2021 Tundra vs 2022 F150

Hi everyone,

First time poster here.

I am in the market for a new truck. Currently have a Wrangler JL. Fun to drive but I can just feel it is going to last without a crap ton of repairs, I need more room for my new daughter, and I need better towing for a jet skiis when I get them

Was looking at an F150 with the 5.0 V8. Test drove the F150 (2.7). Was getting a good deal on a Lariat with all the nice stuff (12 inch screen, vented/heated seats, etc). Was a very nice ride. Really didn't have any complaints.

BUT, I am looking at the 2021 Tundra because it also has a V8. My first car was a Ford Expedition with the 5.4 V8. That car lasted FOREVER. Loved it, did everything I needed to. So I am wanting to go back to a V8 for longevity so that is why I don't want the 22

My question is, the 2021 Tundra TRD Pro, which I want because I LOVE Lunar Rock to death, doesn't have all the comfort I am looking for. Bigger screen, wireless car play, vented seats, good MPG etc. Overall quality of life things.

But I love the Toyota Tundra reputation (owned a Rav4 and had no issues). I am looking at the 2021 because its the last V8 but I feel like I might have regrets down the road because it doesn't have everything I want and will cost a lot in gas (especially with gas prices these days)

Does anyone here have any insights on this internal debate?

Thank you!

 

It basically comes down to what you value most. For me, it was reliability, with anything else being a very distant second. I know plenty of people with F150's; and several with 2018+ F150's and the 5.0. I can also tell you NONE of them have problem-free vehicles. Up till about 2018 I was a fan of the 5.0L V8 but I believe that year they changed some of the internals (plasma welded sleeves something or other), and the 2 or 3 people I know who own them now have had a few recalls, and all of them use a quart or two of oil between oil changes. These are new to 2 or 3 year old trucks, mind you.

I owned a 2013 F150 with the 5.0L V8, and it's the reason I now own a 2020 Tundra. Not quite as comfortable as the F150, but for the money you'll almost definitely save on repairs, you can upgrade seats, wireless car play, etc....and the MPG isn't that different. Loafing around at 65 or so I easily get 18-19MPG.

 

look up some of the F150 forums, that should provide all the info you need to make a choice. Some of the issues people have with them is nuts for the $ they spent on a new truck! F150s have more issues and service repair visits, less reliable, lower resale.
Tundra has V8 power, reliable, poor MPG, subpar payload for the class.

Expect to pay top dollar for any new truck at this point. Hardest part is going to be finding an affordable TRD PRO, many dealers are marking them up so they can be costly.

If you trade your vehicle every 3 or so years, pick any half ton pickup and dump it when warranty expires. If you hold on to a vehicle 5+ years, it is hard to beat Toyota reliability and resale value.

 

Also check the platinum if you want ventilated seats. You’ve already found this forum…plenty of people here to help you spending turn your platinum in to a pro.

 

my buddy with a 2021 f150 was stranded at 7k miles. truck just died and had to be towed.

 

Look at it this way, if you intend to keep the truck for its entire lifetime, you are going to have repairs. Are you a DIYer?

Ford parts are saturated in the market everywhere. They'll be cheaper and easier to find.
Tundra parts may be harder to get ahold of, depending on the sub-model. Prices will vary by location, but they'll still be relatively affordable.

Not a DIYer? After awhile, it'll be better to go to a non-dealer shop.

Anybody can work on a Ford. For anything Ford-specific, IDS is an affordable and easy to use diagnostic program.
Toyotas are also easy to work on, but you'll be better off taking it to an Asian specialist. They'll have the special tools and software needed.


That being said, coming from somebody who has owned a Ford V8 in the past and loved that truck, I would buy the Tundra and make it your own.

 

I LOVED the 5.0 coyote when I tested it. This was during COVID, so they pushed me for an extended test drive over a weekend.

That truck would have likely gotten me in trouble, as it was REALLY quick off the line (if you turned off stop-start). Tundra can be as well, but without tweaks its a bit more restrained head to head.

They offered an incredible deal on it, as it was driven by the dealer for like 3 months as a personal vehicle and was "new" with 1k miles on it or something. Turned it down because the stop start drove me nuts, the engine was known to leak oil, and the most trivial thing of all - the center console had a stupid way of opening. I don't know why that ground my gears so much, but it was some "new" way to do it that was entirely ass backwards and I opened it accidently with my elbow a few times. In further hindsight, seeing all the folks with new trucks having rusty axles and other parts with only 100 miles on the ODO and a ton of other "issues" make me glad I didn't go for fancy.

Tundra was bang simple and still is. Added some storage under the seats, added a 10" screen, and it's logged a ton of miles already without even blinking. I'm sure I would have gotten a mile or two better MPGs with the Ford, but I spent 10% more and carried zero hassles in the first 9 months of ownership.

 

I ordered a 21 F150 loaded Lariat in May, it still hasn't been built so I could still take it. But right now I have a 21 TRD Pro in Lunar Rock. It doesn't have fancy features true, but I think it has the right amount to make it a solid choice. About the 2 things I wish it had was lane keep, and memory seats. Everything else I really don't need.

My F150 was $8500 off when I ordered it, and Ford is converting it to a 22 order and I get another $3500 off as well. It makes it pretty cheap and will have to think about it but I don't think I'll take delivery. Register on the Ford forums and follow the posts. The rusty axles isn't an issue now, it was a supplier problem and not really a problem just surface rust. But what is a problem is a lot of electronic bugs. The 5.0 is also still out on the jury with oil consumption as some still report the problem. Ford also uses cylinder deactivation and that's just not something I want.

 

I have seen many fords last a long time and I have seen many of them be complete pieces of crap.... It's kind of amazing.
I can say however, all the toyotas in my family(its been like 20) have NEVER once had an issue.

The fords are nice trucks, just like the chevys and doges, but the toyota will last longer if you treat it well.

 

Uh oh… another Ford vs Tundra thread. I had a F-150, and had several minor problems that more irritants than anything. Never got stranded in 6 years and 120k miles but a lot of small annoying problems.

You won’t beat the Tundra on reliability and resale - that was my main reason for buying a Tundra. But as everyone knows it’s way behind others in fit and finish. The one thing I hated about the Tundra was the ride and payload.

I now have an F-250 bc I needed the higher towing capacity and it rides and handles WAY better than the Tundra.

 

had an f250 diesel, i don't tow or haul, maintenance was pricey. never gave me problems all 120k miles. sold her and got a tundra. i like the handling better and the fact that i can make a U-turns easier.

 

That was my experience. My previous F150 (2004 with the 4.6L) wasn't anything special, but other than shocks, brakes, etc., I never had to replace *anything* on it, which is why I bought my 2013 F150.

It never left me stranded, but I had a *LOT* of small issues (e.g., rough running engine; left rear door wouldn't latch in cold weather; CONSTANT media system issues; valve body separator plate TSB; seat rail TSB; rear defroster window replaced 3x; and so on). More to the point, though, the dealerships just sort of...didn't care, or were flat out uneducated.

For example, first time my defroster back glass went out, I was told, and I quote, "Well, the defroster itself is under warranty...but it's permanently attached to the back glass which is NOT under warranty."



Turns out the actual issue - which I had to go look up elsewhere - was that the non-heated and the heated back glass had two different part numbers. They replaced it twice, and then the third time, despite being under warranty, they said they did as a 'dealer favor' to me, because warranty services wouldn't approve the replacement because 'it' had already been done twice, and therefore I was obviously doing something to it to make it break prematurely.'

That's when I said I'd had enough; and that's why I now own a Tundra.

 

Truth! The turning radius on the Tundra is awesome. Not so much on my F-250, in fact it sucks. But it’s a much longer truck too.

 

My thoughts are simple:

A. Are you ABLE to source a Lunar Rock ‘21 Tundra - it’s a Pro only color option and not like there are a ton out there for sale - No point debating what’s not even available to you or going to cost 15k over sticker to me.

B. Lack of lux items on the Pro - what is it missing you want ? You say big screen - how big do you need ?? Is AM not an option - the JBL is mediocre to most users. Seats are heated - just not cooled…is it that important to you? Only “biggie” I found was blind spot monitoring - once you had it, it’s a nice thing to have. What else does Ford give you that’s missing on a Tundra?

C. What’s the price point on the Ford - with different trims - prices vary - the Pro is simple - it’s 55k more or less plus accessories you are forced to buy - so typically worst case 60k. You can easily exceed that on a loaded up trim F150.

 

I was debating too this as well, just got a 2021 TRD pro 1 a month ago. My neighbor has a fully loaded F150 so I got good amount of time with it.

Some threads I put out that you might enjoy reading about my initial experiences with my TRD Pro: TLDR its all awesome but the seats need work to be comfortable.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/just-got-a-2021-trd-pro-first-impressions-for-future-buyers.96030/
https://www.tundras.com/threads/jus...ro-first-impressions-for-future-buyers.96106/

Things you said you cared about and my thoughts on them:
Bigger screen - bigger screens are cool but in the day to day you will never be like "crap I cant press this button because the screen is too small"
Wireless car play - you can add this later, I have found myself not caring to add it. I thought I would need it since I have it on my wifes suv.
Vented seats - you wont miss it, vented seats don't send cool air up...its just making ambient air flow.
good MPG - depends on your financial situation. You are talking about 20-30% more a month max, depending on how much you drive that could be alot or a little. You will gain on having almost zero maintenance cost and the comfort of knowing your car will turn on every day.

 

I had a 2014 F-150. It was the ecoboost mind you but it was a turd. It spent most of its time in the shop during my ownership. Timing chain issues, turbos ,etc. Part of me wishes I bought the 5.0 to see if it was any better. If you like any colors besides Lunar Rock, get a Limited or Platinum at much less than a pro and it gets you some of the creature comforts you are looking for. Then upgrade a couple of things like suspension, exhaust, tires, etc to make it better than a pro.

 

Before you read what I think, here is some context: I am an admitted Toyota fan. I buy base models and mod how I want. I don't like lots of features. The more the truck can do on its own, the more potential failure points. And lastly, Ford doesn't make a vehicle that I would buy with your money. Except maybe the HD trucks. But I don't need that much truck.

My thoughts on the F150:
• I’m not comfortable towing/hauling what Ford says it’s capable of.
• Don't buy it for the mpg; it's likely not capable of hitting what Ford says. There are class-action lawsuits against Ford for this (among many other things).
• I don’t have time to be chasing down lots of little issues or even interior rattles.
• I don’t ever want to have to go back to the dealer for anything.
• I like to maintain my own vehicles, and getting under most domestics is kind of a nightmare.
• I’m not interested in being wowed by new tech or features. A giant screen is utterly pointless. You can’t watch movies or surf the internet on it, and your eyes should be on the road anyway. Bigger screen means more functions go away from knobs, which you can reach for and turn while watching the road.

My thoughts on the Tundra:
• I’m comfortable towing up to the Tundra’s stated limits and even being over payload on occasion. Some people are WELL over payload without issues. Toyota states their limits conservatively compared to the domestics.
• Fuel efficiency is among the worst of all vehicles on the road. But I will GLADLY spend several hundred dollars per year more in fuel to not have to deal with any issues.
• No issues—large or small—to chase down. No rattles. Every time I want to go somewhere, the truck is ready to go. This is as expected.
• I haven’t had to go back to the dealer for anything. This is glorious and as expected.
• Self-maintenance is by far the easiest on this truck. Everything is within reach and exactly where you want it to be. Underneath is a thing of beauty.
• The ‘21 has a small touch screen which I use for CarPlay and giant tactile knobs/buttons I don’t need to take my eyes off the road to adjust for everything else.

 

During that same year - I can confirm it wasn't. LOL I mean, the engine itself was nice, but

a) the 3.31 gearing neutered the hell out of it. As heavy as the Tundra is it EASILY outran the 5.0L that year.
b) Ecoboost made most of its torque down low. I was able to tow a 20' trailer 'easily' with it, but to do so I sometimes had to get all the way into 2nd gear to maintain speed - and that's in the Ozarks.

 

Thanks all for awesome and quick replies!

Some of the common questions people asking me are

1) No wireless car play isn't necessary but a bigger 10 inch screen would be nice, it just makes it easier, nicer resolution, etc

2) Vented seats are very nice because of warmer climates (Texas). My wife has it and its awesome to me

3) Basic safety is also important but Toyota includes that

It seems like F-150s are flashy and I like that stuff but it could be more prone to breaking because of the fanciness?

Which would would be better for a family long term should be a better question

 

Refer to post #17....

 

I would take any model year Tundra over a 2022 F150.

 

It's not only that the Fords have more failure points because of more features; it's that they are simply not built as well. Ford has issues at a much higher rate than Toyota. People who say "of course there are more issues with Fords; they make more trucks" are missing this point.

Head to head, a '22 F150 beats a '21 Tundra in MPG, towing, hauling, options, and features. Toyota wins on reliability by a long shot and on price when looking at similar trims. Toyota also wins on time not spent on a lift at the dealer, but that falls under general reliability.

 

Bud. One of my neighbors works at the Claycomo plant where they build F-150s and Transit vans.

Ford cannot find enough people to staff both lines on a shift so they switch back and forth between the lines every hour or two.

His strong opinion is to avoid the F-150 for the time being until this labor thing is worked out.

Build quality is definitely an issue.

 

I feel like I'm going to say pretty much what everyone else has said, but I was in this position as well and decided to go with the 2021 Tundra SR5. The reasons I went that direction is pretty simple; 1) reliability & resale (I plan on having it for a while). 2) availability (a lot more of SR5's vs Pro's/Platinum's out there but I'm not sure you can get SR5 in Lunar Rock) the cost savings of customizing what you want the truck to have/not have. I am one of "those" people that don't like sunroofs in my truck, to get custom heated/vent leather seats = <$3500, custom infotainment/sound = <$2000, etc. The lack of "features" in the Tundra vs the F150 can be added into the truck and you don't have to "pay" for the ones you don't want.

Good post and good convo

 

So I can give some feedback on the two trucks since I own a 21 f150 and a 21 tundra trd pro. It’s pretty simple for me, if you plan keeping the truck for a long time than I would get the tundra, not that I think the ford is unreliable but you just can’t beet the reliability of the tundra. If your gonna keep it around 5-6 years than I say get the f150, maybe even get a extended warranty if your worried about it. The ford is just a much better vehicle than the tundra in all aspects, it’s a lot
More comfortable, the power train is like butter, the tech is amazing. I don’t think you can compare the two if your looking at a better driving vehicle. I guess it depends on what your trying to accomplish. I have the ecoboost and I am very happy with it. I don’t plan on keeping the truck for more than a few years, might even trade it on a super duty next year. I know people with the 2.7 ecoboost that have 200k with no issues, I also know people that own the 3.5 ecoboost with issues from day 1. Just some thoughts

 

Have you looked at the Rams?

The coil rear suspension, Hemi, and ZF8 trans are all very well done. Just put 10k miles on my 2021 Ram work truck, and it had me looking at Rebels. Driving it back to back with my Tundra was a big difference.

Almost bought one since they were offering me $5k over what I bought my 3018 Platinum for almost 3 years ago. Held off, and will test drive another one once the Rebel GT’s start showing up.

 

You don’t mention suspension as one of your primary features, so I assume buying a Pro with factory warranty on off-road suspension isn’t really needed…you can get ventilated seats in the Platinum and 1794 as standard equipment. Safety-wise, the platinum and 1794 both come standard with blind spot monitoring…neither of these features are on a Pro.

Ford does have a better tech package when it works, but it’s also prone to break…flew to TX last June (2020) with my buddy to pick up his new ‘20 Raptor and the front camera was DOA…was actually in service being replaced before taking delivery—a brand new truck that hadn’t even been test driven, and the front camera was dead. On the drive back to AZ, the head unit display powered off while driving, still w/audio playing, just no display. In the first 6 months and less than 3k miles, the front camera went out again (this time, on backorder for months before anticipated dealer stock to come in). This is an $80k+ trim Raptor…When the camera finally came in, an appointment needed to be set; Ford then asked him to drop the truck at 8:00am and they’d call him to come pick it up late afternoon…when he asked why it needed to be there all day for a 10 min plug/play swap out and that he had an appointment…they indicated they’d just work it in as a bay became available. He asked if he’d be given a Raptor for the day as a loaner…no, he could pay for whatever car was available through the on-site rental company if he needed transportation—not the type of service expected for a luxury priced vehicle that is coming in for the same failure in less than 6 months of ownership ($80k+ truck - think equivalent luxury brand and the treatment you get when going in for service). Also, his driver side mirror glass rattles/vibrates to the extent it is a blurred image when trying to actually use it ~9k miles and 15months of ownership…Ford is aware, but doesn’t have a fix.

It does ride nice and the Fox live valve technology is unbelievable, but it’s still the same Ford F-150 bs underpinning issues that are concerning. If this is how the quality/service is on their premium line Raptor, imagine what you get in lower trim F150s.

Pic of his truck the day we picked it up (because post isn’t credible w/o pics)

 

It sounds like you should wait for the 2022 Tundra, then compare it to the F150. It's going to have more option/features/etc available. So if those are important to you, then wait.

Most folks I know with F150's don't care which engine is in it, be it the 3.5 turbo or 5.0 V8. And both have been reliable. I am not sure about the 2.7.

 

If you value tech wizardry and prioritize it over everything else or it is a super high priority, then the Tundra, and Toyota in general, isn't for you.

Ford's V8's are substantially different from the old SOHC 5.4 V8.

It was suggested before: follow some other forums and see not only the kind of problems, but the frequency, and compare to Tundra forums.

 

I had a 2020 Ford F-150 V8 5.0l and I though it was great. However, I test drove a 2021 Tundra and I traded my ford in a instant!