I drove the new tundra (4-door) version after the Chicago Auto show ended Sunday. A high school buddy of mine now works for Toyota. Was with GMAC for 25+ years. The truck is very quality orientated as would be expected and the interior is very impressive BUT the price tag is NOT going to get it. The truck was the limited model with an option package of $2,500+. The sticker was $40K. And this isn't even the crew cab version. The truck is very UGLY and the price is too HIGH. I don't see much in the way of a "threat" towards the F-150 with this new truck. And the 900 GM trucks are much of the same with a few minor improvements. The high gas situation and consumer disdain for SUV's are more of a fundamental challenge for Ford and the F-150 than is the competition.

 

I personaly think they are alittle ugly, and believe the price is alittle high too, but I still see alot of people buying them.
The tundra now is a half size truck, and people buy them for towing/.l?1?(don't know why)
So a full size truck with power and a real towing capability will sell.
Look at the Titans, they sold pretty good and they didn't have any buyers like the Tundra had(when it was small).

 

It will sell and it will sell well. Here is why. Demographically speaking, good ole' boys probably wont buy them, but the family guy who wants a nice truck to show off in the suburbs will get one because it is a toyota. If a truck is $38K, 42K or 45K who cares at that point? Very few people are going to buy a truck like that with cash, and if they were going to then they can afford an extra 5K here and there. Most people will buy on payments and an will see little difference in payments, its like buying a $300K house or a $325K house... not much difference if you can afford one, you can likely afford the other. Plus toyota has reliablity, it will get you your money back if you sell it later or trade it in. I do agree about the sport ute market though... and eventually the supercrew market on trucks will have to slow down. There is a limited market for any type of vehicle especially at a cost of $40K. How often is a person going to keep going back to buy a new $40K truck? This is across the board in the vehicle market... that is why advertising is so important today. People are holding onto their cars longer today than in the past, they cost more they are better designed to last, and so it makes sense that less and less new cars are sold every year.

 

I looked at my first one yesterday and priced one out for a friend of mine who wants a new truck to replace his GMC but was unimprressed with the new one. It is a nice truck and looks better in person than it does in photos.

Anyway, when compared to Ford and GM, the MSRP is not much different but there is a big difference in the out the door price. They are selling for MSRP. After rebates and discounts, the Ford and GM products are much cheaper. If I needed a truck and money was no object, I would seriously consider one.

 

I think that the new Tundras are a joke, no way they can perform anywhere as close as a ford or even GM truck. The only thing that is good about the Tundra is that it gets decent MPG other than that its seriously over priced for a little tonka truck that i would never drive a day in my life. FORD ALL THE WAY

2007 F150 XLT Supercab 4x4 5.4L V8

 

I agree skybox. Vehicles last longer today and at a price tag of $40K one can not keep buying every 2-3 years. As osbork states it's the "out-the-door" price that people fixate on. And unless Toyota goes bit time with cash incentives the Tundra will NOT sell 200K units per year IMHO. Like I said it's a Toyota and drives like a well oiled machine but $40K is IMHO too high of a price. And no, it's not a good ol' boys unit.

 

[QUOTE=07F1504x4]I think that the new Tundras are a joke, no way they can perform anywhere as close as a ford or even GM truck.]

This is totally and completely wrong. I just drove one yesterday with the 5.7 and 6sp auto, right after driving an 07 F150 5.4 and 07 GMC 6.0. All I can say is it is more powerful than anything else out there right now. The thing pulls hard with no end in sight, shifts smoothly, has incredible throttle response, and it handles and corners great. To think that an F150 or Silvy can hang with it is just flat out wrong. I'm trying to setup a test drive where I can hook up my 5k lb boat and see how it tows.

I have an 02 F150 Screw FX4, and previously a 99 F150 SC, both with the 5.4. The new Tundra blows them both away in power, braking, and handling. The only thing it lacks IMO is looks - I agree it's kinda ugly. However, I need something that can safely tow my boat up the mountains and still be a daily driver, so I can overlook the exterior to get the drivetrain.

I sure hope Ford gets it right with the 09 F150. They need to keep the good looks, great interior, and get some serious hp/tq with a 6sp auto and a choice of rearend gears. The Toyota has 4.30's, but the Ford only 3.73's - at least give us a 4.10 option.

BTW - it was an DC SR5 4x4 TRD, 5.7, 6sp, 4.30, tow pkg, JBL audio, VSC, side airbags, bucket cloth interior w/ console shift = $36388, and they were willing to sell for $34,500.

the F150 FX4 with leather and 20's was $39430, xplan was $35,800 - $3000 rebate = $32800.

 

I kno that the tundras are a dencent if not better tower than the fords, but im a ford man through and through, and to see toyota walk into the truck market and try and take over ford dodge chevy and gmc kinda gets me upset. And to top it off toyota is in NASCAR, but overall the tundra is a nice truck minuis its looks.

 

it was an DC SR5 4x4 TRD, 5.7, 6sp, 4.30, tow pkg, JBL audio, VSC, side airbags, bucket cloth interior w/ console shift = $36388, and they were willing to sell for $34,500.

the F150 FX4 with leather and 20's was $39430, xplan was $35,800 - $3000 rebate = $32800.

I agree with what you're saying here but when you're talking about a $40K Tundra (which the dealer discounts down to about $37,500 then the out-the-door prices vs the $39,430 F-150 FX4 are not even close. You gotta have some incentives to "shore up" the pricing differentials here. Not everyone is wealthy.

 

You looking at Tundra's or Tacoma's?

With the 5.7 381 HP DOHC 32 valve V8, they'll run circles around our beloved F150's.

It's definitly overpriced.

Because of the overwhelming interest bad and good here at FTE, I drove one a week ago and posted my thoughts in several threads here on FTE. SR5 Double cab MSRP $28,440.00 with accessories (threw away the list...read through my posts for the data) it came to $32,078.00.

1000's of current Toyota owners will buy one, but I was unimpressed, the truck besides being ugly, is overhyped. The bed sheetmetal is thinner than I've ever seen on a truck, the dash is confusing, and will need a dash cover because of horrible reflections. Drivers seat, even when raised is too low, etc etc.

Instead of whining, go drive one yourself.

 

But you can always get 2500 and/or 3500 of F-Series, but you can't get 2500 and/or 3500 of Tundra.

5.7L is top Tundra's engine, but 5.4L is not top F-Series' engine.

 

Good point but the largest F-Series engine is the 6.8L V10 which only puts out 362 HP, The only thing i think ford should do to compete is to put a better gear ratio in the F150 and try to get more HP out of the 5.4Ls

 

Yes, right...but I was refering to the F150, not the rest of F Series trucks.

 

How many farmers, contractors, construction workers, or any fleets do you see driving full size Toyota's? Answer... none. Skybox is right, the only people going to buy it is the suburb truck owners who are looking for status. There is a reason Ford is the number one selling truck, becuase they build a TRUCK, not a TOYota.

 

You don't see any of them driving full size Tundras because they only started selling them in the last week or two. The dealer nearest me didn't get any until last week. The dealer has 6 on order for a local coal company and they won't be the last. I like my Ford but the Toyota I looked at yesterday was anything but a TOY.