Currently the Tundra's 7/8ths scale is too small for traditional domestic truck buyers, with complaints from those who have driven
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| The Tundra is almost too good. It's so refined, so car-like that buyers looking for a bad-@$$ pickup don't even consider it. The Tacoma (shown), feels like it has a taller seat height in comparison. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
centered on its seat height, which some find too low and car-like for their tastes. The Tundra kind of reminds me of the Harley-Davidson, Honda Shadow conundrum of a couple of decades ago. Honda built a "better" Harley, or at least it ran more reliably, featured higher-quality components and didn't shake when idling. That last part ironically made it less desirable to cruiser fans, however, so Honda had to engineer out smoothness in order to give the bike a little more character. The very thought must have driven the perfectionists that run the Japanese motorcycle company nuts, but it taught Honda a thing or two about selling to North American buyers. Now, of course, Harley is building some of the best made cruisers in the world and is one of the top motorcycle sellers because of it. So much for the motorcycle history lesson, what does this story have to do with selling pickup trucks? Well, the Tundra is
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| Toyota's entry-level truck is bigger than its predecessor in every way, now dimensionally similar to the best-selling Dodge Dakota. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
almost too good. It's so refined, so car-like that buyers looking for a bad-@$$ pickup don't even consider it. My Dad, a rather refined Viennese city-slicker gone country, is the prime candidate for this gentleman's pickup, but Hos Cartwright down at the Ponderosa isn't taking the bait. After years of making a better pickup truck and not having truck buyers respond similarly to the way car buyers do to its Corolla and Camry, Toyota now believes it has what buyers want. The word is "BIG"! The next-generation Tundra will be much larger than the current one, which has left room for the Tacoma to grow in size. Toyota's entry-level truck is bigger than its predecessor in every way. It's now more midsize than compact, dimensionally similar to the best-selling Dodge Dakota.
