The Dirt on Tundra: Toyota's Redesigned Double Cab is Doubly Versatile

Toyota has been selling pickup trucks for years.

Problem is, none have been as big as the domestic rigs, even 1993's T100. With a small cab, V-6 and medium-size bed, it was like Cinderella's slipper - too small for most uses.

Toyota tried to remedy that with 1999's first-generation Tundra, but it was the runt of the litter among competition from the Big Three domestics and the Nissan Titan.

But no more.

The second-generation 2007 Tundra full-size pickup was designed in the U.S. and built in Texas and Indiana. There are a total 31 varieties with three engine choices, three cab sizes (two-door regular cab, four-door Double Cab and bigger four-door CrewMax with 44.5 inches of rear-seat leg room and a reclining rear seat). There are three wheelbases (126.8 inches/145.7 inches/164.6 inches) and three bed lengths (66.7, 78.7 or 97.6 inches).

We got the version folks who split work and family will probably get - the Double Cab with a honking 5.7-liter iForce V-8 with 381 horsepower, 401 pound-feet peak torque and six-speed automatic transmission. It can tow up to 10,800 pounds. Only Ford and the biggest GMC V-8 top it. And Double Cab (extended cab in Toyota- speak) is 1 to 4 inches longer than crew cab versions sold by Nissan, Dodge and Ford.

What did Toyota do to make a real truck? More space and strength, said Reginald Vaughn, an assistant VP at Southeast Toyota Distributors, as we looked over all three cab designs recently.

"It is about 30 percent larger than our last vehicle," Vaughn said. "We did a box frame up front so we have all of the strength we need because of the engine having twisting torque. But in the center area, we widened the frame out to give us more side protection and done a rolled-C to give us a more comfortable ride. Then in the back, we have an open-C channel which gives it a bit bigger payload."

The new design hints of Dodge Ram in the power dome hood, big chrome grill and glaring headlights. The fender flares are gentle and flat-edged, framing steel five-spoke wheels wearing 18-inch Bridgestone radials. The truck's flanks get some sculpted channeling, nothing aggressive, with black window trim and big side mirrors. People asked if it was the new Toyota, but no one said "wow" or "cool," just "It's big," one adding the side design was "somewhat simple." Fit and finish was good bar a loose piece of trim on the nose and back doors that needed a nudge to fully close sometimes.

The interior certainly benefited from the bigger design; more comfortable, but it still works if you need it to.

Cloth bucket seats up front had grippy gray patterned cloth inserts - comfortable if a bit lacking in side support, aided with a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. A full set of inset gauges starts with a central 120-mph speedometer, with 7,000-rpm tach on the left with transmission temperature gauge under it, plus gas, temperature, voltage and oil pressure on the right. A digital clock with simple trip computer sits high on the dash center.

The dash wraps around the driver, the knobs for the decent- sounding six-speaker AM-FM- six-disc CD changer near at hand and big enough for gloved hands to use. Underneath, four climate control knobs are even bigger, with two glove boxes to the right, the upper big enough for a Thermos, the bottom huge. An MP3 audio input is underneath.

A huge center console storage compartment under the center armrest had removable shelves and room to hold hanging folders or a lap top. Twin cupholders are big enough for mugs, while a separate ashtray can be removed for a can. The door map pockets can hold water bottles and more stuff, while a deep slot next to the chunky gear shift lever swallows CDs. Overhead, four drop-down cargo compartments for CDs and sunglasses. The 12-volt outlets (dash and console storage) remain live for two hours after the ignition is off.

Toyota's version of the extended cab most other folks offer doesn't go with rear-hinged half-doors. This one has front-hinged doors that open to 80 degrees for easy access. In back, there is good (34.7 inches) legroom on a bench seat that fits three adults, and has a comfortable seatback rake. They get cupholders, a 12-volt outlet and side map pockets. The rear seat splits and folds to offer an almost flat floor. Out back beyond the sliding rear window, the 6.5-foot bed is wide and deep with a damped tailgate that glides down, not slams. And along with four bolted-in tie-down hooks, the bed's upper rim gets four sliding cargo tie-downs.

On the road, the most powerful V-8 in Toyota's lineup (along with a 4-liter V-6 with 236 horsepower and 4.7-liter V-8 with 271 hp) gets this horse up to 60 mph in a quick 6.5 seconds, rear traction handled by a standard limited-slip differential and vehicle stability and traction control. We had some wind noise from the nose or side mirrors over 40 mph. We didn't get a chance to tow, but the engine's torque sure seemed more than enough. We saw only an average 13 mpg off a 800-mile-old engine.

Chassis stiffness was good, even off road. And the double A-arm front suspension with coil-over spring/shock units made for a comfortable, yet controlled ride with no harsh rebound over potholes. Traction was good tooling around a construction site's pot- holed dirt roads, the ride well controlled even when empty. Handling was pretty solid for an unloaded truck - lots of understeer, yet not too much body roll in turns, although stability control kicks in quickly with a loud beeping. The power steering was direct, while all-wheel disc brakes with ABS stopped the truck confidently with no fade.

Our 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab was $28,110 base with everything above except optional eight-way adjustable driver's seat, four-way passenger seat, AM-FM- six-disc CD stereo, center console with bucket seats, overhead console, cold weather kit, heated outside mirrors, mudguards, bedliner with adjustable cargo tie- downs and carpeted floor mats. Add the options and it was $31,127.

Bottom line: This is a comfortable rear-wheel drive work truck that can handle five adults in a trip to a work site or a family and their stuff on the weekends.Florida Times-Union staff writer Dan Scanlan test-drives new vehicles on Northeast Florida roads, averaging 200 miles of combined highway and city traffic during a weeklong test. The vehicles are provided by the manufacturer according to their schedule and represent a broad spectrum of sizes and prices. The prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail prices. Scanlan can be reached at (904) 359-4549 or at dan.scanlan@jacksonville.com. BEHIND THE WHEEL2007 Toyota Tundra Double CabSpecificationsVehicle type Full-size extended cab rear- wheel-drive pickup truckBase price $28,110 ($31,127 as tested)Engine type DOHC, 32-valve aluminum block V- 8Displacement 5.7 literHorsepower (net) 381 @ 5,600 rpmTorque (lb-ft) 401 @ 3,600 rpmTransmission 6-speed automaticWheelbase 145.7 inchesOverall length 228.7 inchesOverall width 79.9 inchesHeight 76 inchesFront headroom 40.2 inchesFront legroom 42.5 inchesRear headroom 38.7 inchesRear legroom 34.7 inchesPayload capacity up to 1,755 pounds in the 97.6-inch long/66.4-inch-wide bedTowing capacity up to 10,600 poundsCurb weight 5,220 poundsFuel capacity 26.4 gallonsMileage rating 16 mpg city/20 mpg highwayLast word Finally - a real truck!POD RODS

Log onto Jacksonville.com's redesigned autos section for Dan Scanlan's Pod Rod report on the 2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab. Scanlan provides mp3 audio reviews of the cars he road tests along with Online News Manager Bill Bortzfield.

(c) 2007 Florida Times Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.