2007 Tundra vs. ....

[aaron_c]

What truck did all of you '07 Tundra owners drive before you bought the Tundra? I'm mainly looking for people who have owned other full-size trucks, for comparison purposes. The Tundra looks so massive, is it hard to navigate in parking lots and such? or is it not really as big as it looks? And lastly, tell me why you bought the Tundra over anything else.

thanks everybody

[nikita]

While I do not have a 2007, I'll tell you why I got a new 2005 Tundra to replace a 1994 F-150. The number one reason is that there were regular cab 4x4 Tundra's in stock. I could not find the configuration I wanted from any of the "Big 2.5" anywhere in the state of Kalifornia (GMC was my original first choice). The number two reason was that a close friend already had a 2005 for almost a year and he was totally satisfied. He used it to replace a 1989 Ford. We both had rear axle and automatic transmission failures on our Fords (reason #3).

As for the "massive" part, every truck maker has "bloated" their "half-ton" product recenty, and for no real good engineering reason, just "fashion" and "look, mine is more macho than yours". Payloads have not gone up, just empty weights. Towing capacity is primarily related to engine and gearing, not things like high door sills and bed rails.

[HammerDown]

Originally Posted by aaron_c

What truck did all of you '07 Tundra owners drive before you bought the Tundra? I'm mainly looking for people who have owned other full-size trucks, for comparison purposes. The Tundra looks so massive, is it hard to navigate in parking lots and such? or is it not really as big as it looks? And lastly, tell me why you bought the Tundra over anything else.

thanks everybody

Not a Tundra owner (yet) and not sure if I will be but...
I've owned a F250 Diesel 4x4 SuperCab Lariat for 20 years, the Truck is as solid as the day I bought it and has NEVER let me Down. Aside from the Drivers seat being a little tired everything still looks almost like new...really! I honestly don't think the new 07 Toyota would fare as well in that amount of time or not. But >>> I may be wrong.

What worried me about the 07 Toyota Double Cab I test drove was the abundance of plastic EVERYWHERE...even the inside door handles seemed like they could snap off in my hand. Very thin Carpets, but the Leather seemed of Good quality, the cloth in the lesser Truck also seemed thin.
The ride was quiet but going over some simple RR Trax the Truck became nervous and jumpy as the rear left the roads surface. And I've been over the very same Trax hundreds of times with my F250...solid every time.
The Tundra's Trany was very nice!
The brakes and acceleration was very impressive however.
The other thing that really got me worried was the Frame...the cut away sections in the Dealer were able to be flexed by hand (c-channel)...should a Frame do that by hand???
I would have to wonder, with the thin metal used in the Frame even the Boxed and Double C-Channel how long before it would simply Rust through???

The above may not be a concern for someone that gets a new Truck every couple years etc...but I hang on to mine for a long time, especially if it's going to take $42K+ out of my pocket!
Can the new 07 Tundra last the test of real time or...will be be a Rusted up Tin Can 10-15-20 years from now?

Not sure about any of the above...I come here and read about the current owners problems if any and, I'll do some research and get feedback... maybe the 08 Tundra will get my money. I might like to see a Diesel in the Tundra...the 09 F150 will have one. It would be hard not to wait for that.

And why no power rear slider on the Tundra Double cab...?

[dpktm]

I kept my old Chevy 1500 for 18 yrs and it's done well. I am hoping to match it's performance with the traditional single cab and eight foot bed. I drove both the Chevy and the Toyota. Both seem good enough when they are new. Friends with older Chevys looking to make the change to Toyota feel there is a lot more quality in the Toyota when they compare use items to include door handles, switches, power controls, etc. basic mechanical use parts of the truck as an owner.
I keep my trucks for a while, and finish parts are what get worn first. The engine is no big deal. It's the paint and finish parts that really show wear over time. Still not sure, Toyota costs a bunch more, but they over built the simple straight cab pickup and now they are trying to move them.........

[nikita]

dpktm,

Granted, its not a 2007 Tundra, but comparing the Chevy 1500 that I drove for 100,000 miles and my kid's T100 with over 200,000, as well as dad's Camry with almost 200,000, all purchased new, I think Toyota switchgear and other body and interior pieces hold up just fine over the long haul, better than GM.

I, too am a regular-cab long-bed buyer, and I thought the only one here on this Forum. To me a truck is a truck and a car is a car. I'm too old. Dodge ram trucks sticker almost identical to the Tundra, $22k for the base model, but I dont think Toyota is going to discount them as much as Dodge has.

[07Sport]

I personally drove an 05 Dodge Ram 4x4. Didnt need the 4x4 or the 8-9mpg that went with it. (Im partly to blame for lifting it and putting bigger tires on) Ive been completely happy and havent looked back since getting the Tundra.

[buckstom]

I sold an '05 Silverado to get my Tundra for alot of reasons. It was black and the paint job was awful. Orange peel everywhere. The first time I changed the oil and put it on a lift, everything underneath was rusty. I mean the driveshaft, all the brake components, suspension parts. Chevy doesn't use the rubberized paint on the rockers like Toyota does and they got all chipped up in about a thousand miles. The 4 speed automatic would cause the engine to rev so high when I towed with it. They went back to drum brakes in the rear because the discs cost more and they are trying to save money. The sunroof opened about 8 inches and it layed on top of the cab wgen it was open and rattled all the time. The list goes on and on. I am very happy with my Tundra. Oh I try to buy American when I can and my Chevy was made in Canada.

[Sledge13]

In the past the full-size trucks that I have had were: 1985 Chevy 1500, 1991 GMC Sierra, and the 2003 GMC Sierra. I enjoyed each truck. The only truck I had issues with was the 1991 GMC and that particular truck had 180k miles on it. That being said, in the last 4 years or so I have had the '01 Nissan Frontier, and an '06 Tacoma. I went from the 2003 GMC that I was perfectly happy with to the '06 Tacoma and I haven't looked back. The Tacoma was a very solid confidence inspiring vehicle. I put 50k in one year on the one I had. Then it came time to buy a new truck. I went with the '07 Tundra. I'm not really a brand loyalist or anything, but I think Toyota makes a quality product.

I do not think the Tundra is any harder to navigate through a parking lot than other vehicles of its size. My main thing I have had to get used to is riding a little higher in the driver's seat, but it is no big deal.

I will always like GM trucks, especially the design of the interiors, but I feel that Toyotas are more reliable.

[mhadden]

I had an 06 Tacoma, then a 2000 Sonoma 8 years ago...I've had cars to fill in the gaps...

01 Sunfire (not by choice)
94 Century (not by choice)
01 Focus
06 G6 GTP
06 Mazda3 GT 4-door

[Sledge13]

Originally Posted by mhadden

I had an 06 Tacoma, then a 2000 Sonoma 8 years ago...I've had cars to fill in the gaps...

01 Sunfire (not by choice)
94 Century (not by choice)
01 Focus
06 G6 GTP
06 Mazda3 GT 4-door

I actually left out a few Here's my list:
Presently: 2007 Tundra
2006 Tacoma
2003 GMC Sierra x cab
2001 Nissan Frontier (supercharger)
1991 GMC Sierra and a 1991 Mitsu Eclipse at the same time
1985 Chevy 1500
1991 Chevy S10 (I've had 2 of these, for some reason I like
them better than the Sonomas)
19?? Ford Tempo (that one was not by choice)
1971 Ford LTD Broughm (aka "The Land Yacht")

Yep, too many vehicles, but because of this, I know what I like. The Tundra is the best one yet, but it isn't perfect. If it was perfect, what would they do in 2008? What would encourage others to buy next year's vehicle? I just feel that Toyota is going in the right direction-

[stryker709]

Before this ive owned:

86 toyota 4x4 22r
89 chev silverado 4x4
92 ford f150 2wd
79 ford f250 4x4
98 4 runner
05 tacoma
now 07 tundra double cab 4x4

I ve had much better luck with the Toyotas than the domestics. I've heard alot of stories of chevs and fords lasting forever, but this isn't my experience with them. Toyota isnt perfect, but imo it kicks the crap out of the alternative. I like the way the new chev looks, but have sworn never to own another chev in this lifetime. I find this truck actually pretty easy to park, I suggest trying them all out and deciding for yourself.

[Sledge13]

I didn't mention in my previous reply that the salesman was very good and did a proper demonstration of the turning radius of this truck. He did this exercise:
He pulled up in a parking place in a lot and did a "U turn" back into the same parking place. This truck parks better than most, I'd say. I'd really only seen this demonstration once before when a friend of mine took me on a test drive of his Nissan Xterra '06. The Xs have a shorter wheelbase and are kind of a medium sized SUV. I was impressed then and now owning an even larger full-sized truck I'm impressed now.

Test drive.

[RMXC51]

I drove an 04 Ford 150 FX4, and a 96 Ram 1500 Laramie before that. Both were excellent trucks, reliable as hammers. Each had small things that annoyed me. Bought the Tundra because there's nothing I hate about the truck, and just to try something different.

I will never have another GM product. Not because the vehicles are bad, but because I've had nothing but horrible problems with the service departments of multiple dealers I've tried to to deal with.