The Toyota Tundra Capstone Crewmax may be the king of bling in the full-size pickup segment. This trucks just exudes a macho presence. It’s big, chunky and muscular—just what buyers in that segment want.
They want gobs of power too, and the Tundra delivers that in spades. It’s fitted with a twin turbo 3.5 liter V6 that cranks out 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. Stomp on the go-pedal and this truck just leaps forward, despite its bulk and heft.
Even more amazing, this is a hybrid. But don’t go looking for spectacular mpg ratings from the EPA. The Capstone is rated at 20 miles to the gallon, though I was only able to coax it up to 17 mpg after extensive driving.
All that power is fed through a 10-speed automatic, and the Capstone comes with 4WD, so this truck does a great job of putting the power to the pavement.
Inside, it’s gargantuan and beautifully turned out. Passenger room and comfort is par excellence. The Capstone follows the formula of top-end pickup trucks that rival the appointments and materials of high-end luxury cars. The fit and finish is world class and the UX is easy enough to start using without needing a tutorial.
Full-size pickups are a major source of profits and no doubt the Tundra Capstone helps to pad the bottom line. The one I drove cost $77,339, including $2,000 worth of options.
The Tundra is dwarfed by the sales of the F-150, Silverado and Ram pickups. But Toyota never gives up and one day that could really pay off. Every version of the Tundra gets better, and this latest version is the best one yet.
By: John McElroy
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
