iForce Max or Standard V6 Twin Turbo?

New to this forum. I'm looking to order a Tundra and struggling with which engine to order. I currently have a 2018 GMC 1500 with the V8 6.2L engine. I don't tow all that often, but when I do its a boat, ice fishing house or something around 5000-6000lbs. Am I going to be disappointed with the standard V6 Tundra compared to what I'm driving now? The iForce Max Hybrid is intriguing but I had losing all that storage under the rear seat where the battery is. Any thoughts on this? Thank you.

GMC 6.2L
420 HP
460 Torque

Tundra non-hybrid
389 HP
479 Torque

Tundra hybrid
437 HP
583 Torque

 

The standard non turbo is more than enough , its has a ton of torque at 2400 rpm , it will tow that like it’s not even there

no need to spend extra money and lose all the storage if your not max towing all the time

I’ve driven the gm 6.2, the tundra feels more torquey imo and when the boost spools it pulls very nicely. If your at a higher elevation, boost will out perform NA all the time

my .02

 

Didn't go with the hybrid due to loss of the underseat storage. That being said the hybrid is noticably faster. My wife's Sequoia will boogy

 

I don’t think that’s reflected in any testing numbers I’ve seen, they run about the same speed, all the extra weight kills it. If your max towing it will get the load started easier off the line with the extra grunt, but other than that, it’s a waste and doesn’t do much else .

just my opinion though , and you know what they say, ha!

 

Get the hybrid. Why consider the new generation Tundra if you're not going to indulge in the tech. Plenty of other non-hybrid twin turbo trucks that cost less from other manufacturers. Might as well get a nicer interest rate and fancy shit if everyone is scared of 3rd gen reliability anyway.

 

Fair but it feels faster. Maybe my truck is beater. Also I haven't run her ride hard to 60 or quarter mile since it's a demo. I'm speaking in terms of off the line and lower speed responsiveness.

 

I'll clarify it's seat of the pants measurements.

 

Speed aside as I've been fact checked on! Haha

Under seat storage goes away. Be sure to weigh that factor in your decision making.

 

I drove a few, and had a non-hybrid 1794 lined up until I drove a hybrid. The one thing I didn't like was the slight hesitation of the non-hybrid. Didn't even notice it much until I drove the hybrid, and then it was something I couldn't ignore so I went w the hybrid.

 

Drive it for yourself to decide...

Test drove a hybrid vs non hybrid at a few dealerships. It's hard to really know what you want from a quick 20 min dealership test drive.

I took hybrid 2023 for test drive from Carmax dealership as they allow all day test driver. It's been great to drive on your own and really see how you like the different seats and how powertrain is.. Highly recommend this approach.

If you drive city a lot, you'll appreciate hybrid more. It feels much stronger and smoother from the start

 

Is this for 2025 I assume?

 

I love the sound of this and knowing that you are not just talk to talk ,, I am really excited about it
Please keep us updated
Thank you

 

Appreciate the feedback. I've driven both...what stuck out to me with hybrid is if I punch it on the highway going 65mph it jumps right away. How that equates to towing...not sure. Maybe the standard will pull the same.

I should mention I don't consider myself a gear head by any means. That's not a strong point of mine.

 

Its a little disappointing you barely gain any gas mileage with the hybrid too.

 

No, you wont be disappointed. The 6.2L makes its 460 ft-lbs of torque at 4100 rpm. The base tundra V6 is making 479 at 2400 rpm. If anything the tundra will pull harder anywhere below 4000 rpm. It will only feel a little slower up top.

also, keep in mind that the 6.2L power and torque numbers are with premium fuel. The Tundras numbers are with 87 octane. So if you run 87 in both trucks the Tundra should feel much stronger since the 6.2 wont be making 460 torque anymore.

 

There also another hybrid twin turbo truck which has better fuel economy, better performance and a generator capability. So why buy a Tundra at all?

 

I’d prob do like the other poster suggested and hit up a Carmax, except, I’d test drive the non-hybrid and see if it’s for you.

Reason I say that, for myself I didn’t want to drive the hybrid knowing up front that I didn’t need it in any way, but if I drove both I was afraid I’d talk myself into spending the difference just because once I was exposed to it I’d talk myself into something I by no means needed.

That being said, I came from a 3rd Gen Tacoma, and the Tundra has so much more power and flies off the line and pulls hard up the hills in comparison. I would have towed those weights you are talking with my Tacoma, so I wouldn’t even be concerned about it’s ability to throw that weight around.

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either way, and I will say having the under seat storage (which I didn’t REALLY have w/ the Tacoma (it’s there but nearly useless and harder to access)) is pretty awesome. Most of the stuff I kept in the bed of the Tacoma is nicely stored under the seats.

 

I'm not crazy about the look of the Fords if that's what you're referring to.

 

I’ve owned a 2018 GMC with a 6.2l and I have the iForce Max now. I also rented a non hybrid iForce for a few days. I really don’t think you’d be disappointed with either option but I will say the iForce Max is a lot of fun and I’m very glad I spent the extra money! It has boatloads of torque and makes towing fun.

 

I didn’t test drive any tundras do to lack of inventory. One thing I noticed with my non hybrid is on takeoff it seems to lag a bit maybe because of the turbo and maybe the hybrid doesn’t do this? My 2020 tundra with the 5.7 didn’t do this.
The truck pulls hard and smooth al the way through the gears though. Lots of low end torque once moving

 

So you now have a 2023 Tundra non-hybrid and you're pleased?

 

Yes, the interior is leap years ahead, the 10 speed is very smooth, low end torque pulls steadily. Fuel economy is noticeably better, I use metric here, so around town I’m getting 14.5-16L/100km, v8 tundra was 17-20+ same driving

 

So it's a bit hard to explain...
I didn't really fully understand what I really want, and the benefits of hybrid vs non hybrid until I drove my non hybrid for about a year, then drove a hybrid for a day to compare.

I guess if you don't drive in the city, and don't need to stop at every block on stop signs, and every few blocks at red lights, then maybe you'll feel less of a difference.

I got non hybrid, and every time I have to idle engine, it kills my mpg... Each time I need to run ac when not driving, each time I'm in drive through or waiting in line at a gas station, each time I'm slowly creeping in traffic... My engine keeps running, wasting gas, and I keep thinking to myself "wow, if I had a hybrid, engine would be off, I would be using battery only, and saving gas and engine run time/emissions..." And I feel stupid for not having hybrid.

Hybrid pros:
1. Much stronger acceleration, less hesitation from the start
2. Can drive slowly on battery only with gas engine off - drive through lines, heavy traffic stop and go, etc. Now this is not a prius nor highlander, so Tundra will switch to gas engine more quicker if you need it to drive faster...
3. Can run AC with engine off (up to certain limit).
4. Personally, my city mpg with non hybrid is 11-12mpg, hybrid gave me about 18-20mpg. A huge difference for me when driving city.
5. Many non hybrid trucks have gas pedal hesitation from the start, see post above, so hybrid will drastically reduce that or eliminate it

Hybrid cons:
1. Higher price
2. No storage under rear seat, so get some sort of storage options for the bed
3. Battery warranty is 10 years, so may need to have big cost replacement after...
4. More complex engine, but Toyota is one of the best at hybrids, so not a huge con.

 

I come from a 2017 Tacoma V6. Tried to buy a 2022 non-hybrid Tundra last year but dick head dealer wouldn't sell it to me without tacking on a $16,000 upcharge to MSRP. No sale.

Tried again this year, and test drove the hybrid "just because". The hybrid to me blew the doors off the regular version. Way more torque, none of the "engine shutoff" nonsense, and overall a better driving experience.

Bought the hybrid. Got it for "only" MSRP. (UGH...) Worth every bit of the hybrid option upcharge to me. No "ragrets" and I recommend to do the same.

I tow a Keystone Springdale 202QBWE (look it up for specs) and used my new hybrid truck to tow from SoCal to Zion a few months ago. I was passing slow vehicles going uphill on Halloran Summit and struggling to keep my speed below 80 in southern Utah.

It tows the trailer like it isn't even there. For those talking about losing the storage- what exactly are you storing anyways?? I don't miss it at all and the crap like ratchet straps, road flares, first aid kit, Bubba rope and a Smitty D shackle all fit behind the rear seats. Flashlight goes on the center console. Done and done.

My vote is "get the hybrid - is worth it."

 

Truck will run on battery’s at 70 mph. It’s not just slow. Best method is cruise control and let the computer do its thing
I got 25 mpg @80 mph over 2 mountain passes yesterday. My fuel burn was less than half of my 2012 Tundra on that same run to the in-laws

 

I too came from a Chevy 1500 and I dropped in a SC anyhow, I wasn't excited about losing 7 cubic feet of space under the seat,but don't sell yourself short and get the standard V6TT.
and be miserable should coulda sinario.

There has been X amount of threads/discussions about this same question and some may chime in and tell you to do a search for it,so absorb it while you can.

Some people can get heated about this topic to do to the non hybrid lag. some say there is & some say there isn't.
do yourself a favor & test drive them both don't just do the backroad dealership neighborhood trip, take it out on hwy and rip it up,unless you have disposable income or ya gonna trade it in,in a couple of years then who cares, obviously you Don't it's just money.
But honestly, try them both out it'll help you make that decision.

Good hunting.

 

I drove both trucks, pass on the hybrid putting the extra coins in a higher trim, just keep my truck in sport mode around town no regrets here.

 

I was hella surprised. I have got 30 before but it was flat drive at 55 mph, no stops

this time I had my foot stuffed in it the whole way for 5 hours over 2 mountain ranges

 

If you like speed and powah get the hybrid or else you’ll regret it. I smoke my friends N/A bad every single time. He now regrets not getting the hybrid

 

Every magazine test I have seen puts them nearly identical in acceleration.