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2007 Tow Vehicle of the Year
Press Highlights
Tow Vehicle of the Year
10/16/2007 - Trailer Boat Magazine
Stuart Bourdon
Trailer Boats
February 21, 2007
Half-ton pickups are the most popular tow vehicle class. The category has been hot for a decade and is still steaming, for those who know how to compete in this smokin' market. Every one of the five trucks in this year's test has, at the very least, been updated since our last 1/2-ton roundup in 2004, but the entry of Toyota's new Tundra - now a truly full-size pickup - and the completely redesigned GM product has set the class ablaze. Maximum tow ratings have continued to edge ever upward, and trailer boaters now enjoy an even wider array of models to fit their active lifestyles.
We decided to test four-wheel-drive (4WD), crew cab 1/2-tons, and we asked each of the five manufacturers to deliver a 2007 model set up (with engine, transmission, axle ratio and tire size) to attain the maximum tow rating available.
Gathered for this, our 25th annual Tow Vehicle of the Year trials, was a Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Mega Cab, Ford F-150 King Ranch Lariat SuperCrew, GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab SLT, Nissan Titan SE Crew Cab and Toyota Tundra Double Cab SR5. Tow ratings (as delivered) ranged from 7650 to 10,300 pounds, and for test sleds we used a pair of 2007 Chaparral 256 SSi bow riders on Zieman tri-axle trailers with dual disc brakes. Each weighed 6840 pounds, and had 520 pounds of tongue weight.
We measured towing and non-towing performance, braking, and fuel mileage, and our six judges also evaluated each truck in city traffic, hill climbing, highway cruising and a variety of other towing and non-towing situations.
TOYOTA TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB
A long-awaited vehicle, this is the first true full-size Toyota pickup, and its dimensions tell the story. Our test unit was a Double Cab standard bed with a wheelbase of 145.7 inches and an overall length of 228.7 inches. (See specs for all five trucks in the chart.) A whopping 381 hp and 401 lb.-ft. of torque are produced by a new 5.7L i-FORCE DOHC 32-valve V-8 that features variable valve timing. The truck was also equipped with the new six-speed OD automatic.
The front-end setup consists of double A-arm IFS with coil springs; the rear end is a 10.5-inch solid axle (standard in the 5.7L V-8) with leaf springs and staggered shocks. The optional TRD off-road package beefed up the suspension a bit with high-performance Bilstein mono-tube shocks. The TRD package also netted the truck a set of 18-inch alloy wheels and P275/65R18 tires. A power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system turns the front wheels. And the brake system is a power-assist four-wheel disc setup with ABS all the way around.
Our unit featured a 4.30 axle as part of the 5.7L V-8 Towing Package that - among other goodies - also nets you a frame-integrated receiver hitch, extendable towing mirrors and a transmission temperature gauge. As delivered, it was rated to tow 10,300 pounds, the highest in the group.
TONGUE WEIGHT
All of the trucks tested did a good job of holding up the boat's 520 pounds of tongue weight. The Dodge Ram produced more sway and "light front end" moments than the others, however - more than one tester thought the boat pushed the Dodge around a bit. By comparison, the Toyota and Ford handled the load "tightly" and "securely," as described by testers. The Nissan and GMC's rear ends dropped more so than the others, but still supported the tongue weight without any noticeable handling quirks.
ENGINE PERFORMANCE
The Toyota received notes that included, "no problemo... mucho torque" and "on steep hills, it hardly knows the boat is behind it." A linear progression of power was one of the things we liked most, but the engine was considered noisy during hard acceleration or downshifts. During nontowing drives, the new i-FORCE 5.7L V-8 jumped when we stepped on the gas, even at highway speeds.
TRANSMISSION
The Toyota was equipped with a six-speed auto with a "slap-stick" manual shift feature. This was especially welcome when towing on hills, as the transmission could be locked into any gear without concern of upshifting. It worked great for controlling downhill speed, as well. Even when left in the "Drive" position, the tranny didn't gear hunt (that is, once its logic had settled on a gear choice). The new six-speed also had the widest overall range of gear ratios of any vehicle in this test, and featured a Tow/Haul mode.
RIDE AND HANDLING
The testers liked our Toyota Tundra, too. Common themes in the test notes were comments such as, "easy to forget you're towing" and "controls the tow well - no sway." In fact, two testers commented that in some ways it felt like a 3?4-ton pickup. Its nontowing ride and handling seemed "taut and offered good control," although it was not thought to be as smooth as some of the others.
FINAL ROUND
We spent nearly two weeks with these five trucks: All had bright spots - some more than others. We recorded raw performance characteristics both towing and nontowing, and also made subjective evaluations in everything from engine/tranny performance to ergonomics and styling. When the dust finally settled, the points were tallied and the truck that shined brightest in Trailer Boats' 25th Annual Tow Vehicle of the Year shoot-out was the...
...2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab SR5 4WD powered by the 5.7L i-FORCE V-8.
Congratulations to Toyota for creating an outstanding product right off the drawing board. Completely redesigned this year, the Tundra took top honors in critical categories such as overall engine and transmission performance, and towing ride and handling. It also scored best in fit, finish and styling, and is, by far, the most significant new product to hit the 1?2-ton pickup market since the Titan's 2004 debut.
It was also the quickest in nontowing acceleration, had the second-most-rapid towing acceleration, and boasted the greatest gross combined weight rating. The 2007 Toyota Tundra is a now officially a member of the full-size truck club, with all the brawny power, easy operation and good looks that active trailer boaters want from a tow vehicle. Well done!
http://www.trailerboats.com/output.cfm?ID=1210051
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