2014 Toyota Tundra Limited. Photo by Jeremy Cliff.
2014 Toyota Tundra Limited Review
Trucking in Toyota's refreshed full-size.
Web2Carz Contributing Writer
Published: November 21st, 2013
Toyota always has been an outsider looking in at the American full-size truck market, no matter how good its Tundra full-size has been in the past. Lots of American truck buyers give the side-eye to "furrin" competition - if it ain't wearing a ram's head, a bowtie, a blue oval, or a "GMC" badge, and if it doesn't have ties to Detroit, don't bother. That's been the slightly xenophobic message sent along by trucksters for a long time.
That hasn't deterred Toyota or Nissan for making incursions into the market, and previous Tundras have been well-received by those paid to be critical. Toyota's not going away, so it figures that the company would put some effort into creating one bad-ass ride with its next Tundra.
The big changes here are about looks - the Tundra did away with curvy styling in favor of a more macho motif, which includes a hood that's raised two inches. The interior gets redone, too.
We've already spent time on the road sampling the truck, including its off-road capabilities. How it would fair in a week's worth of urban driving?
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On the Road
Acceleration from the 381-horsepower, 5.7-liter V-8 is stout - this is a truck that gets out of its own way. It also sounds great while doing so.
That's the good news. The bad news is that the ride is more bouncy than one of its rivals, the also-redesigned GMC Sierra, which we just tested recently. It also exhibits nastier handling traits. No one expects a truck to carve corners, but the Tundra was much more of a handful.
Steering feel was light and a tad loose, but it's par for the truck class.
No one buys a truck for handling, of course, and bounciness aside, the Tundra is fine on most pavement. We just wished it was as cool a customer as the Sierra. -
Exterior
This thing is huge, and it looks it, thanks in part to in-your-face styling. It might the boldest of the big trucks (we say Ram still takes it, but it's close) and it might be enough to win over buyers who felt that the previous truck was too "soft." That's a ridiculous notion, of course, since toughness has little to do with looks, but Toyota dealers won't care if more machismo moves more metal.
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Interior
This is where the truck lets us down somewhat. Some of the hard-plastic materials look and feel down market. Toyota's going for a space-age modern look, and that kind of works, but we wish the materials and the look were as smooth as what the competition presents. As it is now, it's just a bit too cheesy.
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Final Thoughts
There's a lot to like about this truck - it's got a brawny shape and the engine to match. It offers plenty of creature comfort. And it has lots of interior space.
Our beefs come down to a chassis that still needs some tweaking and an interior that doesn't ring high on our admittedly subjective scale. That makes it hard to argue against the Tundra, but it has a ways to go to match the Sierra's classy cabin or the Ram 1500's all-around skills. Still, we'd give strong consideration to putting one in our driveway. -
Specs, Features, Prices
Engine:5.7-liter V-8
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Drive Wheels: Four-wheel-drive
Fuel Economy: 13 mpg city/17 mpg highway
Base Price: $41,895 (excludes $995 destination fee)
Price As Tested:: $44,359 Available Features: Satellite radio, navigation, USB port, rear parking assist, running boards, bedliner, Bluetooth, rearview camera, heated front seats, trailer sway control
• For more information such as specs, prices, and photos of the 2014 Toyota Tundra, click here: 2014 Toyota Tundra.