 0.73 and 0.59 overdrive, 4th is direct.

It's all a game unless you compare the entire powertrain.

 

[billiebob]

What size are the wheelwells on the new Tundra's? That's been a problem in the past. I believe my F250's wheelwells are 42" across.

So much more to tire size than just wheel well clearance when parked. Guys who put 33s orv35s on full size trucks like Tundras are pretty much at the practical limit of improving performance. Even lifted, you are losing power, decreasing articulation, creating stress, and creating a rougher ride by jumping to 37s or 40s.

I'll get flamed for saying this but 37s and 40s are all about ego.

 

[Dalko43]

Thats a statement which needs qualifying.

The Tundra with a 4.10 or 4.30 ratio also has double overdrive 6 speed transmission with a 0.73 and 0.59 overdrive, 4th is direct.

It's all a game unless you compare the entire powertrain.

Most of the newer Tundra's w/ the 5.7l v8 comes standard with the tow package (which includes the 4.30 gearing), so it is very common. Even so, the 4.10 is still lower gearing than what most of the other 1/2 tons offer.

Granted, the 3.5l ecoboost offers a bit more low-end torque, so maybe it doesn't require such low gearing. But for the 5.0l v8 that Ford offers, I think 3.73 is the lowest gearing you can get. The other v8 1/2 tons are similarly-geared; they're more focused on mpg #'s than they are towing/hauling performance compared to the Tundra....and its debatable how much that higher gearing helps mpg over the longterm.

Also, the 3 overdrive ratio's in Ford's 10 speed are similar to the 2 overdrive ratio's in the Tundra, so I'm not sure what you're getting at there.

 

[bkg]

"I'm stating the Tundra hasn't fundamentally changed since 2007. I am also stating that it makes no logical sense for someone to spend new-truck-money on a package that hasn't changed in 12 years."

Unless you realize a 12 year old design has evolved to perfection. Others would argue the is no point buying a brand new design which will be plagued with recalls until they perfect the design in 5 years. That brand new F150 will evolve to a much better truck over the next 5 years. Buying a new 2019 Tundra will get one of the best Tundras ever.... likely discounted once the brand new 2020 design hits the showroom.

An all new design is seldom superior to the previous designs last year. And never a "better" buy.

If your last statement were true, then no one here should own a second gen Tundra.

And I can agree that a design can evolve into perfection... but I find that word very hard to apply to the current Tundra for reasons mentioned.

 

[bkg]

Most of the newer Tundra's w/ the 5.7l v8 comes standard with the tow package (which includes the 4.30 gearing), so it is very common. Even so, the 4.10 is still lower gearing than what most of the other 1/2 tons offer.

Granted, the 3.5l ecoboost offers a bit more low-end torque, so maybe it doesn't require such low gearing. But for the 5.0l v8 that Ford offers, I think 3.73 is the lowest gearing you can get. The other v8 1/2 tons are similarly-geared; they're more focused on mpg #'s than they are towing/hauling performance compared to the Tundra....and its debatable how much that higher gearing helps mpg over the longterm.

Also, the 3 overdrive ratio's in Ford's 10 speed are similar to the 2 overdrive ratio's in the Tundra, so I'm not sure what you're getting at there.

His point is still correct. Looking only at the axle ratio and claiming a winner is missing too many elements of the drivetrain. Final drive ratio likely will show that both are similar. If that is the case, one could argue that a pinion with more teeth is stronger than the 4.30’s available in the Tundra. ?

 

[bkg]

Seems appropriate to the discussion.

20 Glaring Problems Ford Doesn’t Want To Tell Us About Its Pickups

Look a little closer at the Ford F-Series and you will soon discover that all is not as perfect as it seems.

www.hotcars.com

 

[billiebob]

If your last statement were true, then no one here should own a second gen Tundra.

And I can agree that a design can evolve into perfection... but I find that word very hard to apply to the current Tundra for reasons mentioned.

taken slightly out of context but whatever

 

[Watt maker]

If you want 42" any 1/2 ton is wrong. Guys are show horning 35" in Tundras and f150 but I consider that the limit before it gets impractical. Just my opinion.

You can actually fit 37’s quite easily on the Tundra with the right offset. 35’s on mine fit perfect. You’re right, 42’s is a whole other ballgame.

 

[ssc45]

I can only give my experience. I have owned one f150 and two tundras. All bought new. The ford left me stranded four times. Two of those incidents put me in a rather perilous situation. The resale on the tundra was much higher than the ford. None of my Toyota's have ever left me stranded. My tundra may not have the bells and whistles of the ford, but based on my experience and my number one priority , reliability, I will continue to drive and buy toyota/lexus vehicles.
Cheers, Steve

 

[Dalko43]

I can only give my experience. I have owned one f150 and two tundras. All bought new. The ford left me stranded four times. Two of those incidents put me in a rather perilous situation. The resale on the tundra was much higher than the ford. None of my Toyota's have ever left me stranded. My tundra may not have the bells and whistles of the ford, but based on my experience and my number one priority , reliability, I will continue to drive and buy toyota/lexus vehicles.
Cheers, Steve

A lot of truck owners who shower praise on Brand X or Y do so with 2-5 years of ownership, often with the vehicle covered by warranty. All vehicles are fairly reliable within that limited time frame, and if breakdown's do occur there is a safety net of sorts...so most people will have generally positive perceptions of their preferred brand.

The real test of brand loyalty and customer satisfaction is after that initial 5 year period, when cars transition to 2nd and 3rd hand ownership. A lot of the domestic brands have historically performed poorly in terms of longterm reliability. Maybe that is starting to change, but the onus is on the OEM's to prove that it has. I currently own and drive a 2011 4runner that is well outside of warranty. An A/C component needed replacing; outside of that, not a single problem, and certainly not one that has threatened to leave me stranded. As cool as the F-150 is and as torquey as its ecoboost engines are, there is just no way in hell that I'm going to pick up a used and out-of-warranty one.

People can hype it up all they want and point to its unparalleled sales #'s and best-in-class towing and hp #'s; when I'm looking at buying a 6-year old 1/2 ton with +50k miles on it, none of that matters to me. I need assurances of reliability and longevity....the Tundra provides that in spades. That's something that a lot of Ford or GM loyalists just don't understand. And it's arguably that intangible factor that helps explain why people are willing to pay $40k-$54k for a truck Toyota has left largely unchanged for 10 years.

 

[rruff]

Even lifted, you are losing power, decreasing articulation, creating stress, and creating a rougher ride by jumping to 37s or 40s.

2" in the front is all the lift you need (plus some trimming). There is no decrease in articulation and the ride certainly won't be "rougher" due to tire size. A regear will fix any other "problems". Larger tires are the best way to gain ground clearance.

37s look about right on a Tundra IMO...

 

[OutOfBounds]

I had a 2013 F150, owned it from 32000kms to 73000kms. In that time there was $7000 in warranty work done plus another $1200 out of pocket just to keep it on the road.

I now drive a 2005 Tundra. I've owned it from 128000kms and currently have 175000kms on it. I've done nothing to it other than routine maintenance. I have all its service records from the original owner as well. She never did anything other than routine maintenance either.

The old Tundra has been way more reliable than the new Ford ever was. That about sums up all the experience I've had with Fords; ones I've owned, ones my family has owned and all the ones I've had through work. Almost all of them were in the shop on a regular basis for some bullcrap repair. The company I used to work for dropped Ford from their fleet after they calculated that Ford part of the fleet (3 F150s, 2 F350s) was in the shop for an average of 1/4 of the year and and average of $800 per month in repairs.

I wouldn't trust a Ford to get me to the grocery store, nevermind explore the backcountry. Ford is a garbage company too. They don't stand behind their product. The dealers and corporate all told me that having a truck in the shop constantly is "normal".