Let me preface this by saying that I like 'mud (the forum, not the substance) and I hope that it will become a source of 2G Tundra knowledge. Currently, I frequent http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tundra, but while some of the info is there, the atmosphere isn't 'mud-like.
I am a new owner of a 2008 DC SB 4x4 5.7 Tundra (no, no pictures, sorry, my computer is fried following an incident involving cold weather, virgin sheep and an electric heater) and wanted to a) share my impressions b) start a repository of Tundra knowledge.
A short overview of my impression is: "A Tundra is not a Land Cruiser". As for the rest...
I now have 1001 miles on my Tundra (in just about a month of ownership), miles accumulated in mixed driving over mostly snowy secondary roads. I have yet to exceed 65mph, 15 mpg or 1,000 of towing load.
1. The good:
Nice engine! I was worried about the very touchy throttle response and very hard shifting the two 5.7 trucks I test-drove exhibited, but it turns out that the computer adjusts to your driving style. Once the coolant warms up, the truck reacts beautifully. Smooth, quite, awesome throttle response, plenty of power. The transmission and transmission computer are nice as well. Nice shifts, downshifts on descents.
Nice dash layout and reasonable interior storage (compared to my RC '94 GMC C1500 and '92- & '94 80s), Nice seats. Ok seating position (I'm 5'10"). Nice manual that does a good job explaining all the toys.
For regular on-road driving in less than extreme conditions, the nanny computers do a great job maintaining traction in 2WD. Very even and predictable handling. Driving on an icy dirt road with 10" of fresh powder is a non-event. Nice power steering effort. Very fun truck to drive.
In 4LO, the truck is surprisingly capable. Very nice turning radius, with the tow mirrors the truck is very easy to maneuver in tight quarters. This will make a nice construction-site vehicle.
2. The bad:
The nanny computers (in the default mode) will shut the engine right off in many slippery situations (going uphill on a slippery road in 2WD and encountering a sudden berm, say. TRAC will cut the throttle, and once all forward progress stops, I hit the brakes. ABS kicks in, of course. Once the dust settles, the engine is no longer running. Repeatable, annoying and potentially dangerous). The "Auto-LSD" mode in 4HI is not nearly aggressive enough for deep(er) hard-packed snow. 4LO is not available until the coolant warms up. Nanny computers cannot be turned completely off no matter what the manual says. Under "extreme" conditions, traction control and vehicle stability will still kick in. ABS is always on, of course. That makes for very unpredictable handling – as long as you stay on the gas, the truck usually oversteers in 4HI, off the gas (or if brakes are used at al)l, it usually understeers, but the behavior changes depending on what the traction control computer is thinking.
In general, in default mode, off-road handling (1'-2' of hard-packed slushy snow) is comparable to a loaded granny-driven shopping cart. As traction is lost slightly, the vehicle slows down due to traction control applying the brakes. In conditions in which my unlocked '92 80 keeps moving, the truck starts hopping, slowing, and stops. The 32" Michelin LTX A/S tires don't' help, of course. Since you must be fully stopped to engage 4LO and you really engage 4HI when either under heavy load or when ABS in engaged, driving under quickly changing conditions does require a surprising amount of forethought. I really miss the full-time transfer case of the '92. The part time conversion is for the birds!
No cup holder able to accommodate a 1L Nalgene water bottle. No cup holder able to accommodate wide mugs (I have a bench seat and no console).
Some gages difficult to see in full daylight (the gear selector position and odometer being the worst offenders).
A lot of 'customizable parameters' (courtesy light settings, door lock behavior, headlight delays, etc.) have defaults that I disagree with. Without the Multifunction Information Display (not available on all models), the only choice available to change them is the dealer. $$, time and drool on your seats. Bah humbug!
Low roof, overhead traffic lights are hard to see. The
has trouble adjusting the steering wheel to a position that does not block the gages,
3. The ugly:
With 876 miles on the clock, I spent several hours on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. This is only the second time in my life I *had* to have a vehicle towed due to mechanical issues. The circumstances: Uphill driveway with 2' of powder off a 2-lane road. A 2' snow berm with 5+' of shoulder covered in slippery slush ahead of the berm. I slow down, turn across the rode and nose into the berm (in 2WD default). The truck stops. I engage 4HI and step on the gas. The truck inches forward. Once three wheels are in the berm and the 4th is in the slush, the truck stops. I step on the brakes and shift to neutral (in preparation for 4LO). I notice that the engine is not running, restart it, keep my foot on the brake, select 4LO, and inch forward another 6" so that I am out of the road. I turn the truck off, climb out and go about my business, When I come back and turn the truck on, I notice the following:
Check engine light is on, VSC Off light is blinking quickly, 4LO light is blinking slowly, "skidding car" light is ON. At that point, the truck is in LO, the transfer case is in 4WD, none of the nannies are operating and the engine idles high (900RPM). I crawl under the truck and make sure that no harness or vacuum line is loose (and notice the rubber band around the front differential disconnect actuator. WTHmm?) After driving the truck on the shoulder far enough to get cell phone reception, I call the dealer (thank you, 1-800-FREE-411), am advised to not drive the truck on pavement (the road is getting plowed at this point) and to wait for a tow truck. I sit and wait for a good long time and then am driven around the surrounding towns with the truck on the flatbed. back at the dealer, Techstream is hooked up. 5 codes – 1 engine, 1 VSC, 3 ABS (coincidentally, the 3 wheels that were in the snow bank). The tech resets everything and I'm back on the road in no time. Second time in my life I am stranded by ^!@%! computer problems. According to the tech, disconnecting the battery will not reset anything other the engine ECM, so disconnecting the battery would not have helped. Of course, my toolkit (with the 10mm wrench) is in the '92 cruiser, not the '08 Tundra.
I am a new owner of a 2008 DC SB 4x4 5.7 Tundra (no, no pictures, sorry, my computer is fried following an incident involving cold weather, virgin sheep and an electric heater) and wanted to a) share my impressions b) start a repository of Tundra knowledge.
A short overview of my impression is: "A Tundra is not a Land Cruiser". As for the rest...
I now have 1001 miles on my Tundra (in just about a month of ownership), miles accumulated in mixed driving over mostly snowy secondary roads. I have yet to exceed 65mph, 15 mpg or 1,000 of towing load.
1. The good:
Nice engine! I was worried about the very touchy throttle response and very hard shifting the two 5.7 trucks I test-drove exhibited, but it turns out that the computer adjusts to your driving style. Once the coolant warms up, the truck reacts beautifully. Smooth, quite, awesome throttle response, plenty of power. The transmission and transmission computer are nice as well. Nice shifts, downshifts on descents.
Nice dash layout and reasonable interior storage (compared to my RC '94 GMC C1500 and '92- & '94 80s), Nice seats. Ok seating position (I'm 5'10"). Nice manual that does a good job explaining all the toys.
For regular on-road driving in less than extreme conditions, the nanny computers do a great job maintaining traction in 2WD. Very even and predictable handling. Driving on an icy dirt road with 10" of fresh powder is a non-event. Nice power steering effort. Very fun truck to drive.
In 4LO, the truck is surprisingly capable. Very nice turning radius, with the tow mirrors the truck is very easy to maneuver in tight quarters. This will make a nice construction-site vehicle.
2. The bad:
The nanny computers (in the default mode) will shut the engine right off in many slippery situations (going uphill on a slippery road in 2WD and encountering a sudden berm, say. TRAC will cut the throttle, and once all forward progress stops, I hit the brakes. ABS kicks in, of course. Once the dust settles, the engine is no longer running. Repeatable, annoying and potentially dangerous). The "Auto-LSD" mode in 4HI is not nearly aggressive enough for deep(er) hard-packed snow. 4LO is not available until the coolant warms up. Nanny computers cannot be turned completely off no matter what the manual says. Under "extreme" conditions, traction control and vehicle stability will still kick in. ABS is always on, of course. That makes for very unpredictable handling – as long as you stay on the gas, the truck usually oversteers in 4HI, off the gas (or if brakes are used at al)l, it usually understeers, but the behavior changes depending on what the traction control computer is thinking.
In general, in default mode, off-road handling (1'-2' of hard-packed slushy snow) is comparable to a loaded granny-driven shopping cart. As traction is lost slightly, the vehicle slows down due to traction control applying the brakes. In conditions in which my unlocked '92 80 keeps moving, the truck starts hopping, slowing, and stops. The 32" Michelin LTX A/S tires don't' help, of course. Since you must be fully stopped to engage 4LO and you really engage 4HI when either under heavy load or when ABS in engaged, driving under quickly changing conditions does require a surprising amount of forethought. I really miss the full-time transfer case of the '92. The part time conversion is for the birds!
No cup holder able to accommodate a 1L Nalgene water bottle. No cup holder able to accommodate wide mugs (I have a bench seat and no console).
Some gages difficult to see in full daylight (the gear selector position and odometer being the worst offenders).
A lot of 'customizable parameters' (courtesy light settings, door lock behavior, headlight delays, etc.) have defaults that I disagree with. Without the Multifunction Information Display (not available on all models), the only choice available to change them is the dealer. $$, time and drool on your seats. Bah humbug!
Low roof, overhead traffic lights are hard to see. The
has trouble adjusting the steering wheel to a position that does not block the gages,3. The ugly:
With 876 miles on the clock, I spent several hours on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. This is only the second time in my life I *had* to have a vehicle towed due to mechanical issues. The circumstances: Uphill driveway with 2' of powder off a 2-lane road. A 2' snow berm with 5+' of shoulder covered in slippery slush ahead of the berm. I slow down, turn across the rode and nose into the berm (in 2WD default). The truck stops. I engage 4HI and step on the gas. The truck inches forward. Once three wheels are in the berm and the 4th is in the slush, the truck stops. I step on the brakes and shift to neutral (in preparation for 4LO). I notice that the engine is not running, restart it, keep my foot on the brake, select 4LO, and inch forward another 6" so that I am out of the road. I turn the truck off, climb out and go about my business, When I come back and turn the truck on, I notice the following:
Check engine light is on, VSC Off light is blinking quickly, 4LO light is blinking slowly, "skidding car" light is ON. At that point, the truck is in LO, the transfer case is in 4WD, none of the nannies are operating and the engine idles high (900RPM). I crawl under the truck and make sure that no harness or vacuum line is loose (and notice the rubber band around the front differential disconnect actuator. WTHmm?) After driving the truck on the shoulder far enough to get cell phone reception, I call the dealer (thank you, 1-800-FREE-411), am advised to not drive the truck on pavement (the road is getting plowed at this point) and to wait for a tow truck. I sit and wait for a good long time and then am driven around the surrounding towns with the truck on the flatbed. back at the dealer, Techstream is hooked up. 5 codes – 1 engine, 1 VSC, 3 ABS (coincidentally, the 3 wheels that were in the snow bank). The tech resets everything and I'm back on the road in no time. Second time in my life I am stranded by ^!@%! computer problems. According to the tech, disconnecting the battery will not reset anything other the engine ECM, so disconnecting the battery would not have helped. Of course, my toolkit (with the 10mm wrench) is in the '92 cruiser, not the '08 Tundra.
