2002 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - All Comments

To 21:34: Please see comment 17:23.

Tailpipe mounts the topic of the day for the Tacoma owner.

I'll take the far superior domestic drivetrain vs. the latest import drivetrains with engine issues and trans failures.

Ask the import owner if he knows what a "X" pipe is? Again this is a full size truck forum...

17:23: I surely do know the difference between a 2 and 4 cycle engine, and am aware that nobody makes a V-4; only inline 4 cylinder engines. I do all my own mechanical work unless it involves actually tearing the top end of the engine apart, and that's only because I don't have the time or the tools to do it.

Of course, now that I drive Toyota's, I never have to even think about that. I used to worry about it when I drove Fords and GM's, because after 60,000 miles or so, you never know when the head gasket is going to go, or the rings are going to be completely shot.

By the way, if the exhaust on my Tacoma were mounted like the domestics do theirs, my whole exhaust system would have been laying in pieces in a mudhole somewhere a long time ago.

Like the reviewer says after buying a Toyota, no more GM. That's really all that needs to be said.

Even automotive reviewers are maintaining that the Japanese do not build acceptable full size trucks. Consumer Reports recently said that due to the drop in reliability they could no longer recommend the V-8 Tundra (or the V-6 Camry). The Nissan Titan was also given a worse than average rating, along with the Titan-based Armada. The only choice for reliability in a full size truck is domestic if you're looking for long term reliability and build quality.

17:01 Not all of us buy full size trucks and spend time in a mudhole.

If you are satisfied with a puny 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder, it makes sense for you to own a compact truck. I rode behind a Tacoma today and saw the weak bumper, and even with a Class 3 hitch I would not tow anything or in fact could. It would require a Tundra or larger with a V8,decent frame and a heavier duty truck. There are limitations on what Toyota sells, and they have such a minimal offering compared to the domestics. Face the simple facts; domestics have heavier duty trucks, better warranty, better ride, far superior seating and comfort, better load capacity and towing.

You emphasize Tacomas who are they for on this review?... as this is a larger truck review. I am not saying a F-350 class or larger; let's compare F-250 or Silverado with the Duramax. Ride around empty in a lightweight truck solo in the mud if you wish. But having a broad edict imports are the best is impossible as the vehicles are so limited in scope with the applications each of us need in a truck. Your Tacoma might tow, but would be in the shop next week if you could perform the equivalent task mine does.

I do not say all imports are bad. I wouldn't mind owing a Porsche Carrera GT... as far as trucks are concerned, irregardless of price, domestics offer far more versatility and capabilities than imports. I love having a new 3/4 ton domestic truck as it is functional, otherwise I could cruise solo about in a Yaris and forget about trucks.

Go around the reviews and you will see "No More Toyota" Plain and simple.

If you are cruising solo and want a light duty truck fine... if you want a better capacity, stronger bed, handling, far superior towing, more room, better seating and ride, better warranty, I recommend the domestics, especially the Silverado Duramax, Ford F250 or larger and not have to compromise whatsoever. The Diesel especially is extremely durable.

If you want to wait a bit and fuel economy is an issue, I would wait for the Silverado Hybrid, which gets better MPG than the 4 cyl. Camry. The Tahoe is Green Vehicle of the year. Gas is a big issue, but if you can afford it and do not have to compromise, I like the domestics far better in 2008.

If you get a small hatchback and or a roof rack, I feel you could eliminate the need for small compact trucks. I had them and they were very limited.

I did like driving my extended S-10 several years ago; very car like to drive and very smooth. But it was very limited in its capability, and I had to borrow a full size truck often.

If you need a full size truck and have the added fuel and insurance, why not get the most functional one? Otherwise buy a car for light loads. They make roof racks, bike racks and rope to tie the trunk lid down to pick up a couple bags of mulch etc.

To the person on this thread who thinks their '98 Tacoma is the second coming, I hope you know your vehicle is subject to buyback and destruction by the crusher, because of a defective frame that could break in half, as has been happening for other Tacoma owners. That never happened to any of my domestics two and three times older than your Tacoma. Let's watch all the excuses and sickening praise for "how they're handling the situation" start flying in for Toyota on this one.

You make some very good points 05:09. Most modern small cars can do the job of a small pickup as well if not better. I traded my last small truck a year ago because I no longer go camping (and it was great for that). I've found that even hauling 8-foot lumber is very easy in my GM compact because the rear seats fold flat, and I can use the entire interior length. I've recently been doing an attic addition, and thus far I've hauled 16 rolls of 9" batt insulation, all the ceiling joists (8 foot) and some of the studs (I'm still working on the project) in my car.

The only thing I will need a truck for is hauling the sheetrock. This is the part you'll LOVE. I asked a friend who has a Tundra if we could use his truck. His reply was "I don't think it can handle it. I'll borrow my son's old F-150." That pretty much says it all.

22:29 If your friend thinks his Tundra can't haul drywall with his Tundra, then he doesn't deserve to be driving a Toyota. What a story. Old F-150's can't haul themselves down the road, because if they're indeed 'old' then they've usually taken up residence in a junkyard with most other old Fords.

And to the other guy who commented about stories flying about how well Toyota handles their recalls; yeah, that's exactly right. If I'd bought a Ford, as if it would have even lasted 10 years like the Toyota, and this happened, I'd be up a creek with no paddle. I'd be part of one of the many class actions lawsuits against Ford trying to get them to handle their mistakes properly, which they've never done.

Glad I bought the Toyota. Never put a nickel into it and getting more than my money back. As if Ford would have the decency to do something like this. Not a chance.

Buying 1 or 2 vehicles for a marathon study is not indicative of any late models to discuss thoroughly. The late model Toyotas I have seen compare at most to a F-150. Drywall is heavy... how many sheets do you carry on your Tacoma?

Please list all these "class action suits" against Ford. We've had Fords recalled after 8 years for minor problems not related to safety. If you're going to make accusations with nothing to back them up, no one is going to pay any attention to your comments.

None of these full size truck arguments are going to matter at all since gas is now over $4.10 a gallon out here in CA.

As far as that new Chevy Silverado Hybrid? It gets 21MPG. Not exactly 'thrilling' considering that that's really only about 5MPG better than the non-hybrid. That and it costs over $40,000. At 21MPG, gas is still going to be a killer on that thing. So unless you all like cramming $150 a week into the tank to keep your "domestic" trucks going, I'd suggest considering other options instead.

As far as the rust issue goes, well this problem is actually quite rare and pertains to older Tacomas in severe environments with lots of salt. Even so, a tiny percentage of these trucks have had this frame issue. In reality, the frame failure in the older Tacomas is about the same as any other manufacture. But since Toyota has voluntarily offered to buy back any truck that has even a remote sign of frame rust, everyone in the "I hate foreign cars" camp cheers. Yet you'd never hear a peep out of GM or Ford if this ever happened. I call Toyota's callback campaign extremely honorable and smart. Keep your customers happy.

Anyhow, my Tacoma, which I use almost everyday to haul things with just passed the 220k mark with essentially no change in wear from the day I bought it. I fail to see how this is a "puny" truck.

22:52... In the event you someday ever buy a newer import, ponder this. If you suddenly had to spend over $4000 on a repair with low mileage on a relatively new import, and then have it fail again would you be so supportive? I had luck with a lot of imports, all purchased new, but they went downhill in our case. I could say I had a 1995 and it's perfect, however those days have passed... at best I would say imports are average and disposable today.

If I stopped buying in 1999, I would be on your side... but we continued and they did not hold up. No difference in driving patterns, no lack of maintenance, always garage kept... our domestics have broken that trend. Until they have a catastrophic failure with no warranty excuse like we heard before, we are not budging. Quality and great service retains business, and it has to be respected and earned. We switched... the 10 year ago banter has no credence in 2008. Comment on late model ownership with at least 40-50k on the odometer within the past 3 years. I'll be very interested to compare notes with our late model ownership experiences.

If we're going to talk generically about "domestics" or "Imports", it would be far more effective to mention brands rather than generalizations. An import can mean anything from a car built in Brazil, China, Japan, or even domestic brand vehicles "imported" to the US such as some of the newer Saturn products. If we're going to talk about Japanese brand vehicles, then you should mention actual Japanese brands. There is a huge difference between the quality of say - Mitsubishi and Toyota. If Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are all lumped together, then there's no real argument base here.

If that's the case, then simply stating that "Domestics" are better than "Imports", then all you're saying is that by virtue of region of origin, products made in one region - meaning all the brands fitting under that vast umbrella - are superior to ALL other brands made anywhere else in the world, which would make such a statement nothing more than a blatant nationalistic claim and nothing more.

By the way - my mom has a 2007 Honda CRV. Loves it. So far with 76,000 miles, not a peep of a problem and flawless performance. My Wife's 2003 Corolla has 89,000 miles and again - absolutely flawless. So I'm not sure where this new "Imports" are bad argument came from, but it isn't valid.