2011 Toyota Tundra

The 2011 Toyota Tundra starts at an MSRP of $29,745 and is offered in two trim options. The base trim gets 18-inch steel wheels, a damped tailgate, 40/20/40 split-bench seat, dual-zone air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, a 4-speaker sound system, and a CD player as standard. The Limited trim gets auto-dimming and power-folding exterior mirrors, upgraded gauges, automatic dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, and front-seat adjustable lumbar as standard. There are a lot of optional features to customize your truck.

We recommend

We recommend going for the Limited trim as the base trim lacks many useful features. The Limited trim also gets the more powerful 5.7L V8 engine as standard in both drivetrains. You can select between the 2WD and 4WD depending on your requirements. You can also go for the two mirrors, a navigation system, and a rearview camera which is optional with all the trims. It will make it easier to manage the big and bulky truck. 

The Toyota Tundra is available in three different powertrains and two different drivetrain options to choose from. The more popular engine among the two is a 5.7L V8 motor that produces 301 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. The standard engine that powers the Tundra is a 4L V8 motor producing 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. The 4.6L V8 engine that stays in the middle of the lineup produces a healthy 310 hp and 327 lb-ft.

All the engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission which sends power to the two wheels or all four wheels depending on the drivetrain you select. The transmission is a very slick unit and feels very responsive in its overall operations. The Tundra goes from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds with the help of the 5.7L V8 which becomes a complete second slower when powered by the 4.6L V8 motor.

The 2011 Toyota Tundra has a powerful engine in the competition and produces more power than the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Crew cab, and the Nissan Titan Crew Cab. The RAM 1500 has the most powerful engine in the competition, but it is not the fastest truck in the competition. The Toyota Tundra beats all the competitors in the acceleration figures. The less powerful Nissan Titan Crew Cab also beats the RAM 1500 in terms of outright acceleration.

The bigger and more powerful V8 engine means that the fuel economy will not be great. The Toyota Tundra manages very decent fuel economy figures with the 5.7L V8 motor. The Tundra manages to deliver 13 mpg in the city, 17 mpg on the highway, and 14 mpg of combined fuel economy. The standard 4.0L V6 engine delivers 16 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway, and 18 mpg of combined fuel economy. The mid 4.6L V8 engine manages to deliver 14mpg, 19mpg, and 16 mpg in city, highway, and combined driving conditions, respectively. 

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Crew cab manages to deliver the best fuel economy figures in the competition. The RAM 1500 also performs very well in terms of the fuel economy figures and delivers 1 mpg less than the Chevy in every regard. The Nissan Titan and Tundra have similar fuel economy figures on the highway and combined. The Nissan however, gets the biggest fuel tank of the lot.

The Toyota Tundra offers a spacious and comfortable cabin for the passengers in the front and rear rows. Space is not an issue in the cabin of the Toyota Tundra, but the cabin quality and ergonomics are the main issues that take away from the interior feel. The interior of the Toyota Tundra has not received any update since 2007 when the current generation was launched. The competition has got better during these years which makes the Toyota Tundra feel very outdated when you sit inside.

There are also many ergonomic issues in the cabin of the Toyota Tundra. The volume controls are very hard to reach from the driver’s seat. The gauges are also very hard to reach which makes the experience even worse for the driver. The cabin quality fails to stack up against the modern competitors who have updated the interiors to keep up with time. 

The Toyota Tundra is one of the spacious pickup trucks in the competition and offers the best-in-class legroom for the front row passengers. Tundra also leads the competition in terms of the rear-seat legroom and this time with an even bigger margin. The towing capacity is the least in the competition at 9,000 lbs while the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Crew cab has the best towing capacity at 10,400 lbs. Standout interior features in the 2011 Toyota Tundra include:

• 40/20/40 split-bench rear-seat
• Tilt steering wheel 
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Front seat adjustable lumbar

How good is the infotainment system of the 2011 Toyota Tundra?

The Toyota Tundra gets very basic infotainment features, which also need an update just like the interior quality. It is good enough to get the job done, but the competition offers better infotainment in 2011. The standard infotainment features with the 2011 Toyota Tundra include a CD player, AM/FM radio, an auxiliary audio input, and a 4-speaker audio system. The Tundra CrewMax gets a 12-speaker audio system by JBL and the Double Cab gets a 10-speaker audio system. The infotainment features include:

• CD player
• AM/FM radio
• Auxiliary audio input
• 12-speaker audio system by JBL
•  iPod/USB audio interface (Available)
• Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity (Available)

The Toyota Tundra is an imposing pickup truck that looks very intimidating on the road. The huge front grille gives it a muscular stance from the front. The front grille is covered in a chrome line from all the sides while in between it gets two black lines. The Toyota badge sits in the middle of the grille. On the sides, sit the headlamps and in the bottom, the black skid plate completes the looks from the front. The side looks very similar to the stance of other pickup trucks but you can easily identify that it is a Tundra. The rear remains very simple and houses the taillights on the sides.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD Crew cab is the longest truck in the competition, but the Toyota Tundra has the longest wheelbase including the Chevy Silverado. The Toyota Tundra also offers the best ground clearance and shares the spot with the Nissan Titan Crew Cab at 10.4 inches. The Toyota Tundra is also the heaviest truck in the lot. Standout exterior features in the 2011 Toyota Tundra include:

• 20” alloy wheels
• Bed extender
• Cargo divider
• Exterior cargo net
• Damped tailgate
• Auto-dimming and power-folding exterior mirrors

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave 4 out of 5 stars to the Toyota Tundra in their crash-test rating. There is a scope of improvement in terms of the safety for the Toyota Tundra but it is one of the safer cars in the segment. The 2011 Toyota Tundra comes with a very decent list of standard safety tech and driver assistance features as standard. It gets child seat anchors, dual front side-mounted airbags, stability control, and traction control as standard. The safety features include:

• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
• Stability Control
• Traction Control
• Tire Pressure Monitoring
• Emergency Braking Assist

The Toyota Tundra remains a great choice in its segment. The interior feels a bit outdated as it didn’t receive any update after the launch of the current generation in 2007. The competition has gotten better over time and the Tundra needs an update to stack up against the competition. Still, it remains a practical choice in the segment for the price and the Toyota badge means that it can be with you for years to come without any failure.