1999 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup

barbell · August 1998

The new Tundra looks a lot like the butt-ugly Ford in the only photo I have seen. However, I would have to seriously consider the truck simply because of Toyota's reputation as a builder of quality motor vehicles, as opposed to the reputation of the so-called big three as builders of junk.

lwf · August 1998

There are some interesting statistics in the articles Bob provided the URLs for. One of them stated that sales of the Ford F-series pickups in only 9 days last month equaled the year-long sales of the 1997 T-100. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that this new Toyota truck looks a lot like the "butt-ugly Ford".

manuelf · August 1998

Those statistics just show the fact that the globe population is increasing dramatically while the number of smart people remains constant.

lwf · August 1998

I guess I missed your point mf. But that's ok since you seem to have missed mine too, which is that apparently not everyone sees the F150 as being "butt ugly" including the style-design and marketing parts of Toyota responsible for this new pickup. How did that saying go? "Imitation is the highest form of flattery". I've got an idea Toyota is going to sell a lot more of these new butt-ugly pickups than they had sold T100s. But I'll have to admit that I believe the T100 is a good vehicle; however, sales figures for the last couple of years suggest that the demand for it hasn't been as great as Toyota hoped it would be.

BTW, I haven't seen this new Toyota Tundra, only one picture of it; therefore, I'm really going by what others have said that it resembles the F150.

rcn · August 1998

I keep hearing the Tundra looks like an F150 but I don't think so. It definitely looks like a Toyota to me.

The original concept truck (then known as T150) looked like a Tacoma on steroids. The Tundra that will appear at Toyota dealerships still looks a lot like an overgrown Tacoma.

At least I think it looks more like a Tacoma than an F150. The front end is sloped and Toyota has gone with an oval-shaped grill. I guess that's where these F150 comparisons come from.

manuelf · August 1998

I actually think that the F-150 is a nice looking truck since it catches my attention every time I see one. I am just one of the people that really had a bad experience with a ford before and became reluctant to the very name. Anyway I would say that one of the things I really like about the new Tundra is the four independent doors which makes the truck more suitable for other than "heavy-duty " tasks. I've seen a Tundra really close and I think it looks great and it also gives the impression of a solid built. I'm planning on getting one someday.

jxyoung · September 1998

Has this truck been released?
The last info I saw said it would not be out until
may of 1999?

Ricjay · September 1998

TOP 20 selling Cars and Trucks

http://biz.yahoo.com/finance/980903/autos_list_1.html

wesl · September 1998

mf:
What exactly is your problem? Do you work at a Toyota dealership? I hope Toyota puts up a good fight, but 4-doors and decent styling do not always add up to a decent truck. Does anyone know how wide the range will be. What I mean is, will Toyota offer more than just one flavor of Tundra?

Sporin · September 1998

I think the biggest reason that the T-100 never sold well, is because it only offered a V6. Most people who need a Full size pickup, require a V8. This change alone would sell more Tundras, the styling is secondary to the mechanicals, in my opinion, especially in the full size truck market. I also think that if you sift through the data, the New F-150 has been selling well to a broader group of people, particularly those who are just looking for a stylish auto, though not neccessarily a truck(those trendy types). while at the same time, the F-150 continues to sell to it's core buyers(working guys)

stanford · September 1998

Actually, I think that the main reason that the T100 didn't do well is that they always compared it directly to the F150, etc, rather than the Dakota. It was /not/ a full size truck. IMO it filled a very important slot that Dakota is now marketing the heck out of, but it was not full size.

Sporin · September 1998

stanford___
I'll agree with that, the dakota also showed that a poor build quality reputation could be overcome with fantastic styling. This, of course, contradicts my earlier note "the styling is secondary to the mechanicals"
I guess there is always an exception to the rule.

rsholland · October 1998

One (of many) important areas the T-100 had over the Dakota, is that it offered more than 48" between the rear wheel wells. One could fit a sheet of plywood flat on the pickup bed. Not so with the Dakota.

Bob

bobaquino · October 1998

When I went looking for a truck last year, I targeted the Dakota cause of the looks and the price. I didn't want to pay the bucks for a f150 and wanted better gas mileage as well. The best I could do on a Club Cab Dakota with the SLT package was around 19,400 using Edmunds data as a guide. My wife pushed me to looking at Toyotas (took one look at the inside of the Tacoma and said no dice) and then saw a t100 which I never even considered. To make a long story short, I got the t100 for an even 20k with all the goodies that I wanted in the Dakota. For the extra 600 or so that I spent, I got the reliablility of a Toyota, not the unreliability of a Dodge. Yep, I can slide a 4x8 sheet between the wheel wells. But thats not what is important to me. The reliability is and I think that Toyota lost out when it failed to change its marketing strategy for this truck when it became appearant early on that it wouldn't compete against full size american trucks.
Give em time, Toyota might surpise everyone if they do the Tundra right.

wesl · October 1998

So far it looks like Toyota is going to louse things up again. You can't get an extended bed with the extended cab. What a pity. One V-8, one V-6, no other options. I hope this one-flavor policy appeals to the Toyota crowd.

kpt · October 1998

My husband is in the process of looking for a new truck. He would like more info on the Tundra. The dealer says there isn't any info right now. Does anybody have suggestions on where to look to get specs, price, etc.?

wesl · October 1998

KPT,
Toyota is not releasing the Tundra until May of 99. As for information, I believe the current copies of Automobile and Car and Driver have small blurbs on the Tundra.

rsholland · October 1998

From the preliminary info that I've read on the new Tundra, it appears to be still slightly smaller than the domestic full-size models. About half way between a full-size and a Dakota in size. To me I think that is a plus. While I like the domestic full-size pickups, they're all HUGE.

I think the Tundra, because of its' slightly smaller size makes better sense as a personal use vehicle. You still get the ability to carry 4'x8's flat within the bed, get around a 2000 lb payload, plus Toyota's great relability. Sounds like winner - if they can keep the price within reason. Still don't like the looks though.

Bob

rsholland · October 1998

Just picked up a 'teaser" brochure on the Tundra from a local dealer. It has some info, but mainly, better photos. The dealer said they should be getting the first Tundras in February.

Bob

wesl · October 1998

Just saw the Tundra up close at a local auto show. Looks like Ford still makes the best full size. I hope that the production version has better plastics on the inside, because the Tundra I saw was nasty and poorly finished.

1999 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup

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