No matter the sport, teams are always striving to improve so they can make it to the playoffs. They may change strategies or tactics to increase their chances of winning a championship trophy (or ring, cup, etc.). This measure of success also applies to the automotive industry, where manufacturers are always competing to improve their pickup trucks, pitting them against one other with powerful engine options, improved capabilities, and unique special features. Case in point, compare the 2022 Ford F-150 vs 2022 Toyota Tundra.
Here, you have two of the top truck builders vying in the increasingly competitive market for full-size trucks. Each is eager to win over more drivers and earn top marks. The 2022 Ford F-150 is the second year of the 14th generation of this venerable model, which dates back to 1948. Toyota’s Tundra is much newer, though—first introduced for the 2000 model. The 2022 Toyota Tundra is all-new and redesigned, representing the third generation of Toyota’s full-size truck.
Both of these pickup trucks have many things in common worth recommending. You can get the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Tundra with either four-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. In addition, both trucks feature their automakers’ respective infotainment systems. The 2022 Ford F-150 has the SYNC 4 system, which combines entertainment features with smartphone connectivity and key trucking information. Similarly, the 2022 Toyota Tundra has the Toyota Audio Multimedia system on a user-friendly touchscreen.
However, there are a number of key differences that show that the Ford F-150 gives you more options and choices than the Toyota Tundra, allowing you to customize your truck. It’s far easier—and more satisfying—to take an F-150 and truly make it your own.
More Trim and Cab Style Options on the Ford
Ford seems to understand that no two truckers have exactly the same intentions with their trucks. Some folks are looking to use their trucks for commercial purposes, and thus want a model that is rugged, dependable, capable of strong towing and hauling, and affordable (since they don’t want to hurt their bottom line). Other people plan to use their full-size trucks as family vehicles and are looking for all the latest creature comforts—to entertain themselves and their kids when they head out onto the road.
There are also drivers who prefer a pickup truck equipped to take on unpaved trails. These off-road enthusiasts need a model that has all the bells and whistles to handle whatever nature may throw their way.
The 2022 Ford F-150 comes in 8 different trim levels, running from the entry-level XL to the fully-loaded Limited. There are even two specialized off-road models called the Tremor and the Raptor. In addition, Ford offers the F-150 in three different cab styles. The Standard has two doors and one row of seats, while the SuperCab and SuperCrew have four doors and two rows of seats. The SuperCrew has the most spacious interior of the three configurations.
In contrast, Toyota only offers 6 trim levels on the 2022 Tundra, starting with the base model SR5 and running to the top-trim Capstone model. Just like Ford, Toyota offers an off-road trim on their pickup: the TRD Pro. However, the Toyota Tundra does not have a comparable two-door cab with a single row of seats. This can be a problem for drivers looking to use their truck for commercial purposes, who may want to minimize cabin weight to maximize trailering capability.
Instead, the 2022 Tundra comes with two different cab styles: Double Cab and CrewMax, each of which has two rows of seats and four doors. Both are comparable in size and design to Ford’s SuperCab and SuperCrew configurations. While these options may be suitable for most drivers, this may be a major deficiency for commercial trucking.
More Engine Options on the Ford
As with trim levels and cab styles, no one engine is going to deliver the performance ratings every driver needs. Thus, options are essential. Some drivers want their truck’s powertrain to provide the greatest horsepower ratings possible—to optimize speed and acceleration; meanwhile, others need more torque to boost towing power. Other truckers are concerned about fuel economy and want an engine that will give their pickup responsible gas mileage. When it comes to engines, Ford offers more options for the 2022 F-150 than Toyota does on the Tundra.
Choose from a full 6 different engines, compared to only 2 on the Tundra. The base model of the 2022 F-150 comes with a 3.3-liter Ti-VCT V6 gas engine. This uses a combination of port-fuel and direct fuel injection to provide 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque.
There is also a smaller but more powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost Turbo V6. This one utilizes twin intercooled turbochargers to deliver 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. This is also one of the most fuel-efficient conventional gas engines on a full-size truck, providing up to 22 miles per gallon combined.
Ford offers two more V6 powertrains for the F-150. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost Turbo V6 has twin intercooled turbochargers to provide 400 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The High-Output model of this same engine is exclusively featured on the F-150 Raptor model. It boosts output to 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.
Ford also offers the 2022 F-150 with two other, high-powered engines. The 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 gas engine will give you up to 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. If your goal is exceptional fuel economy with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, then you will be glad to know that Ford offers a 3.5-liter PowerBoost Turbo V6 Hybrid engine on the F-150. This hybrid pairs a turbocharged gas engine with an electric motor, enabling 430 horsepower and a massive 570 lb-ft of torque. 2022 F-150 hybrid models are equipped with four-wheel drive standard.
All of the engines on the 2022 Ford F-150 feature 10-speed automatic transmission. This system shifts smoothly and seamlessly, even when testing the F-150’s towing capacity (see more below).
In contrast, you only get two engine options on the 2022 Toyota Tundra, each paired with a refined, 10-speed automatic transmission. The standard engine is a 3.5-liter i-FORCE Turbo V6, which produces up to 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The other engine option is a 3.5-liter i-FORCE MAX Turbo V6 Hybrid. Just like the Ford F-150 Hybrid, the Tundra Hybrid combines a conventional gas engine with an electric motor to produce 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque.
However, you will have to pay extra if you want four-wheel drive on the Toyota’s Hybrid, as it comes with simplistic rear-wheel drive standard. Furthermore, it does not provide comparable fuel economy to the Ford. You get 21 miles per gallon combined with four-wheel drive, compared to 23 miles per gallon combined on the F-150 Hybrid.
More Capability on the Ford
While people buy pickup trucks for many reasons, including looks alone, the capability to tow trailers and haul cargo will certainly boost sales. When it comes to pulling weight, there is no contest. The 2022 Ford F-150 can carry more payload in its cargo bed than the 2022 Toyota Tundra. This applies no matter which engine option you choose on the Ford, but the V8-equipped F-150 maxes out at an astounding 3,325 lbs.
The 2022 Tundra, on the other hand, can carry up to just 1,940 lbs in its cargo bed. This is easily surpassed by every 2022 Ford F-150, which can carry almost double when properly equipped.
The same difference in capability applies if you compare trailering limits on these two trucks. The 2022 Tundra can tow up to 12,000 lbs. While this is more than the 2022 F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6 and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost Turbo V6, it is no match for the other engine options on the Ford. For example, the Ford F-150 Hybrid can tow up to 12,700 lbs, while the model with the 5.0-liter V8 engine (and highest payload rating) has a maximum towing capacity of 13,000 lbs. The true champion here is the 2022 F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost Turbo V6, which can tow up to 14,000 lbs.
More Options Than a Standard Model
Ford and Toyota have clearly taken different approaches to their flagship model trucks. While Toyota has gone with a fairly standard pair of engine options and a limited number of configurations on the 2022 Tundra, Ford has chosen to give drivers more choices when it comes to engine, trim, and cab styles on the 2022 F-150.
In addition, Ford has built a truck with far more towing and hauling capacity than Toyota. When choosing a champion team for the playoffs, many think that roster flexibility wins out over sticking to a rigid formula. Ford has taken this approach with the 2022 F-150, designing more options for buyers than the Tundra and offering more flexibility in its full-size truck model. There’s no question that the F-150 is the champion truck of 2022.
