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One has to wonder just how big today's full-size double cab pickups are going to get.
Will we be able to put our old garages in the beds and take them to the dump so we can build larger ones for our trucks? These things appear to be taking steroids!
This month's Hans and Franz all pumped-up pickup is Toyota's Tundra Double Cab Limited 4X4. Heck, even the name is big. Toyota builds Tundra in southern Indiana and as a native Hoosier I can tell you this thing looks like it could haul a barnyard full of, well, you know, stuff!
It has a respectable tow capacity of 6,500 pounds with the 4x4, so it'll haul your sleds just fine. But others can beat it. Yet some double cab (or super cab or king cab) pickups shorten up the beds when they add that additional interior space. Tundra leaves its bed nearly alone at 74.3 inches, just a half-inch off its standard bed length. Toyota proudly points out that Tundra is roughly seven inches longer than the top-selling Ford F-150 and the new, highly touted, Nissan Titan.
Hauling, like sports, often is a game of inches, so you'll have to decide just how long the stuff is you generally haul.
As for the driving characteristics, the Tundra Double Cab is a respectable beast. It's quieter inside than most pickups, partly because that 4.7-liter V-8 under the hood is not as gruff sounding as some other truck engines.
This new i-Force engine will crank out 282 horses, up from 240 last year, while also delivering a monster 325 foot-pounds of torque. And it does it all while running on regular unleaded and being rated as an ultra-low emission vehicle.
The acceleration is good and shifting is smooth here. For 2005 Toyota adds a new five-speed automatic on V-8 equipped models.
I also found it easy to engage the four-wheel drive by pressing a dash button. That extra traction was good to have on a couple snowy days. The truck handled well in the snow and slush with the tail never feeling like it wanted to skate in the wet.
Note too that a towing package is now standard on the Double Cab.
Handling, though, feels more vague than in some of the newer pickups on the market, and the turning radius seemed large in this one. I found myself constantly backing up to straighten the truck and get it into parking spaces. Certainly the Chevrolet and GMC pickups have a big advantage with their QuadraSteer four-wheel steering. That cuts those turning radiuses considerably to ease maneuvering.
Ride is semi-bouncy, typical of a full-size pickup, although with a 140-inch wheelbase it's better than a standard cab pickup.
Braking comes from ventilated front discs and rear drums. They worked well and were backed up with anti-locks.
Inside, the truck is attractive enough.
This one was decked out in two-tone brown leather with fake wood by the instrument cluster, by the door-mounted power window buttons and on the big console between the seats. The leather and wood are extra though, to the tune of $1,160.
There were two-speed heated seats - a must in winter. Those add $440 to the bottom line.
Tundra's dash is fairly plain and straightforward. Its gauges are black with white numbers, but easy to read. Being a truck, the dash spreads out quite a ways. At 5-5 I found the reach to the furthest knobs a bit of a stretch, but tall folks would do fine.
I did like the fine JBL sound system that came in the truck. It had both CD and cassette players and the knobs and buttons were a good size.
The heat, which comes out quickly, is adjusted by three manual knobs, which works well, but is quickly becoming "old school." Automatic and dual heat systems are coming on strong.
Between the seats is a huge storage box with a top portion that flips forward so you can put a notepad there for quick jottings while parked somewhere. Two cup holders are here too, along with a small coin holder and a big flat storage tray. I should note there also are two cup holders that pop from the dash, in case you have coffee AND a Big Gulp!
The truck also comes with both a lighter and ashtray for smokers.
Overhead is excellent lighting along with dual visors with lighted mirrors and solid extenders. Those are good for blocking those low winter sun angles.
Seating is comfortable in both front and rear with plenty of leg and headroom so five adults can ride easily. In back, the seat backs, which also fold down for storage, are well angled so passengers don't feel like an afterthought. Plus there are heat ducts there to warm the rear riders more quickly. The seats themselves are fairly flat, but offer some contouring and the driver's seat is power adjustable.
Another useful and cool feature is the power rear window. Press a button on the dash and the back window slides down so you can haul longer items, or just let in air. It's not as dramatic as, say, Chevy's Avalanche where the back cab wall folds down to make a longer bed, but this could aid in hauling.
The step rail along the truck's side also makes it pretty easy to climb in and out of the Tundra, which rides high to begin with.
My problem with Tundra is its price. It started at $33,075, but ended at nearly $36 grand, much of it due to the leather package. A good addition though was the all-weather guard package with heavy-duty battery, starter, heater and dual heated power mirrors, for just $100 extra.
But for this starting price I'd expect at least a trip computer and outside temperature gauge. Maybe the truck should even come with an automatic climate control system. There also was one flaw in the test truck - its gas gauge never registered full, even after topping the tank. Odd!
Speaking of which, I got 15.1 miles per gallon, which is better than I'd expected considering it was sub-zero during much of my drive and the EPA only predicts the truck to get 14 mpg city and 17 highway. At least it drinks regular!
Tundra is comfortable, quiet and able in most situations. However, if you're pulling a big trailer or extra heavy load, make sure it'll handle your needs.