test drove a new 2007 toyota tundra

I drove an 07' tundra today and damn they are impressive! this truck is packed with great features and really thought out. just sitting in it you get the feeling that's it's a better designed truck then anything else out there. after driving it though I was even more convinced, it rides awesome, super quiet, incredible power, excellent braking, and positive feedback on all the controls. and in the 15 minutes or so driving it we put the truck through it's paces as the salesman handed over the keys and let us go alone... needless to say I had it flat to the floor going through the gears (in sports mode) several times!!!! my cousin Jim remarked "well by the time we get back you'll have the motor broke in".

I didn't expect to be completely blown away by it and figured I'd try to sway myself towards a silverado, but the tundra has me sold. the only negative is the interior seems a bet cheesy in places with too much plastic feel/look, but everything else more than makes up for that defect. my only other complaint would be that I prefer a true tilt column, something that only seems available from GM and all other manufactures have when with a drop style column... still, the drop column in the tundra had more adjustment then others I've seen and has a telescoping feature.

on the interior, it's super roomy and super comfortable. the rear seats are even very comfy and roomy, much more so then my silverado. I felt great driving it and really liked the support of the bucket seats over my silverado. a really great feature is the center storage cover/armrest is adjustable and you can slide it to where fits you best, it's also at a much better height then the silverados. there is storage every where you look, and the center storage is massive. the view out the cab is great and sara noted she can see better then my silverado. I couldn't get over how quiet it drove, and it feels sturdy yet plush inside. the interior has a very modern look, but not overdone and most the gauges/dials are nice and big and easy to reach. the stereo in this model was a jbl with 10 speakers and subwoofer, sounded great! also hoas mp3 input, bluetooth, and steering wheel controls (a must!!!)

the performance is amazing!!! the +380 hp motor (and +400lbs torque) moves out. the 6-speed tranny features a sports mode where you can go through the gears ratchet style, this was a blast! the truck absolutely hauls ass and fun to drive! when in auto the tranny keeps in optimal gear for tranny braking and power, very nice.

the looks are definitely growing on me as well. looking at pictures I wasn't too sure if I really liked how the truck look, but seeing it in person I thought it wasn't bad and seeing a new silverado directly after I'd say I like the tundra's look as much or better.

I definitely want heated leather seats again (I should have taken pictures of one with leather), and according to the brochure and website they are only available in the "limited" edition, which is the loaded model but comes with a hefty MSRP at aprox $40K (about the same as the comparable loaded silverado). that is a hefty price. the salesman claimed they can stall just the leather and heated seats as an option though so that may be more viable (although most the options with the limited are sweet)

here are more pics

test drive pics