It will be interesting to see what Toyota brings forward. I do like the fact that the trucks (at least the Tundra 1/2 tons) are built in TX versus Mexico. If Toyota came out with a diesel truck, made in America, I would take a strong look.

 

It still seams, to me, that Toyota is probably 3 years away from putting a diesel out. I am assuming that Toyota will go with a different engine than the duramax? If so, wouldn't they need to still design? I wonder what the cost difference is going to be? Could you imagine what the resale value would be in a toyota diesel?

Anyone?

 

Hey JD Dearden - I just noticed your new 'location' in your profile. I'm assuming you haven't been found yet? :-) I figured Diesel would've found you at least by now...

I saw the new Tundras at our local auto show a week or two ago. I don't like the looks of them, and they don't seem to be as roomy interior-wise as my truck. And I couldn't adjust the tilt steering wheel up enough to get to a comfortable driving position.

I also sat in the back of a Crew Cab version - not the extended cab or CrewMax version - and it didn't have much more room in it than my QuadCab.

I will give Toyota this though - you can reach darn near every nook and cranny of that engine - even the 5.7 V8 version - just standing flat footed and leaning over the fenders. Try that with the new Fords ... Even the gassers are almost comical in their engine placement.

 

Side note: Toyota just reported a 3.6 billion dollar profit last quarter, their largest ever....they must be doing something right.

 

This is a REALLY good observation. I was looking around under the hood of one of the FJ Cruiser's (a true love it or hate it design) in a dealer's showroom and was SHOCKED at how logically placed everything is. Plenty of space around the engine, even from underneith of it. The oil filter is right on the front at the top near the oil fill, and even has an cast aluminum "spill catch" under it with a drain plug! It's suprising to me that they could take such time and engineering $$$ to design in little details like these that most companies overlook. They make a big differance to customer satisfaction down the road.

 

Thanks for posting that video, I missed it on the TV. Pretty neat to see, nothing looked too fake to me. It will be interesting to see how they sell.

I know my Dodge would not have stopped, probably not even come close to stopping.

 

That makes 2 of us

 

It would too if you had fake rocks like they did

 

I think they had a D8 cat hooked to the rear of the trailer with a 3/4" winch cable.

 

To heck with who wired them...who made them ?!?!?

To begin with, starting as fast as it did UP the hill, with a real 10k load, would have put a hurting on the tranny (maybe a new market for DTT & all the others).

And I don't care if he has 20" rotors on that truck & trailer, stopping a load that is over 1 1/2 times the weight of the truck THAT fast is just not possible. ESPECIALLY going down a 45 deg hill. Even on grating. Metal grating is not the best for stopping in my experience.

But, we all know there are gonan be people who try this just BECAUSE of the commercial.

Remember the commercial where the tracker pulled the broken down tracotr trailer ??

 

So, in conclusion, if it was as advertised, that was a really good commercial.

The stopping part of it just didn't seem physically possible though, did it?

 

Well I only saw this commercial once during the super bowl and I saw it again tonight for a second time. Like I said in a post earlier in this thread that grade is very unrealistic, I'm thinking at least double what you could find on in highway in this country...The stopping distance is extremely short and exagerated. I know it's a dramatization but come on, this puts some of the ford commercials of the past to shame.

 

We can rip all we want on toyota's commercials but you have to admit that dodge has some of the most unrealistic around. I still chuckle thinking of the dually with the boat behind it jumping the railroad tracks!

On the topic of a HD toyota: Some rel resale value would certainly help me justify the purchase price. They need to make the look a little beefier, make it solid axle with fixed spindles and serviceable bearings and give it a killer diesel. This is just dreaming but maybe a DT466 or a 7800 D-max. I know they're heavy but that would be sweet. Give them a factory dump-bed option and they would sell like hot cakes.

 

I test drove a new Tundra today, and in my opinion, this is the finest 1/2 ton truck, period. I have driven the rest, had a 2000 Tundra and a 2003 Ram 2500, but quality wise, this is the truck. If they come out with a 3/4 ton option with a diesel and manual tranny, it will be even better.

381HP & 401 lb-ft with a 6 speed auto and a 10.5" rear end. I all I could say was wow, I want one. I have been looking at getting another CTD, but I don't really pull anything over 5k and diesel is 30 cents more than gas, so the new Tundra is looking even better.

*disclaimer "I am not saying it is better than a CTD Ram, it is in a different class and is better than a Hemi 1500 Ram"

Nick

 

Yeah I'll admit its a decent truck... but I'll always be driving a Dodge.

It made me feel good today when the mechanic told me that the front rotors on my 3500 looked like they came off of a school bus .