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Coming Next Issue
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Detroit Auto Show 2004 |
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Jaguar S-Type Review |
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| Review: 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Limited, continued. |
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The driving position is high and offers a great view of the surrounding environment, but again, we have to ding the front seating position - our "go leg" (the right leg) has to be held at an uncomfortable angle when driving. And to make matters worse, there isn't a good place to rest your leg, so while driving longer distances, the position becomes exceedingly uncomfortable.
There's plenty of headroom no matter where you sit, and that headroom is further accentuated by our truck's optional power sunroof. With the roof open, the truck feels very much like a Range Rover - it's that open and airy.
All of this size and roominess comes at a premium though. Maneuvering the Toyota Tundra Double Cab had even our most veteran truck drivers complaining about the wide turning radius. Parking required a navigator and a flight plan, and don't even consider making a U-Turn without some support staff. For reference, we made several U-Turns on a four-lane stretch of road, and were unable to accomplish them "cleanly" - they always turned into "Y-Turns."
The other handicap to the Tundra Double Cab's size becomes evident in the performance category. While the 4.7 liter, DOHC, 32-valve i-Force V8 delivers 240 horsepower and 345 pounds-feet of torque, it feels like its straining to push the 5100 pound truck. Our Beltronics GX2 Accelerometer confirmed our suspicions, yielding 0-60 runs of around 9.5 seconds. While this might seem quick, consider the fact that the similarly behemoth Nissan Titan reaches sixty miles per hour three seconds quicker.
That's not to say the Tundra is slow, in fact, the lack of performance is barely noticeable in daily operation. The Tundra is fluid and smooth, a true testament to Toyota's superb engineering capabilities. Creaks, rattles, squeaks, wind, and road noise are almost nonexistent regardless of the outside conditions. We've driven our Tundra Double Cab over some nasty terrain, at high speeds, in some uncomfortably windy situations, and we've heard nary the unwelcome noise. The ride is also surprisingly plush and comfortable, that borders on luxury car-like softness (all without the wallowing or body roll).
Part of this is a direct result of the Limited's standard 17-inch alloy wheels that wear surprisingly quiet P265/65R-17 Dunlop mud and snow tires that are mounted to a pretty sophisticated suspension system. Braking duties are handled by twin-piston disc brakes on the front and drum(!) brakes on the rear. ABS is standard, and the brakes offer a modular, reassuring feel. Our Beltronics GX2 Accelerometer indicated seventy to zero stopping distances of 196 feet, which is a bit longer than we'd like to see, but respectable for a vehicle of this size.
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