2021 Tundra will what it has always been, solid, reliable, and worth every penny. The hybrid version will be a game changer, believe it.

@Dud

You may be right about the Tundra, but I'm more inclined to think they'll roll out a say-mo say-mo Tundra with lipstick, much like they did with the Tacoma a few years back---which was pathetic. People who really love Toyota pickups admit that the big shots at Toyota have really abandoned the American pickup market, at least as far as new product development goes.

And please (toyota) don't bring out a hybird half ton with Atkinson timing and squishy performance. Do all of us a favor. Just don't.

I will be very interested to see what new details come out on the 2020 GMC Sierra HD. I think this truck will be gaining some serious HD market share with the new generation, while the Silverado could lose some.

As for Toyota, they are laughing all the way to the bank with the current generation of mid and full size trucks...virtually no investment over the last 10 plus years, yet they still sell well largely just based on reputation for quality (at least the Tacoma is still at least somewhat competitive). Toyota really needs to up their game on the upcoming trucks, so they can just let them sit and languish for another 15 years or so afterwards.

As for Ram, I have already ruled them out for my next truck as I have no confidence in their reliability.

No ideas on what Ford will do? Great time to unleash the 2020 bronco to really steal the show.

As for Toyota, they are laughing all the way to the bank with the current generation

@Texas

The suits at Toyota HQ may be laughing but the Toyota dealers sure as hell aren't. HQ completely whiffed the ball during the last few years and they know that with all the new trucks from Ford, GM and RAM the dealers are getting killed on main street every day.

Coupes and Sedans are taking a beating in the marketplace and big SUVs and Pickups are where it's at. Toyota has badly miscalculated here.

I'm excited to see the specs on the HD trucks from GM. Especially on the all new gas motor.

I agree with Texas, Toyota has been idle forever and still makes a ton of money on the Tundra and Tacoma. Hopefully this new Tacoma goes back to its roots and comes back strong! And a new Tundra is much needed.

I'd like to see the new Bronco as well, but not with an Ecoboost. They better put a 5.0l in it!

Based on that roof profile, the Taco is going to be another refresh using the current cab. Same for the Tundra. Disappointing...

@papa

Good point on the Toyota dealers, I am sure you are absolutely right!

@TNT

I absolutely agree with your point on the Bronco, I would absolutely prefer the 5.0.

I have the 3.5 Ecoboost . I absolutely get mesmerized by the turbo on down shifts. The 5.0 is ok, but I would choose the 3.5 . Also would like to see Ford to roll out the 3.5 h.o. raptor motor to more vehicles. Already in the f150 limited, would like to see it in the mustang, explorer and expedition rs models

@Rowdy Douillard

Ford: according to a Ford Executive, Jim Farley: “Everyone loves the Raptor. With the new Super Duty, we got another new version that no one’s ever seen; not a Raptor, but something different.”

https://leftlanenews.com/ford/f-series-super-duty/ford-preparing-rugged-super-duty-to-rival-ram-2500-power-wagon/

I certainly hope Toyota reveals the next generation of the Tundra at the Chicago Auto Show. The Tundra is a great truck however its very old (same truck since the 2007 model year) and could use a more modern interior and much improved fuel economy.

However with Toyota already confirming a refreshed 2020 Tacoma will be revealed at the Chicago Auto Show. It makes me think they won't have big news for another product. However I certainly hope I'm wrong!

Agree about the Toyota dealers. All car sales have taken a beating with truck, crossover, and suvs being where the sales are at. I would be surprised if Toyota released an all new Tundra but maybe they will surprise us at the Chicago Auto show. Toyota has recent ads on TV stating that while some other manufacturers are abandoning the car market that Toyota is committed to it. I think Toyota is relying on more auto sales since Ford, GM, and FCA are abandoning large segments of automobiles. They will pick up some additional sales but how much additional sales and will it be large enough to make a difference. Tacoma is now the top seller for Toyota with Camry and Corolla sales on the decline. This might be a good time for Toyota to have some all new trucks and suvs even the Sequoya is getting long in the tooth.

Years ago I went to the Chicago Auto show. Really a great show and well worth going to if you are in Chicago. It was bitter cold when I went but there was a lot to see.

@yurly

The raptor models are fine and well, but not for me. I'm a Max tow/payload guy. So I'm out on the super off road stuff.

@ Rowdy

you get mesmerized with a 3.5l turbo.

Think what a 6.2l supercharged feels like. My buddy has a 6.2l supercharged in an Escalade and an Avalanche. Boy talk about put you in your seat.

Another buddy has a 15 vette with procharger, headers, and e85 tune.....totally bad@$$

Taco with a new mesh pattern in the grill. Tundra trudging on indefinitely.

Inside sources say the Tundra is all new from the ground up. Those that have seen the final prototype say the new truck looks nothing like the current Tundra. The spy pictures that were taken was a mule using the old cab.

Toyota is testing the new Tundra in Texas and Michigan, so hopefully we will see more spy shots of the all new truck once it gets closer to it's debut.

Also the 4th gen 4Runner is in the works too, should make it's debut with the 2021 Tundra.

Sorry 6th gen 4Runner*

@Tyler

When will we see the all new Tundra and when is it expected to arrive at dealers? (Fall of 2019?)

Thank you

Fiat has definitely stolen the press and thunder from the Chevy full size misstep. The only real question is will Chevy rush an already much needed corrective interior and exterior styling refresh or wait until the new Fords arrive. Either way till then Fiat will close the gap on that #2 spot.

Would LOVE to see the Tundra make a major play... All new, modern materials, at least 3 engine modern DOHC/DI/Vari Timing engine offerings, and an innovation or 2 in the full size half ton segment.

A 3 way tie for 2nd... no other real surprises though.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-trucks/us-news-best-truck-brands-of-2019/ss-BBSEaJY?ocid=ientp#image=13

A 3 way tie for 2nd... no other real surprises though.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-trucks/us-news-best-truck-brands-of-2019/ss-BBSEaJY?ocid=ientp#image=13

The main reason Ford is delayed the Bronco is because it's based on the new Ranger Platform that only holds one engine as of now.

They're prepping multiple engines for the Bronco and are awaiting development on it, this is why they want the Bronco to be a hit.

They want to offer engine choices to appease the masses.

Tundra fixes:
Fuel Efficiency
Crash Test ratings
Interior upgrades.

none of these need to be sweeping and expensive moves.

Tundra Keeps:
Reliability
Towing/Power
Reliability
& Reliability.

In Case you didn't notice, when I'm dropping over $45K for a pickup, it needs to be reliable.

when I'm dropping over $45K for a pickup, it needs to be reliable.
Posted by: MLS956 | Feb 1, 2019

Talk to guys who work on trucks, esp. engines/trans for a living. They'll tell you that you can buy junkyard engines and trans for your well used 2005 Silverado and put a great long lasting and reliable truck together for $10 or 15k.

Paint and interior refresh costs a lot less than you might think.

Guys who build muscle cars love the 5.3 and 6.0 V8s because the great bones are already there, just some refresh and some minor mods and you're done.

Buy a GM V8. Extremely reliable and inexpensive to own! Simple as that!

I recognize that the Tundra is reliable, but I doubt even the Tundra's V8 is as long lasting as the GM 5.3/6.0/6.2 pushrod V8's.

will the 2020 ford super duty truck debut there also

Texas1836--The Tundra has a very long lasting V-8. I read an article about a guy in Louisiana that had one with over a million miles that was about 10 years old. He was in the oil service industry and drove long distances everyday. For the most part he just did oil changes and very little else. Toyota gave him a new Tundra and took his old one to display. I would say that Toyota builds long lasting vehicles. The Tundra and Tacoma are outdated but they are both bullet proof.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL7fyyUNRmA

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/1607-toyota-buys-victor-sheppards-million-mile-2007-tundra/

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/project-trucks/1705-million-mile-tundra-the-tear-down/

https://jalopnik.com/heres-what-a-toyota-truck-looks-like-after-1-000-000-mi-1776141464

https://www.autoblog.com/2016/05/16/toyota-tundra-million-mile-official/

https://www.equipmentworld.com/this-07-tundra-is-1-million-miles-strong-now-toyota-is-trying-to-figure-out-how-it-built-an-unbreakable-truck/

The most I have ever driven a vehicle is 200k but it is nice to know there is a truck out there that has done it.

@Jeff s

We are on the same page as far as the Tundra being reliable, and I had previously read about someone getting 1,000,000 miles on their Toyota...impressive indeed. As we both know, there is no official database on how long these engines last on average. I do remember Toyota/GM/Ford V8's doing very well in a study seeing which vehicles go 200,000 miles. I do know some people who have gotten around 300,000 miles on their GM small block V8's, and one who got close to 500,000 miles on theirs before rebuilding or junking the vehicle. I sold the last Chevy 1/2 ton pickup I owned to a friend who now has around 300,000 miles on it...no engine or tranny problems (kind of surprised about no tranny problems, I used to tow and he does too). One friend of mine just sold his Toyota Tundra that had about 260,000 miles on it, still ran okay, but it was getting 'tired' according to him. All my evidence is purely anecdotal, but since there is no official data source, it is mostly what I go by. I always appreciate your well thought out posts, they are virtually always on point and therefore refreshing.

@Texas1836--Thank you. I thought it was interesting. I worked for an oil man in Texas that had a 75 Sedan Deville with 200k miles that ran and looked like new. He told me one time he had a 56 Cadillac Fleetwood with over 500k miles mostly highway. He gave it to his wife who used it to commute to work and then she wanted something smaller. He said it was running several years later. He was meticulous about his maintenance and kept his Caddy clean and always waxed. I am not saying that everyone should keep a vehicle that long and for that many miles but you can keep most vehicles that long. I don't have nearly that amount of miles on my 99 S-10 but it runs and looks like new. I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

@Jeff s

Do you have the 4.3 V6 in your S-10? To me, for their day, they were as good as any V6 out there in terms of durability, power and fuel economy (I'm talking 80's and 90's). Toyota is known for reliable engines, but back in those days, Toyota had one of the worst V6's available in trucks, the 3.0 V6, which were known for severe oil sludge problems, relatively poor fuel economy as well as low power. In the early 90's? Toyota went to a 3.4 liter V6 in their trucks that was MUCH better across the board. I don't remember any bad Toyota 4 cylinders.

Regardless of which pick-up truck is better, these days, fewer than one in 100 baton-twirlers are men, according to Trenton Haltom, a sociology student from the University of Nebraska who interviewed 30 male baton-twirlers — ranging in age from 19 to 74 — for his 2015 master’s thesis, “Experiencing the Blue Curtain: The Effects of Tokenism on Masculine Identities Among Male Baton-Twirlers.”

Toyota, Fiat report fall in U.S. auto sales in January

REUTERS
BUSINESS NEWS
February 1, 2019

(Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp on Friday reported a 6.6 percent fall in U.S. vehicle sales for January, hurt by lower demand for its Camry and Prius cars.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-auto-sales/toyota-fiat-report-fall-in-u-s-auto-sales-in-january-idUSKCN1PQ4XD

@papajim

I work on cars and trucks for a living and thats far and few between anymore. Many factors to weigh in such as value of the vehicle vs cost of a new drivetrain etc. Besides those LS motors usually outlast those rust bucket 2000-2005 or so silverados anyways...at least up here in the salt belt. 200k and the frame is rusted to hell not to mention all the suspension, brake/fuel lines and so on. No one's restorin' those hunks up here. They just wanna know if the motor and/or trans is toast or not. If so they tow it to the heap and go buy another one. The good ol' days are gone.

@Texas1836--No I have have a 2.2 I-4 with a 5 speed manual. At the time I bought it new I wanted a base truck but I wanted air, manual transmission, and an extended cab. I had a GM Mastercard rewards balance of 4k, 1,500 cash back from GM on S-10s, and the rest was negotiation which at the time I paid less than 10.5 total (tax, title, and licensing) with a bed liner installed. At that time I was either going to buy a new Ranger or a used truck but it was too good a deal to pass up. I heard that the V-6s were good but I have been very happy with the I-4 which has been very reliable (it has a steel timing chain and gear). Its been a solid truck.

I don't remember a bad Toyota 4 cylinder as well. One of my neighbors who works for Toyota (engineer with Toyota) has a 92 Camry (owned since new) and still commutes to Georgetown, KY from Northern KY with an original I-4 that has had just routine maintenance. He has to have at least a couple of hundred thousand mile on it. He says it is one of the most reliable vehicles he ever has owned. He has an 82 Camaro in his garage from his college days that he has been working on to bring it back to original.

test

Do you have the 4.3 V6 in your S-10...Posted by: Texas

@texas

I bought a new 2wd regular cab S10 in Sept 1988, back then their top of the line trim was called Tahoe. That was when the big six had just become available in the compact Blazer SUV and the small pickup.

The 4.3 and 4 speed auto were standard; the five speed stick was not available till the following year with the 4.3, but folks who chose the small V6 and the 4 cylinder had those options.

Mine had the TBI fuel injection and the program was a little clunky in the 1988 models. First gear was pretty low and the ignition timing in low gear needed more advance, I'm pretty sure. It was very smooth and strong in the other gears.

It was much improved in subsequent years.

On the plus side, it was durable as hell and same for the GM auto trans. I put about 180k miles on it during the next 10 years and although the interior plastics were cheaply made the rest of the truck was so rugged and blazing quick. Not 911 porsche quick but fast enough to shock guys who had Mustang GTs and Dodge Stealths. Huge fun.

@Jeff s.....Wow, you only paid a little under $10.5k, unreal deal!!

@papa

I was really fond of the 4.3 back then...I remember 'racing' a co-worker friend of mine who was driving his new S-10 4.3 V6, while I was driving my new 1992 K-Blazer with 'Silverado' trim, with the 350, and he won! I was surprised and a bit embarrased. I always assumed the 4.3 engines were durable since they were basically a chopped off 350.

I am pretty fussy about oil changes and lube. I put a aftermarket oil cooler on the trans after I bought it, and a rebuilt water pump on it at around 140k miles and other than brake pads/shoes and a master cylinder, that was it. It was driven in suburbs, lots of stop/go. It took a beating.

It got crunched in a bad wreck in 1998 and I sold it to a friend who used it in his landscaping business pulling the trailer around. Still had the original engine, trans, radiator, distributor, fuel injection, seats, paint, weatherstripping. Paid 9996.00 new, plus sales tax. Amazing value.

You still see a fair number of old S-10s on the road, very durable drive trains. I am very particular about oil changes as well usually changing oil well before the required time. My S-10 and my Isuzu do not burn any oil.

I@ Jeff s and papajim

I had a 2002 pewter zr2 s10 with 4.3L. I bought it in 2003 for $16k with only 7k miles on it. Totally loved the truck. 4.3L was excellent. Had 190hp which was good back then. Could turn big BF goodwrenches easily. Could you imaginr swapping a new 4.3L into the amaller frame of the older S10s. That would be a pocket rocket for sure.

Gm needs to make a smaller midsize and put the 4.3L back into it. I really love that motor.

@ Jeff S and other Toyota haters,

Top selling vehicle in the U.S. for Toyota is the RAV4, and the RAV4 is the top selling non truck likewise. That would be 4th overall in U.S. sales of any vehicle.

The Corolla is selling well likewise and the Highlander is selling as many as the factory in Indiana can produce them. Camry is off but still selling well.

Tacoma is doing well and will continue because you guys really do not understand why humans flock to the Tacoma rather than the Colorado and soon Ranger. Plus Toyota has capacity to outsell the Colorado and Ranger with more factories building them.

With a new factory to build Tacoma's coming on line very soon, Toyota will free up capacity at their Texas plant to build more Tundra's, so expect some really good news about the Tundra the next few years.

I was just at my local Toyota dealer and the RAV4, Highlander and Corolla are selling well and the Tacoma is holding its own.

Gm needs to make a smaller midsize and put the 4.3L back into it. I really love that motor...Posted by: TNTGMC | Feb 1, 2019

@TNTGMC

Don't be fooled. Those 4.3's were WAY underated by GM because it saved GM customers on their car insurance. On my truck they were taking the HP figure at 4000 rpm. They took the torque number at 3800 or so. The real HP on those pickups should have been taken at 4800 or 5000k rpm.

During the 1980s Nascar had a division called the Grand National cars, later called the Busch Series, which was sort of like AAA Baseball teams are in the majors---farm clubs.

Excellent racing competition but the cars cost a lot less to build and campaign on the circuit. They ran 3.8 Buicks and 4.3 Chevys back then and were getting crazy HP numbers running on Sunoco racing fuel and 11:1 compression.

They were turning those motors VERY tight and getting awesome performance. Lighter rods, forged steel cranks. Fun.

The S10's were very durable. Actually the S10 Chasis underpins the Grumman LLV mail trucks that the postal service uses. Many of those are over 20 years old and do a severe duty cycle.

http://racersreunion.com/cody-dinsmore/gallery/58255/bill-elliott-1988-busch-grand-national-buick

A close look reveals that there is little resemblance between a Buick Grand National and awesome Bill's number 88 car pictured here. Bill Elliot's "Buick" 3.8 liter V6 probably started life as pieces bolted together on an old Chevy Nova. V6s had just about run their course at that time, there was no longer any advantage to the lighter sixes in the Nascar rule book. Before than time Nascar mistakenly believed that the smaller engines could be made more cheaply, but the teams wanted to win so much that pretty soon they were spending more on a race ready V6 than some people spent on their whole car.

@Jim--My S-10 is 20 years old and the frame is still like new. There are those who don't like GM products but I have had very good service out of them. I also have had a few Fords that I have good service out of and one that was not so good but it was given too me used and had been well used before I got it. I have nothing against Toyotas except maybe they have been living on a reputation for years that they are the only reliable. There are lots of reliable vehicles made today.

@papajim--Have you seen the video on Jay Leno's garage showing his 91 GMC Syclone pickup? Only about 3,000 of these sporty pickups were built in 1991, which is when Jay bought his - primarily because of GMC's boast that this was the fastest accelerating production vehicle in America, beating out even the Ferrari 348!.

Yes I remember the Cyclone. Being a car nut I had my own ideas.

I was less interested in them unless they were naturally aspirated engines. In those days I was a big circle-track fan and almost every weekend went to races at short tracks all over the Southeast---both dirt tracks and paved. Many tracks in those days allowed and even encouraged the V6 stock blocks and gave them special consideration in the rule books. Without the special rules they simply could not compete with V8s, so eventually the small block Chevy reigned supreme and the smaller engines became an expensive hobby.