I come from a Ford family, so when I told my dad I was considering buying a Toyota, I thought he would disown me. He owns a farm and everyone there and at all of the neighboring farms drives either a Ford or a Chevy. I can say upfront that I have convinced many a 'good ole boy' that Toyota is just as much if not more of a quality truck as either of those two makes.

I started searching for a new truck at the Ford dealership, but everything I saw and liked was too expensive. Also, I never really liked how my dad's F-150 extended cab truck handled and rode. So I went over to the Toyota dealership and immediately fell in love with the Tundra.

I ended up buying a Tundra SR5 Access Cab 4X2 with a 4.7L DOHC EFI engine. It is loaded with the exception of having no power or leather seats. This is something that I didn't want to pay for anyway.

MADE IN AMERICA
At first I felt guilty for looking at the Toyota's because I thought that I was being unpatriotic by buying a foreign vehicle. I soon learned that Toyota trucks are made in Princeton, Indiana. Another interesting fact: Ford trucks are NOT, they are made in Canada.

POWER AND PERFORMANCE
Right off I was interested in whether or not I would be able to haul my horse trailer (a three horse bumper pull). Not only does this truck haul a full load, it hauls better than the Ford I was hauling with before. Some specs of interest: Toyota has 315 lbs/ft of torque while a comprable Ford has only 243, which makes it able to haul a heavier load. The Tundra has 245 HP, and the Ford only has 231. Also, the Toyota has a 4 valve dual overhead cam engine, while Ford and Chevy have a 2 valve single overhead cam engine. Also, after I bought the truck, I raced my dad in his F-150 and my Tundra walked off from his truck.

SAFETY
Toyota has been ranked the safest pickup truck on the market. Your local Toyota dealer will be able to show you a lot of crash test results, etc. to prove this.
Also, Toyota is the only truck manufacturer that still builds trucks with a solid steel frame rail as opposed to a metal alloy frame rail that is welded and riveted together.

BRAKES
I read in another review that the Tundra is notorious for having faulty brakes. I have not had any problem with my brakes, and I now have 8,000 miles on my truck.

WARRANTY
The truck comes with a 60 month/60,000 mile warranty, as compared to Ford's 36 month/36,000 miles.

THE RIDE
All that needs to be said in this department is that its a truck that rides like a car.

COMPLAINTS
The only complaints I have are as follows:
1. The cigarette lighter/car charger doesn't work unless the truck is on. This means you can't charge your phone overnight.
2. It only gets about 17 miles to the gallon.




Amount Paid (US$): 24600
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: SR5