2014 Toyota Tundra

The trim lineup of the Tundra includes three different trims that are targeted at various price ranges from $27,000 and going all the way up to $44,550. These are known as the SR, Limited, and Platinum. Right from the base trim level, the truck is very well equipped with 18-inch steel wheels, matte black front bumper, tow hooks, keyless entry, heated mirrors, full power accessories, damped tailgate, cruise control, air-conditioning, and more.

Which trim should you buy?

Selecting the trim from the Toyota Tundra lineup is hard because it offers not just three trims but also a wide variety of bed lengths and powertrain options. Hence choosing a trim would be very much dependent on what the individual plans to use the truck for. Our recommendation is the Limited trim which comes with 10-way power-adjustable front bucket seats, navigation system, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 20-inch wheels. At $37,200, it is still a good deal.

Under the hood of the Toyota Tundra is a choice of three engines. The base engine is a 4L naturally aspirated V6 engine that generates an excellent 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. Then there is a 4.6L V8 that produces 310 hp and 327 lb-ft of torque. And finally, there is a 5.7L V8 which is the most powerful engine available in the truck. It generates 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque.

The transmissions offered are a five-speed automatic on the 4L, a six-speed automatic on the 4.6L, and the same goes with the 5.7L engine. It is available in both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations. Acceleration figures are decent, with even the base engine having a 7.6 second 0 to 60 mph time, while the powerful engines are much faster.

One can see that among the light-duty full-size pickup trucks, the Toyota Tundra is an extremely cheap option and manages to undercut the price of all of its competitors by several thousand. The Ford F-150 is the most expensive truck in this category, but it also happens to be a more powerful and more engaging truck to drive. It is quite reassuring to know that Toyota is not only cheap but is also very much competent in terms of performance. Its towing capacity is among the best in the category, although its acceleration does not exactly match the competition.

One of the prime reasons manufacturers are now moving towards smaller engines is that they guarantee good fuel efficiency. However, even with the most fuel-efficient engine in its lineup, the Toyota Tundra does not offer much in the way of fuel efficiency. The 2014 Tundra gets EPA ratings of 16 MPG in the city, 20 MPG on the highway, and 17 MPG combined. It also has a decently large fuel tank capacity of 26 gallons, and hence this pickup truck is able to return a range of 416 miles in the city and 520 miles on the highway.

One can see that even though Toyota has bad fuel efficiency, none of its competitors have much to brag about either. The fact that this update has not brought any changes in terms of the powertrain does bring it down a bit. The Ford F-150 is the most powerful truck in this category and also the most fuel-efficient, which is definitely a big plus. The GMC and Chevrolet managed to strike a decent compromise in terms of both.

The interiors of the Toyota Tundra have been refreshed for the current model year. It feels a lot more legible and easy to operate. The controls are much closer now and also more easily readable. The overall ergonomics in this cabin has come a long way from the previous year's model. Overall it is a very practical cabin and can definitely impress buyers.

The seats are also sufficiently large and can seat five or six people depending on the configuration. The seats are built very well and are supportive for passengers of all sizes as well. The space offered in the interior is also quite amazing and will make anyone feel at ease. The cargo box also has excellent capacity at 98.2 cu-ft, which is the best in the competition.

Only the Tundra seats six people in this category when all the others offer seating for only five people. Also, when it comes to cargo capacity, it retains superiority over its competitors by offering almost 50% more than what they all offer. This is definitely surprising and has got to do with the height of the cargo area because the truck has roughly the same dimensions as its competitors. Some standard features include:

• Cloth/Leather upholstery
• Power adjustable seats
• Heating and ventilation for front seats
• Keyless entry
• Driver seat memory function

What’s there to keep you entertained? 

Infotainment has been one of the areas where the biggest change has happened for the current redesign. The Tundra gets the latest Entune infotainment system that we have seen in other Toyota models. The functionality is definitely great and the graphics are also pretty nice. The touchscreen is now standard across the trim levels, and there’s a lot of smartphone connectivity services as well as satellite radio and so on. Some features of the infotainment system include: 

• 6.1 / 7.0 -inch touchscreen display
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 4-speaker audio system
• HD Radio
• CD Player
• USB port 

The Toyota Tundra manages to stand out in a crowd of nearly identical American pickup trucks. However, there are both fans and haters for this particular design language. It is on the heavier side of its category with a curb weight of a whopping 5,335 pounds. In terms of dimensions, it is quite large and offers very decent ground clearance at 10 inches, making it the most practical when talking about going off the roads. 

The Toyota Tundra has the longest wheelbase in this category but nearly the same dimensions in all other aspects apart from height. It is definitely taller and also has a better ground clearance of 10 inches. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a bit larger and yet lighter. The Ford F-150 has the least ground clearance of the lot, even though it is not deprived of it by much. All of them have an insane road presence. Some standout features include:

• Power-folding outside mirrors
• LED headlights
• Heated outside mirrors
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Front and rear map lights

Being sort of a commercial vehicle, the Toyota Tundra has not undergone any safety testing. But structurally, Toyota has devoted a lot of attention to keep the truck and passengers safe. This is due to having features like knee airbags, hill start assist, active front head restraints, rearview camera, etc. as standard. There is also trailer sway control, stability and traction control, and a rearview camera as standard. Some of the standout safety features include:

• Anti Lock brakes
• Stability Control
• Traction control
• Blind-spot monitoring system
• Trailer sway control
• Airbags

The 2014 Toyota Tundra might be an unorthodox choice in the market that is filled with American pickup trucks from the Big Three. However, looking at the price range this pickup is offered at, one definitely has to check it out. It offers good space and has excellent engines that provide decent performance as well as efficiency. With the current redesign, it has become even more attractive and is a worthy competitor to its rivals in every respect. We feel that you should definitely buy one if you are on the lookout for a light-duty full-size pickup truck.