2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - Off Topic Comments

16:41 what is the classic car that you own? Is it a Toyota? Curious also why you would want a classic car... maybe it has been well made, durable and appreciating rapidly? I agree I am tired of disposable cars, and see small imports as a basic appliance... when they fall apart what's the sentimentality?

The Toyota crowd (~/or individual is more likely) are afraid to address how their aluminum engines are superior to Ford and GM diesel trucks (that every contractor and friend that I have drives exclusively). Tundra just cannot do anything that we do daily because of our degree of load-carrying and towing requirements. Well, maybe we could use one to drop off estimates or banking.

It's funny - a houseboat company in my hometown uses Diesel E-350's and semi-trucks to move any huge load they may have. But, they have an older model Tundra and a 4-Runner with the company logos on the side, but I don't even think they have trailer hitches on the back of them. I guess they use the Toyota's for advertising while the Peterbuilts, Internationals, and Fords do the real work behind the scene.

16:41!!

I was using it as an example of how cast iron engine blocks can be over heated and not be damaged or destroyed. The same applies for any cast iron engine block. Thank you for twisting my story around however you seem fit, especially in a way untrue.

10:28 I think we've already covered, about a million times, that NO, a Tundra won't haul as much as an F-250 or larger. What's your point? Try comparing apples to apples. Compare the Tundra to the F-150. Well, there's no comparison there. One's a Ford, so it loses automatically. If you want to know why aluminum is superior to cast iron blocks, there are plenty of books that will explain it to you.

The whole " American dollars for American-made products" is totally mute.

First of all, just take a look at both GM and Ford. For one, GM has only one passenger car left in their entire lineup that uses a North American designed platform. The most common platform is now called "Zeta", a platform engineered and developed in Australia. Most of the new Ford lineup is also built using foreign designed platforms. Ford heavily relies on Mazda and Volvo for their new Taurus, which is really a beefed up Ford 500- which was a HUGE flop. The Taurus is built using a modified Volvo platform. The Fusion, which everyone raves about as being a red-blooded, all-American import-buster is made in Mexico, built on a Mazda platform, and utilizing an engine designed by Mazda, Ford, and incorporating a Indian-forged crank. There is very little "American" about this car.

Going back to GM, their Chevy HHR is also made in Mexico. A number of their small SUVs now have Chinese-made engines in them. Many F-150's use transmissions made in France, with many other components produced in Mexico, Brazil, and China.

So when you talk about putting money into American's pockets, would you rather put money in a CEO's pocket, or the pockets of US auto manufacturing workers all across the country? Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and now even Hyundai and Kia have manufacturing facilities in the US. Even Denso- a supplier for Toyota- has plants in TN. NUMI, or National United Manufacturing Inc. has a huge plant in Fremont that makes Tacomas. They also have a large plant in KY making Avalons and Camrys- the best selling car in the U.S. Additionally, they have a new plant that makes Tundras in TX. Again, many of these vehicles use as much as 60-70% American made parts and employee many thousands of US workers getting paid good wages.

The Yen/Dollar exchange is a bad argument too. Why? Because if you want to talk putting money into foreigner's pockets, well you can thank the millions of Americans who bought homes in the last 10 years for helping do that more than anyone else. China, Japan, and many countries in Europe buy US dollars and US mortgage loans, which in effect allowed people to keep right on buying overpriced houses. So there are many countries who own literally billions of dollars worth of US mortgage debt- a number that far exceeds whatever amount could be mustered from car sales.

My final say about this is that someone mentioned a good point above: If you take good care of your car, regardless of the make, it'll probably last for many years. Besides- cars are so entirely international in their composition and origin, that the badge has little to do with where it was made. Buy what you like and be happy.

In regards to the classic, I own a 53' Mercury Montclair. I own it because I like the way it looks. Is it high quality? Not really- I have to keep it carefully tuned and in near-perfect mechanical condition. The carburetor requires constant attention regarding the climate. In winter- it has to be adjusted. In summer- same thing.

What's interesting about the car is that the SAME engine which currently resides in it is a 45 year old design that was used well into the 90's. The only difference is that accessories were added later on. I find it absolutely amazing that Ford would use an engine for decades. In my opinion, this is why many domestic manufacturers had to play a major catch-up game to some of the import brands simply because for decades, the sheetmetal changed, but under the hood they were powered with antiquated machinery.

Is it a fun car to drive? Yes. Is it reliable? I guess for a 50+ year old car, ya. But I'd be hard-pressed to compare the old-fashioned cast iron engine in this thing to a modern lightweight aluminum powerplant.

Me and my family grew up with Fords. My grandad, uncle, and dad ONLY bought them for generations. It was only after having 3 Fords in a row that had ridiculous problems that we bought a Toyota years ago, and were amazed that it ran for 12 years without a problem.

I will say that domestics have come a very long way since the 80's and 90's. But as mentioned, they're more foreign than domestic anyhow. I have yet to see a consumer report that shows older domestic cars lasting as long as many import brands. Going to work in the morning, you'd be hard-pressed to see a 15~20 year old Chevrolet, yet you'll see scads of beater Hondas from the 80's still running just fine. When I think of quality, I think of a car lasting for decades without any noticeable problems, which is something I don't fully believe domestics can do with great regularity yet. If they did, I think they would offer better value for what you pay. I particularly like the new Chevrolet Silverado. But do I trust it to run 200k without a hitch? Not yet.

I fully believe that GM and Ford will eventually get it right. Most of their problem is that they suffer from brand perception. Yes; as I mentioned, they are far better than they were even 5-10 years ago. But if it takes a company 30 years to turn around, that makes people wonder (versus a company like Toyota that has instilled trust in people due to well-built vehicles). GM and Ford have to find a way to regain that trust. Otherwise, they will continue to lose market share even if they do eventually make products that are as good or better than Toyota.

When only 1/7th of the sales last year were Tundra it shows there is a greater market for F Series... many of us cannot use one or a F150 even. Fortunately the commitment that Ford has in place with an extensive lineup shows they are very committed to us that cannot use a Tundra or a Ford F 150. I have yet to here how the aluminum engines exceeed the hour/mileage life of diesel engines. I think Ford is a lot better.

6:06 said: "Well, there's no comparison there. One's a Ford, so it loses automatically."

Uh...Why?

I must've overlooked the information backing up this claim...

"I think we've already covered, about a million times, that NO, a Tundra won't haul as much as an F-250 or larger. What's your point? Try comparing apples to apples. Compare the Tundra to the F-150. Well, there's no comparison there. One's a Ford, so it loses automatically. If you want to know why aluminum is superior to cast iron blocks, there are plenty of books that will explain it to you."

Hahaha. Sorry, but that comment just cracks me up! 'One's a Ford so it loses automatically.' There's a Toyota lover comment to behold! NO FACTS, NO PROOF, just stupid bias coming from somewhere other than his/her mouth. I think you've got it backwards; I've seen at least 5 comments stating that cast iron engine blocks are superior to aluminum. They are all factual and true, but you just say "oh look it up in a book!"

Why? Because you don't have a clue what you're talking about! You've got no factual basis, just rants and raves. Give it up already...

Here's you another illustration of how cast-iron is much stronger and heat resistant than aluminum. Has anyone ever cooked with an aluminum skillet? Try and place an aluminum skillet on a red-hot burner and see how long it takes it to warp. Better yet, while it's heating up, toss some cold water on the skillet and watch it twist and shrivel. Now, take cast iron and place it on a red-hot burner and throw all the water you want to on it, it'll just hiss and steam. If it's old and worn down, it may crack in half, but that's usually after 40 years of use like my grandma's mother's iron skillet that my grandma broke finally after torching it a thousand times. Also, if you cook with cast iron, you'll have to be careful not to burn your food because it will actually draw heat and hold it, but it won't hurt the metal. Aluminum HAS to dissipate the heat quickly, or it will melt or warp.

I've seen comments where people say that their Chevy or Ford heated up when they pulled something and that makes the engine bad. Well that's not so, cast iron draws and absorbs heat, so a cast-iron engine will build up more heat while being worked, but who cares? It can deal with it better than the aluminum. Let an aluminum block heat up the same way (God forbid the radiator give) and see how long it will handle the heat.

If aluminum is so superior and so much stronger, then why doesn't Toyota use it for the sheet metal, frame, or axles? They're all made of steel and steel is derived from iron.

The other day I was running 85 mph up I-75 (up hill) on a 100 degree day with very high humidity on my delivery rout in my F-150. Due to harsh conditions and the hard driving, my thermometer shot up to the H on the gauge. I was shocked to see it doing that, but it didn't do a thing to the engine. I went for probably 20 miles with it building up heat, but as soon as I got off of the interstate, it cooled back down and the engine acted no differently.

Now I know an aluminum block will dissipate the heat faster, so it would take longer for it to climb to the H on the gauge, but think what would happen to the engine when the temperature finally reached the H!!! I added a pint or more water to the reservoir, and it hasn't acted up since then.

Here's another aspect to consider, even those "high-tech, state-of-the-art" aluminum engines HAVE to have steel or iron sleeves surrounding the piston and steel rings on the piston head. Why? Because if the piston head rubbed against the bare aluminum cylinder wall, it would wear it to pieces in no time. If any of you Toyota supporters happen to be mechanics, or know how to take an engine a part, then feel free to look through your engine and see how much cast iron is still inside of the aluminum block because the aluminum is (like we've been trying to tell you) soft and weak. I don't get the point of using a soft and vulnerable aluminum block and head to hold the steel and iron guts of the engine together, when cast iron can do it just as well, and hold it all together under much higher temperatures.

Now I'm not saying Toyota doesn't make good aluminum engines. I know for fact the Audi and Honda make good aluminum blocks, but not for work. I don't doubt that the new 5.7L engine from Toyota might be a beast, especially with those torque numbers it is supposed to put out. The problem is, I don't see that aluminum block holding those HP and Lb. Ft. Torque numbers for years if the truck is used to pull those 10,000 lbs they keep bragging about.

I think Toyota knows that their customers don't do work with their trucks, so they never worry about their aluminum engines. Aluminum engines can handle abuse as far as high RPM's and making a vehicle move quickly, BUT NOT WITH A LOAD BEHIND IT. Even Dodge uses an aluminum 8.3L V10 for the Viper, but they use a cast iron 8.3L V10 for their gas option RAM 2500.

I also don't doubt that Toyota (like Honda) has built a reputation of building reliable vehicles, but that doesn't mean that every Chevy and Ford ever made breaks down every 30 seconds, and to say so is childish, untrue, and foolish. I know for fact that Ford is capable of making engines that will go for 300,000 miles of being floor-boarded and still starts without hesitation, and I know that Chevy can build engines that run and work for 30 years with nothing being replaced but the fuel pump and spark plugs.

The thing killing Ford and Chevy is corporate arrogance and corruption, lack of inspiration, and those stupid unions that the Japanese don't have that cause the workers to become lazy and undevoted, without having to worry about being fired. Also, Ford and Chevy's devotion to paying their retired employees' pensions is not helping them either.

I absolutely HATE to quote Edmund's or CNN as any kind of evidence, because all of the writers are JUST writers with personal opinions and they don't know anything about vehicles, especially trucks. But, for those of you who like quoting consumer guides and magazines, J.D. Power and Associates gave Ford Motor Company more rewards than anyone this year for initial quality, five to be exact. Where's this in the news? You won't hear about it, like you did their lay-offs and profit losses. Why? Because the media doesn't like American products. They like Toyota and Honda, so you'll never hear about the sludge problems that's causing Toyota engines to blow at 30,000 miles, and Honda transmissions that go at 100,000.

As far as old Chevy's and other domestics, not only do I own a 30 year old Chevy, but on my rout I see dozens and dozens of old Chevy's, Ford's, and Dodge's passing me on the highways. I barely ever see a 70's or 80's model Toyota truck, but when I do they're smoking and looking just as beaten up as any domestics.

You "sheeple" must learn to become independent thinkers.

17:27 Well, once again, you are completely wrong. 'No facts..blah, blah'... there are about 1000 comments on this site giving the mechanical facts behind it. I don't feel the need to restate them.

Here's a fact for you: I'd be embarrassed to drive a Ford, and wouldn't trade my much better made Tacoma for six new Fords. That's a fact.

Here's the deal: unless you're driving a very large V-8 or larger; aluminum blocks are more beneficial than cast iron. Of course, cast iron is more durable, but aluminum will hold up just as long and just as well for your average car and small, midsize, and even light fullsize truck. Aluminum blocks are obviously much lighter in weight, so you get the benefit of much better performance and gas mileage. There is no valid reason why any vehicle the size of a half ton truck or smaller should have a cast iron block. It gives you absolutely no benefits of any kind over aluminum, and adds useless weight and hampers performance.

Good comment 18:54, and thanks for your objectiveness 19:51 -your point is well taken. I take it you prefer Toyota's, but are also respectful of other people's views. That is appreciated.

I would add to the point 18:54 correctly mentions about aluminum engines requiring cast iron cylinder sleeves because aluminum is simply not strong enough to handle that duty by itself, that having to put in sleeves creates a very trouble prone setup. The reason for this is because the aluminum and and cast iron have different thermal rates of expansion, and the cylinder sleeve and block junction where this is an issue, occur at a very vulnerable spot in the engine, right at the top of the cylinder where the head and the block meet. Either over time, or all at once in an overheating situation, the stress of the different expansion rates between metals at that critical point will compromise the integrity coolant seal between the head and engine, and/or in extreme circumstances the head itself. Any way you look at it, an aluminum engines is a time bomb, that may run fine up until a point, but then very suddenly develop serious irreparable problems. In any event, there is just no way aluminum engines are suited to doing serious work.

People are free to disagree with me, but I think there is no way it can be argued that an aluminum engine is more durable than a cast iron engine. In terms of mileage, I have seen as many more cast iron engines make it to very high mileages than I have aluminum engines, so that argument is also moot in my opinion. But that also stands to reason because of another fact that I have not seen mentioned yet, iron holds and distributes lubrication a lot better than aluminum. So not only is it stronger, but the mechanism by which wear is prevented is also more efficient. To me, the fact that cast iron is better than aluminum is undeniable.

Just my thoughts...

Best regards.