Tundra holds its own on pickup scene

VAUGHAN, Ontario -
The light truck market is a crowded one. The dominant Ford F-Series along with the Dodge Ram and GMC Sierra leaves little room for competitors.
In 2000, Toyota figured they had a handle on selling cars and introduced the Toyota Tundra, considered by many to be the first full-size import pickup truck manufactured specifically for the North American market.
There are 12 cab, bed-size and engine size options in the Tundra lineup starting at $25,310 for the 4X2 Regular Cab Long 4.6 L through $54,020 4X4 CrewMax Platinum 5.7L. Both engines provide plenty of power even when pulling a fully loaded trailer while still providing light steering. Acceleration with no load is explosive but even when hauling upwards of 5,000 lbs. (the maximum payload is just north of 10,000 lbs.) the Tundra doesn’t feel challenged to get moving.
The full-size pickup truck segment is made up of goliaths. Not metaphorically, but literally — these puppies are big. Like every other full-size pickup out there, my six-foot frame had to dawn the urban equivalent of an ice axe and rope grabs to climb into the cab. Once situated behind the driver’s seat, you’re presented with bigger than life buttons and dials.
The upside: even when wearing work gloves, operating the HVAC and stereo is easy but all of those controls are half way across the cabin. Reaching those dials and buttons required a wake-up-in-the-morning stretch, as they’re actually closer to the passenger side seat than the driver’s.
The Tundra’s configuration options gives it a fighting chance in the segment that is currently dominated by domestics but its success may be found more often on the consumer end commercial application/personal use dichotomy. It’s only available as a half-ton with no heavy-duty option on the horizon and the only fuel option is petrol. Toyota doesn’t like diesel, insisting it’s not clean enough. The alternative powertrain will be a gas/electric hybrid most likely to debut next year.
Of note is one particular dealer-installed option (you can also purchase it to install yourself): a rear step that hides neatly away under the corner of the rear bumper and swings out when needed.
Earlier in 2009 Chrysler commercials poked fun at the factory installed Ford option for its F-150 lineup that includes not only a tailgate step but also a retractable pole used for helping balance and pull yourself up into the bed.
The truth of the matter is, getting all that stuff out of the bed of your pickup can be a real pain and Ford and Toyota’s solution deserve some kudos for solving an age-old pickup problem.