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Comments
I always consider resale when buying. Silver, white or black exterior colors are recommended. I leaning towards black/black. Salt is not used in the PNW. Someone asked why anyone would want NAV. It is a recommendation to get to help with resale.
If so, this is an excellent feature for me.
The only other constraint with the camera view is the size of the screen, which is not large enough to make out very small details unless you lean forward towards it, which is akward to do when you are sitting back to look over your sholder. I also have a hard time seeing the monitor when there is a glare from the sun. I would have liked it to be mounted perpendicular to the ground or to be adjustable but it is sloped towards the dashboard at approx. 20 degree angle so this makes the glare issue a litle worse on bright sunny days when the sun comes in from the side or directly overhead of the vehicle.
Related to the rear view: the auto-dimming mirrors are very nice and they totally remove the glare from the headlights even when the vehicles are tailgating you or hanging back a good bit. This is easier on the eyes for sure but it also tends to make those vehicles less visible thus you get the impression that they are farther away than they really are. I will probably get used to it but for anyone that hasn't used the auto-dimming mirrors before you should be careful on the highway until you adapt.
Another issue I found today is the height of the truck: I sit so high that small low-rider cars are totally invisible when riding in my blind spot even when I look over my shoulder, since the sides of the bed are high enough to cover up the roof of the small vehicles. This is probably true of any tall full size trucks but this is the highest vehicle I have owned and it is taking me a while to get used to it. The headrests on the backseat also block some of the rear view but they can be removed when not in use if this is a problem for you.
also, i did not order the NAV system, just the backup camera. I believe that my monitor will be mounted in the headliner console area, reducing glare.
can't wait for that bad boy to get here. On Feb 13th, I ordered a DC SR5 TRD leather 4x4, power bucket seats w/ console shift, xtra front skid plate, running boards, rear underseat storage, heated tow mirrors, cold kit(just for the heated wipers), night mirror, in blue streak. I also got the shield package just for the undercarriage spray. Got that on my wife's camry last year and it does dampen road noise and protects the undercarriage (IMO).
mid-april, maybe mid-march if i'm lucky.
Regards,
Tom
Doesn't the 4.7 also come standard with the tow package listing most of that stuff (except for a different rear gear ratio)?
Have any of you heard this? Seems like Toyota would have been on top of the demand, since they seem to be tauting how impressive the new tundra is. I agree that the new tundra is quite impressive, but the notion that Toyota is being blindsided with orders which is creating production problems seems odd to me.
any comments?
How special was yours that you ordered?
Some things like Navi with an SR5 is not possible now, possibly it will be in the future at full production.
good news is that i didn't order anything real strange or difficult (at least i don't think so)
I ordered:
DC SR5 TRD leather 4x4, power bucket seats w/ console shift, xtra front skid plate, running boards, rear underseat storage, heated tow mirrors, cold kit, night mirror, shield package, in blue streak.
I was told that most of the build would take place in San Antonio, then some of the options (underseat storage, running boards, maybe somethin else too) would be installed "at port", then the truck would be shipped to Stillwater, Oklahoma (where i am). I also ordered the backup camera (Toyota camera system) to be dealer installed after delivery.
what do you think? Am I in a big time holding pattern or something crazy?
Here's the system. The plant makes them based on a plan from back in Jan. The regional office then is notified what will be coming to that region. The regional office checks to see if anyone has 'preferenced' an SR5 4WD DC 5.7L in Blue Steak with OF, BU. If so then it directs that vehicle to that dealership. But if no Blue Streaks are coming to the GST region then a buyer might have to wait another 15 days to see if the next allocation has some Blue Streaks in it.
All the PIO's are done at the local marshalling yard.
I guess it would not be unreasonably to tell my dealer to keep his eyes open and snatch the first DC TRD leather 4x4 in blue streak that comes along (SR5 or Limited)???? If I ended up with a limited, i would be happy. If i ended up with an SR5 without running boards or the night mirror, i could add it on later.
First is that the bluetooth connection feature is awesome. My cell phone / PDA automatically connects when I get in the vehicle and if I am on the phone at the time then the call continues on the speaker phone uniterrupted. When shutting off the vehicle your call is dropped from the hands free kit but most phones won't pick the call back up right away, so you need to remember to initiate the transfer from your cell phone or PDA before turning off the truck or you might drop the call or miss a minute or so of the conversation.
Next item is the height of the truck with 20" wheels. I am 6' tall and not a small guy but it is still not the easiest thing to climb up in. I also don't want to wear out or scratch up the sill protectors so the brushed stainless steps or tube steps are a must but I haven't found a place to order those yet with a decent price. The height also makes the bed of the truck harder to use. It is no longer possible to just lean over the side rail and get stuff in our out of the bed. I can reach in a little ways but not enough to reach to the bottom of the bed so once again the 7' guys will have an advantage here. Looks like I will be stuck using the rear of the bed for most casual storage items, which is thankfully easy to access due to the auto-lowering tailgate feature.
The auto-headlight feature is nice but it doesn't turn the headlights on during cloudy, rainy, or overcast days. Apparently it has to be pretty dark before they will cut on. I would prefer Daytime Running Lamps but they were not installed on my vehicle so I am using the auto feature instead, but I have to override it to get the lights on whenever it is not a bright and sunny day.
The alarm system seems to be adequate but I am not sure if it includes the glass-break sensor or not, or if it will go off when the tailgate is lowered. Also, the chirp tone is very soft when arming or disarming the vehicle so it is easy to miss it when in a crowded or busy parking lot.
One dis-advantage of the double cab: you can't reach behind you to open or close the sliding rear window while you are driving. This was easy on the 2002 extra-cab Tacoma but not possible in the big Tundra unless you are 7' tall with ape-like arms... As a result I doubt I will really use the back window much but perhaps it will be ok for cooling the vehicle down during the summer.
The voice command is a nice feature but the prompts between commands are too slow and you have to press the command button between each portion of the command so it takes forever to do simple things. Example:
[press command button]
Tundra "Please say a command after the beep"... BEEP
Me "Address"... BEEP
Tundra "Destination by Address has been selected. Please press the command button then say the State name."
[press command button]
Me "Georgia"... BEEP
Tundra "Georgia. Please press the command button then say the City name or Cancel."
[press command button]
Me "Atlanta"... BEEP
Tundra "Atlanta. Please press the command button then say the Street name or Cancel."
[press command button]
Me "Main Street"... BEEP
Tundra "Main Street. Please press the command button then say the House Number or Cancel."
[press command button]
Me "123"... BEEP
Tundra "123. Please press the command button then say Enter or Cancel."
[press command button]
Me "Enter"... BEEP
Tundra "Finding your destination..."
You get the picture. It is painfully slow when dialing the phone as well. This is so irritating that I doubt I will use the voice command very often. Unfortunately the freakin' NAV unit disables some of the onscreen functions (phone dialing, some GPS options) when the vehicle is in motion so you can't use the NAV panel either. There has to be a way to replace the software or streamline the voice command. It is a good idea but needs some work yet to be practical.
The driver control panel has a lock to disable the power window controls. In most vehicles I have used this only disables the rear and passenger controls but still allows the driver to open and close windows as needed. On the Tundra the lock prevents all window controls from working which is mildly irritating.
The cup holders in the front center console are very large which is fine for the 72 oz. fountain drinks that Jack In The Box sells but they are way too big for most soda cans and bottles. The holders do have a small ring in the bottom that is supposed to help center smaller containers but it doesn't prevent them from tipping over, so you have to leave the lids on or risk a spill. They should have some adjustable arm inside which allows you to vary the width to fit your cup or bottle.
The power retractable mirrors are awesome. When parking in a tight spot or in a crowded parking lot you just retract them before getting out. This prevents the morons from hitting your mirrors while they load their slobbering dirty kids into the $600 minivan which is covered with rust and dents and unfortunately parked next to you with just 18" to spare. :mad: As a new Tundra owner I find myself parking so far away from the other cars that in some cases it would be easier for me to leave the truck at home and just walk.
To correct a previous post: the tow mirrors are not standard on most Tundras with the limited package, they actually have less features. I think you lose the heated option and they are not power retractable according to my dealer, thus there is a credit of ~$200 if you get the tow mirrors. Although I will tow a trailer some of the time I prefer to have the better mirrors on the truck and just add some removable tow mirrors later as needed.
Well that's enough for now. Keep the good Tundra comments and tips coming. I am like a junkie now after my first dose - got to have my fix every day. The other day I delibarately passed up my exit just to spend another 15 minutes in the truck...
thanks for the update wilee.
Note to self: READ OWNERS MANUAL!
Lou
rumor has been that the new tundra may have fuel gauge issues. i cannot deny or confirm that but, even if it is a rumor, and i experience the slightest glitch in my fuel gauge, i will immediately take the beast in and have it replaced.
just thought i would give you the tid-bit, may help with your decision.
again though, congrats on the very nice truck.
So you guys in the know, tell me when they're gonna get here
___________________________________
As an absolute last resort, read the instructions!
1. bed is too short. yeah, i could give up a foot of bed, but the entire foot went to the rear seats. the front seats of the double cab are exactly the same size as the front in the crew max. i will never be in the back seats anyway, lol.
2. another 2,000 bucks for the xtra rear seat room.
3. very limited availability.
becaue all the gas might be in one end away from where it is pumped out.
Stump the regional office. Ask about where A-TRAC is indicated, metioned or explained anywhere in the official documents.
The NAV system allows you to import contacts from your PDA or cell phone via Bluetooth. This works pretty well and seemed like it might be useful but then I found several major flaws. When importing contacts that have more than 2 phone numbers in your PDA or cell, the NAV splits them up and makes duplicate entries in the NAV phonebook since each NAV phonebook entry can only have 2 phone numbers. So Joe Smith with 3 phone numbers in your PDA becomes Joe Smith with 2 phone numbers and another Joe Smith with 1 phone number in the NAV. You have no way of identifying the numbers from each other since the labels of home, work, cell, etc. are missing in the NAV so you would have to guess a lot. Also, the NAV doesn't allow you to import dialing codes like the pause key, and it doesn't allow you to use the phonebook when the vehicle is in motion so this is basically a worthless function. I ended up deleting all the contact data from the NAV and will just dial from my PDA as usual. This is too bad since I would prefer not to be fumbling with the smaller PDA while driving - would be safer to use the larger NAV screen or voice command if those features worked well and were better designed. Maybe Toyota will release a firmware patch for the device to fix these shortcomings. Sigh.
The center console storage bin is huge but not very practical. There is a removable plastic bin in the center of it which has a small sliding tray lid on top. The problem is that the bin and surrounding console cavity are both so deep and dark inside that you aren't going to find anything in there while driving. There are also some storage slots on the underside of the console lid for kleenex, pen, maps, etc. but I find those nearly impossible to reach while driving unless I twist in the seat and bend my arm backwards at an odd angle. I would have preferred a side-opening lid and a lighted interior. To improve this I am removing the factory bin, installing 2 of my own smaller clear plastic bins with hinged lids that cost all of $1 from the Dollar Tree, and installing an LED light which will come on when the lid is raised. The smaller bins can be removed and returned easily while driving and the clear plastic sides will prevent you from fumbling to find stuff.
The factory owner's manual has 520 pages! of info, most of which is very tedious and difficult to read since the book include dozens of unnecessary cautions and warnings and several versions of each section based on the different models which are available. When you do find a useful tidbit of info the paragraph is often unclear since it was translated from Japanese to English. Key features are not really explained at all, just sort of vaguely described. One example is the function and proper use of the VSC OFF button. The manual describes numerous features that all seem to be related to this one button (traction control system, vehicle stability control (VSC) system, and AUTO LSD) but I have no idea how they all work with this one button and when to use or not use them. :confuse:
I am still trying to find the best source of factory accessory parts online. I previously used Toyota World for my Tacoma stuff and their prices were always the best but their online catalog hasn't been updated for a while and they haven't responded to my emails so I am reluctant to send any money. I just found Tundra Parts Store but their website performance is terrible and they don't provide any info or background about their company so I am not sure if they are reputable either. Any ideas or suggestions from the forum members?
I am planning to order the brushed stainless steps, spare tire lock, and the fancy shifter knob if it will work with my truck. I have an auto transmission but the replacement knob seems like it was designed for manual only. Anybody know if it will work on autos t
I traded a 2005 Tundra stepside in for it. I need the extra power it offers to haul my RV trailer that weighs 7100lbs. The '05 had a capacity of 7300. I was pushing the limits and only got 8.5mpg pulling it. I am looking forward to seeing how my new 5.7 does. :confuse:
Summary of my two week experience:
-gas mileage is averaging 15.8 around town. Haven't been on the road yet.
-love the ride, smooth, quiet, big!
-SR5 has all the needs I have. Got the auto mirror, power driver seat, 6 disc changer, mirrors, towing package, tint windows, 18" wheels.
Great truck so far. Only issue: seems like there is a miss or shimmy around 50-55. I will get it in this week for a check up. Might be the passenger rear Michelin that has two large weights on it. :shades:
Like I said though, this is a great forum for the new Tundra owner and prospective buyer. Because of this forum, I will be watching my fuel gauge and steering capability very closely once I get my new Tundra.
I thank all of you for your continued info.