I have been looking to get a new truck. The Tundra Platinum and Sequoia Platinum are quite nice. Toyota touts them as the lexus trucks with a toyota name.

I need something to pull a travel trailer and the GX is not powerful enough and the LX is out of my budget.

Any opinions for or against these. Others to consider ?

 

I made the exact same decision a year or so ago and bought a 2009 Tundra 5.7. I would have preferred to get a Lexus LX or GX, but they didn't have enough towing capacity.

The Tundra is most definitely not a Lexus but it does fine for what I need it to do. Since mine is used sparsely I just got the SR5 mid-model; it'd be nicer with the Limited, leather, etc. but the ride would still be a truck ride. Interior bits are more Lexus-like on the Platinum, limited, and other specialty packages.

We tow about 7,500 lbs with our track car, 22ft trailer and all the gear. I prefer not to tow at the absolute max of the rated capability which is 10,800 for ours with the big v8 and tow package option.

I've been very pleased with mine so far. The biggest limitation that I've found is the gas tank size. When I tow I can get anywhere from 8 - 12 mpg (depending on how fast we go and terrain). Our buddies with diesels towing can go about an hour longer on the road before they have to stop for fuel.


Here's ours



I've upgraded a bunch of little bits on the truck but to be safer I changed the tires to e-rated light truck tires which flex a lot less. They also make the ride a bit stiffer so a consideration for you if you daily yours.

Considered the Sequoia, but similar to the Lexus didn't have the towing capacity. The others I looked at included the Nissan Titan, Chevy 2500, Ford 250 and Chrysler diesels.

 

I just could not do the Toyota for some reason, the inside just could not get it done for me.

Always been a Ford guy but since my inlaws are all GM people this summer I got a sick deal on a Silverado 1500 so decided on that for a tow rig.

Dave has a point on the diesel, it is just plain nice to have if you're on 400+ mile trips or tow really heavy, if not then it takes a long time to get that $7000+ back to get a diesel.

If your towing a travel trailer I like a longer wheel base. My FJ was short and made it a pain to tow long or heavy so I would go with a truck over a shorter SUV.

Next truck will be a F-250, and chances are I will have to go diesel with the boat I want to tow from time to time unless I want 3mpg

 

When it comes to fullsize pickups,I would only go Ford and have.

 

im saving some coin for one of theese

< Harley Davidson interior


The F350 comes with some real inovative towing feature's

 

IMO stick with Ford or GM for full sized trucks... especially if you're going to use them for truck-like duties. They're just built to take abuse better. Aside from that they ride more comfortably, have interiors that are just as high in quality (if not higher, arguably), and in some configs offer better fuel economy.

Aside from that I've never gotten the mentality that a bunch of options and wood trim stuck inside a Toyota makes it like a Lexus. The difference between a Toyota and Lexus to me isn't the options, it's the standard details like the improved interior materials, better paint and assembly quality, better sound deadening, better dealer support, etc.

I'd rather have a fairly base model RX350 than a loaded to the hilt Highlander, for example, assuming the price I could get them for was pretty close.

I think some vehicles end up with so many options added that they just cost too much for the basic vehicle that's underneath it all. Let me put it to you this way... you can get a basic Tundra 5.7L V8 for under 20 grand. So doesn't it feel a bit impractical to buy a 60k dollar Seq Platinum for 3 times that price when it rides on the same chassis using the same engine and transmission and using an interior that's arguably not assembled any better, just covered up with nicer glitzy bits of leather and wood?

 

Pros:
Outstanding 5.7 liter engine
6 speed makes towing a breeze
Roomy
Good tow rating (10,000lbs when empty with no gear)

Cons:
Mediocre payload numbers
Poorly designed interior
Cheap materials
Bed bounce

 

I agree with the others, the Tundra is a great pickup but Ford, GM, and Dodge have been doing this longer and if I were you I would buy a GM truck. GMC Sierra's are nice, espesially the Denali model.

 

Agree, I would really like a diesel, but my diesel friends are telling me to stay away due to the new emission standards and the cost of keeping them up with these standards. At the moment the fords only have a 5 speed tranny (6 speed soon). I do like the duramax engines, they are quite fast (sports car like)

 

Not so sure this response above makes much sense. While yes the Tundra is pretty basic in design the Sequoia is not a exactly a Tundra with an SUV body. There are a number of things that make the Sequoia a much more expensive vehicle, and the only real issue is some subpar materials used inside.

The Sequoia Platinum offers such things as:
A fully boxed frame
Adaptive Variable Suspension (LX470/LC or TEM-S)
Rear air leveling
Idependent rear suspension
Dynamic Laser Cruise control
A different 4WD system than that of the Tundra


As for the cosmetic stuff there are such things as power rear hatch, power 3rd row seats, heated 2nd row, 3 zone climate etc.

There is enough content in the Sequoia Platinum to be considered a luxury vehicle.

 

One question is then with the sequoia is when all done it is about the same price as an escalade (well maybe a yukon denali).

As for diesels, currently the superduties are on a very big sale.. Low prices (F-150 like) due to the new upgrades coming for the 2011, is it worth a wait for the 6 speed and new engine or take the big discount on the 2010 model.

 

Been in both trucks questioned... they certainly do not have interior fit/finish or materials anywhere close to true Lexus trucks (LX, GX) in my opinion. In fact, I found certain aspects of the new generation F150 interior are higher quality even.