Automotive Trends

     Hear that nervous clattering noise coming from the North? That’s the sound of Detroit shaking in its old, worn-out boots.
     After watching the Japanese steal sales year after year in the small, midsize, and luxury car markets, the folks in northern Michigan are surely biting their fingernails at the thought of Japan swooping in for another conquest. This time, though, the fight will be over the mainstay of all-American transportation — the full-size truck.
     Nissan and Toyota are the first to enter the fray, and I spent a week behind the wheel of Toyota’s entrant, the all-new Tundra Double Cab, which is designed to compete head-to-head with the four-door trucks from Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.
     Judging from the Tundra’s specs, it looks like Toyota is preparing for the automotive equivalent of World Wrestling SmackDown. Think of a buttoned-down, Japanese engineer screaming, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
     Consider:
— The Double Cab is longer, wider, and has more cargo-carrying volume than a similar Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, or Nissan Titan.
— It has more payload capacity and rear-seat legroom than the Dodge Ram Quad Cab.
— It has more standard V8 horsepower and torque than the F-150.
     Clearly, Toyota is aiming for the heart of American pickup buyers by offering plenty of size and power in the new truck. Not only is it bigger than most of its competition — MUCH bigger than you’d expect a Toyota to be — it also offers the kind of refinement that nobody expects to find in a truck.
     Most impressive is the Tundra’s 4.7-liter i-Force V8 engine, which feels like it could have been plucked right from the engine bay of a Lexus. It’s remarkably smooth and quiet with a dual-overhead-cam design that is infinitely more likeable than the raucous American brands. Still, it has enough power to tow a very un-Lexus-like 7,100 pounds.

     While the V8 makes a rich, deep exhaust note that sounds great in a work vehicle, the interior miraculously filters out nearly all the noise. Once again, the Tundra seems more like a luxury car than a boat-towin’, mud-covered pickup.
     All V8 models come with a smooth-shifting, four-speed automatic transmission and a “towing prep package,” which includes a Class IV tow hitch, a seven-pin connector with converter, a 130-amp alternator, and supplemental transmission oil cooler. Just hook up the trailer, and you’re ready to go.
     The Double Cab’s only serious downside is its bland, way-too-Camry-like styling.
     While other truck makers offer bold new looks — consider the big-rig styling on the Ram, the aggressive expression of the Titan, or even the fabulous interior in the new F-150 — Toyota opted for a look that won’t turn any heads. It’s totally dull and lacking the machismo that makes a truck look like a truck.
     Then again, people who buy the Tundra probably don’t care about feeling macho. Its soft ride, smooth engine, and quiet interior appeal to our logical side, not our “I must look and feel like a lumberjack” side. How can you argue with that kind of inherent sensibility?
     And, as if the Tundra’s refinement and size weren’t sensible enough, there’s the pleasingly low price. It starts at $25,645 for a Double Cab with lots of features and climbs to $29,270 for the Limited Double Cab with some luxurious amenities. A stripped down, two-door Tundra work truck is available for $15,955 for comparison, and it’s nowhere near the size of its wider, taller, longer, Double Cab brother.
     All in all, the new Tundra is a well-designed, thoroughly capable, wonderfully refined machine. It may not have the testosterone-packed styling of its American competition, but it still gives Detroit a serious reason to be nervous.