5 Alternatives To A Toyota Tundra That Are Worth A Closer Look
If you are in the market for a full-size, half-ton pickup truck and want something reliable, your mind may automatically go to the Toyota Tundra. After all, Toyota is known for its reliable and long-lasting vehicles, and the Tundra is its only full-size pickup. SlashGear has even given the truck a good review in recent years. It would make sense that would be the vehicle you gravitate towards in your search. While the Tundra is highly rated, there are many other options for you to choose from if you expand your view outside of the Toyota bubble.
While the Tundra does get a decent reliability rating from J.D. Power and Associates, it actually comes in last place in its top 20 pickup trucks. Many of the trucks ranked ahead of it are also generally better-selling trucks on the market, with some even coming in at lower prices than the Toyota Tundra. Before you make your decision on a Tundra, maybe it would be a good idea to look and test drive these other pickup trucks that may give you everything you want from a Tundra (and maybe more).
Toyota Tacoma
While there are many benefits to having a full-size pickup truck if you are someone who often finds themselves hauling large, heavy objects that require a large vehicle to transport, there are many ways that this size of a vehicle can be a drawback. This is particularly true if you are in an urban setting where space is more confined, parking is less forgiving, and having such a large truck isn't as efficient or convenient. However, if you still desire to drive a pickup truck, smaller options are available, and you can stay within the Toyota family.
The Toyota Tacoma, the mid-size pickup option from the company, is a far better-selling truck than the Tundra and the company's second-best-selling vehicle overall. These trucks boast many of the same features as their larger counterparts but for significantly lower sticker prices, and they even have better reliability scores. Tacomas can have a long life on the road, lasting up to 300,000 miles, and regardless of what kind of vehicle you want, everybody hopes it will last them a long time. It may not be your full-size dream, but the Tacoma does not disappoint.
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States, and it isn't even close. For many, it is the platonic ideal of what a full-size, half-ton pickup truck should be. After all, the Ford F-Series is what really introduced the notion of the half-ton pickup in the first place. If you are ever thinking about getting a pickup truck, this is the model that will inevitably cross your mind because of its cultural ubiquity.
With a starting price of $36,570 for the base-level XL model, the Ford F-150 is over $3,000 less expensive than the base-level Toyota Tundra SR. Granted, the F-150 does fall a few points behind the Tundra in J.D. Power's reliability scores. The F-150's 325 hp and 400 lb./ft. of torque also can't compare with the Tundra's 358 hp and 406 lb./ft., although both are similar sizes with V6 engines. However, when it comes to your day-to-day functionality, these differences can be seen as rather negligible, particularly if you are taking the reduction of price into account. The F-150 couldn't reach the level of popularity it has for decades without it being a worthwhile vehicle.
Chevrolet Silverado
If you are looking for a full-size, half-ton pickup truck that far outpaces the Toyota Tundra on J.D. Power's reliability rankings, perhaps you should go to the top of that list. There, you will find the second best-selling vehicle in the United States, the Chevrolet Silverado. This full-size pickup winds up being far closer to the Tundra in terms of its actual specifications and even outpaces it in some places. For instance, it has a TurboMax engine that generates 310 horsepower, which is slightly behind the Tundra, but it's 430 lb./ft. of torque puts it out in front. In terms of city fuel efficiency, the Silverado is slightly better, with 19 mpg compared to 18, and for highway, the Tundra pulls ahead with 24 mpg compared to 22. They are very similar vehicles.
Although Chevrolet advertises the base price of the Silverado at $36,800, the actual lowest you can go with the cab and box sizes presented is $38,795. That may not be as much of a discount as the F-150, but any dollar saved in the purchase of a new vehicle is very important. When you have two pickup trucks with a lot in common, perhaps taking the one that is just slightly cheaper may help in the long run, particularly if it's the more reliable vehicle. Another option to look at is the GMC Sierra, which is essentially the same truck as the Silverado but with a slightly different exterior, as they come from the same parent company.
RAM 1500
We might as well include the third best-selling vehicle in the United States on this list as well, as it is yet another full-size pickup truck. If you hadn't guessed, these vehicles are very popular in America. That truck would be the RAM 1500, which also came in 10th place on J.D. Power's reliability rankings (ten spots higher than the Toyota Tundra). Unlike Ford and Chevrolet, trucks are basically the only thing RAM makes, and the 1500 is a well-loved pickup.
Starting with a price of $32,345 for the base 1500 Classic — making it an even bigger bargain than the Ford F-150 — it automatically becomes an intriguing possibility. With 305 hp and 269 lb./ft. of torque, the 1500 gets a decent enough amount of power, though for some, it leaves a little to be desired. Of course, you could always get the 5.7 HEMI V8 option to bump it up to 395 hp, but that is going to cost you extra. The RAM 1500 is just a solid pickup truck that'll get you almost everything you want out of one, and depending on the model and features you get, you could be saving a pretty penny compared to a Tundra.
Nissan Titan
The previous three full-size pickup trucks we have mentioned so far have all been American-made trucks. However, Toyota is a Japanese company; maybe you are more interested in a Japanese manufacturer than an American one. If that is the case, Toyota is not your only option. You could also head to Nissan and look at its full-size pickup, the Nissan Titan. What you will first notice about the Titan is that it actually costs significantly more than a Toyota Tundra, with a starting price of $46,040. That can cause quite a bit of sticker shock to people, but it is not without reason.
For one, the scores from J.D. Power on reliability and driving experience are both great. Under the hood, a V8 engine comes standard, giving you 400 hp and 413 lb./ft. of torque, far outpacing the base models of every truck mentioned. However, the Titan isn't just built for power. It features many of the more luxurious features you find in modern cars today, like rearview cameras and different varieties of USB ports. Its price is probably what prevents it from being sold in the quantities that the F-150, Silverado, and RAM 1500s are being sold at, but that doesn't mean it isn't a quality vehicle. If you have more cash to spare, the Nissan Titan may be worth that extra money.