Today, as a salesman for Toyota, I was instructed to go to this training on 2014 Tundra. It is a regional meeting with representatives of Toyota are there to give you information on the 2014 Tundra, this is not a sales seminar! Ok, there is 3 parts, all have information that just shocked me and had to pass along.
First, we go over the changes on PowerPoint and just get basic knowledge and papers to have. This stuff is basic info most of you know with packages and standard back-up camera, Entune, and Bluetooth, etc.
Now, we are there to compare the Tundra to the big 3 trucks.
2013 Ram Big Horn edition (Hemi 5.7) Quad Cab
2013 F-150 XLT (EcoBoost 3.5 V6 twin-turbo) Crew Cab
2014 Silverado LT (EcoTec 5.3 V8) Crew Cab
and our: 2014 Tundra SR5& 1794 (both 5.7 V8) Crew Max
Road course:
We had a 20+ mile course of back road, highway, and little city driving. After about 3-4 miles, we would stop and rotate trucks so everyone had a chance to drive and look inside.
My thoughts:
F-150---I owned a 2005 F-150 years ago. The interior of the 2013 did not look much different, very plain. Seats were cheap looking and 'itchy'. People in back seat complained of stiff and non-comfortable seating. Performance was ok, braking was not great (I believe it did not have Electronic Braking Distribution).
Silverado---I was actually researching into purchasing a 2014 Silverado before my Tundra, glad I got Tundra. Silverado audio display is nice, interior is comfortable to me. It transitioned very easily from V4-V8 & vice-versa (cylinder shutdown). I did not feel much torque, or power for that fact. I felt like I was working the truck too hard to just keep up with the pack.
Ram---Did not get a chance to test drive it, since I wanted to test drive SR5, Limited, and 1794 Tundra to see interiors and comfort behind wheel and backseat. But I did take a peak inside plus ride in one on tow course, but back seat is flimsy and not comfortable.
Tundra---1794 I believe I have a crush on. The look is awesome, leather feels of Lexus/genuine quality (and found out later it is from Lexus lol). Rear leg room is amazing, 24 degree tilt in rear seat is largest in class, to give best feel. Drives like a dream. One big thing I noticed. I remember that all the brands (including my old F-150) has the same dash on all trims. Thus you would have some spots for buttons that were not there, or did not function. Tundra, the dash is for that truck, so if you see a spot for a button, there is a button and a function. I personally love that and makes the truck not look so cheap.
Engineering station:
Next, we meet with a rep who explains how and why the Tundra is built like it is. Hino (Toyota branch that makes heavy-duty trucks worldwide) came up with making a truck that will last a very long time and be dependable, since they obviously knew how to make this happen with trucks that pull 30,000 + lbs in some of the roughest places in the world. But Lexus also came in with the Tundra, Tundra all have a Lexus transmission (stated the one that is in the IS430). That was sweet!
Now let's get into specific parts:
10.5" ring gear. Why? Because the size will allow it to be very durable for a long time and have plenty of tow power of course. We all know the 10.5" is the largest in class. But, did you know that the F-250 Power Stroke Turbo Diesel also uses a 10.5" ring gear? So in a 1/2 ton truck, we have the same diameter of that of the 'big' trucks. Even more, the 10.5" ring gear in the F-250 is less in weight, thus less durable and long lasting that the 10.5" ring gear in the Tundra? This is why the Tundra can will 300,000 lbs Challenger Space Shuttle.
Triple Tech Frame. Why? Because the competition all have a solid box frame (even though F-150 will have something very similar to Triple Tech Frame in 2015 F-150 finally), Tundra wants their trucks to last and drive like the day it left the lot. So please do research about the Triple Tech Frame because it is a ton to go over and let's just say, a solid box frame is absolute ancient technology if you plan to pull any heavy loads and do not want your frame to literally stay bent after your load is removed.
4-Piston brake calipers. Why? Well first off, you want to be able to stop your truck (common sense), but let's think about stopping your truck PLUS your load. Tundra has stainless steel brake pistons, nice right! This was probably the most shocking! F-150 brake pistons ARE PLASTIC! LITERALLY PLASTIC! Umm, Ford, the brakes are what save or kill you and multiple others, and your going to allow plastic to stop my truck plus a possible 10k+ in tow! LMAO!
Fixed brake calipers. Why? The competition all use floating brake calipers, which are cheap and serve their purpose, to an extent. Fixed brake calipers allow for a firm braking power and thus they are used in all sport/racing cars (including formula 1).
DOHC, Aluminum block & heads. Why? DOHC-Dual Over Head Cams, obviously to get the most power out of your motor and make it run as efficiently as possible. Aluminum block and heads, because aluminum vents 3 times as fast a steel, thus helping control the components from overheating. VVT-Variable Valve Timing, goes hand in hand with DOHC and being very efficient. How about this, Silverado does NOT have any of these! They have a SOHC motor & cast iron block!
Front wheel bearing. Why? Because, umm, that's self explanatory. Now compared to F-150, its probably 4 times in size, they look like 2 different parts, thus you need the quality.
Heavy duty tow package. Why? Tundra is built to not just last a long time, but last a long time towing constant heavy loads. I have installed tow packages on my Silverado & F-150 I owned, Silverado had 6 bolts and my F-150 had 4. That is nice if you plan to pull minor loads (I only pulled a 15" aluminum bottom boat). The Tundra has 12 bolts that is twice as think that F-150, its really sad in comparison.
Tow course:
All trucks have a trailer attached with 7,500 lbs of water for simulation reasons (was originally 9,000 lbs but the Ram literally was dragging the ground and working the brakes so hard, the brake fluid boiled!)
First let me say, Ram! Really, what geniuses decided to put coilovers on a full-size truck! COILOVERS, THOSE ARE ON MY GIRLFRIEND CAMRY! That is great for a smooth ride, but if you ever wanted to pull anything, that is sad!
I drove the F-150 EcoBoost. Now, the lag for the turbo(s) to kick in, makes pickup very slow and it took until 10+mph to feel some power. When I firmly applied the brakes, they jumped and literally were pushing my foot of the brake. It sucked. We did our 2nd pass with trailer brakes, pickup was still sad. Brakes did the same, since I do not know if it has ABS, but it felt like crap trying to stop.
Silverado I rode in the back. There was no torque in getting off the line. It did not brake too bad compared the Ram & F-150. With trailer brakes, it did the best in distance compared to Ram & F-150.
Ram. First, we could not see 10 feet in front of the truck because the front was raised so high from the tongue weight. I feel sorry for anyone in the other lane if you had to drive it like that. Now, the Hemi had a little torque, but the brakes were garbage. Now with trailer brakes, was much better, but only compared to without.
Tundra. Guys! Torque was great, we did not feel the trailer behind us. We picked up quickly and stopped 10+ feet shorter than the Silverado, WITHOUT OUR TRAILER BRAKES ENGAGED! We did our 2nd pass without trailer brakes again to just be sure. We stopped 13+ feet shorter than the Silverado! WOW, THAT IS IMPRESSIVE!.
Ending:
So if you did not know, there is multiple lawsuits again Ford for the EcoBoost NOT getting the EPA mpg they stated. BTW, EcoBoost is over $2000 additional cost, for.... OH! Obviously not great mpg, so why?!
When it comes to towing, Tundra is rated less than F-150. Now, let's just say that I know that NONE of those trucks there could have pulled the Challenger (300,000 lbs) at all! Not even get the thing moving, since they obviously had problems with 7,500 lbs. But the reason for this is Tundra is rated for the 10,100 lbs towing because that is a number they KNOW the Tundra can handle pulling and stopping for the life of the truck. Remember, the Tundra has 100,000 maintenance free transmission (literally never do anything to the transmission but bring in for fluids to be changed at 100k then keep on trucking for another 100k miles) so that is why Tundra is rated for that. F-150 can pull 13,000+ lbs for a few miles, but if you plan to do that for 100k miles, a major 2 or or more component WILL break. Remember, your plastic brake pistons have to stop that truck!
TEASER ALERT! BY 2015 OR 2016 TUNDRA, WE WILL SEE THEM WITH A 8-SPEED TRANSMISSION!
I know I will remember some other keys points but I just had to vent some of this great information to people who would appreciate it. I feel sorry for the first customer I approached today, I pretty much just vomited all this info onto him, I think his mind almost exploded. He owned a 2013 Tundra already, but he was so impressed, he had to drive one. lol
First, we go over the changes on PowerPoint and just get basic knowledge and papers to have. This stuff is basic info most of you know with packages and standard back-up camera, Entune, and Bluetooth, etc.
Now, we are there to compare the Tundra to the big 3 trucks.
2013 Ram Big Horn edition (Hemi 5.7) Quad Cab
2013 F-150 XLT (EcoBoost 3.5 V6 twin-turbo) Crew Cab
2014 Silverado LT (EcoTec 5.3 V8) Crew Cab
and our: 2014 Tundra SR5& 1794 (both 5.7 V8) Crew Max
Road course:
We had a 20+ mile course of back road, highway, and little city driving. After about 3-4 miles, we would stop and rotate trucks so everyone had a chance to drive and look inside.
My thoughts:
F-150---I owned a 2005 F-150 years ago. The interior of the 2013 did not look much different, very plain. Seats were cheap looking and 'itchy'. People in back seat complained of stiff and non-comfortable seating. Performance was ok, braking was not great (I believe it did not have Electronic Braking Distribution).
Silverado---I was actually researching into purchasing a 2014 Silverado before my Tundra, glad I got Tundra. Silverado audio display is nice, interior is comfortable to me. It transitioned very easily from V4-V8 & vice-versa (cylinder shutdown). I did not feel much torque, or power for that fact. I felt like I was working the truck too hard to just keep up with the pack.
Ram---Did not get a chance to test drive it, since I wanted to test drive SR5, Limited, and 1794 Tundra to see interiors and comfort behind wheel and backseat. But I did take a peak inside plus ride in one on tow course, but back seat is flimsy and not comfortable.
Tundra---1794 I believe I have a crush on. The look is awesome, leather feels of Lexus/genuine quality (and found out later it is from Lexus lol). Rear leg room is amazing, 24 degree tilt in rear seat is largest in class, to give best feel. Drives like a dream. One big thing I noticed. I remember that all the brands (including my old F-150) has the same dash on all trims. Thus you would have some spots for buttons that were not there, or did not function. Tundra, the dash is for that truck, so if you see a spot for a button, there is a button and a function. I personally love that and makes the truck not look so cheap.
Engineering station:
Next, we meet with a rep who explains how and why the Tundra is built like it is. Hino (Toyota branch that makes heavy-duty trucks worldwide) came up with making a truck that will last a very long time and be dependable, since they obviously knew how to make this happen with trucks that pull 30,000 + lbs in some of the roughest places in the world. But Lexus also came in with the Tundra, Tundra all have a Lexus transmission (stated the one that is in the IS430). That was sweet!
Now let's get into specific parts:
10.5" ring gear. Why? Because the size will allow it to be very durable for a long time and have plenty of tow power of course. We all know the 10.5" is the largest in class. But, did you know that the F-250 Power Stroke Turbo Diesel also uses a 10.5" ring gear? So in a 1/2 ton truck, we have the same diameter of that of the 'big' trucks. Even more, the 10.5" ring gear in the F-250 is less in weight, thus less durable and long lasting that the 10.5" ring gear in the Tundra? This is why the Tundra can will 300,000 lbs Challenger Space Shuttle.
Triple Tech Frame. Why? Because the competition all have a solid box frame (even though F-150 will have something very similar to Triple Tech Frame in 2015 F-150 finally), Tundra wants their trucks to last and drive like the day it left the lot. So please do research about the Triple Tech Frame because it is a ton to go over and let's just say, a solid box frame is absolute ancient technology if you plan to pull any heavy loads and do not want your frame to literally stay bent after your load is removed.
4-Piston brake calipers. Why? Well first off, you want to be able to stop your truck (common sense), but let's think about stopping your truck PLUS your load. Tundra has stainless steel brake pistons, nice right! This was probably the most shocking! F-150 brake pistons ARE PLASTIC! LITERALLY PLASTIC! Umm, Ford, the brakes are what save or kill you and multiple others, and your going to allow plastic to stop my truck plus a possible 10k+ in tow! LMAO!
Fixed brake calipers. Why? The competition all use floating brake calipers, which are cheap and serve their purpose, to an extent. Fixed brake calipers allow for a firm braking power and thus they are used in all sport/racing cars (including formula 1).
DOHC, Aluminum block & heads. Why? DOHC-Dual Over Head Cams, obviously to get the most power out of your motor and make it run as efficiently as possible. Aluminum block and heads, because aluminum vents 3 times as fast a steel, thus helping control the components from overheating. VVT-Variable Valve Timing, goes hand in hand with DOHC and being very efficient. How about this, Silverado does NOT have any of these! They have a SOHC motor & cast iron block!
Front wheel bearing. Why? Because, umm, that's self explanatory. Now compared to F-150, its probably 4 times in size, they look like 2 different parts, thus you need the quality.
Heavy duty tow package. Why? Tundra is built to not just last a long time, but last a long time towing constant heavy loads. I have installed tow packages on my Silverado & F-150 I owned, Silverado had 6 bolts and my F-150 had 4. That is nice if you plan to pull minor loads (I only pulled a 15" aluminum bottom boat). The Tundra has 12 bolts that is twice as think that F-150, its really sad in comparison.
Tow course:
All trucks have a trailer attached with 7,500 lbs of water for simulation reasons (was originally 9,000 lbs but the Ram literally was dragging the ground and working the brakes so hard, the brake fluid boiled!)
First let me say, Ram! Really, what geniuses decided to put coilovers on a full-size truck! COILOVERS, THOSE ARE ON MY GIRLFRIEND CAMRY! That is great for a smooth ride, but if you ever wanted to pull anything, that is sad!
I drove the F-150 EcoBoost. Now, the lag for the turbo(s) to kick in, makes pickup very slow and it took until 10+mph to feel some power. When I firmly applied the brakes, they jumped and literally were pushing my foot of the brake. It sucked. We did our 2nd pass with trailer brakes, pickup was still sad. Brakes did the same, since I do not know if it has ABS, but it felt like crap trying to stop.
Silverado I rode in the back. There was no torque in getting off the line. It did not brake too bad compared the Ram & F-150. With trailer brakes, it did the best in distance compared to Ram & F-150.
Ram. First, we could not see 10 feet in front of the truck because the front was raised so high from the tongue weight. I feel sorry for anyone in the other lane if you had to drive it like that. Now, the Hemi had a little torque, but the brakes were garbage. Now with trailer brakes, was much better, but only compared to without.
Tundra. Guys! Torque was great, we did not feel the trailer behind us. We picked up quickly and stopped 10+ feet shorter than the Silverado, WITHOUT OUR TRAILER BRAKES ENGAGED! We did our 2nd pass without trailer brakes again to just be sure. We stopped 13+ feet shorter than the Silverado! WOW, THAT IS IMPRESSIVE!.
Ending:
So if you did not know, there is multiple lawsuits again Ford for the EcoBoost NOT getting the EPA mpg they stated. BTW, EcoBoost is over $2000 additional cost, for.... OH! Obviously not great mpg, so why?!
When it comes to towing, Tundra is rated less than F-150. Now, let's just say that I know that NONE of those trucks there could have pulled the Challenger (300,000 lbs) at all! Not even get the thing moving, since they obviously had problems with 7,500 lbs. But the reason for this is Tundra is rated for the 10,100 lbs towing because that is a number they KNOW the Tundra can handle pulling and stopping for the life of the truck. Remember, the Tundra has 100,000 maintenance free transmission (literally never do anything to the transmission but bring in for fluids to be changed at 100k then keep on trucking for another 100k miles) so that is why Tundra is rated for that. F-150 can pull 13,000+ lbs for a few miles, but if you plan to do that for 100k miles, a major 2 or or more component WILL break. Remember, your plastic brake pistons have to stop that truck!
TEASER ALERT! BY 2015 OR 2016 TUNDRA, WE WILL SEE THEM WITH A 8-SPEED TRANSMISSION!
I know I will remember some other keys points but I just had to vent some of this great information to people who would appreciate it. I feel sorry for the first customer I approached today, I pretty much just vomited all this info onto him, I think his mind almost exploded. He owned a 2013 Tundra already, but he was so impressed, he had to drive one. lol