2.5 Gen Tundra vs 3rd Gen Tundra

Looking for some thoughts on what people think about these options. Likely looking at some point this year but I like to be prepared and what to look for. Not looking at the TRD Pro since those are way up there in price!
- 2018-2021 Tundra 5.7 CrewMax 4x4
- 22+ Tundra CrewMax 4x4 probably non-hybrid SR5 with options just for price, but I'd like the hybrid for more hp/tq.
- Wild card - 2018+ F150 3.5 ecoboost 4x4 (not a GM, Dodge or Nissan guy)

Things I am curious about
1. Overall comfort, is there a difference in trim levels or 2.5 vs 3rd gen?
2. Fuel economy in the real world, cold temps (20F average and below 0F is common in the winter), in town and interstate speeds 75-80mph, sometimes even 85mph. I'm not expecting 25mpg, but I'm just curious. I know the 5.7 is known for crap mileage, but I don't know just how bad or how it compare to the new ones. Probably just 1 size larger AT tires like Falken AT3W's would likely be my choice. Nothing crazy like I did to my Tacoma.
3. Cruise control, does it hunt and react as slowly as the 2nd gen Tacoma? How is the Adaptive Cruise? I think this more likely to be issue on the 14-21 Tundra. My Tacoma annoys the hell out of me when it looses 3-4mph up a grade then down shifts and goes 3-4mph over the set speed, shifts up and looses speed again...just going back an forth on long grades. I just put in 4th to avoid that back and forth stuff.
4. Ride Quality, is there a big difference in ride quality between the 2.5 and 3rd gen? Is the TRD Off Road a better ride than the TRD Sport like the Tacoma?
5. Winter/Snow performance, I'd imagine they would be pretty equal.
6. Locker, is it worth getting the locker at all? Especially in the 3rd gen where I might be able to spec it. If buying used it wouldn't likely be huge deciding factor. I added a Detroit TruTrac on my Tacoma and love it, but it's not available for the 3rd gen yet.
7. Hybrid, is it worth the extra in your opinion? I know it's not for the MPG's like traditional hybrids but I like the idea of more power and torque.
8. Any other things that are big differences that may sway a decision? Pros or Cons?

I like the idea of a new Tundra since interest rates tend to be lower on a new vehicle and it seems like the 18-21 Tundras are around $45k while the new SR5's tend to be around $55k. Not sure it's worth saving $10k to buy a 5yr old truck with 50-75k miles that I don't know how the previous owner treated it? I know the trucks are stout, but piece of mind is sometimes worth more. I would either be selling my 15 Tacoma or trading it in. Trade-in value would be around $24-26k (it's paid off) I would imagine, plus a decent down payment. I would be keeping the truck 8yrs or more as well, probably more.

Here's some background. I love my 2015 Tacoma DCLB, it's been a great truck and honestly thought I would drive it till it dies! But I have less use for a smaller truck that fits on tight trails now since I don't do that as much anymore and trails are 3hrs or more away. So I'd like something more comfortable for everyday driving and a larger back seat for future little people. Plus for the random times I tow my dads enclosed trailer it'd be nice to be able to tow at 70mph without struggling. As much as I love my Taco, it's not that great on the interstate for longer drives if I need to drive that over our Subaru Ascent. Part of that is my fault adding the lift and 33's on the Taco which won't be happening on the Tundra.

I know this is a lot to ask, but I figured I'd start with TacomaWorld people since we tend to be pretty particular about things. Thank you ahead of time!!

 

You will get some responses here, but check out tundras.com

Same parent site, but obviously more Tundra based.

 

I get about 18mpg in the summer and 15.7mpg in the winter. I'm not really trying to get better mpg though. The extra space and the towing capability over the Tacoma is really nice. I've towed a 6x12 enclosed loaded with ease. The Tacoma was not happy with that same 6x12 trailer attached. It would be really hard to go back to a Tacoma. I do think the tundra is more comfortable especially on longer trips.

I can't say much about the 3rd Gen, other than you'll get better mpg but it's still in first year of production, so you could have some issues.

Good luck whichever you choose to go with.

 

Not an owner, but I've spent a bunch of time in both the 2.5 and 3rd gen Tundras, so I'll try to help out to the best of my ability (though as @Just_A_Guy said, tundras.com is a much better resource). See responses below in italics.

1. Overall comfort, is there a difference in trim levels or 2.5 vs 3rd gen? Depends on your body type, but there's a difference. The 2.5 has wider, flatter seats whereas the 3rd gen's are more bolstered. Preference matters here more than anything... I prefer the 2.5G seats to the 3G seats, but YMMV.
2. Fuel economy in the real world, cold temps (20F average and below 0F is common in the winter), in town and interstate speeds 75-80mph, sometimes even 85mph. I'm not expecting 25mpg, but I'm just curious. I know the 5.7 is known for crap mileage, but I don't know just how bad or how it compare to the new ones. Probably just 1 size larger AT tires like Falken AT3W's would likely be my choice. Nothing crazy like I did to my Tacoma. Would expect a marginal improvement in MPG for the 3G over the 2.5G, though the Tundras.com site is a good place to get better info on your specific usage case. The 5.7 is notoriously inefficient, and I got around 14 MPG in a 2021 SR5 CrewMax 4x4, and the same driving (plus hauling a near-1,000 pound ATV for a day) in the 4x4 Limited CrewMax (non-hybrid) got me 18.3 MPG.
3. Cruise control, does it hunt and react as slowly as the 2nd gen Tacoma? How is the Adaptive Cruise? I think this more likely to be issue on the 14-21 Tundra. My Tacoma annoys the hell out of me when it looses 3-4mph up a grade then down shifts and goes 3-4mph over the set speed, shifts up and looses speed again...just going back an forth on long grades. I just put in 4th to avoid that back and forth stuff. Can't comment on this as I didn't try cruise control of any sort on either truck
4. Ride Quality, is there a big difference in ride quality between the 2.5 and 3rd gen? Is the TRD Off Road a better ride than the TRD Sport like the Tacoma? The 3G definitely rides better than the 2.5, no question about it. Can't comment on part two of the question.
5. Winter/Snow performance, I'd imagine they would be pretty equal. Can't comment
6. Locker, is it worth getting the locker at all? Especially in the 3rd gen where I might be able to spec it. If buying used it wouldn't likely be huge deciding factor. I added a Detroit TruTrac on my Tacoma and love it, but it's not available for the 3rd gen yet. You can get the locker on some lower/mid-trim Tundras now with the TRD package. Having it there from the factory is definitely a nice convenience if you ever plan to use it (whether that's want or need). As far as not getting it, why would you skip it if you're already looking for a new truck? Having a warranty (or at least factory support) from a locker engineered into the vehicle at its core is a great thing, even if it's slightly worse than some aftermarket lockers.
7. Hybrid, is it worth the extra in your opinion? I know it's not for the MPG's like traditional hybrids but I like the idea of more power and torque. Going to be a very situational and personal decision on this. You should drive both and see how you feel about it in practice (behind the wheel) as it's what matters most. Even the standard TTV6 Tundra is up on hp/tq vs the 2.5G (389/479 vs 389/401).
8. Any other things that are big differences that may sway a decision? Pros or Cons? The 2.5G and 3G Tundras have totally different feels inside and out. Many trucks go through an "evolution" from generation to generation, but this was a total revolution... more so than 2G to 3G Tacoma. A lot of this is styling and tech. The 3G Tundra's available 14-inch screen is massive and works great, but the 2.5G's feels somewhat dated in comparison (which may or may not matter to you). Likewise, the 3G's interior feels much more about feeling "modern" than about functionality (it has to fight a different fight than the 2/2.5G did from the get-go), and it felt somewhat claustrophobic to me vs the 2.5G. They're both good trucks, I just can't emphasize enough actually driving one and forming your own opinion from the driver's seat.


The main reason to get the 2nd/2.5G is the V8, whether it's the sound or proven reliability or just preference. Otherwise, the newer truck is "better" in every way, at least objectively. There have been some issues with the first run of the 3G Tundra, but it's Toyota, so once they iron it out (which should take a fairly short amount of time), we can expect it to be solid just like everything else they make. Drive both and make a call based on your heart and wallet.

 

It’s almost like you’ve written a car review before

 

Haha, just a few

 

@TacoFergie
I added some additional comments to the previous post. Left the added comments from @Roody as I agree with pretty much everything lol. My comments are underlined. I would also head over to Tundras.com and get yourself familiar with what others are saying.


Oh and
Stay away from the Ford. lol

 

Come on lol

 

Keeping it 8 years, then 2.5. Still seeing new 23s with spun main bearings. Some of the 3rd gens have serious wind noise issues.

 

Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

 

The biggest problem we have so far is cost, it simply is immense and no discounts to be found.

They have quality issues, especially for 2022 model year. Similar to all new platforms, but it's there.

They are way nicer to drive. The 2nd gen tunrdas have a lot of axle hopping over bumps especially unloaded. For a pavement princess truck the 2nd gen wasn't ideal. They needed weight to smooth out.

Performance-wise. The 3.4TT is nearly identical to the 5.7, but the trans is great. I prefer the 3.4 at our altitude.

The loaded models are overwhelming to drive thanks to massive displays and huge towing mirrors that are not an option.

The 2.5's have issues, but still less than domestic counter parts. 2.5's are starting to show a lot of timing chain tensioner failures.

 

Got a source for this? I don't recall hearing of any.

 

I work at a dealer, in Alberta no less lol

maybe search tundra rattle and you’ll see it comes up

 

Well, I had a response written, then got side tracked and came back to see it MIA. lol

@Roody , @Just A Guy and @Jaypown you guys make very good points and I think it's pushed me to look at the 3G when the time comes. I think the biggest draws towards the 3G is ride quality, fuel efficiency and actually being updated. I have a hard time justifying $45k (or more) for something with 30k miles and an interior that doesn't feel much newer than my 15 Tacoma. I get the 2.5G is tried and true. But for about $10k difference, I don't see the value in going used.

The adaptive cruise is nice in our Ascent and I think I'd like that on the Tundra also. Makes going through construction zones so much nicer, which seems constant in my area. Since the TRD Sport/Offroad suspension is similar to the Tacoma's differences, I think I'd be much happier with the TRD OR setup and it has locker. As far Hybrid vs non-hybrid, I think a non-hybrid would be more than enough for me since my towing isn't all that heavy or frequent. But more power is always nice!!

I'm going to have ot checkout the Tundra page some more. I've crept through it some, but not extensively. As much as I want to test drive one, I also know that my self-control won't be very controlled. haha Plus you get tons of phone calls all the time from the salesperson. Which I understand, but would get annoying very quickly.

 

V8 Baby

 

Wow that is interesting. I had a 2021 Offroad and it would sound like a pinging when attempting slight grades. Diff octanes never helped, boosters never helped, dealer looked at me like I grew a third eye... Also developed a rear end whine (they were going to replace the third) and I decided to trade it in (really regret that decision now)... But I now wonder if it was possibly the timing chain rattle and not an actual ping...

 

I’m on tundras.come and tundratalk and have never heard about this timing chain rattle, it might be a real thing but definitely not a common issue whatsoever.
I would get a 2.5 gen over 3rd gen tundras. Having spent a lot of time on the 3rd gen tundra forums even the 2023s are still having bearing failure at an alarming rate. Lots of complaints about door and interior rattles. No question the v6 twin turbo will be nowhere reliable as the v8 that’s just plain facts