Not Impressed.

Does the 22 have a dead center like the previous hydraulic steering does? AKA you can move the steering wheel an inch or so without affecting the actual steering of the wheels.
Does it feel stiff when you turn it? A corolla feels stiffer and more stable than my 2.5gen.

 

It did not feel stiff to me at all. There was less sloppiness in the steering compared to my 2019 so more precise for sure.

 

I have a refundable deposit on a 2022 Limited that should arrive in April. Hoping to speak with the dealer and check one out in person and test drive one in March. I'd like to have some seat time in one before I make my decision but TBH chances are I'm going to pass on it. I think the Toyota Tundra is in a unique situation. With the Gen 2.5 they were recognized as an honest old school truck with 3/4 ton components and a thirsty but reliable and power V8. Stats were underwhelming but you could forgive them for the short comings because of the workhorse reliability. With Gen 3 came with wholesale changes and the truck is an absolute evolution for Toyota going away from the previous unsophisticated brute to what is now one of the most technologically advanced trucks.

The focus for Toyota was clear. Build a bigger Tacoma, a lifestyle truck, improve efficiency and overall driving experience and comfort. In a vacuum those things are good things to improve on. However to make those gains they had to sacrifice utility and capability to do so. They wanted a softer more comfortable ride which sacrifices payload. They wanted to improve efficiency so they went with a TTV6 and as such reliability, durability, and ease of maintenance remains to be seen. They left off front tow hooks due to efficiency. I can forgive them for that but to not at least have some sort of way to mount rated tow hooks under the front frame is inexcusable. The other issue is that those turbos require an elongated nose so even if you were able to mount tow hooks underneath you would likely rip off the front bumper in a recovery. To add tow hooks you'll need a new front bumper which adds weight, cost, increases length of nose and then you'll have to buy an appropriate suspension to handle the weight of a bumper. Plus the long nose which is needed to feed air for those turbos decreases approach angle.

I'm all for the improvements that the 3rd gen Tundra brings but I feel they had to make sacrifices to achieve those goals. They made it more SUV like which isn't a bad thing but it's quite the opposite of what the Gen 2.5 Tundra was, a good honest old school utilitarian truck. I'm not writing off the Tundra and prior to it's release I was all in but now I feel like I need to get a test drive and some seat time in it before I make that decision.

 

^^^^^^
you did the dealer a big favor as far as allocations go. they have a line up of people waiting for it.
my dealer told me he did not even want a deposit as he said the paperwork was not worth it.

I live out in the country and when I went into town for some shopping couple weeks back, I went by the local dealer to see if there was a 2022 truck there - just to see it in the flesh.
I circled around the lot - nothing - then as I went up the last side of the building before exiting there were some 15 vehicles parked I was passing and I came across a black one. It was parked between some suvs and would have missed it if I wasn't paying attention. It looked small - low - and blended in with the other suv's.
When my truck goes in for an oil change maybe I will have a better look at it.
I realize this forum represents a small percentage of owners but the problems people are having with quality and now the posts about stalling and other issues is not confidence inspiring.

 

Saw this TFL Offroad comparison. I guess one could say it's adequate for mild-to-moderate offroad (AWD versions). I had to chuckle when I sold a 3100lb dry 19' travel trailer to a guy with a 2017 Ridgeline. He had less squat than the '07 Runner I was using to haul it. Of course, the Ridgeline spare tire situation sucks, but there's ways around it with a little ingenuity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN7uT-8A5OI

 

I once towed a 20ft Bayliner with a Ridgeline. Oh you could feel it back there, but there was minimal squat as you say.
A problem with the Ridgeline is the massive trunk in the bed. Stuff goes in there and gets forgotten.
You could end up carrying around 200-300 lbs of stuff in there. i could not believe what I pulled out when I sold it. see pic lol

I ask

Has Toyota created with the brand new to the bolt 3rd Gen Tundra, the full size pickup that Honda could never build ?

 

I had a gen 1 Ridgeline and traded it in with over 270k miles with no major repair. Over 150k was towing a trailer all over the country. It had no problem towing but did suck the gas when towing.

 

Drive one and decide if it's right for you. I've driven a few gen 2s over the last few years. I'm a Toyota guy and they're all I care to own (I've had so many high mileage ones with no issues I have no reason to switch to another brand).

I held out for the 3rd gen knowing full well if I didn't like it I could grab a CPO 2020 or 2021 and save a boatload of cash. I picked up the 3rd gen. So many of my ford and chevy friends are impressed with the truck, and I have two friends that will be getting in line in the next couple of months for one after letting them drive mine. Both chevy guys.

As far as "technological revolution," Lexus has had the engines and the tech for years. And based on my previous experience with Toyota which includes 10 Trucks and SUVs with a fair amount of those over 200k miles I'm going to trust them. My buddy with his tried and true F250 with the big old technology V8 has had numerous issues and he's getting rid of it when the power train warranty is out.

Hauled my first big load with the weight in the bed, tongue weight of the trailer, and myself putting the truck at capacity (1395#) and it handled it extremely well.

People are adverse to change in my opinion, which isn't a bad thing. But I'm very very impressed with this truck day to day, towing, and on the mild trails I've done so far. I have no regrets spending the extra $15k on the gen 3.

Also, yeah they should've added tow hooks. No idea what they were thinking and I'm going to work on finding a solution for that

 

Surely quite opinionated for a 4 mile test drive, lol. And you gathered all those observations while driving and that for just 4 miles? Impressive. I noticed nothing of what you spoke of during a 1 hour test drive. Good luck wishing for quality buttons and workmanship in any of the US brands that dont come close to what Toyota uses. Sure Toyota does not put in quality components one finds in a Porsche or upscale Audi but they are competing on price with all the other makes. But I can tell from experience that the interior quality of components of any ram or Ford I have ever driven sucks big time. Battery gauge reacting to your throttle? How so?

 

Turbo problems? They are hardly out for delivery (yes still delivery issues right now) and you have one and experience issues with the turbo? That's interesting to say the least. What exact problems are you speaking thereof?

 

There was a waste gate issue with a supplier. Some trucks were shipped out with the bad part, but most were held up once the issue was found. It looks like it didn't affect that many trucks in the grand scheme of things, but those with issues are usually the loudest

 

I would not extrapolate then to judge an entire new gen to have issues with the turbo. I don't have hard numbers at hand but I am from empirical evidence convinced that all other US makes come out with new Gens that exhibit a multiple of recalls and issues than what Toyota makes its customers go through.

Not aimed at you, but...
I hear a lot of first world moaning of people. I mean come on, the design can be glanced from any truck website. Some like the new design, others don't. Just don't consider buying if you don't like it. Also, the moaning folks should put themselves into Toyota's shoes. The engineers and product design guys try to listen to those who actually buy new trucks. Sorry to say, but some dudes who complain about the new Gen and still drive their 2010 or older gas guzzler are not precisely Toyota's target audience. Most drivers nowadays want a smooth ride that can haul a travel trailer or boat but otherwise a truck that does well in day to day life. Those who need a truck for work with tons of payload are not the Tundra target audience anyway. I don't understand the constant bickering about the new gen not being this or not being that compared to their 2010 or so models. Sure and that's cool. Just keep driving your 2010, you are already a happy camper, don't make yourself miserable. But I as well as many others appreciate Toyota for upgrading their technology in the trucks and especially the 4runner. I don't get why some folks complain that the new is not as good as their old hauler. Just friggin keep your old truck and be happy with it. Good grief.

 

I think it's because some 2010 owners would like to upgrade to a new Tundra, but are disappointed with the new option. No need to be defensive or complain yourself. Just like if you are happy with the design and V6, cool it's an opinion. And others are not happy with the design and a V6, another opinion. You don't have to defend your opinion, it's yours.

 

Fully agree. Just frustrating to constantly hear people complain and usually those with complaints appear to be the loudest. Almost as if their entire existence and image was represented by a truck or car. I loved the test drive in the 2022 Tundra and ordered one. I did the math and the payload and tow capacity works for my needs and I actually love the new design. Just sharing a positive impression amongst all this negativity.

 

I'll definitely need some seat and driving time before I make my decision. Truck arrives in April and I hope to get my test drive in March which will give me a good amount of time to think about it. The tough and crazy thing about this market is that if I decide to pass on a 2022 and get a 2020 or 2021 the used market is so crazy that those are selling for "new" prices. In a normal market it would be a great time to pick up a 2021 for a big discount and there would probably be plenty of 2021's that they'd want to unload with a new gen coming out. Dealers are marking up remaining 2021's given the current conditions and those wanting the last of the V8's. Crazy.

Glad to hear you are having a good experience with your new 3rd gen though. I have no doubts I'll be impressed with the driving experience but will still need to consider if it's the right truck for me or not.

 

That is really well spoken, and true. Forums are great because they concentrate so much information and experience. Sometimes they go sideways a bit when people are overly defensive about their choices, or other's advice/opinions/experience. It's like some new parents: they are threatened by anyone doing things differently. Those aren't your kids, relax, lol. But, I think you see what I was referring to - hope or an expectation that turned out different than planned. Not good or bad, just different.

 

Can we just lock these threads….

 

Hey pal... I'm a combat veteran of the ATF cooler wars.

Sit back and bask under the turd gen hatred.

 

Up until the 2022 Tundra I thought the earlier Tundra models were bleh looking.

 

A big thing that turned me off to the 2022 was the shrinking of every interior dimension. That combined with the loss of the sliding/reclining rear seats a few years ago took away a significant amount of what made this truck stand out for me in 2009 when I bought mine. Feels like they started with class leading interior comfort and space in 07 and have been taking steps back.

 

I test drove a 1794 edition last night. One of the things that some people don’t realize is that dealerships have overhead to make. One of the reasons (besides greed) is that dealership staff only make real money when they hit certain benchmarks - and with the limited allocations of many vehicles it is becoming harder and harder to meet those numbers. The dealerships aren’t adjusting the numbers to reflect and match the reduction in allocations. My buddy is a GSM at a very high volume dealership and he has bills to pay too. He feels shitty (as much as a car salesman can) jacking up prices but at the end of the day if you only get two tundras a month and sell them at 10k over sticker and you meet your goal, that’s a win. That beats selling 8 tundras at sticker to meet the same goal (and they can’t get 8 tundras nowadays anyhow). If someone is willing to pay it, I GUARANTEE a dealer will sell it and not say “well you’re trying to give us too much money”.

I realize this won’t be a popular take but car salesman and dealership employees make money with the more cars they sell and the higher they can sell them for……nothing wrong with people trying to make a living.

back to the test drive - the center console is HUGE and takes up a ton of space up front. The cabin doesn’t feel nearly as big. The ventilated seats are nice but not something I would care to purchase. Sunroof was really nice - wish I had one. The infortainment screen is very big and functional and the 360 camera is neat although not really sure how useful.

The grill is downright hideous and the chrome on the 1794 is just flat out ugly. The wood accents on the interior are more like a dark walnut but looks fake to me. And the seats were white - not the saddle color like the previous 1794’s.

the engine was quiet, almost too quiet. Gears shifting were smooth and has some get up and go after second gear.

All in all - nothing on the new truck made me want to run out and buy one. In fact it was quite the opposite. I am VERY content with my 2019 and will keep it for a very long time.

 

I never cared for the looks of the Gen 1s (thought it looked fine on the Sequoia though). I think the Gen 2s and 2.5s were the best looking. I think the Gen 3s look good, just not as good as the 2/2.5s.

After having a Gen 3 for about a month and 2K miles behind the wheel, my only complaints with the truck itself (Toyota is a different matter; spending north of $50K on a truck and then having to pay a monthly fee to use all of its features is bullshit) are the lack of tow hooks, not having a place to step with the tailgate down, the downsizing of the double cab to the point where rear seating can only be utilized by small children (I'd prefer to have a 6.5 ft bed but don't like the length of a CM equipped with it), and all the chrome trim. And why couldn't the wheels on the SR5 TRD Off Road just be an 18 in version of the 20 in rims that come on the Limited TRD Off Road? And why are they putting 20 in rims on an off road package in the first place?

And while I do miss the pleasant V8 rumble of my '09 SR, my Gen 3 is a much better truck overall.

Different strokes for different folks I guess...

 

You need to start a thread on this one sentence alone and just watch the fallout…

 

I joined this forum a while back way before the Tundra leaked, was super excited about the new 22 Tundra since I still own and love my 2000 Limited TRD 4x4 off road. But Unfortunately due to my really high mileage I am in desperate need for a new truck to take the family and camper everywhere. I can’t buy a new engine and transmission for my old truck unfortunately, I need something reliable to off road and tow to our great national parks. She’s been 22 years of trouble free joy, we have a great bond, it does everything well but most importantly great value. I haven’t posted for the past few months because I have moved on, no longer interested in the new 22. I don’t need to rub it in to anyones eyes on this forum that I have moved on. I tend to walk into a bar with class and leave the same way even if I’m shitfaced. I do want to tell Toyota that I’m extremely disappointed in the new 22. They probably don’t care that a fanboy moved on because if they did they would listen to the people who use trucks for what they were meant for. All I can do and it’s the only way they may feel it …. Is to not give them my money, this is my vote (something that doesn’t count much these days) for the new 22 they designed and built from ground up. It’s the only way I can tell them I’m disappointed and I have moved on.

 

Write them a letter, tell them they lost you and why. It’s the only way they know how bad they failed. I’m in the same boat as you.

 

Agree with wanting the upgrade , but don't have to go to new , just go newer.

 

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I believe with many things you state here.

I think the plastic bed, the lack of tow hooks, the trimmer interior--bed size, etc, has changed the way Big "T" has viewed their place in the truck market.

I believe they wanted to produce a larger Taco, with a hotter mill, but not really a "truck" but a grocery-getter, Starbucks runner, let's not get it dirty and for sure DO NOT haul anything of weight in that bed.

They need to really look at what they've produced. They put out the new Toyota full sized "SantaCruz" https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/santa-cruz

- kind of a truck but really not, with a hawt TT engine and 4x4 capable, with all the electric doo-dads to do battle against the Big 3.

Ok, Big "T" ...but you ain't getting my money for a new anything.

I'm thinking '16 to '21 will get my cash when it's time.

 

You know it’s bad when the F-150 crowd starts to chime in…

 

The real question is will the new model sell more than those before? First year or two, most likely because of the newness.

Years 3 and beyond are the real test. My fear would be Ford's all electric PU will outdo this one alone, again a fear not a prediction or wish.