The 2017 Toyota Tundra Limited Crewmax TRD 4×4 is Fully-Equipped For Your Rugged Lifestyle

And the entire fam can cruise comfortably. 

byEvan Yates|
Toyota News photo
Share

0

The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” certainly holds true when referring to the Toyota Tundra. The current body style has been around since 2006 as a 2007 model and outside of a slight refresh in 2014, the truck has remained virtually unchanged for over a decade. The Tundra faithful haven’t seemed to mind as sales numbers from Toyota's full-size truck are still solid. Even though the number of units has plateaued (2014 and 2015 both saw 118,000 units sold in their respective years), that figure is still quite impressive. Not to mention, Toyota trucks are known for their longevity as we recently saw a Louisiana man take his Tundra over a million miles. Toyota decided to swap him out for a brand new 2016 for his loyalty.

Evan Yates

The exterior of the 2017 Tundra Crewmax hasn’t been updated but perhaps it didn’t need to be. The Tundra’s brawny, handsome aesthetic is really all most truck guys care about, anyway. And even though the silhouette is aging, Toyota made their big rig a head turner with a pleasant, new tone. I love what Toyota is doing right now with their non-metallic colors and this Tundra has my second-favorite hue of that group; “Quicksand”. (My favorite is Cement.) This gritty shade gives the Tundra a utilitarian stature and reinforces that it means business and has no time for flashy, metallic paint.

My tester Tundra came equipped with the 18-inch TRD allow wheels and “all-terrain” 275/65/18 tires. The former would be better in all-black and the latter would be best about two inches larger. Tundra trucks look great with a mild lift and some decent rubber. On the other side of that coin, they appear a bit pedestrian with wimpy tires. Easy fix, but it would be awesome if Toyota offered something larger as a part of their TRD package.

Evan Yates

What you get when you buy a Tundra Crewmax is SIZE. Every dimension is massive (except for bed length) and having that extra space creates a level of comfort inside and out that a lot of trucks simply can’t deliver. I’m the biggest proponent of Toyota truck interiors as they make the most out of every square inch. There are countless nooks and crannies to stow your gear and you can easily fit a full-size laptop in the center console. Not to mention, there’s a plethora of possible places to put your phone – I’m big on that. In the back, you’ll find the most comfortable rear seating in a truck, hands down. You can easily fit three adults, comfortably, with ample leg room. In addition to passenger space, with the rear seat flipped up, the rear cabin is a great place to haul items you don’t want to transport in the bed.

In terms of capability, the Tundra can handle pretty much anything you throw its way. In my week with the TRD 4x4, I towed a trailer with ease, hit some mild trails and chauffeured plenty of adults and even a Doberman. The Tundra doesn’t necessarily do anything overwhelmingly great; it just does everything pretty damn good. That may not sound very sexy but it's a part of the Tundra’s charm. During daily commutes, the Tundra certainly feels like a traditional truck but is also easy to maneuver through traffic, fairly simple to park and solid on the highway. The 5.7-liter V8 under the hood has plenty of power for both highway and city streets alike. Off-road, the Tundra TRD 4x4 effortlessly dominates most obstacles you throw its way. The only problems I could ever imagine encountering would be due to its sheer width and length rather than its actual capability. And without a lift and/or larger tires, there’s a slight possibility of getting stuck or banged up pretty easily. 

Evan Yates

The hefty V8 under the hood has a decent note thanks to the TRD performance dual exhaust system. This is an $1100 option and if you planned on getting a complete aftermarket exhaust anyway, it’s worth opting for the TRD version straight from the factory. In truck-guy circles, it’s borderline blasphemy to discuss gas mileage. Typically, the common response to fuel efficiency questions is, “If you’re worried about gas mileage, don’t buy a big truck!” And as true as that may have been in the past, manufacturers are doing much better than they used to. On that note, the Tundra’s gas mileage is poor with typical city mileage hovering around 13 mpg.  

What’s interesting about the Tundra is that it doesn’t really wow you in any aspect - especially compared to its competition. There aren’t any fancy doo-dads, it doesn’t do any tricks and there isn’t much of a cool factor. However, the Tundra does the job and does it well and every day behind the wheel, you appreciate it for that more and more.

Evan Yates

PRICE (AS TESTED): $49,218.00

POWERTRAIN: 5.7-liter I-FORCE V8; 381 hp, 401 lb-ft 

MPG (COMBINED): 15 MPG

stripe
News by BrandToyota NewsTrucks