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The Tacoma is no longer a compact truck and now the Tundra is getting a
size boost and a 5.7L V8. It's unlikely gas mileage will improve vs the
"underpowered?" 4.7L V8. I think this is a run at the Nissan Titan for
size and showmanship, not pragmatism. Shallow buyers think they need to
have a bigger engine than the next guy. Why can't intelligence prevail
in truck marketing instead of insecurity?

I'm tired of ads showing grease-blackened laborers among steam clouds
who supposedly can't do their job without "extreme" capacity. How did
they manage last year or ten years ago? Trucks in decades past were
downright rickety. Somehow, things got done without a 10,000 lb. towing
capacity in the average work vehicle. Most big material drops at
construction sites are brought in on commercial flatbeds. The current
Tundra is fine for most buyers and has been so since 2000. Most of this
power hype is marketing. Many trucks are bought for style, with pimped
wheels and pristine paint. You don't need 300+ HP to visit the local
steakhouse. A rack increases bulk capacity of any truck. You can rent a
trailer for rare, extreme loads.

Gas prices will continue to rise (with ups and downs) due to peaking of
global oil production. Global warming is real and serious, despite "Man
can do no wrong" propaganda that rewrites evidence. Lower gas mileage
means more CO2 emissions and is a step in the wrong direction. EPA
figures are overstated and the 2007 Tundra may get about 15 MPG
average. The Nissan Titan (5.9L) only gets about 14 MPG per
[url]www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/105503/article.html[/url].

Americans are finally seeing that it doesn't make sense (on many
levels) to waste fuel. Toyota, creator of the Prius, seems at odds with
itself in the truck line. They should at least offer a diesel in the
Tundra. The practical demographic for super-sized trucks is overstated
and the ego demographic should shrink as fuel prices rise. Please wise
up, Toyota, and all truck buyers who feed this trend. Many of us would
like a quality truck that isn't a gas hog, but our options keep getting
limited. Maybe they will _downsize_ the fat-ass Tacoma next time
around. It would be an industry first!

Ed