2011 Toyota Tundra Double Cab: Big, tough and thirsty

Written by Steven Macoy
Monday, 18 July 2011 13:38

If you need a full-sized pickup truck and feel you can afford a new one, chances are the models on top of your list will be the Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. But nowadays, Toyota is player, too. It even selected San Antonio, Texas, as just the right place to build its Tundra pickup-truck line.

The Tundra is a big truck with a choice of a powerful 270-horsepower, V-6 engine and two beefy V-8s. Like the American competitors, it’s available in regular and crew-cab configurations. Our bright red test truck was a 2011 Tundra Double Cab, a long-bed model that seats six. Its sticker price, including desirable options such as the cold-weather package, heated outside mirrors and towing package, was $33,611.

This is one rugged truck, a far cry from the light-duty compact pickups Toyota, Nissan (then Datsun), Isuzu and Mazda were peddling 30 years ago or more. Its marks of ruggedness include a 4.6-liter, 310-horsepower V-8 engine, part-time 4x4 with two-speed electronically controlled transfer case, strong frame design and 6.5-foot double-walled bed.

For sheer drivability — arguably not always the first item on the minds of truck buyers — the Tundra fell short of the Dodge Ram we tested last year. The Ram, with a Hemi V-8 engine and conventional cab, was more maneuverable thanks to its shorter wheelbase. But we much preferred its ride, which has been improved by the addition of rear coil springs. The Tundra has rear leaf springs; its ride is soft but disconcertingly bouncy. (This is one truck whose ride might actually benefit from a load of bricks or lumber to shorten the travel of the rear suspension.)

The Double Cab’s long wheelbase (145.7 inches) made for some adventurous moments and one near miss involving a parked car. But that’s the way of all crew-cab trucks and full-sized SUVs. The GMC Sierra’s extended cab with long bed, for example, stretches nearly a foot longer than the Tundra from wheel to wheel.

The Tundra’s styling is derivative of the Dodge Ram motif that took hold in the 1990s and lingered — the big, bold, upright grille that says, “Get out of the way; here I come.” Such styling diminishes fuel economy by increasing wind resistance, and our Tundra was no exception: 14 mpg city, 19 highway. Still, in Consumer Reports magazine tests, the Tundra averaged 1 mpg better than its Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford counterparts.

Like most Toyotas, the Tundra gets high marks in Consumer Reports reader surveys for its reliability. It’s also an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.

While we prefer the riding and handling qualities of the Dodge Ram to those of the Tundra, close scrutiny by would-be owners with different priorities might lead to a different conclusion. Still, Toyota cannot easily surmount the reputation for toughness and competence Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford and GMC pickup trucks have never really lost.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $33,611

Engine: 4.6-liter V-8, 310 horsepower, 327 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed automatic with sequential shift

Drive: 4-wheel with 2-speed electronically controlled transfer case

Weight: 4,950 lb.

Suspension: Double wishbone front, solid live axle rear suspension

Ground clearance: 10.2 inches

Wheels: 18x-inch styled steel wheels

Tires: P255/70R18 all season

Seating capacity: 6

Payload capacity: 1,450 lb.

Maximum towing capacity: 4,500

Fuel capacity: 26.4 gallons

Fuel economy: 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular unleaded

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