2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - All Comments

17:01 Think about what you're expecting me to believe. Gas is over $3 a gallon, at least where I live, and you're telling me that 16 people want to buy your 20 year old Suburban that gets 16 miles to the gallon, and, you say, has 250,000 miles on it?

I believe it was 200,000 in your first comment. Who would want a 19 year old GM vehicle that gets gas mileage like that? No one. As far as the import/domestic issue, everybody that's aware of the facts knows that Toyota has always made a better product than GM. I'm sick of explaining why. I'm a car enthusiast, and I've explained the FACTS at least 50 times on this site, but that doesn't seem to matter to the Ford and GM owners who keep asking me to give them facts. I do; then they tell me I'm wrong.

If you pay attention to detail, have any real background in mechanics of any kind, or do any real research, you will realize that Toyota is the superior product. The proof is everywhere. Park any year of Toyota, car or truck, next to any year GM, Ford, or Dodge, car or truck, and really look at it. Crawl underneath it, look at the build quality, the design; how things are put together, and the truth is obvious. Toyota's are much higher quality.

21:23, Gas where I live, in Vancouver, WA is $3.09 a gallon at the Shell station I fill up at.

I'm sorry that you don't like the fact that yes, 16 people do want to buy it, but I've turned them down.

To set the record straight, it has 236,802 miles on it, good as new.

Also, we too give you facts, but just as well as us, you disregard them. So don't use that argument. It doesn't work.

The first snow storm I had the phone ringing off the hook to buy my with my 1978 400 cu. inch Silverado 4X4...excellent drivetrain although the common rust. I replaced most of the body panels and had it repainted black.

22:58 Seriously, everybody has their preferences, BUT; how much do know about automobiles? Do you do all of your own maintenance, some of it, or none of it? Granted, I've never torn an engine completely apart, but have once or twice done something as complicated as replacing a head gasket. And I do all of my own maintenance; as well as work in a mechanical field for a living. So I feel that I'm pretty competent mechanically. Now, if you are also, someday, do what I suggest. Park your Suburban, or any other GM next to a Toyota and get underneath them as well as inside them and under the hood. The differences are obvious if you actually know what you're looking at. The body construction, the welds, the placement of things as well as how they are screwed or bolted together. Toyota wins hands down every time. And it's a well known fact how much more advanced their engines are and have always been.

I live in SF, California. Gas is now $4 a gallon. Fairly soon, the argument will not really be about whether to foreign or domestic full-sized trucks and SUV's. It will be more about whether people actually buy them period.

By the way, GM reported their biggest quarterly loss in their history today, a record loss of 39 BILLION dollars. Something tells me that despite the improvements, they're still clinging way too heavily too large SUV's and trucks. I suspect many of those bought in the last several years were done so using refinance money that people were pulling out of their houses. Since the US housing market is in a tailspin, it'll be interesting how any car maker will be able to convince middle income Americans to buy $30,000 full size trucks that get 20MPG.

6:20. I perform all my maintenance on all my vehicles as well as most of my family's. I've replaced head gaskets, transmissions, entire brake systems, cooling systems, starters, lifted my son's truck, done drive train swaps, upgraded the camshaft, rockers, rods, etc in my buddy's rock crawler ('76 CJ with a 350),etc as well as interior work for other people. I've also hand built a '73 Jeep CJ for rock climbing and hardcore offroading.

As with you, my entire life revolves around the vehicles I deal with, as well as exotics and American Muscle Cars.

Why should I need to park my Suburban next to my uncles beater Toyota truck of that time just to see how much its better, when the Toyota is rusted through the fender wells, exposing the frame that is rusting badly and seeing most of the corroded components underneath? I've done a lot with my Suburban as far as abuse, but there are no tweaks, rust, damage, etc. I suppose that this is the horrible quality you're referring to? On a side note, 350's are some of the easiest and most pliable engines to work with, placement of parts and accessories is excellent.

GM also makes great marine engines. I own a full size GM pickup (as do friends of mine with large 3/4 ton domestics) that tow boats. Not to belabor fuel economy, but the fuel economy of the vehicles is miniscule compared to the running costs of the boats we tow. Mine around 30 gals/hr. When shopping for a full size truck it means more having capability than strictly fuel focus. Just to bring to light that many of us buy full size trucks for function first. What amazes me more is that individuals will spend more per gallon (spring water bottles comes to mind) than actual fuel in this country without batting an eye for millions of gallons of water purchased annually. Small example of spending habits... but it seems that capability should be the main consideration with a larger truck. Some of us are not into cruising around in small stuff for partial small trips. I had small trucks which were very limited and not practical and found you will use a larger truck to much greater advantage... I have completely remodeled my home, picked up all my kitchen cabinets etc, my yard with pavers and have a boat to utilize on weekends with my family. A small truck just will not work for us and paying lots of separate deliveries seems not what having the benefit of new truck ownership is about.

Bottled water is where it's at in Georgia. Also water is not as finite as gasoline so I believe you must be saudi...lol. Well anyways Honda builds great marine engines... not to mention everything in between. Even sump pumps. It is no wonder Honda is the #1 engine producer.

So we should buy GM or Honda... not Toyota because of the great engines they make. Marine engines are subjected to great stresses.

I carry a yamaha generator in the back of my new GM truck.

How will America do without large trucks? They'll probably do just fine since the vast majority of large trucks now sold are for mere pleasure purposes only. Besides, the housing market is crashing thus there's less need for construction anyway.

That's right 10:19, we'll all just move into tents from now on. Good grief.

I have a Honda generator in the front of my Honda Civic Hybrid. So what?

10:22 I have NEVER seen a Suburban that old with no rust on it. You'd have to constantly baby it. Considering the 900 square feet of body panels, those things were prone to rust easily. Any Toyota made after 1989; they drastically changed the bodies that year, is at least as good as any other make as far as resisting rust. You can keep any vehicle from rusting if you know how. I've had three Toyota's in the last 15 years and not one of them has ever had a speck of rust on it, including my current Tacoma which is 10 years old.

Yes, the 350 is easy to work on, but I'm going back to the quality of design. NO WAY are you going to drive a 350 for 300,000 miles without major engine repair like you can with a Toyota. Those engines are notorious for getting to about 120 or 130,000 at best before they're burning oil like crazy or having head gasket trouble. And that's using it as a daily driver. If you run a 350 hard for any long period of time; forget it, they just eat themselves apart long before 100,000.

6:38

The issues with rust you refer to were a greater batch of Suburbans than came off the line with botched primer. Many vehicles of that era have that problem all across the board. Mine, however, shows no sign of significant fade (aside from the roof which ALL cars have after time due to direct sun exposure) and as I said before, looks pretty darn good. My uncle's truck is a 1987 with 166,000 miles on it. From the looks of it, it would appear to have millions.

Unless you, for yourself, drive and own a 350-powered vehicle from this era, you cannot say that "NO WAY are you going to drive a 350 for 300,000 miles without major engine repair like you can with a Toyota. Those engines are notorious for getting to about 120 or 130,000 at best before they're burning oil like crazy or having head gasket trouble. And that's using it as a daily driver. If you run a 350 hard for any long period of time; forget it, they just eat themselves apart long before 100,000." Dealing with these is not a matter of heresay, which you have the wrong impression of, but a matter of driving them.

That statement refers back to the "I must be wrong because you don't agree with it" statement. This Suburban IS my daily driver, has been for the last 8 years. It IS my hunting and trail rig during the winter when it is too cold for my Jeep. It IS my towing rig, that has been grading hills and gravel since I've owned it, while towing 9,000 pounds of hunting trailer for elk season. It IS a reliable drivetrain which hasn't given me any large trouble. It IS a Suburban that doesn't get "babied" by me. It IS pounded on and thrashed up in the hills, then driven like a normal car serving as an everyday driver.

I do have a question, however. Where do you get the impression that these engines are notorious for breaking as you say? Please answer, not with a "Duh, everyone knows it" type of answer, because I have proven you wrong there.

Cite something please; because, I'll cite a ton more proving what I have said about these beasts.