2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - Comments

The Toyota is built here in the USA by Americans, by the way.

While GM, Ford & Chrysler close down US plants, to build their vehicles in Mexico & Canada, at least Toyota has opened plants here.

I have a Corvette, and also had the Acura VTEC in our TLs, both great engines. Not impressed with Hondas trans however.

I also prefer the new Silverado's ride, handling, room and warranty. I prefer new Chevrolet V8 engines.

The miles per gallon is very good as well. Our VTEC 3.2 took 93 octane as well.

I am not missing the loss of GM Hummer or Saab and like Chevrolet. I think the Prius is ugly, but to each their own. Many like to view the fuel monitor though.

Considering that J.D. Powers long-term reliability studies show both a GM and a Ford ahead of even Lexus in reliability, and Consumer Reports rates the Ford Fusion higher in projected reliability than ANY Japanese car I'd say it's the Japanese car supporters who are lacking in facts. Recent engine problems with Toyota and transmission issues with Honda are well known and can't be denied.

It's sad to see people attacking an industry that employs 91% of all auto-related employees in this country. If you lived in Japan I'd expect you to support a Japanese economy, not try to destroy it. Yet Americans seem somehow to feel that it is perfectly justifiable to destroy jobs and ruin the lives of a huge number of their fellow citizens due to ad hype and the myth that domestic vehicles are less reliable.

The problems facing the U.S. auto industry have NOTHING to do with quality. Domestics have been more reliable than Japanese vehicles for years. What has caused problems with the U.S. auto industry is poor management and a backward mindset in this country that making health care available to all is evil. If we had proper health care, such as Britain and Canada have, our companies would save billions of dollars that now go to support our jet-set medical professionals.

And I just loved the comment about how the Honda engine was so much more reliable than the Dodge Neon. I guess that's why our Civic was sold for scrap at 99,000 miles with a blown engine and our Dodge Omni was sold in perfect running condition at 240,000+ miles with no other repairs than 2 timing belts and 1 heater hose.

Before our economy was destroyed by 8 years of the Bush administration I'd not have been all that concerned about buying from the Big Three, but with our economy on the brink of collapse it matters far more now than ever. I make it a point to educate my friends and neighbors on the merits of domestic vehicles. I point out that the Ford Fusion is rated higher in projected reliability than Camry or Accord. I point out that a GM car and a Ford car topped J.D. Powers list in long-term reliability, beating out even Lexus. I point out that the Ford F-150 has been a top-selling vehicle for three decades. These are facts, not opinion based on ad hype and media bias.

I've never encountered the kind of blatant hostility toward patriotism from any of my neighbors or friends that I have seen on this site. Most are surprised to learn that

domestics long ago surpassed Japanese cars in reliability (ad hype does a good job of brainwashing) and most are happy to support an American industry while saving thousands and getting a better quality vehicle in the bargain. I'm sorry to see so many people who seem apathetic to the needs of their fellow citizens. It's also sad to see people paying thousands more for vehicles that will end up costing them more in repairs due to very short warranties.

"I am not missing the loss of GM Hummer or Saab and like Chevrolet. I think the Prius is ugly, but to each their own. Many like to view the fuel monitor though."

I don't miss the status-symbol Hummer (which served no practical purpose) or the Saab either. With regard to hybrids, the new Fusion hybrid outdoes the egg-shaped Prius in ever category. USA Today calls it the best hybrid ever built... and it still looks like a CAR, not an egg!!

12:15.. Lexus has been wiping the floor with Ford, GM, and everyone else for a decade and a half. They still are. If I wasn't in shock, I thought maybe I read something about a DODGE OMNI being a better car than a Civic. I must be mistaken. No one could really think that.

For the millionth time... Toyota and Honda beat the s@*& out of GM and Ford every single year in overall quality ratings and reliability ratings. Those two companies have FAR more recommended vehicles, and a MUCH higher percentage of their automobiles recommended. Which is why they are doing well, why consumers buy them, and why Ford, Dodge, and what used to be GM is going out of business and not even worth mentioning anymore. They make junk, always have, Toyota and Honda make quality automobiles, always have. Get used to hearing the truth. It won't go away.

9:52... what if many individuals were not panic prone and rushed to buy so many very small plain uninspired cramped econo cars over very high gas prices a while back. Gas was definitely high and I am certain it affected what was bought and sold.

Why do people buy Prius; is it MPG perhaps?

Tundras full size truck sales have been very small compared to the full size domestic trucks even in a good economy. Now that gas prices have dropped I am sure families are missing the better room, comfort, performance and the vehicles they gave up. And the lesser warranty that can run out quick.

It will be interesting to see long term repair costs (more than the gas gauge MPG obsession) over time. I am not convinced Hybrid models are cost effective long term with their complexity no doubt to repair. I would rather have a regular full size domestic V8 sedan capable of 28 MPG plus on trips, barely loping on the interstate instead.

It is not the patriotic duty of Americans to buy US-made products. If such a attitude were to become commonplace, our economy would actually be in worse condition than it is now. The perfect example is the 1930's when early in his term, FDR made it a point to impose tariffs on imported goods and heavily promote domestic consumption. That only caused other countries to throw up barriers of their own, thus casting us into a severe depression that would have likely ended sooner had such protective barriers been put up. Capitalism exists to promote open economies, which in turn leads to more reliable stability.

Secondly, people can spout that they think that somehow Dodge builds a better engine than Honda but that very idea is so outlandish that it's almost a joke. I don't even need to say more. Our last car was a 90' Honda Civic that was still in amazingly good condition before we sold it only because we inherited a 2002 Prius from my Wife's Father.

That brings me to the next point. There has been far-reaching, often misguided information about hybrids-particularly from the far right- claiming that the cars are faulty, unreliable, uneconomical, and so on. Let me set the facts straight one more time. For starters the Prius is a medium sized car along the likes of a Chevy Malibu or Ford Fusion. It is priced at around $22,000-$25,000, which is right in line with the cost of other medium sized sedans. On the other hand the Ford Fusion hybrid will set you back more than $30,000. So for the cost of a conventional Fusion you get a Prius which is an actual purpose-built hybrid.

Our car, though the first generation, gets anywhere from 50-53MPG in real world driving. The Civic we had before got around 30MPG. So even comparing one fuel efficient car to another proves the Prius gives you significant fuel savings. Secondly there has also been tons of misinformation about the fear of battery failure. The battery in the prius and other hybrids (like the Fusion hybrid) have a controlled charge/discharge cycle. The battery charges 40-60%. With batteries, charging cycles determines the life of the battery. A good analogy would be the difference between redlining your engine all the way to work every day versus driving at a lower RPM. The same with batteries: a lower charge/discharge cycle puts less stress on the cells. At this writing our car has around 100,000 miles on it and is 7 years old. So far we have had no problems with it or the battery. In fact there have been hardly any of these batteries failing in the Prius. Far less battery failures than the number of Cadillac Northstar V8 engines. But even if for some reason the battery were to fail, the battery is easy to get at. Its under the back seat. Toyota offers a buyback on these units and there are also tons of used units at wrecking yards for as little as $400-$500.

What I'm getting at is that a hybrid is a legitimate drivetrain. It's just different, newer technology. The battery has become part of that drivetrain just as electric start did back in the early 1900's for car engines. Yet people have this "fear" of them because they either don't actually understand them or they label them as "hippy cars" or something along those lines. Soon we will have all-electric cars, which will further progress our development of better transportation.

But in conclusion, The Big 3 failed because they failed to deliver a product people wanted to buy. Sure - there are die-hard flag-waving folks out there who have succeeded in convincing themselves that by golly, Honda builds crap while GM builds the best darned engines on the planet. But truth overrides fiction.

I want GM, Ford, and Chrysler to succeed like most Americans. I'd be proud to own a car made in my own country if the car was really and truly reliable and of high quality. But that hasn't happened yet, and until that does occur, I will use my rights as a free market consumer to choose the best product to extend the use of my hard earned dollars.

Obviously someone hasn't been doing their research.

Ford currently has the EXACT same percentage of "recommended buys" as Toyota (75%). The Fusion is rated two full levels HIGHER in predicted reliability than Camry and one full level higher than Accord. In J.D. Powers LONG TERM (NOT initial quality) reliability studies, Lexus was beat out by Buick and Ford. Toyota is way down the list. The Ford Escape hybrid is ranked tied with the Honda CRV and the Toyota RAV4 in several quality surveys on the Internet. USA Today rates the awesome Ford Fusion hybrid as the best hybrid on the planet. The Ford F-150 continues to be the best selling truck in the world for the 30th year in a row. The world-class Cadillac CTS is the fastest sedan in the World. The Corvette was just ranked higher than the Ferrari in overall performance and drivability. Its sales have increased by 300% in Europe since 2004. The sales of the 2008 Chevy Malibu went UP a whopping 51% while all other cars' sales (including Toyota's) were in a nosedive.

These are facts, not baseless rants. At the present time Ford is outselling Toyota by a hefty margin (nearly 2 to 1) due to the hot-selling Fusion, Focus and the ever-popular F-150.

Why someone can be so violently opposed to helping the U.S. economy by putting down any and all domestic vehicles is beyond me. Buying a Japanese or German vehicle hurts 91% of those in the U.S. who work in auto-related jobs (which are estimated to make up 1 in 10 of ALL jobs in the U.S.). Even if Japanese vehicles WERE better (and the facts DON'T support that assumption) there is no way as a U.S. citizen I could justify sending money to Japan when our own people are losing their homes and quality of life.

20:16 what full size truck do you own, as I am wondering?

First it's Honda, that does not even make a full size at all, and it's on a car based frame, then a Lexus who has no truck at all, and then Tundra who yet again has a limited lineup that does not even fulfill many of the tow and carrying requirements in our household. I guess that's why there so many more Ford F Series sold as well as GM Silverados and Dodge Rams.

I like to compare to what your first hand experience has been with full sizes, if any? I own a new Silverado; better room, ride, comfort, carrying capacity, better towing capability and far better warranty. I doubt Honda? Only the Ridgeline would pull our boat even up the ramp. I'll take the far more superior full size domestics. Sales figures relate it as well in comparison to the meager import full size truck sales. Again, what do you drive?

1013. Any thoughts on full size trucks; the topic of the review.

"there are die-hard flag-waving folks out there who have succeeded in convincing themselves that by golly, Honda builds crap while GM builds the best darned engines on the planet"

Well, actually we didn't convince OURSELVES... HONDA did. Our last Honda (a '90 Civic) was sold to a junk dealer at 99,000 miles. Before that it had more problems than any TEN domestics we ever owned. Our family's Buick LeSabre was sold last year with over 277,000 miles with never a single repair. As far as I'm concerned (and from personal, hands-on experience) I feel justified in saying that (at least in our case) Honda DOES build crap while GM DOES build the best. I'm not fond of replacing transmissions at 40,000 mile intervals and junking cars at less than 100,000 miles. That's why we drive Ford and GM.

"1013. Any thoughts on full size trucks; the topic of the review."

I think we won't see many relevant comments on full-sized trucks. It has been long ago established on this site and others, using accurate and oft-cited data, that the Tundra simply can't stack up to the full size Chevy, Ford or Dodge full-sized trucks, hence imports fans have veered off into other areas (which they can't back up either).

Our companies use full-sized Ford, GM and Dodge vans and trucks for heavy hauling, and Rangers for light-duty hauling and commuting to job sites. You WON'T find a Tundra in our fleets because they are simply not truck enough to do the job and we can't afford the repair costs and downtime. It's as simple as that.

I was wondering why the topics went way off the exact vehicle being reviewed. I like discussing my full size excellent Silverado vs Tundra. I tested both and like GM, which is a nicer drive and better warranty as well.

Somehow I'm having a very difficult time believing these stories about these myriads of people who own Hondas that have miraculously crapped out on them at 50,000 miles. Out of all the people I know or have worked with who have owned them, I have not known a single person who had any serious problem with theirs. I know of one person who owned a 1999 Odyssey that had a faulty transmission - which was replaced free of charge by the dealer.

Otherwise I drive on one of the busiest freeways in the world in California every single day. There are literally thousands and thousands of 20-25 year old Hondas and Toyotas on the road, some with 300,00, 400,000 miles. What's more is that these cars still actually look pretty good given their age. On the other hand if you happen to see a 2000 Dodge Neon, or a Cadillac Catera (The Caddy that zigs), it's more than likely to be falling apart: trim peeling off the sides, shocks that are worn out, shot exhaust systems, loud squeaking from under the hoods. In other words they're worn-out well before their time.

I had a friend from Romania who wanted a super-cheap car to drive while he drove to the city for work. He bought a 98 Buick Century. It only had 40,000 miles yet the car was completely falling apart. It was just a big piece of crap. The interior was just plain awful in the thing. Everything under the hood was cheap and covered in thin plastic.

Yet on the other hand my Mom has a 2007 Honda CR-V. The fit and finish inside and out is impeccable. Probably more of what you would find on an upper end BMW or Mercedes. The engine even looks nice and uses high quality hardware. She's already put over 100,000 miles on it and the car has needed zero, and I mean zero work whatsoever.

In response to: "Fusion is rated two full levels HIGHER in predicted reliability than Camry and one full level higher than Accord." Well... there's a BIG word that stands out there, and that would be PREDICTED reliability. Fine. In that case I will predict that the new Mahindra pickup trucks that will soon arrive from India will have a higher predicted reliability than the Camry too. Why? Because that's my prediction. See? It's easy to predict what something could do versus what it ACTUALLY can do. I think I'll stick with known data versus a guess.

Yes - for probably 20 years we've been hearing over and over and over about how much the big 3 has improved, at just how much the quality gap has closed, or that they are now " Just as good" or even " better" than the evil Camry. Yet the reality winds up being the same: Junk that fails prematurely, skimpy, cheap interiors, sloppy drivetrains, and poor dealer service with warranties that often do not get honored.

So you can keep right on saying how BAD those Hondas are. But I'm afraid truth speaks louder than words and you're going to have a hard case trying to sell the story because again - I know not a single person who has had a "crappy" Honda.

The greatest first hand source for data is to go to a Honda waiting area at the service dept and ask owners sitting next to you. I did and I learned enough to not buy anymore. We are over 50 and bought Acuras new and had drivetrain issues starting at 30000 miles. Old :Hondas were good then not late models. Sit in the repair area not with the salesmen we did and asked.