Spoiling the Crew
"Frightening people in Buicks," is how I described driving the massive Tundra Crew Max to my colleague in the Auto123.com office. "I want to see pictures of you mowing down Buicks," he quipped back. Fortunately the Buicks were spared however the Crew Max imparts a sense of mass and might sufficient to encourage such villainy, as its RAM-like front grille might imply.
Big is beautiful
It wasn't long ago when the crew cab of a pickup truck wasn't much more than a couple of vinyl benches inserted between four steel-paneled doors. Such confines were intended for work crews in steel-toed boots and hard hats not the genteel swathed in lambs-wool and Gortex. The latest Tundra and a number of its competitors have advanced these formerly crude environs sufficient to make them a place of opulence and desire.
Most notable in Toyota's execution - aptly named the Crew Max - is the voluminous size of its passenger compartment. Upon mounting the driver's seat I was astounded by the width of the cabin and the colossal size of its centre console storage bin; it's bigger than cargo holds in most ocean-faring freighters.
But wait, if you really want to see big, take a seat in the back of a Crew Max. One could become lonely back there. But loneliness brings with it comfort- and plenty of it beginning with a 60/40-split rear bench seat with reclining seat backs. Sliding the seat forward on its tracks pulls it away from the rear glass, producing plenty of room to recline. And you might think such positioning would erode legroom behind the front seat; well it doesn't. So much legroom is to be had that loosing some in favor of reclining doesn't leave the legs shortchanged. In fact, rear seat legroom is 'best in class.'
Toyota has done a marvelous job of creating an attractive, functional, well thought-out cabin. My tester spoiled me with leather upholstery and a sublimely comfortable, 10-way power driver's seat. Voice-activated navigation was also present along with Bluetooth technology and a killer, JBL sound system; all the elements needed to delightfully devour long distances.
"Frightening people in Buicks," is how I described driving the massive Tundra Crew Max to my colleague in the Auto123.com office. "I want to see pictures of you mowing down Buicks," he quipped back. Fortunately the Buicks were spared however the Crew Max imparts a sense of mass and might sufficient to encourage such villainy, as its RAM-like front grille might imply.
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| The Tundra Crew Max is bold and powerful. |
Big is beautiful
It wasn't long ago when the crew cab of a pickup truck wasn't much more than a couple of vinyl benches inserted between four steel-paneled doors. Such confines were intended for work crews in steel-toed boots and hard hats not the genteel swathed in lambs-wool and Gortex. The latest Tundra and a number of its competitors have advanced these formerly crude environs sufficient to make them a place of opulence and desire.
Most notable in Toyota's execution - aptly named the Crew Max - is the voluminous size of its passenger compartment. Upon mounting the driver's seat I was astounded by the width of the cabin and the colossal size of its centre console storage bin; it's bigger than cargo holds in most ocean-faring freighters.
But wait, if you really want to see big, take a seat in the back of a Crew Max. One could become lonely back there. But loneliness brings with it comfort- and plenty of it beginning with a 60/40-split rear bench seat with reclining seat backs. Sliding the seat forward on its tracks pulls it away from the rear glass, producing plenty of room to recline. And you might think such positioning would erode legroom behind the front seat; well it doesn't. So much legroom is to be had that loosing some in favor of reclining doesn't leave the legs shortchanged. In fact, rear seat legroom is 'best in class.'
Toyota has done a marvelous job of creating an attractive, functional, well thought-out cabin. My tester spoiled me with leather upholstery and a sublimely comfortable, 10-way power driver's seat. Voice-activated navigation was also present along with Bluetooth technology and a killer, JBL sound system; all the elements needed to delightfully devour long distances.
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| Rear occupants will have plenty of legroom. |