When Toyota finally redesigned its full-size pickup after more than a dozen years, it had a lot of ground to make up on Ford, Chevy, and Ram. While the previous generation Tundra was a solid, well-sorted truck with some premium features, it wasn’t as capable, didn’t offer the wide range of options, and never reached the luxurious heights of the big 3. In fact, the only two reasons to consider the second generation Tundra were reliability and price. With the ground up renewal of the 2022 Tundra, Toyota is hoping to give truck buyers a few more reasons to drive one off the lot.
New Power With Options
Unlike the previous generation Tundra which only offered the venerable, reliable, and thirsty 5.7-liter V8, the new truck offers two V6 options they call iForce an iForce Max. Both start with Toyota’s 24-valve, double overhead cam 3.5-liter V6 with twin turbochargers. The iForce stops there and makes 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, a significant increase in both numbers over the outgoing V8. The iForce Max adds a 288-volt Nickel-Metal Hydride battery and a 48 hp synchronous electric motor mounted between the engine and transmission. This ups the output to 437 horsepower and 583 pound feet of torque. Both are paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift and tow/haul driving modes. The best news in all this is fuel economy is significantly improved with the iForce hitting 20 MPG combined in rear wheel drive truck. In addition to producing significantly more power, the iForce Max powertrain is also even more efficient, coming in at 22 MPG combined.
Performance Comparison
For those keeping score at home, the iForce Tundra makes 11 fewer ponies and 21 fewer torques than the V6 Ecoboost F-150. Tundra with the hybrid iForce Max powertrain outperforms Ford’s hybrid PowerBoost equipped truck by 7 horsepower and 13 lb.-ft. of torque. But F-150 still out tows an out hauls Tundra. Max towing for the Tundra is 12,000 pounds with payload topping out at 1,940 pounds compared to 14,000 pounds of towing and 3,250 pounds of payload for F-150.
A Solid Foundation
Tundra features a boxed steel frame with generous use of high-strength steel. The rear frame was widened to improve towing and ride. The cross members have been doubled in size to improve rigidity, and up front, Toyota engineers devised new cross bracing for the steering gear box to improve steering. The suspension features a double-wishbone setup in the front and for the first time ever, Tundra has an independent multi-link system in the rear. When you get to the higher trim levels like my Capstone badged truck, you get an adaptive variable suspension and a load-leveling air system.
Capping Things Off
You can buy Tundra in seven different configurations – SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794 Edition, and Capstone – with prices starting at $36,995 for a rear-wheel drive SR Double Cab going all the way to $76,790 for a fully loaded Capstone Crew Cab like my test vehicle. As you can imagine, there’s a big difference between the two in equipment, features, and comfort. Tundra Capstone is targeted squarely at the GMC Sierra Denali and F-150 Limited.
Starting with the iForce Max powertrain and every suspension upgrade, Capstone adds luxury and convenience features that make this the Lexus of pickup trucks. The Wind Chill Pearl paint is a creamy white with just enough metallic hints to add depth to the finish.
The four-door CrewMax cab offers plenty of room for 5 adults even if all of them are over 6 feet tall. Overall the interior matches the level of luxury found in top of the line RAM, Ford and GMC trucks. The seats are covered with buttery semi-aniline leather and both seats up front offer 10-way adjustability with power lumbar support. All seats, front and rear are heated and ventilated, providing plenty of comfort for a long road trip or to help recover after a hard day at work. Surfaces feel premium with soft touch leather covering the dash and wood veneer inserts providing an elegant contrast. The stitching is precise elevating the look a little further. The panoramic moon roof lets in plenty of light, but if you prefer, the sunshade completely blocks the light and provides insulation from the cold in winter.
Technically Proficient
Toyota went to great lengths this year to upgrade their technology stack and Capstone incorporates the full suite with their new 14.1-inch touchscreen audio and infotainment system. This is a major improvement over the outgoing system which though functional, felt like it was a couple of generations out of date. In Tundra, there are a nice mix of hard buttons to control the HVAC system, but everything else – navigation, radio, phone, vehicles settings, etc. – are handled through the touchscreen. This can cause some challenges, but Toyota has designed their new system around voice commands, with a lot of work done around natural language recognition. That means after waking the system up with “Hey Toyota,” you can say things like “Tune the radio to ESPN,” “Set the temperature to 68 degrees, “Take me home,” or “What’s the weather like in Maui?” and the system will make the appropriate adjustment or find you the answer. Overall, I found it to work well and didn’t experience any bugs. One complaint is there’s no split screen functionality, which seems odd for such a large screen.
Behind The Wheel
The driving experience is exactly what you’d expect from a 6,000 pound, full-size pickup truck. The power comes on early and is delivered across the powerband, which makes towing a breeze. I pulled a 22-foot, 3,900 pound Airstream trailer with the Capstone up and down the coast of California with no issues. Between the instant torque of the electric motor and the extra oomph provided by the turbochargers as the revs climb, there’s an overall feeling of confidence and control. Toyota doesn’t offer high end control options like trailer back up assist, so you’ll have to get good at backing your trailer into its space or only camp at sites you can pull through. Ride is quiet and comfortable thanks to the adaptive suspension. Steering has decent on center feel and though offering only minimal feedback, always felt solid even with the trailer attached.
With its crew cab set up and five and a half foot bed, the Tundra Capstone isn’t a work truck. It is a personal luxury vehicle that can do a lot more than an SUV with very little fuss and fury.
Four out of Five Ain’t Bad
Even with all the improvements, Tundra still ranks just behind F-150, RAM 1500, and the GM full-size trucks, though they’ve closed the gap significantly. If you don’t need all the capabilities and can find a configuration that fits your needs among the newly expanded options, by all means, buy this truck. Especially if you’re thinking of going all out with this Capstone. It’s definitely worth consideration for those who like the finer things, even when they’re roughing it.
2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone
5-passenger, 4-door, full-size pickup truck
Base Price: $73,450
Price as tested: $76,760
Engine: I-Force Max 3.5-liter Twin Turbo V6 Hybrid
Transmission: 10-speed automatic with Tow/Haul modes
Power: 437 HP @ 5,700 RPM
Torque: 583 HP @ 2,400 RPM
Max payload: 1,485 lbs
Max towing: 10,340 lbs
EPA MPG: 19 City, 22 Highway, 21 Combined
