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2018 Toyota Tundra 4x4 Limited Double Cab: What we liked and didn't like
The 2018 Toyota Tundra 4x4 Limited Double Cab comes equipped with the automaker's Toyota Racing Development off-road package, and a 5.7-liter I-FORCE V8 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission capable of making 381 horsepower and 401-pounds of torque.
The Tundra comes in with fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg highway, 13 mpg city and 14 mpg combined with its massive 38-gallon tank. Safety features on the Limited trim include the rear-backup camera, three-point seatbelts in all seats, eight air bags, Toyota Safety Sense, pre-collision and lane departure alert, automatic high beams and dynamic radar cruise control.
It comes in with a curb weight of 5,530 pounds and a payload of 1,670 pounds, and seating capacity of five people.
MSRP as tested: $44,939
The highlights of the 2018 Toyota Tundra 4x4 Limited Double Cab are its standard V8 engine, adequate power with the 5.7-liter and a comfortable enough ride from the highway to the backroads.
For as big as this truck feels -- and actually is --, the Tundra is an extremely comfortable and quiet ride on the inside. The backseat is actually a backseat and could realistically fit three passengers while the front seat checks off all the boxes expected when it comes to a truck that consistently sells more than 100,000 units each year.
The seats are large, there is more than ample head- and legroom, and the safety features are both impressive and necessary. I personally loved the interior design as it had that off-road feel comparable to Toyota's 4Runner to the nice little touches like the wood trim paneling on the Limited trim.
While I'm not the world's biggest fan of the "INFERNO/LA20" exterior color I drove around for a week from Detroit to Cadillac to Traverse City to Frankfurt and back to Detroit, I found myself in a trance with the grille as it just made the truck seem larger than life. The grille design is notably different from past model years and other Tundra trims.
While the ride was quiet on the inside, there were times when the Tundra just felt stiff at times mostly when going uphill or around corners. It just felt like the truck had to give everything it had to get up steep inclines, and at times could get a little shaky.
There is just something about the Tundra that makes it seem larger than it actually is, as there were some city streets and parking situation that made me grit my teeth and cross my fingers. In reality, the Tundra Limited Double Cab comes in with a height of 76.2 inches, width of 79.9 inches, length of 228.9 inches and a wheelbase of 145.7 inches.
While the 38-gallon tank keeps you away from filling up every other hour, the fuel economy ratings of 17 mpg highway, 14 mpg city and 17 mpg combined doesn't stack up well with the rest of the pack. In fact, the Tundra represents the bottom of the barrel when it comes to fuel economy in its class.
As Car and Driver notes, the most fuel efficient Tundra trim can't even crack better than 19 mpg. The Tundra also doesn't stack up well to its domestic counterparts in terms of towing, payload or horsepower.
A personal beef of mine with the Tundra is the backseat's accessibility, I had to lift two separate adults just to get up there and sit. It's 2018, you manufactured a giant truck ... how does a step stool for shorter (or even average sized) passengers not come to mind. This is an unacceptable oversight to me, because not everyone is 6-foot-6 like I am.
While we're on that topic, the controls on the seven-inch digital dashboard are too far away from the driver. Bring those dials and the screen a little closer to the driver, because I personally have a long wingspan and I found myself uncomfortably leaning and reaching to make the most simple of adjustments.
After my week with the Tundra, I would rate it positively but firmly in the category of "you can probably find a better fit." While it's comfortable and quiet on the inside, it still feels larger than it actually is and lacks in key categories such as fuel economy ratings and a little too much stiffness.
