When you think of Toyota Models, one should jump out at you like an orca breaking through an icy fjord: the 2020 Tundra. Since roaring onto the market in 1999 as the first all-American made pickup by Japanese powerhouse Toyota Motor Corporation, the Tundra has quickly established itself as one of the best values in the full-size pickup truck market. The 2020 Toyota Tundra offers the power and performance you expect from a full-size pickup truck, but with standard safety and infotainment features more typical of a luxury SUV. Its perfect blend of strength and comfort sets the Tundra apart from the other members of its class — at a price that won’t hurt your wallet. With a starting base MSRP of only $33,425, the 2020 Toyota Tundra may be the most affordable full-size truck on the market, and the reason Edmunds awarded Tundra its prestigious Best Retained Value for a large truck this year. Now that we’ve got your attention, let’s take a closer look at how the name Tundra became synonymous with strength and refinement.
A Powerful Engine is Standard on All Tundras
Every model of 2020 Toyota Tundra features a 5.7-liter Aluminum i-FORCE V8 with DOHC 32-Valve cylinder heads with acoustic control induction system, dual independent variable valve timing with intelligence, and 4-2-1 tubular stainless steel exhaust manifold. This engine is rated to produce up to 381 horsepower at 5600 rpm, and 401 pounds to feet of torque at 3600 rpm and runs on a 6-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission. The combination of an extremely powerful engine and powertrain configuration gives you the kind of performance you need in a full-size truck. The EPA estimates that the Tundra can get up to 13 miles per gallon in city driving, 18 miles per gallon on the highway, and 15 miles per gallon combined — pretty good fuel efficiency for a truck of its size and weight. The Tundra comes with a standard 26.4-gallon fuel tank, but if you regularly go on long hauls you might opt for the available 38-gallon fuel tank.
To ensure a smooth ride, the 2020 Tundra features independent coil-spring, high-mounted double-wishbone front suspension, with stabilizer bar and low-pressure nitrogen gas-filled shock absorbers. The rear suspension is a live axle with trapezoidal multi-leaf design with staggered outboard-mounted low-pressure nitrogen gas-filled shock absorbers. These features are standard on all models except the Tundra TRD Pro, which offers a specialized suspension system unique to that model design. Each Tundra model has power-assisted ventilated 13.9-inch front disc brakes with opposed 4-piston brake calipers, and ventilated 13.6-inch rear disc brakes.
Six Trims to Choose From in Various Configurations
The 2020 Toyota Tundra comes in six different trims, and each features a number of different configurations. The base model SR starts at an MSRP of $33,425 and is only offered in a double cab; Toyota’s name for a two-door, two-row cab, which seats up to six passengers. The SR comes with a 6.5-footbed, with an 8.1-foot bed available as an upgrade. The SR5 has a base MSRP of $35,095 and comes in a double cab with a 6.5-foot bed or an 8.1-footbed, or a CrewMax with 5.5-footbed. The CrewMax is Toyota’s name for a two-door, two-row cab that seats up to five passengers. The Limited has a base MSRP of $42,120 and comes in either a double cab with 6.5-footbed or a CrewMax with 5.5-footbed. The top-of-the-line Platinum starts at $48,625 and comes only in CrewMax with a 5.5-footbed. Rear-wheel drive with automatic limited-slip differential is standard on each of these models, with four-wheel drive available as an upgrade.
There are also two special editions. For off-road enthusiasts, Toyota offers a Tundra TRD Pro, which starts at $48,505. This truck comes in a double cab with a 6.5-foot bed or CrewMax with 5.5-footbed and is four-wheel drive only. It features a tuned FOX suspension system, aluminum skid plate, and forged BBS wheels to give you the ultimate off-road experience. For the embodiment of truck luxury, there is the Tundra 1794 Edition, with a Western-themed presentation, including saddle brown leather interior, heated front seats, wood-trimmed steering wheel and dash, and special 1794 badging. The 1794 Edition starts at an MSRP of $48,625 and comes only in a CrewMax configuration with 5.5-footbed. You can choose from rear-wheel drive or, for a slight upgrade, four-wheel drive. With so many trims and configurations, it’s easy to get everything you need and more in a Toyota Tundra.
Plenty of Room for Cargo and Crew
As expected for a truck of this size, the Tundra can haul a great deal of cargo. The 6.5-foot bed is rated to handle up to 1730 pounds of payload, the 5.5-foot bed up to 1620 pounds, and the 8.1-foot bed up to 1700 pounds. The Tundra has a height of 76 inches, a width of 79.9 inches, and a length of 228.9 inches, with the 8.1-foot bed increasing the length to 247.8 inches. The wheelbase is 145.7 inches, increasing to 164.6 inches on the 8.1-foot bed configuration.
The interior is equally spacious. Up to six passengers in the double cab will have plenty of room to stretch out on long hauls, with front seat passengers enjoying 39.7 inches of headroom, 62.6 inches of hip room, 42.5 inches of legroom, and 65.7 inches of shoulder room, while the second-row passengers receive 38.7 inches of headroom, 62.6 inches of hip room, 34.7 inches of legroom, and 65.6 inches of shoulder room. As expected, the CrewMax has even more legroom for second-row passengers. The front-seat passengers in a CrewMax get 39.7 inches of headroom, 62.6 inches of hip room, 42.5 inches of legroom, and 65.7 inches of shoulder room, which is fairly comparable to the double cab. However, rear-seat passengers in the CrewMax will find it roomier than the double cab, receiving 38.9 inches of headroom, 60.4 inches of hip room, 42.3 inches of legroom, and 65.5 inches of shoulder room.
The Strength and Power to Tow
One of the most important aspects of owning a full-size truck is having the ability to tow your largest trailers. Whether you’re towing a camping trailer, a leisure boat, or equipment for a home construction job, you need a truck to handle your heaviest trailer when it’s time to get the job done. The 2020 Toyota Tundra has you covered — and then some. With its 6.5-footbed, the SR can tow up to 10,200 pounds of trailer with the proper equipment. Other trims are equally capable, with the CrewMax configuration rated to tow up to 9,400 pounds of trailer.
Setting the Standard for Safety
Toyota built the 2020 Tundra with an array of standard safety features, many of which are upgrades on comparable models from Toyota’s competitors. Each Tundra comes with the Toyota Star Safety System, featuring vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart stop technology, which allows the system to reduce speed to help the truck come to a stop. Also standard on every Tundra is Toyota’s Safety Sense P system, which includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, and dynamic radar cruise control. Other standard safety features include eight airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, trailer-sway control, and an integrated trailer brake controller with multi-information display monitoring screen and trailer brake type, gain and manual trailer brake output controls. The ToyotaCare program comes included with every Toyota Tundra, covering no-cost maintenance on the first 2-years/25,000-miles of the truck’s ownership, and free 24-hour roadside assistance. Toyota has made optimum safety the standard on every 2020 Tundra truck.
That’s Infotainment!
Each Tundra comes with Toyota’s infotainment system, with many standard features that are premium upgrades on other competitors’ trucks. The Tundra SR features a standard 6-speaker AM/FM stereo with a free 3-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio, a USB media port, two USB charging ports, Bluetooth connectivity, a free one-year trial subscription to Toyota Safety Connect, and a free 2G three-month trial subscription to Wi-Fi connect. Each infotainment system also allows you to link your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, depending on your operating system, and your Amazon Alexa can join you on your ride!
There are many other standard features, including windshield wiper de-icer, high solar energy-absorbing glass, front and rear mudguards, and easy lower and lift tailgate. With features like these, the 2020 Toyota Tundra will put its competition on ice. Come into your local Toyota dealership, and find out why the 2020 Toyota Tundra is the coolest large-size truck on the market today.
