Amid the recent fanfare of new trucks from Ford and Nissan, it’s been easy to overlook another all-new player coming into the segment; the 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab.  It may look like the familiar old Tundra, but significant improvements under the skin set the new Toyota apart.

It’s no secret that the Tundra has been regarded as the “small” full-size pickup.  With the competition getting tougher and bigger every year, it was time to field a response to the Tundra’s detractors.  To this end, the new crew-cab version isn’t just a Tundra with two more doors.  The frame, wheelbase and body have all been up-sized, for a truck that’s in many ways the biggest Toyota pickup yet.

The secret to the Tundra’s sudden super-sizing is evident in the turn signals and front sheetmetal, which are actually borrowed from the Sequoia full-size SUV.  The Tundra Double Cab shares headlights, doors, and front fenders with the Sequoia.  The reasoning behind this wasn’t cosmetic; the Sequoia’s body is bigger than that of the regular cab Tundra, so by using it the Double Cab can be both longer and wider.  The Tundra Double Cab’s 19′ body is draped in familiar sheetmetal, and thanks to a standard full-length bed it’s longer than the crew cabs from Ford and Nissan, though it doesn’t look it.  Toyota’s truck styling has a slimming effect and it’s not until you see it parked next to another truck that you realize the Tundra Double Cab is a full-size beast with a 140″ wheelbase.

That length translates into a large, comfortable interior.  Here again, the Sequoia has contributed its more comfortable seats and a friendly instrument panel.  Special attention has been paid to the back seat; there’s plenty of leg room, and the rear seats come from the Sequoia as well.  They can be tumbled forward for additional cargo space.  One of Toyota’s SUV trademarks has made its way onto this truck in the form of its power-retractable rear window.  The Sequoia’s center console is here as well; it’s smaller than the filing cabinets you get in other trucks because the top is rounded instead of squared off.  That makes it pleasing to the eye but a bit less useful.  Then again, the Tundra Double Cab is more likely to be going to Home Depot than to a jobsite, so many owners won’t care much.  For the town truck set, the Tundra Double Cab can be had with an impressive array of amenities, from a moonroof to a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.  We liked it best in SR5 form, without quite so many bells and whistles.  We preferred the mouse-fur cloth to the leather as well, but that’s a matter of taste.

On the road, this big truck is surprisingly easy to deal with.  We expected the Tundra Double Cab to be cumbersome because of its long wheelbase, but its rack and pinion steering and very precise handling meant that it was only noticeable in very tight spaces.  The Sequoia parts contribute to a smoother ride, and the Tundra comes close to the class-leading Ford F-150 in terms of interior quiet.  Keeping the tires on the ground is a long-travel independent front suspension, used in both two- and four-wheel drive Tundras.  The Tundra Double Cab’s rear end has been re-geared for better torque delivery.

This truck is strong, too.  The all-new frame is 12.2″ longer than that of the Tundra Access Cab, with boxed and rolled C-channel sections.  The Tundra Double Cab we drove withstood a fair amount of off-road jouncing without feeling flexy or loose.  We expect the average pickup buyer to continue thinking of the Tundra as a town truck, because it goes about its work so quietly, but this truck can handle more abuse than you’d expect.  For even more abuse, a TRD Off-Road package adds progressive-rate springs, Bilstein shocks and a suspension tuned for dirt duty.

Power is provided by Toyota’s i-Force 4.7 liter V8.  This smooth, 240-horsepower engine is shared with the rest of Toyota’s big trucks, and features an electronic throttle control which simplifies the engine bay by replacing the vacuum-activated idle speed control and cruise control systems.  It coped well with this big truck’s 5020-pound weight without feeling overworked.  We noticed that it held gears longer under acceleration than the regular-cab Tundra tends to.  Five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions are offered; the automatic is standard equipment.  Compared to the competition unfortunately, the big new Toyota is still a bit of a lightweight, with a towing capacity of 6800 pounds, compared to 9300 from Ford and 9400 for Nissan.  Thanks in part to its full-size bed however, the Tundra Double Cab beats the standard F-150 SuperCrew and Nissan Titan for payload–1875 pounds, to be specific.

Our test truck was a top-of-the-line Limited 4×4, with all-weather, towing, and leather packages and heated seats keeping things very comfortable indeed inside.  Its sticker price of $35,660 seems a bit steep for a pickup, but bear in mind that this one had all the bells and whistles.  Pricing for lesser Tundra Double Cabs is actually reasonable, with a starting price of $25,645 for the two-wheel drive SR5 model.  Drivers who look beyond the current 800-pound gorillas of the pickup truck scene to find the Tundra Double Cab will very likely be quite pleased.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Limited 4×4, which we tested.
Length:         230.1 in.
Width:            79.7 in.
Height:            75.0 in
Wheelbase:        140.5 in.
Curb weight:        5020 lb.
Payload:        1875 lb.
Towing capacity:    6800 lb.
Base price:        $32,600
Price as tested:        $35,660
Engine:         4.7 liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Drivetrain:         four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower:         240 @ 4800
Torque:         315 @ 3400
Fuel capacity:        26.4 gal.
Est. mileage:        14/16

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