It's an 09 Crewmax, 4x4, 5.7 liter V8, SR5. Accelaration is unreal. No peakiness or hesitation at any speed. The 5.7 with 4.30 rear end has the grunt you need ready for you no matter the situation. I've been forced to come to a complete stop on the merging ramp in 70 mph traffic. I floor it when I see even a small gap and I can merge effortlessly without the cars coming up behind me getting anywhere near me. 0-60 in 6.5 for a stock 5600 pound crewcab 4x4 truck: Unheard of 10 years ago, now Toyota set the bar and all other trucks are struggling to catch up.

And despite the tremendous engine performance I got 18.7 mpg on the highway on my first 800 mile road trip, starting out with 500 miles on the clock, cruising at 65-70 mph with occasional heavy throttle. I can't help but think 19 or even 20 mpg might be possible with the cruise set at 55 mph. Not fantastic mileage in general but really good for full size crew cab standards and not any worse than other half tons that make alot less power and are alot slower.

The transmission shifts smoothly and exactly when it needs to and makes the most of the power. If you're new to it the surging sensation when coasting to a stop will feel wierd, but it appears some aggressive engine braking was designed into the shift pattern to help prolong brake life when towing.

The interior is cavernous, more space for 5 than anybody really has a right to hope for. Rear seats slide and recline and do a pretty good imitation of my living room couch. The radio controls are a bit of a reach. It would be nice if the 4x4 dial was a different size and shape from the climate control knobs and not located right next to them in the same row of switches so that there was not so much chance of a serious miss-hap if I try to crank the AC and tun the twrong dial.

Ride is firm, and in some limited, low-speed, extremely rough pavement situations surprisingly harsh. Other higher end half ton trucks will soak up speed bumps mostly without transmitting most of the impact throughout the cabin. In this truck you will feel it. But as speed picks up and you cruise along on the highway things smooth out and the chasis seems to start absorbing pavement abnormalities better without transmitting them to the cabin, while at the same time giving a better sense of road feel and stability than a Silverado or an F150. It's definitely not the cushy squishy feeling you'll get in a Silverado or an F150. It's more sports sedan-ish, stable and buttoned down for such a big truck at speed but with the trade-off that when you're lumbering over really rough roads, speed bumps, and pavements things get rough inside. But not intolerably so. In most normal driving situations the truck is stable and planted but as you would expect with any 5600 pound 4x4 with 10 inches of ground clearance, pushing it hard in fast turns causes understeer and then more severe body lean. Brake feel is EXCELLENT. You don't know it's there til you need it but when you stomp on them this thing feels like it's straining against a leash. Just a clean, straight stop, no bobbing and weaving or nose diving.

Interior is attractive at first glance but the spray-painted plastics are less durable than in some other domestic trucks. Minor mistakes and mis-haps that don't leave a mark in a Dodge or a Ford will nick the spray-painted dash panel and door panels on the Tundra. The power one piece rear window is the ultimate in convenience, allowing for VERY nice air flow while cruising without the hastle of reaching back to pull open the rear slider like on older trucks. Id prefer if the rear seat folded up to provide a flat load floor rather than down, like it does.

 Interior storage is so plentiful it's like a set of cargo pants: You can easily start to forget where you put things, from the cavernous center console with space for hanging files, to the multiple overhead bins, 2 glove boxes, and the little hidden rectangular cubby hole by the shifter.

The tailgate is a special design that requires minimal effort to lower or raise, but load floor is a bit high. Headlights are excellent, providing a wide, even beam pattern.
Amount Paid (US$): 33000
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: SR5/Crewmax, 5.7 4x4