2021 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO

MSRP: $53,050

Specs: 5.7 Liter V8

381 HP / 401 TQ

11.2 MPG as observed

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Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi

Ah the Toyota Tundra.  This generation has been with us in one form or another for the last 13 years!  Yes.  Let me repeat that.  13.  Years!

Do you know what has happened in the last 13 years?  Well, obviously, the world went to the shitter around 2016 but other than that…we have had the following in truckdom:

Now I know the Tundra hasn’t remained the exact same since 2007.  Slight horsepower bump here and there, new trim models, new interior and infotainment system and a new gearbox along with styling changes.  But other than superficial changes here and there…it’s still that same ole truck.

But here is the secret:

IT DOESN’T MATTER.  

While the Full Size Truck market leans more into Family Car duties…it looses the inherent thing that makes Full Size Trucks special…being a simple, down to earth, good truck.  That is what gives a truck soul and personality. They are not perfect machines but their flaws is what gives them nuance and character.  This is why people who own Full Size Trucks love them so much.  It becomes a companion rather than just a mere vehicle.  

Yes the Tundra is old and doesn’t come with all the gadgets it’s competitors are layered with but that is a good thing!  It’s competitors are now like every other car on the road…there is an electronic buffer between you and the vehicle.  But with the Tundra, there is no buffer.  The steering feels actually connected to the road, you feel the suspension work through the driver seat and you feel & hear that wonderful, glorious and underrated wonder of a 5.7 Liter V8 howl.  

So what does the 2021 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro really reminds me of?  It’s Shadow from Homeward Bound.  An aging but loyal, wise and generous creature that is more of a family member rather than a pet.  That’s what the Tundra TRD Pro does to you.  It transforms you from thinking of your vehicle as transportation device into a member of your family.  

It’s a good, good dog…I mean truck.