Vehicle Spotlight: 2018 Toyota Tundra

The pickup truck had almost become a parody of itself in recent years. What was once a vehicle meant to do, became a leather-clad symbol of luxury or status. Weird, right? Drivers became concerned about the size of a bed that didn’t actually haul anything. Blue-collar all of a sudden became Bluetooth. And sure, no manufacturer was safe from bending to the whims of yuppie drivers. But one model, in particular, made a point to be sure that the bells and whistles did not affect its prime performance. That truck is the Toyota Tundra.

A Base Trim that Sets a Standard

Lucky for us, the Tundra is back again this year. The 2018 iteration of the legendary pickup comes at us with a variety of trims, suited for an ever-broadening truck enthusiast market. The SR is standard and offers much more than the everyday pickup. A 310 hp 4.6-liter V-8 is standard and can be upped to an optional 5.7-liter with 401 lb-ft of torque (as opposed to the standard 327 lb-ft). The baseline Tundra is packed with safety features, too. It comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense and is equipped with a backup camera. And it definitely accounts for those who will immediately employ its towing power, as it features an integrated trailer brake controller. And, wouldn’t you know it, the entertainment system has Bluetooth.

A Step Up

The next biggest departure from the SR is the Platinum trim which comes with the 5.7 L engine (381 HP). The Limited includes blind-spot monitor technology and rear cross-traffic alert, so the safety-centered theme continues to run through. But it also comes with some less conventional, swanky features. A power tilt/slide moon-roof is available, and this specific trim also comes with perforated, black leather seating. It’s also worth noting that every Platinum tier carries a CrewMax cab for those who haul their dirty co-workers around as well. Side note: The standard SR has a double cab, but is still the most customizable, with various bed sizes for those who haul specifically-sized cargo.

Go Big or Go Home with Tundra

The centerpiece of the new Tundra line–the granddaddy of them all–is the 1794 trim. This is a truck’s truck. And because it is a full-size pickup, and all full-size Tundras are produced in San Antonio, let’s just say it’s got some distinct Texas qualities. Okay, it’s freaking huge. It’s got 10.4 inches of ground clearance, a max towing capacity of 8,800 lbs, and a max payload of 1,530 lbs. The Crew Max cab is done up with brown leather interior–not a dissimilar shade of brown in the saddles of JLC Ranch, whose founding year is the truck’s namesake. Hell, this thing might grow horns.

Worth a Second Look

Now, what’s confusing about the Toyota Tundra’s legacy is that it often finds itself on the fringe of household pickup names, or more specifically, American names. We can all safely admit that the F-150, Silverado, and Ram 1500 enter our minds from the get-go. But why not the Tundra? The Tundra has been a beacon of reliability since its inception. Just ask Victor Sheppard of Louisiana, who continues to drive his 2007 Tundra. He beats the crap out of it actually, taking it to different oil field worksites across the country. And it’s well past the 1,000,000th mile mark. Yes, that is the correct number of zeros. One million.

You can bet that the figures of the Tundra’s price are correct as well. The SR starts at just over $31,000. So the 2018 Tundra follows its predecessors in not just performance, but value and beyond. Because, as drivers like Victor have shown us, in conjunction with the 1794’s gumption and zero-effs-given nature, the Tundra is as American as you make it. Work is only work if it gets done.

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