2007 Tundra continues gas-hog trend

Ed Warner · 2006-10-03T17:48:00+00:00

The Tacoma is no longer a compact truck and now the Tundra is getting asize boost and a 5.7L V8. It's unlikely gas mileage will improve vs the"underpowered?" 4.7L V8. I think this is a run at the Nissan Titan forsize and showmanship, not pragmatism. Shallow buyers think they need tohave a bigger engine than the next guy. Why can't intelligence prevailin truck marketing instead of insecurity?I'm tired of ads showing grease-blackened laborers among steam cloudswho supposedly can't do their job without "extreme" capacity. How didthey manage last year or ten years ago? Trucks in decades past weredownright rickety. Somehow, things got done without a 10,000 lb. towingcapacity in the average work vehicle. Most big material drops atconstruction sites are brought in on commercial flatbeds. The currentTundra is fine for most buyers and has been so since 2000. Most of thispower hype is marketing. Many trucks are bought for style, with pimpedwheels and pristine paint. You don't need 300+ HP to visit the localsteakhouse. A rack increases bulk capacity of any truck. You can rent atrailer for rare, extreme loads.Gas prices will continue to rise (with ups and downs) due to peaking ofglobal oil production. Global warming is real and serious, despite "Mancan do no wrong" propaganda that rewrites evidence. Lower gas mileagemeans more CO2 emissions and is a step in the wrong direction. EPAfigures are overstated and the 2007 Tundra may get about 15 MPGaverage. The Nissan Titan (5.9L) only gets about 14 MPG perAmericans are finally seeing that it doesn't make sense (on manylevels) to waste fuel. Toyota, creator of the Prius, seems at odds withitself in the truck line. They should at least offer a diesel in theTundra. The practical demographic for super-sized trucks is overstatedand the ego demographic should shrink as fuel prices rise. Please wiseup, Toyota, and all truck buyers who feed this trend. Many of us wouldlike a quality truck that isn't a gas hog, but our options keep...

Oct 03, 2006 48 Replies

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Ralph Mowery 19 years ago

Its funny about you mentioning the manual transmission and driving. That is the kind of truck I took for a test drive. Then found out when I looked in another truck with an auto transmission they had moved the brake . That pocket sticks out more than the handle and the handle is angled up also.

I have had very good service out of the Toyotas and don't look at other brands. That means I just have to overlook a few things to get that brand.

As you mentioned one size does not fit all even if the people are the same heigth.

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Bonehenge 19 years ago

I never looked at an auto, but that's interesting to know.

As for the dash brake handle, I LOVE THAT THING!! I've had it in several Toyota trucks and often wish my other vehicles had it, freeing up the center space.

FWIW, many small airplanes have the parking brake up there, some even pull out like Toyota's, as there is often a trim wheel between the front seats.

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Ralph Mowery 19 years ago

I don't know why they are differant, but the auto parking brake is foot operated , off and on , just like the Camry car.

I probably would not have driven the manual transmission, but when I was looking at the trucks, there was one on the lot like I was looking for. The salesman went and got the keys and then I found out it was a manual transmission. As he had the keys I test drive that one. Thought the auto would be about the same . I can drive either , but my wife can't . Also I did not want a manual for several reasons. Driving to work there is a road with lots of stop lights on it and I did not want to row the truck to work.

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Justin 19 years ago

row the truck to work? Do you belong to a canoe club by any chance?

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Jack 19 years ago

And what sort of "truck" do you drive, Ed? A Ranger, perhaps. Or are you more the VW Beetle type?

Still doing the tie-died and beads thing?

Jack

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Jack 19 years ago

If yours is bigger and heavier than the average, you are safer than average. That is the perception, and it is often true. You are undoubtedly also more comfortable. Change all that, and you'll change the gas-hog problem.

Not likely to be successful though, are you?

Of course you could always pressure the government to step in and reverse the laws of physics and the market in one fell swoop. They have a lot of practice with that approach.

Jack

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Jack 19 years ago

I DO know what you mean, Joe!

Still living in that tent? Or are you back in Mom's spare bedroom, now? I know how much you hate wasting space -- or energy (of any kind).

Jack

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Noon-Air 19 years ago

How about a practicle approach..... require a CDL complete with physicals and drug screenings, along with commercial tags/taxes on *ANY* vehicle over

5500lbs GVRW with no exceptions, and take away the tax breaks on the big SUVs and trucks.

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TOM 19 years ago

I think they tried something similar to that in the Soviet Union.

By the way, it didn't work... :>))

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