Well I went and looked at the Tundra pickups today. They do indeed have tow ratings just over 10,000 lbs, and they look like they would do the job just fine. Right now we have two GMC trucks, a 3500 crew cab dually diesel and a Canyon I-5 crew cab. The dually diesel is great at towing, but one of our sons is joining the army, and we wont be using the big toy hauler like we did before, so it will be sold, and we wont need the big diesel pickup. The 3500 GMC only gets ten mpg around town anyway, so it stays parked 99% of the time. The Canyon crew cab is a great commuter truck, and on todays 500 mile highway trip I had to take it got 24.6 mpg, which is great. But the Canyon wont tow our enclosed trailer because it is only rated to tow half what the trailers GVWR is. So we have two trucks, with one being too big and the other being too small. I think the Tundra with a gas V-8 would be just right, and we could own one less vehicle to pay insurance on.

Man it was wierd at the Toyota dealer today though. I stopped at Larry Miller Toyota in Salt Lake City, at about noon. I walked up to their truck showroom, and the doors were locked. I walked around the side of the building to another set of doors, and they were locked. I then walked around to the other side of the building to yet another set of doors, and they were locked as well. Then I held my hands up over my forhead to shade my eyes, and peered in the windows. All the lights were on, the showroom was full of trucks, but NOBODY was there, ... at noon on a Thursday. So then I walked over to a completely different showroom that was for their cars, and it was open. But it took me 15 minutes to find someone to talk to me, and that salesman couldn't speak english well enough for me to even understand what he was saying. So I finally found another salesman about the time I ran out of time, and had to leave. I never did get to test drive one of the Tundra pickups.

DV

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: DesertViper

Well I went and looked at the Tundra pickups today. They do indeed have tow ratings just over 10,000 lbs, and they look like they would do the job just fine. Right now we have two GMC trucks, a 3500 crew cab dually diesel and a Canyon I-5 crew cab. The dually diesel is great at towing, but one of our sons is joining the army, and we wont be using the big toy hauler like we did before, so it will be sold, and we wont need the big diesel pickup. The 3500 GMC only gets ten mpg around town anyway, so it stays parked 99% of the time. The Canyon crew cab is a great commuter truck, and on todays 500 mile highway trip I had to take it got 24.6 mpg, which is great. But the Canyon wont tow our enclosed trailer because it is only rated to tow half what the trailers GVWR is. So we have two trucks, with one being too big and the other being too small. I think the Tundra with a gas V-8 would be just right, and we could own one less vehicle to pay insurance on.



Man it was wierd at the Toyota dealer today though. I stopped at Larry Miller Toyota in Salt Lake City, at about noon. I walked up to their truck showroom, and the doors were locked. I walked around the side of the building to another set of doors, and they were locked. I then walked around to the other side of the building to yet another set of doors, and they were locked as well. Then I held my hands up over my forhead to shade my eyes, and peered in the windows. All the lights were on, the showroom was full of trucks, but NOBODY was there, ... at noon on a Thursday. So then I walked over to a completely different showroom that was for their cars, and it was open. But it took me 15 minutes to find someone to talk to me, and that salesman couldn't speak english well enough for me to even understand what he was saying. So I finally found another salesman about the time I ran out of time, and had to leave. I never did get to test drive one of the Tundra pickups.



DV</end quote></div>

Not to rain in on anyone buying a Toyota as they are great vehicls but here is just some food for thought or issues with the new Tundra as I see them. First they want to call this truck a 1/2 ton I have never seen a 1/2 ton that has a ring gear in the diff bigger than a Dana 60. If your lucky to still find a Dana 60 anymore as the are only in 3/4 ton or bigger trucks. Second Toyota makes allot of good claims on its truck and rightfully so such as braking this trucks brakes are larger than the on found on 94-02 3/4 ton Dodge Rams with 4 piston calipers it better stop dam good or there is some serious issus in the enginering dept! And in the actual ride of the truck well lets just say I think my 04 cummins 3/4 SFA rides better than that thing. All in all great truck for what it is but 1/2 ton it is not.

The only negitive responses on the Tundra and from what I have heard from owners is that I'll bet you only get 2mpgs better than your Diesel if that good. 10-13 mpg seems to be the standard for it. I think the price that Toyata is asking for them is good considering the technology in the truck itself but for the weight of the truck itself it needs to be a Diesel.

Like I said this is not knocking the Tundra it is just letting people be aware of what you are buying. Real word knowledge is allways better than just leaving it up to someone behind a desk! Good luck in you quest for a new truck as mine will be comming very shortly!

 

DV, that almost sounds like the Toyota dealer by my house. Went there once, and they were having a "sales meeting" and if I wanted to wait, someone would be out in about 15 minutes.

WTF?? You're gonna give up a sale for a meeting about sales? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

Went back a couple of weeks later, and it's like I was invisible.

That was enough for me. For that dealer anyway.

Since I wasn't exactly in need of a new truck, just wanted one, I checked out several places. In town and out of state. Would get a price over the phone or through emails, and some were close to what I wanted, but they all said it couldn't be done.

The Nissan dealer gave me a quote below what I had been looking for over the phone. When I got there, I moved up some of the options and was still under my initial price. Like I had said before, this was for the wifes daily driver, and to tow our trailer when we took it out.

So I got home and was showing her all the features this one had that the old Chevy didn't, and was getting the evil eye each time we had something new. When she asked about the price, we had gotten an 08 for 2 grand less than I paid for our 06.

Not that it really mattered to her, I'm the one making the payments. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

That Larry H Miller dealership was the most lame dealership I've been to in years. Definitely NOT impressed. When I finally got a salesman that spoke english I asked if he could tell me about the Ivan Stewart Signature Edition Tundra that I had seen on a TV show called "Outdoor Adventures". On that show that aired last week Ivan Stewart had drove up in a special edition Tundra that Toyota had developed with his input, and on the TV show it said that it included some off road lights on the front, a different suspension, different tires, and some other items that I don't recall. I had wanted to know if I could get the Ivan Stewart special edition with the higher tow rating, because that is what I wanted. The salesman had never heard of that special edition, and didn't even know who Ivan Stewart was. He went to the sales manager, and same story, he had never even heard of Ivan Stewart or the special edition truck that Toyota makes. How can you be a sales manager and be so uneducated about the product you sell? That totally floored me. I don't think I'll be in a big hurry to go back to Larry Miller's Toyota dealership.

And for Dodge57hemi, ... I'm ok with a half ton truck having bigger parts than a half ton truck should have. A 3/4 ton truck is fine with me, even if they call it a half ton truck. The EPA fuel mileage ratings on the Tundra trucks are only 13/17, which is not very good, but acceptable. I want to change from having two trucks to only having one, and the top two choices right now are the Tundra with the Ivan Stewart off road package, and the Dodge Power Wagon. Both have a gas V-8, which is what I want. Both are reasonably off road capable, but with the Dodge definitely being a more heavy duty truck. And with the electronic lockers and electronic disconnect front sway bar, and the Warn 12K winch on the Dodge it would make a better truck for off road use. But the Dodge has 4.56 gears, and would get terrible gas mileage. And, ... ... you can get the Tundra with an optional TRD supercharger that would make it a real performer, with the factory warranty still intact if the supercharger is installed by the dealer when you buy the truck. I think either of those trucks would be acceptable. Right now I'm leaning toward the Tundra though.

DV

 

Larry H. miller owns Liberty Toyota here in CS CO. and they do one heck of a bussiness as a matter of fact they are building a brand new (biggest in Springs dealership) right across from the Jeep store I work at.

 

I had found at most dealerships I went to, I knew more about their trucks than they did.

I did mess with one guy a bit a few years back. The Colorado's had just came out, and they didn't have the V6 in them. Asked the salesman if it came with a V6 and he said yes. Told him I'd take one fully loaded if he could have it by the next weekend. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Funny to see him hustle back into his office. Then come back out like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: DesertViper

That Larry H Miller dealership was the most lame dealership I've been to in years. Definitely NOT impressed. When I finally got a salesman that spoke english I asked if he could tell me about the Ivan Stewart Signature Edition Tundra that I had seen on a TV show called "Outdoor Adventures". On that show that aired last week Ivan Stewart had drove up in a special edition Tundra that Toyota had developed with his input, and on the TV show it said that it included some off road lights on the front, a different suspension, different tires, and some other items that I don't recall. I had wanted to know if I could get the Ivan Stewart special edition with the higher tow rating, because that is what I wanted. The salesman had never heard of that special edition, and didn't even know who Ivan Stewart was. He went to the sales manager, and same story, he had never even heard of Ivan Stewart or the special edition truck that Toyota makes. How can you be a sales manager and be so uneducated about the product you sell? That totally floored me. I don't think I'll be in a big hurry to go back to Larry Miller's Toyota dealership.



And for Dodge57hemi, ... I'm ok with a half ton truck having bigger parts than a half ton truck should have. A 3/4 ton truck is fine with me, even if they call it a half ton truck. The EPA fuel mileage ratings on the Tundra trucks are only 13/17, which is not very good, but acceptable. I want to change from having two trucks to only having one, and the top two choices right now are the Tundra with the Ivan Stewart off road package, and the Dodge Power Wagon. Both have a gas V-8, which is what I want. Both are reasonably off road capable, but with the Dodge definitely being a more heavy duty truck. And with the electronic lockers and electronic disconnect front sway bar, and the Warn 12K winch on the Dodge it would make a better truck for off road use. But the Dodge has 4.56 gears, and would get terrible gas mileage. And, ... ... you can get the Tundra with an optional TRD supercharger that would make it a real performer, with the factory warranty still intact if the supercharger is installed by the dealer when you buy the truck. I think either of those trucks would be acceptable. Right now I'm leaning toward the Tundra though.



DV</end quote></div>

I guess from what I have been reading in various Mag's there will poss be a Cummins in the 2010 all new PW Ram! Hope so as the Hemi just does not do that that truck justice! I also thing that the new Ram 1500 with a coil rear should do pretty well off road as far as flexability goes! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Yep, what Scooter says is true. I usually know more about the trucks they are selling than the salespeople do.

 

I just found out some more about the Ivan Stewart signature edition Tundra. It will be available as a stage I, stage II, or stage III package. Stage I is 20" wheels and tires, and some Ivan Stewart signature badges. Stage II includes that plus bilstein shocks, and stage III also includes bigger brakes, a supercharger, and custom embroidered leather seats. The supercharged version will do 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds. BUT, ... ... the stage III version of this truck cost $60,000.

I think I'll pass on that one.

DV

 

Here is some more reading on the real world supercharged Sequioa/Tundra just for you all! http://www.autoblog.com/2008/0...l-make-504-horsepower/