Comments on: Motor Trends Spins Tundra Into Truck of the Year

By: kjc117

kjc117 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:50:46 +0000

Good for Toyota, the Tundra is a huge step forward. The Tundra is a good truck.

By the amount of Tundra hate on this and many other boards it is legit and have the domestics very worried.

I have seen them as work trucks but some contractor’s can’t use them because of the unionized job sites won’t allow them.

By: jazbo123

jazbo123 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:01:57 +0000

Fine, they make a good small truck. But I thought we were talking about the Tundra.

“If you think Toyota lacks understanding about what makes a real truck, I would with respect, invite you to check out the TOPGEAR videos on YouTube where the guys destroy a Toyota PU. I would say with all sincerity that there is not a Ford, GM or Dodge PU ‘heavy duty’ or not on this planet that could take the abuse that this Toyota HiLux took, Period.”

I agree 100%

By: musah

musah — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:53:29 +0000

Phew, atlast someone who sees the worth of the big TUNDRA. Nice work MOTOR TREND.

By: shaker

shaker — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:35:06 +0000

Seeing the equality between the TOTY offerings, it’s possible that MT was attempting to offset choosing the domestic CTS as COTY.

By: Bunter1

Bunter1 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:07:00 +0000

Hi Frank-I was primarily responding to the claim the Tundra sales were down
Definately understand what you are saying, it is far easier to see big percentage increases over a model that is a small seller. I think we will see the same thing with Malibu retail this year.

That said, the Tundra’s increase had to come out of somebodys hide. Yes economics is part, probably most of the drop for Ford and GM, but part of it is Toyota.
Also, look at the sales per dealership, Tundra is right in there, and Toyota is concentrated in urban areas with little representation in rural areas where PUs rule the earth.

I think the D2.8 would be very foolish to discount this truck.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Merry Christmas,

Bunter

By: jthorner

jthorner — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:11:07 +0000

The only other “new” trucks for the time in question were the Super Duty versions of GM and Ford’s pickup truck lines.

Besides the published criteria, there is also a question of which vehicle will provide MT with the most cubic yards of advertising dollars. Toyota is all over that game with the Tundra launch. They are spending crazy amounts of advertising and promotion money on Tundra because … they can! Toyota is swimming in cash and is laying down plenty of it to promote their new truck.

Many uninformed people will interpret the MT Truck of the Year award to mean that Tundra is a better truck than a Silverado or F150. In fact, however, winning that award makes no such claim. Smoke and mirrors.

That said, I could care less about a few recalls. As a buyer I care a lot about things which hit my pocket book after the warranty expires and which by rights shouldn’t have gone wrong, but if the company discovers an oops and fixes it on their dime, no big deal.

The one person I know who bought a new Tundra is absolutely thrilled with it.

By: 50merc

50merc — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:25:55 +0000

I once read that Motor Trend demands a bunch of perks from Car/Truck of the Year winners, like the free use of several vehicles for a year. That sounded much like a beauty contest judge requiring Miss Utopia to sleep with him when she wins the pageant.

Does anyone know if MT does get some “gratuities” from Car/Truck of the Year honorees?

By: ApexAlex

ApexAlex — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:23:22 +0000

thetopdog:

“It’s not really ’spin’ as much as it is lack of competition.”

LOL!

and the criticisms of MT for this choice seems to be ITSELF full of spin!

By: Samir Syed

Samir Syed — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:03:51 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3×0&feature=related

Disclaimer: Ford is behind this, and the GM truck has an offroad package, so it’s probably not a fair comparison. Still, how damning is this for the Tundra.

By: casper00

casper00 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:35:12 +0000

I’m not surprise. It seems like through out the years the big 2.8, their truck line up has gone down hill. It seem like they have run out of ideas to make their truck better. Toyota on the other hand started out at the bottom, but it seems like each year they improve drastically. I’ll never thought I see the day that toyota truck line-up would out do the big 2.8.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:01:02 +0000

I think it’s funny how people criticize the Tundra for not being a “heavy duty work truck”.
As if every that buys a domestic truck uses it for work duty. Yes, there are posers who drive them too.
But think it out…a kid gets a Corolla as a 1st car, moves up to Camry, then an Avalon. He’s had Toyota products for years, enjoyed every one of them. Now he wants a truck–you think he should go elsewhere after being a loyal Toyota customer?
The Japanese carmakers have made larger and larger cars to keep their customers in the fold. It’s only logical to cover the large truck segment too.
Customer satisfaction and loyalty is the name of the game. Funny how those who would never own a Japanese-named product are the very 1st to criticize them.

By: P.J. McCombs

P.J. McCombs — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:40:19 +0000

These “OTY” awards will continue to be irrelevant for as long as they require contenders to be all-new or heavily revised for that model year.

Without qualifying the back-patting fluff with a reminder that, oh, say, a 3-Series or G37 is still a better drive than a CTS (MT’s ‘08 COTY), these awards amount to a “Most Improved” trophy at best, or a blatant PR circus at worst.

By: Hank

Hank — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:42:32 +0000

Its still a better choice than the “truck” that won this “coveted” award in 2006. Maybe.

Deleted my comment, my memory was faulty and I had the 2006 confused with the 2007. Now that I’ve got the right truck in mind, I whole-heartedly agree.

By: Banned User

Banned User — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:22:16 +0000

What is really hurting the Big 2.8 is the loss of profits from these former cash full size pickups. They need to cut the price at the same time as they are losing sales.

By: Frank Williams

Frank Williams — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:37:36 +0000

Bunter1 :
Who’s truck sales are down? November Tundra up 40 something percent GM down.

True, Tundra is up over last year’s sales – but let’s level the playing field a bit. Comparing Tundra’s sales this year (for a new, highly promoted model) against the smaller, lame-duck model from the previous year is a bit misleading. And don’t forget, if you sell 2 this year and 4 next year, your sales are up 100%. Just quoting percentages can be misleading.

Silverado and F-series still outsell the Tundra by a factor of three or four every month. The decline in their sales is due to economics and fuel economy, not Tundra’s impact on their market. The only reason their percentages look so bad is that they sold much better in previous years.

By: umterp85

umterp85 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:30:55 +0000

Lets also not forget that segment leader Ford will have an all new F150 next year. Unlike the Focus—I expect the F150 to be better than its already solid predecessor.

By: Bunter1

Bunter1 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:20:12 +0000

Mikey-Who’s truck sales are down? November Tundra up 40 something percent GM down.
Keep in mind the 2WD Tundra scored very well in CR.

Also, the old GMT800 platform had 4wd drivetrain issues through it’s whole run that were never addressed. Be interesting to see if they were addressed in the GMT900 (usually show up in CR in year 2 or 3).

Don’t be surprised if (when?) the Tundra issues are gone pretty fast. Toyota deals with stuff, GM doesn’t.

By: 86er

86er — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:57:28 +0000

troonbop:

Great looking vehicle, toyota will handle the recalls and move solidly into that market in a few years. After all, if the dullards at GM can do it, how hard can it be?

Let’s criticize GM where it is deserved. Full-size trucks is not the segment to do it in.

By: taxman100

taxman100 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:36:46 +0000

It’s another truck for suburbanites to drive to Home Depot, only it is less capable than the domestics, and sucks as much if not more gas.

It has it’s market, but I’ve yet to see one that is actually used as a work truck.

By: troonbop

troonbop — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:23:34 +0000

Great looking vehicle, toyota will handle the recalls and move solidly into that market in a few years. After all, if the dullards at GM can do it, how hard can it be?

By: mikey

mikey — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:10:53 +0000

Lets see all kinds of recalls a goofy look and now sales are down?
And we wonder why real truck people think of them as a P.O.S

By: Rday

Rday — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:52:23 +0000

WHen you consider Toyota build a brand new plant for a brand new pickup, I think that they are doing just fine. Detroit has been using the same basic pickups for years with periodical updates. Makes it easier to control recalls/defects. Toyota will get these things cleared up and they will be OK. It is not important if they meet their sales goal in a down market where everyone is losing pickup sales this year. THey have Detroit running scared..because Toyota built the Tacoma into the industry leader [Like the Camry, Corolla, etc] and they will do it with the Tundra. Just give them some time. Amazing how people forget who Toyota really is. Even after a 30+ year track record of success.

By: whatdoiknow1

whatdoiknow1 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:15:43 +0000

In this case though, there was evidence-aplenty of problems due a hurried design [or just lack of understanding real truck requirements] prior to the actual awarding.

Hey Toyota – unlike your other markets, US people really beat the crap out of full size trucks.

Correct me if I am wrong but isnt the Tundra designed and built in Texas by a bunch of Americans working for Toyota?

By: Orian

Orian — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:10:00 +0000

I suppose on the bright side you don’t have to worry about the Tundra going up in flames as it sits in your garage ala the F150 at the moment…and Toyota actually recalls things when a problem is discovered instead of ignoring it for 10 years.

By: GS650G

GS650G — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:02:46 +0000

Previous MT COTY winners include the 74 mustang and the renault alliance so let’s not read into the award too awful much. What is curious is why it took Toyota (and even Honda/Nissan) so long to get into the big truck game and now they are here fuel prices threaten to shrink the market anyway. I’d like to see Hyundai sell pickups here. They make buses and semi tractors in Korea for sale everywhere but here. Hyundai knows how to build these vehicles and could give them all a run for their money.

And being the new kid on the block they would get the MT TOTY award by default.