Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
WTF NHTSA? Toyota Tundra Crash Test Results Shenanigans
When the 2nd generation Toyota Tundra debuted in 2007, Toyota was quite confident that the Tundra would be the safest pickup in it’s class. With standard ESC, side airbags, and Toyota’s latest and greatest crash test technology, Toyota had every reason to be confident.
Then NHTSA’s results (that’s National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration) came out. 4 stars. Toyota was devastated.
Time passed and the IIHS (that’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) issued their first ever Top-Pick rating to a pickup when they declared the 2007 Tundra to be the safest truck in it’s class.
IIHS crash test of 2007 Toyota Tundra
NHTSA said 4 stars, IIHS said top pick – and anyone shopping for a Tundra was (understandably) confused.
However, yesterday NHTSA released the results of a “re-test” of the 2010 Tundra and guess what – it got 5 stars. Great news right? Except the structure of the 2010 TUNDRA DIDN’T CHANGE!
Mahindra Markets Value-Priced Diesel Power
A company known as Mahindra will begin selling small diesel trucks in the U.S. market in the next few months (PickupTrucks.com reports February 2010). The very first models have yet to be named, but Mahindra has released some data and some photos that give us enough information to start forming an opinion.
Mahindra's new two-door value-priced diesel truck.
First, here’s what we know:
A Real Flying Car – Terrafugia Transition
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s a number of futurists declared that flying cars were “just around the corner,” and that they would revolutionize the world of personal travel. That never quite happened, but almost 60 years later it is now possible to own a very similar contraption that promises to extend the utility of the personal airplane in a brand new direction.
Terrafugia Transition's Flying Car
The Terrafugia Transition is less a flying car and more an airplane that can be safely driven on public roads. In terms of appearance, the James Bond-style transporter is either an odd-looking airplane or a completely off-the-wall automobile…depending upon how you look at it. But one thing is certain: it succeeds both in the sky and on the ground in providing its pilot with excellent flying and driving characteristics.
How To Kill A Perfectly Good Engine for $5.68
We’ve already talked about the buying a Toyota Tundra under the Clash for Clunkers “CARS” program, but here’s a quick recap.
The government offers $3500 to $4500 to trade-in a vehicle that gets less than 18mpg provided that:
- You’re buying a car that gets better than 22mpg.
- You’re buying a truck that gets better than 18mpg or one that gets at least 2mpg better than the vehicle you’re trading or
- You’re buying a work truck.
The specifics are sort of complicated, so you should visit the official Cars.gov website to figure it all out.
One of the requirements of this bill is that the vehicle you trade-in is scrapped. Unfortunately, scrapped doesn’t begin to describe the torture that your clunker’s engine is put through. The description of the scrapping process isn’t for auto fans with a weak stomach…here’s how it works
Car and Driver Likes The 2010 4.6L V8 Tundra
Car and Driver gave a nice review of the new 4.6L engine in the 2010 Tundra. Basically, C&D likes the engine for what it is – an adequately powerful and efficient V8.
Car and Driver reviews the 2010 Tundra 4.6L V8
The review mentions some nice things about the engine and the Tundra in general too:
