The Toyota Tundra is often the smartest buy in the full-size truck category. Trucks are advertised as if they’ll all spend their entire lives hauling rocks around a jobsite to the sound of distorted guitars. But these days, many full-size trucks are family cars that also work hard.
The Tundra excels at that tricky balance. It offers competitive payload and towing capacity. But it also gives its owners a comfortable ride thanks to a more sophisticated suspension than designers traditionally build into a truck. An available hybrid powertrain balances power and fuel economy.
And, in CrewMax form, it offers acres of rear seat space.
Toyota sells the Tundra CrewMax in seven trim levels, ranging from affordable-basic-work-truck to luxury-car-with-a-truck-bed. Let’s explore what Toyota offers in the Tundra CrewMax.
Passenger Room and Comfort
Shoppers won’t hurt for cabin space in any of today’s full-size trucks. The front-row dimensions of the Tundra CrewMax read almost identically to those of the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, and it bests the Ram 1500 on both headroom and legroom.
Rear-seat passengers in today’s full-size trucks often get more space than those in the front. The Tundra CrewMax is no exception. Rear-seat riders get the kind of space common to the full-size SUVs that dignitaries ride around in.
What makes the Tundra’s interior most comfortable, however, isn’t in the interior. It’s in the suspension. Toyota updated the suspension to a multi-link arrangement with coil springs in the rear. That, says our expert test driver, makes it “an everyday driver that is as comfortable on the highway as a big sedan.” The difference is especially noticeable with an empty bed. If you’ll be using your truck as a commuter and as a family car, that’s an important differentiator.
Features and Tech
SR and SR5 buyers make do with an 8-inch touchscreen overseeing the infotainment system. It’s plenty functional but looks small in such a wide cabin.
Most trim levels, though, get a 14-inch touchscreen larger than most tablets. Many trim levels also have the option of a 10-inch color head-up display that projects speed and turn-by-turn directions into the driver’s vision.
Audio system options vary from six to 12 speakers.
SR and SR5 buyers get single-zone automatic climate control, with dual-zone standard at most trim levels.
Materials and Design
Automakers today tend to sell many different sedans and SUVs to meet many different needs but market just one full-size truck in many trim levels. Toyota builds the Tundra as everything from a basic work truck to a full luxury vehicle.
The Tundra’s interior design emphasizes its spaciousness, with a wide center console with an extraordinary amount of storage and a dashboard with some of the largest vents in any modern vehicle.
But materials vary widely based on trim level. Base-model SR buyers get rugged fabric seats with the kind of manual adjustment features that will probably work fine after decades of use.
Higher trim levels, though, get creative material choices. The TRD Pro off-road model uses Toyota’s SofTex seating material — a long-wearing substitute for leather — in red with subtle digital camouflage inserts. Our TRD tester elicited oohs from passengers because the look was unexpected.
The unique 1794 edition is old-school luxury, with abundant leather tanned like high-end luggage (the comparison is so clear that it comes with its own set of high-end luggage).
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The Tundra CrewMax can be had with either a 5.5- or 6.5-foot aluminum-reinforced composite bed. An integrated deck rail system is standard, with four adjustable tie-down cleats and fixed tie-down points.
A 120-volt bed-mounted power outlet is available at every trim level and standard on many. Power running boards and a bed step are available.
In-cabin storage includes bins under the rear seat cushions.
Build and price your own version of the 2024 Toyota Tundra CrewMax to see this week’s KBB Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or check out Tundra models for sale near you.
