If Ford has a bestseller with its F-150 pickup truck, Toyota has claimed the top position when it comes to safety-related crash tests performed by by the insurance industry. For many truck buyers, they did not have to wait for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to release this report. One of my best friends has known the reliability and comparable superiority of the Toyota Tundra all along. This is why he helped purchase a 2001 Toyota Tundra for his father a few weeks ago. Looking at the old faithful, beaten up Toyota the old guy was driving to his farms in the Central Valley, I will say that he truly deserved it.

One week ago, with a forecast of great week-end weather, my friend asked me to be their designated driver to a nearby fishing hole. Fortunately, my wife worked with me to find baby-sitter for the two days. You can figure out what would happen that week-end. We drove by the farm to pick up his father and headed out to the foothills of Yosemite. With a freezer packed with ice, beer and some other food items, we hit the road in this 2001 Toyota Tundra. While my mind was set on fishing, I could not help but thinking about this truck's power. It is a limited model that catches attention with its flamboyant red. It's powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine. I did not have any problems finding enough leg space. Obviously, I adjusted my seat by pushing it to the back. That's the only reason I will say that the rear-seat space got diminished at that point. If a long-legged person sits in the back, he/she would have to squeeze a bit or his legs under his chin. There is no better thing than to drive up the hills while looking at the Valley. My friend, Jack and his father, Dan, were just enjoying their trip. Until now, Jack had never told him about his plans for the week-end.

Dan's an old Ag mechanic who will argue about nuts and bolts

Hot dot-com guy makes time for father

Flushed with money from the profitable days of the IPOs, Jack had become a co-owner of a beautiful cabin near the Sierra Summit. He never said anything to his father because he knew Dan would say something disapproving about the whole matter. Imagine how great his surprise will be when he is told that Jack owns the cabin! A few miles away, we will be able to fish calmly in this almost Eden-like atmosphere. Once we got there, I was gone fishing. In the meantime, Jack and his father stayed together at the cabin. For the last few years, Jack did not have time for anybody, he was busy working on his business. He was in the middle of the dot-com boom. He had no time for his father. Obviously, the gifts came, but he was nowhere to be found. As things cooled off a bit, he decided to make time for his family once again. He had finally realized that he may soon not have much time to spend with his parents. This trip to the cabin with this 2001 Toyota Tundra will have accomplished many things. It was like the prodigal son's story when it comes to ending this strangement, this staying away from loved ones. It would be a time of great communion amidst giant trees in the Sierra mountain range.

On Sunday, we decided to go fishing together. Jack and Dan packed some cold ones and headed down to the river. Being a few yards away, I could see the old man and his son sitting close by on top of some rocks and waiting for a few fish to bite the bait. All the while they were talking about many things. They were trying to catch up on news of the extended family. It was like a role reversal. At the same time, I started thinking about the days when my own father used to take up to the mountain brooks to fish. I was very small and enjoyed these precious moments. I looked back at Jack and Dan. I saw lots of potential. I saw myself in them again.

Back to the Toyota Tundra: A reliable vehicle for all sorts of terrain.

For a lot of us, Toyota users, we know that we can run down this vehicle and it will still be around. When it comes to the Tundra, it begs to be loaded and taken off-road. Its design is very sturdy. Even in the rocky roads we had to negotiate, the Tundra managed to drive with limited bumps. Driving back down to the Valley, we took different roads that had gravels, we did not see too much of a difference. It went through the mud just like a speed boat on the open seas. As I was driving, I overheard Dan thanking Jack for the weekend. Graciously, Jack replied, "this was fun. We should do this more often." Dan also thanked him for the new Toyota.

Amount Paid (US$): 21566
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Automatic