The 2024 Toyota Tundra starts at $41,815 in the United States and at $53,380 in Canada, freight and delivery charges included.
Smooth powertrains, improved ride quality, spacious cabin.
Fuel economy could be better, fewer customisation options than its competitors, no class-leading bragging rights for owners.
If you have the impression that every fourth vehicle crossing your path on the way to work or the supermarket is a full-size pickup truck, such as the 2024 Toyota Tundra that’s the subject of this review, you might not be hallucinating all that much. Said trucks account for 14% of all new light-duty vehicles sold in the United States during the 2023 calendar year, and a staggering 19% in Canada. That’s 2.5 million new pickups on the roads across both countries in a single year.
Why do so many people buy large pickup trucks? First and foremost, because they’re undeniably practical, and at the moment, their resale value is high and their interest rates are fairly low, meaning you can get behind the wheel of one of these behemoths for roughly the same monthly payment as a well-equipped midsize crossover. Lease payments could even be much lower. What about the extra cost of all the fuel required to motivate these trucks? Bah, it’s just a business expense for a lot of self-employed people.
Getting back to the 2024 Toyota Tundra, well, it’s got its work cut out for it as a direct rival to the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan. However, it’s been that way ever since the first Tundra rolled off the assembly line at Toyota’s San Antonio, Texas plant in 1999. And a quarter of a century later, it’s still around, its third generation being introduced for the 2022 model year.
For 2024, the Tundra gets some changes, such as the blacked-out Nightshade Package on the Limited trim level—as is the case on our test truck. The TRD Off Road Package can be added to the Platinum in the U.S. market, while a TRD 3-inch lift kit can be ordered and installed directly from the factory. The TRD Pro variant also gets a new paint color called Terra.
The 2024 Toyota Tundra is offered in Double Cab and CrewMax body styles, which differ in rear-seat space, along with two bed lengths. The trim level lineup consists of SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum and Capstone, along with TRD Sport, TRD Off Road, TRD Pro and 1794 Edition packages.
Two powerplants are available. There’s a twin-turbo 3.5L (actually 3,445 cc) i-Force V6 that develops 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission and either a 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrain. However, the SR trim gets a detuned version of the V6 with 348 hp and 405 pound-feet, along with slightly better fuel economy.
There’s also the optional i-Force MAX, a hybridized variant of the same engine that belts out 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. That surpasses the output of the Silverado and Sierra cousins’ most potent engine, the 6.2L V8 that generates 420 hp and 460 pound-feet, as well as the F-150’s PowerBoost hybrid V6 which develops 430 hp and 570 pound-feet.
Here’s a look at the 2024 Toyota Tundra’s city/highway/combined fuel economy ratings:
| i-Force / 4×2 | i-Force / 4×4 | i-Force / MAX 4×2 | i-Force / MAX 4×4 | |
| SR | 18/24/20 mpg | 17/23/19 mpg | – | – |
| SR5, Limited, Platinum, Capstone | 18/23/20 mpg | 17/22/19 mpg | 20/24/22 mpg | 19/22/20 mpg |
| TRD Pro | – | – | – | 18/20/19 mpg |
| i-Force / 4×2 | i-Force / 4×4 | i-Force / MAX 4×2 | i-Force / MAX 4×4 | |
| SR | 13.1 / 10.1 / 11.7 L/100 km | 13.6 / 10.4 / 12.2 L/100 km | – | – |
| SR5, Limited, Platinum, Capstone | – | 13.6 / 10.4 / 12.2 L/100 km | – | 12.7 / 10.5 / 11.7 L/100 km |
| TRD Pro | – | – | – | 12.9 / 11.6 / 12.3 L/100 km |
Towing capacity is rated at up to 12,000 pounds or 5,443 kilograms for the 2024 Toyota Tundra, although the base SR trims are capped at 8,300 pounds or 3,765 kg. Payload capacity ranges from 1,485 to 1,940 pounds or 674 to 880 kg, depending on the trim level and configuration.
In the United States, 2024 Toyota Tundra pricing starts at $41,815 including freight and delivery charges, while the range-topping Capstone with all the bells and whistles reaches $82,455. In Canada, pricing starts at $53,380 and rises up to $92,940 when choosing the Capstone.
Why You Should Buy a 2024 Toyota Tundra
- The Tundra’s powertrain is strong, smooth and—so far—generally trouble-free. No one wants to buy a work truck only to be stuck constantly returning to the dealership for repairs, whether they’re under warranty or not. That said, the latest Tundra does seem to have some build quality and in-vehicle electronics issues, but those don’t prevent the truck from being dependable.
- The 2024 Toyota Tundra CrewMax’s cabin is spacious both in front and in back, while the front seats are comfortable despite minimal power adjustments, with just the right amount of lateral support. There’s plenty of storage space in the center console for emptying our pockets or stashing food for family road trips.
- The truck’s infotainment system is very easy to use, and owners will enjoy a really big touchscreen. The graphics are simplistic with big button zones, good from an ergonomics standpoint, although the overall appearance doesn’t look very sophisticated or slick. Function over form.
- Simply put, to be different. The current-generation Tundra may be #5 on the full-size pickup sales chart, but it’s not because it’s a bad product. It’s a break from all the Ford, GM and Ram pickups seen on the road.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a 2024 Toyota Tundra
- The Tundra lineup isn’t as expansive as that of its American brand rivals. There are fewer powertrain choices, fewer trim levels and appearance packages and fewer innovative features. Customizing a Tundra isn’t as easy as with the F-150, the Silverado/Sierra and Ram 1500, but then again, it’s hard to configure a unique build when so many units are being produced.
- The twin-turbo V6 is ready for the task, but it’s not the most fuel-efficient powertrain of the segment. It sips less fuel than GM and Ford V8s, but not Ram’s mild hybrid eTorque HEMI V8, and Toyota doesn’t offer a powerplant that can match the fuel economy of Ram’s eTorque 3.6L V6 (21 mpg or 11.0 L/100 km in combined driving), or GM’s Duramax diesel 3.0L I6 (24 mpg or 9.6 L/100 km in combined driving). The Tundra’s i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain consumes more fuel than the F-150’s hybrid setup. At least Toyota’s engines can run on regular gasoline. During our winter test with the non-hybrid engine, we managed 17 mpg or 13.9 L/100 km.
- The Tundra’s payload capacity isn’t as high as those of its rivals, especially when comparing the crew cab configurations. Its 1,940-pound max rating is well below the F-150’s 2,455 pounds, the Silverado’s 2,260 pounds and the Ram 1500’s 2,300 pounds. It all depends how much we need out of a pickup truck.
- Same goes for towing. The Tundra’s 12,000-pound max rating is pretty high, but slightly below the F-150’s 13,500 pounds, the Silverado’s 13,300 pounds and the Ram 1500’s 12,750 pounds. Again, it all depends on how much we need for our daily activities, but if we’re regularly hauling that much weight, a heavy-duty pickup might be a better option.
Final Word
The 2024 Toyota Tundra can’t claim bragging rights in any aspect compared to its adversaries which, aside from the Nissan, can tow more, haul more and use less fuel depending on the chosen powertrain. However, for a full-size pickup truck, it’s a good daily driver with a comfortable ride, a roomy interior and a user-friendly infotainment system.
Sure, the competition has clever bed-climbing steps, multi-function tailgates and more customisation possibilities, but for those who just want or need a truck for work and play, the Tundra can definitely handle just about any task, and as far as active safety features, this latest generation is technologically up to date as well.
