2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - Off Topic Comments

It's hard to find a new Tundra at any building supply, let alone at an auction...

This thread is almost laughable with all the Toyota faithful asserting the new Tundra is so good. Have you checked the news lately? The new Toyota 5.7 V8 is snapping camshafts. You cannot get any more serious of a problem than that.

OK Toyota apologists, it's your turn to chime in...

I am looking forward to finding out why a snapped camshaft is nothing to worry about, and how I am somehow missing the point that this is actually a sign of a superior truck.

While you (Toyota apologists) are at it, for those of you bashing the domestic trucks claiming they have bad suspension components, I'd also be interested to hear how Toyota having to recall Tundra's for faulty ball joints is indicative of them being any better. For your reference, here is the link to the Toyota suspension recall.

http://auto-recalls.justia.com/content/07V013000-TOYOTA-TUNDRA-2006.html

Since when are F150's cheap?

So what you are trying to say is that Ford F150's are the best selling vehicle, beating anything Toyota has because they are so cheap?

You do not see Tundra's on construction sites because those people need real trucks to do real work, not a powder room on wheels for picking up trinkets at the market.

08:28 That's exactly right. People buy cheap junk like an F-150 because they don't have the foresight to see that they'll be buying 2 F-150's to equal the life of one Toyota truck.

Serious contractors buy the F250's...again the number 1 vehicle sold in the U.S.A. for over 20 years. Not many Tundras I see on any job sites. Where are they?

Do you know what I have realized as I have driven past many road construction sites? Well I am seeing many more people driving cars to the site and not necessarily driving trucks. Today I saw a at least 100 cars for every 10 trucks at a construction site in Minnesota as they were re working a major highway. I have also heard many people who are construction workers or contractors that they are going to have one truck for towing a trailer, and then the other workers are either going to drive a more economical car to work or bike to work. This is the reality. More and more people are switching to alternative modes of transportation, and if you are smart you realize that it is not important that every person working on a job site must have a truck.

16:14 is very informed as are many full size truck owners that have been repeatedly buying them for years. Applying car mentality is not why I buy a truck. Also minimizing a nicer warranty and having the capability to tow a boat that the Tundra cannot seems an unlikely way to convince me to switch. I wonder how many new brand truck buyers having never owned one actually look underneath...

Are we supposed to believe that there will be import cars that contractors will be carrying tool, equipment, ladders, tow hitches pulling air compressors, mixers, georgia buggies etc etc etc. Doubtful.

I am at commercial buildings, residential job sites and where are all the cars? Maybe a state trooper car on the interstate or the flaggers that buy their vest, hardhat and sign that show up in a personal vehicle. Anything else it would be quite interesting to see the Camry after one day.

I think you are unaware of the necessity to have trucks to perform functions that cars are simply incapable of doing. The number one vehicle sold in America is the Ford F Series truck; over 7 times more sold than a Tundra last year. Most everyone drives Ford F 250 class type or equivalent vehicles as contractors. Homeowners and weekend warriors are not out daily on mass, using full size trucks lined up at yards and building supplies, loading up with daily requirements.

06:27 I don't think that comment was very informed at all. It was in reply to a comment I wrote.

First off, people have only been buying domestic full size trucks for years because there was nothing else. Now Toyota makes them, they're the best out there, and that's why Tundra sales are increasing much faster than any other truck. That's an actual fact.

Number one, my Tacoma doesn't weigh 20 pounds. It doesn't go off-road better because it's light; it still weighs thousands of pounds. It goes off road better because it's designed better. And although I have had all four wheels off the ground before, I've never tried it with 'thousands' of pounds in the bed. I'm pretty sure any truck would fall apart on the landing. However, when it's empty, it doesn't break. And it'll take way more abuse of that kind than any Ford ever could. I've seen that proven many times.

And this reoccurring argument about a cast iron block is just pointless. They're not better in any way at all, they're simply heavier, which is a hindrance for a truck, and one of the many reasons the Ford's front suspension will break into little pieces if you try and actually use it like a truck off-road like you would a Toyota.

Keep the F-150's on the road with all of the cars, that's where they belong. God forbid anyone would consider taking a four wheel drive truck off the pavement. The Toyota will put it to shame in every instance.

All of these people claiming their Fords can haul 'thousands' of pounds have probably never actually done it. Who puts thousands of pounds in the bed of any truck? Nobody. They're half and three quarter ton payloads, unless it's a one-ton F-350. I've loaded my Tacoma with blocks, gravel, etc. It does just as well as any Ford would.

And by the way, my best friend just bought a brand new F-150 two days ago, and I drove it yesterday. It's a piece of crap. The first thing I noticed is that when you give it gas, there's a hesitation. I asked my buddy why; he said he noticed it too and asked the dealer. Turns out there is no throttle cable because it is done electronically. So when you give it gas, it takes off like a Toyota might after 300,000 miles with no tune up. More bad Ford design.

Not to mention, the truck is three days old, and the interior in my ten year old Tacoma is much nicer. Even the steering wheel looks cheesy. The whole interior looks cheap. My tailgate and doors shut better after 10 years than his does brand new.

And the hilarious part is that we were having a bonfire this weekend, needed firewood, and he had to park his brand new, thick-framed, cast iron block F-150 along side the road so he could get in my truck with me to get to where the logs were.

07:50

#1 You still haven't explained why Ford, Chevy and Dodge still sell FAR more pickups than Toyota.

#2 You keep saying that the Toyota pickups are better designed matter-of-factly, but you have no basis to back that up; we're all waiting for your proof.

#3 Maybe you're friend bought some base model XL V6 Ford or something, but I've been inside a new Ford pickup and a new (er) Toyota Tacoma and there is no comparison, the interior of the Tacoma was just as cheap and crappy as the Prius, so don't even try that argument.

The commercial contractors mentioned drive mostly larger Ford F 250 class or equivalent most diesels not smaller Tundras or F150's. I see them daily with the exception of a coworker with an Avalanche. All is mentioned is the Ford F 150 by the Toyota fanatic not the rest of the complete lineup that is very extensive. By the way look at sales of 160,000 vehicles last year to 800,0000 for Ford F Series alone vs. Tundra. Tundra isn't being sold in any significant numbers if you compare to domestics. I test drove a new Tundra as many probably have as they are not new now. Wheres the population of impressed contractor/professional buyers that should be prevalent by now?

I own one of every major body change from the 55 1st series Chevy to the 88 1500. That's six trucks on the fence row. The 64 was the best, followed by the 68. After that they went down hill like a snowball headed for hell. I bought a 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 because, like my 88, the new Chevys door hinges are not adjustable, they are welded to the body and door. The new Toyotas are not. What is the first impression you get of a vehicle, the door. I bought the Toyota because I think it is the best truck currently on the market. I buy for best, not brand. Reputations are hard to make, and easy to break.

You obviously knew nothing if you really think aluminum is as good/or better than cast iron. Let me make an example, albeit not the greatest one, but here's a shot; have you ever taken a piece of aluminum and put it into a fire? It melts and is destroyed after a short period of time. Now, take a piece of cast iron, or even iron, and put it into the fire. All it will do is glow red and maybe bend if you really try. Then it will cool down as if it were never even heated. THAT is the difference between an aluminum engine block and a cast iron engine block. If you overheat that cheesy aluminum car engine once or twice, and I mean seriously heat it up, you are gonna have major issues. Heat a cast iron engine block, and the most you'll have to do is change the oil that might have gotten scorched over time. My '93 Explorer has been put to the test. It still fires up every day, despite the fact that I have overheated it countless times. No ping, no smoke; just a solid rumble.

Aluminum is a lighter, cheaper, and flimsier material than cast iron. That is a fact; if you argue you are flat out wrong. Sure, my fire example might not apply 100% to a work truck, but the basics are there. Aluminum is aluminum, and cast iron is cast iron. No matter how much (material) you use, it will NEVER be as strong or as durable as cast iron. Period.

The sad thing is, Toyota does in fact intend for their new Tundra to be used as a work truck, and that is why it will fail. It's got an aluminum engine. An aluminum engine that, yeah, will work flawlessly, until the day you overheat it. Which, to be honest, if you REALLY are WORKING the truck, will most likely happen. Then, lifters start sticking and a millimeter gap in the piston walls appears, and you will lose compression and power.

And because these gaps occur by the millimeter in an aluminum engine, extra oil is burnt off. Oil rings aren't sealed as well anymore, etc, etc, etc.

I could go on and on about applications and facts, but it still remains, tried and true, that aluminum will never be as good as cast iron.

How many Ford 250 are sold in Japan???