2007 Toyota Tundra CrewMax

Story by Wes Grueninger
Photos courtesy of Toyota

Toyota waded into the full-size truck market in 1993 with the T-100 pickup, a half-hearted effort at a large truck that was so far out of step with what consumers wanted that it even offered a four-cylinder option. The T-100 was supplanted by the first-generation Tundra in 2000, a velvet fist in an iron glove that was vastly improved over its predecessor in every way, and even offered an optional V8, but still retained the original’s unflagging, go-for-the-bronze streak. When it came time to introduce a new Tundra, Toyota knew that they had used all their mulligans. The redesigned Tundra had to, through sheer brawn, scare the socks off of General Motors, make Ford reach for the Excedrin, and deliver on the promises of convenience and durability made to prospective buyers who were willing to put their money where Toyota’s mouth was.

2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab

While Toyota’s luck in converting the domestic faithful can be debated (one attendee at the Tundra launch compared it to “convincing Mohammed that pork was actually pretty tasty”), one thing that can’t be denied is that the new Tundra is absolutely huge. At nearly ten inches longer, five inches wider and six inches higher than the truck it replaces, the new model is so expansive that dealers were required to install oversized lifts in their service bays before Tundra goes on sale in January. It’s not shy about its newfound girth, either. From its pronounced trapezoidal grille to its bulging wheelhouses, every surface of Tundra’s new body was designed to – sometimes successfully – exude a visceral design theme which Toyota unintentionally comically refers to as the “power of the fist.” Whether truck buyers will warm to Tundra’s curvy figure at a time when design is moving towards shapes sketched with rulers and triangles remains to be seen. Extended-cab models have now eschewed their rear-hinged pseudo-doors in favor of true front-hinged doors with power-lowering windows, and four-door CrewMax models come standard with a power rear window which motors down into the cab. All Tundra models have a tailgate damped by a gas strut hidden behind the left taillight, which prevents the gate from clanging down against its tethers. A backup camera system which focuses on the hitch, making backing up to a trailer easier, is available with or without navigation.

2007 Toyota Tundra Regular Cab

When Tundras start arriving in dealers in January, they will be offered with three cabs, three bed lengths, two drivetrain choices and three engines. Two-wheel-drive regular and extended-cab models come equipped with a 4.0-liter V-6 rated at 236 hp and 266 lb-ft, but the majority of trucks will be powered by one of the two available V8s, starting with the carryover iron-block 4.7-liter DOHC V8 with 271 hp and 313 lb-ft that’s standard across the rest of the model range. Optional on every bed, cab, and drivetrain style is an all-new, all-aluminum 5.7-liter DOHC V8 rated at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. All three engines are designed to run on 87-octane unleaded and have full stainless steel exhaust systems.

2007 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8

The V6 and the smaller V8 are mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, while the 5.7 is bolted to an all-new six-speed automatic which Toyota claims allows enough gear ratios for easy hauling while keeping a top gear and rear axle ratio suitable for relaxed highway cruising. What does this mean when it comes to hauling? It means that payload capacities range from 1,410 to 2,060 pounds, with an optional towing package pushing maximum towing capacity to a whopping 10,800 pounds – enough to drag a new Silverado chained to a new F-150 along for the ride. Sure, it’s pointless chest-thumping, but it underscores the point that Toyota has come a long way since the T-100’s mousy 5,200-pound tow limit.

2007 Toyota Tundra CrewMax

In order to achieve those numbers, Toyota engineers had to redesign Tundra’s frame, which now has rails a full six inches wider than before, a fully boxed front section to support the drivetrain and reinforced C-channels underneath the cab to control crumpling in a collision. The rear axle is supported by leaf springs mounted wider in the front than the rear, a move which increases stability in corners and while towing, while the front suspension is pickup-traditional coil springs over shock absorbers. Massive 13.9-inch front and 13.6-inch rear disc brakes necessitate standard 18″ wheels. ABS, traction control and stability control are standard on all models, and the former can be disabled without shutting off the latter. Every Tundra has front, side, and curtain airbags, as well.

2007 Toyota Tundra Interior

Inside the Tundra, you’ll be greeted by a long horizontal row of gigantic control knobs, next to a gigantic shift lever, which is directly across the cabin from a set of gigantic window switches – Toyota’s concession to construction workers wearing gloves and the those with perennially fat fingers. Other interior features include a center console which holds a laptop, map and phone charger, and also has rails for hanging file folders. A painted silver dash bezel the size of central Texas houses deep-set gauges, and a slick, two-door glovebox is big enough to hold a standard-size Thermos bottle in the top half. Split-bench seats are standard on base and SR5 models, while Limiteds get buckets and a floor console. CrewMax models feature a back seat big enough to double as a dance hall, and the seatback even reclines. The extended cab’s rear bench is acceptable for most six-footers, although they will be getting surly on drives longer than a half-hour.

2007 Toyota Tundra Interior

Available on Tundra are the usual bucks-up options like leather seats, a premium sound system and an overhead console, plus some unusual ones like dual-zone automatic climate control, a glass moonroof, a flip-down DVD entertainment system for the rear seat, touch-screen navigation and an iPod line-in.

2007 Toyota Tundra Regular Cab

On the road, the larger V8’s beefy torque output hustles the two-and-a-half ton Tundra up to highway speeds with ease, then settles in to a quiet murmur. Quiet is no idle brag, either – even with the oversize towing mirrors on the truck I was driving, wind noise and buffeting was nonexistent. Tundra’s steering managed to lock on to dead center and follow the road like a champion, but a large portion of that can be laid at the feet of a large dead spot on-center more than the grace of the alignment, tires or suspension geometry. Visibility is excellent despite the chunky A-pillars, and braking is nicely linear and predictable, with no tramlining or drama.

For fun, Toyota took us to the Cycle Ranch, a dirtbike race course on the outskirts of San Antonio. Even with a wheel or two dangling over the edge of a washboard surface bumpy enough to dislodge the hardiest of kidney stones, our test trucks felt firm and composed, with none of the wiggle and porpoising expected from a body-on-frame truck, not even between the cab and bed. Careful tuning of the suspension’s jounce and rebound prevented us from getting the truck to bottom out – and make no mistake about it, we were trying our damndest to do this – when crashing over a blind hill. Body control was exemplary, even when driving over broken roads with an empty cargo bed.

2007 Toyota Tundra Regular Cab

Dozens of cab/bed/drivetrain/trim level combinations are available, though Toyota won’t talk price on any of them except to say that they will be “competitive”.

2007 Toyota Tundra Regular Cab

When the first new Tundra rolled off the assembly line in San Antonio on November 17th, Ford responded by booking country star Toby Keith to play a free concert for F-series owners at the nearby AT&T Center. General Motors’ ad agency has recently dusted off John Mellencamp to croon about Chevy trucks against a backdrop of slow-motion Americana filmed at sunset. Truck loyalties run deep, especially in Texas where we drove the new Tundra, and Toyota tipped a sacred cow by muscling its way into the Lone Star State. But after Toyota’s multiple false starts of “getting it”, should domestic manufacturers be worried? Yes, they should. The Tundra is a legitimate player in the big game. Is it good enough to cause mass defections from existing brands? Even the most optimistic of Toyota’s fans don’t think the stars shine that bright, deep in the heart of Texas. — DD