Motor Trend Likes F150 Despite Tundra Being Better
Jason Lancaster | May 18, 2009 | Comments 28
Here’s a new one – Motor Trend’s recent 2009 F150 vs 2009 Toyota Tundra comparison found that the Tundra had the following advantages:
- The Tundra handled better.
- The Tundra had more visibility.
- The Tundra had more room.
- The Tundra had more power.
- The Tundra was a better towing rig both up and down the hill.
- The Tundra was less expensive.
The winner? Why the F150 of course! I’m not making any of this up folks – all of that info was in the article.
Here are some quotes for you:
“It takes time to appreciate the F-150; the more days and weeks you spend with it, the more tools appear in its Leatherman arsenal. Easier to read instruments. A flat rear floor. The integrated trailer controller with sway mitigation. The tailgate step. The optional 36-gallon gas tank. And on and on and on. The F-150 is the more three-dimensional truck.”
Fair enough – everyone is entitled to their opinion. As we said in our own F150 vs Tundra comparison, the better of the two trucks will depend on what you’re looking for. Some people will choose the Tundra’s superior power, some will choose the tailgate step and 36 gallon tank.
“Some of the Tundra’s additional interior space derives from its notably cab-forward, stubby-hood profile, a bulldog attribute that’s been a turnoff among truck aficionados…”
That might be the best explanation I’ve ever heard as to why some people think the Tundra is ugly. I don’t feel that way of course, but I suppose someone could. Question: Don’t big rigs have cab-forward stubby-hood designs?
“Power is a big deal in truckland, and here the Toyota has a major muscle edge, producing 381 horses, 401 pound-feet of torque, and a lot more crispness from its 5.7-liter V-8 than does the F-150’s 5.4-liter, which trails with a paltry 310 horses and 365 pound-feet. The result was a Ford spank-fest at the track, the Tundra hitting 60 mph in a scalding 6.5 seconds against the F-150’s lukewarm 8.1. And there seemed to be no Ford upside at the pump, either, the F-150 fumbling its theoretical EPA mileage edge (14/18 city/highway to the Tundra’s 13/17) as both yielded an identical 16.2 mpg along our trip. Double drat.”
We all know that the F150 is underpowerwed, but this just goes to show that every comparison test will achieve different fuel economy results. It certainly does cast a little doubt on the Ford videos claiming that the F150 will drive farther on one tank of gas though, doesn’t it?
“Dropping the Tundra’s transmission into manual mode automatically dumps two gears (if you’re in fifth or sixth when you do so), but at that point you have the option of choosing any of the six ratios. By contrast, the Ford offers only D321, and going from D to 3 slowed it down more than I wanted, so controlling descent requires either shifting back and forth between D and 3 or tapping the brakes every so often…”
An interesting observation that I hadn’t read before – good work Motor Trend.
The bottom line here – as we said in our own F150 vs Tundra comparison results, these two trucks are basically tied. Motor Trend seems to be saying that the Tundra is better in most measurable ways, but the F150 has a more refined design.
Thoughts?
Filed Under: Toyota Tundra Reviews and Comparisons
thats why motortrend sucks.
hmmm so ur the one person who reads that sha they put out
Motor Trend believes in bail outs. They’re you go Ford there’s your bailout. Good reason why I don’t subscribe to that crap they put out. They lost alot of respect with that. Who will belive anything they say from now on.
well, if you look at the F150 and wonder to the little tools it offer for the sake of usefulness and innovation, it does actually makes sense for the buyers BUT those nifty items can be classified as easy enough modifications for us Tundra Owners. Now if you reverse the situation and you need the usefulness of having 381horses and 401tq of power then you’d have to pay a hefty amount of cash to do such kind of upgrade. Tit for tat.
So which one do I prefer? of course my Super Tundra. Not only I can have fun changing or modifying it to suit my needs, whether adding man-steps or easy to read gauge cluster, but knowing that my tundra has a better engine and transmission than the competitors just makes it more – well – interesting.
Obama and tmac – LOL.
Mickey – I wondered about that myself. Seems a little politically motivated, but what can you do?
Ingle – Great point. We can add a big fuel tank and a tailgate step to a Tundra, but we can’t add a bigger stronger motor to the F150 (at least not without spending a ton of cash).
I wonder how big was the check they got from Ford.
life is full situations in witch cash overrides common sense why should be suprised when it does here ?
F.O.R.D. now, Really stands for found on road dead. I say good riddence. I will never buy another ford again. That last one soaked the last $ from me. They did this to themselves. The best thing I ever did was get my tundra 4×4. The UAW soaked the company’s and the workers and are just about out of the door with everyone’s money. I think they will play hell trying to get the confidence back from the consumers. GM is the same way too! GM will be so proud now to sell that China Cr-p. P.S. I wonder how much lead china uses in their cars. I told my family back in Detroit that this was going to happen to them 7 years ago.Did they listen? NO! Pride cometh before the fall. And, Just so everyone knows. I am the grandson of the first tool and dye maker for Detroit diesel. We all know that the UAW supports the Democraps. The Democraps take over GM and make’s them build china cars. UAW appears to be upset over all of this? Hummm! Interesting don’t you think? Thank you TOYOTA for the GREAT truck!
Come on guys, can we complain any more? I dislike MT and haven’t for years now. Want a better 2009 full-size review, then look at the pickuptrucks.com review done a few months back comparing all 2009 full-size trucks. Now I could make this into a much longer post with counters on why the F150 is a better overall truck, but will hold off since I’ve already seen the above reactions to a Ford beating a Toyota. Guys have made my day!
Justin – Glad to see you commenting again – thanks! 🙂
Been gone for awhile…..
still driving that POS I see….
The article was written by a girl! A girl with a really big thesaurases. Who talks like this? Over educated pompus Prius driving city dweller that is scared of even driving a truck. Who is this “extreme tow miester” that prefers comfort over power? He picked the Ford because it would be less fatiguing … I think getting to your destination more quickly is less fatiguing … DOH!
Sounds good michael…
FORD does not stand for ‘Found On Road Dead’, it stands for ‘Fix OR Repair Daily’. You would think that motortrend and all others would pick the #1 truck for truck purposes such as towing, power, acceleration, handling and overall features. For this purpose, tundra is #1 no questions asked and Ford one of the last as far as trucks are designed for.
MK look in your mirror it’s not “Fix Or Repair Daily”, or “Found On Road Dead”. It is “Done Rest On Foot”.
Michael – That might explain it
Ok someone is officially on my sh*t list for “written by girl” comment. First off, FEMALE. And two, what does gender have to do with an article?
On the other hand, LMAO @ Ingle for his comment….made my day!
TXTee – Tongue firmly in cheek – no disrespect. 🙂
Dear TXTee, Sorry if I offended any little ladys out there, but please note I tried to be fair and also bashed anyone with: an education, lives in a city, can read a thesaurus.
Prius drivers need not respond to this post because I am sick of hearing about how you are saving the planet by driving a hybrid, the fact is that you expell so much hot air (carbon dioxide) that you are off setting the emissions your hybrid is saving.
Actually Michael my wife does drive an 07 Prius Pkg 6. It’s all about the mpg’s to her. Nothing about it being green just mpg’s and how much a tank fill costs. Going from 17mpg in an 03 Crown Victoria LX Sport to an 07 Prius which she avg above 56mpg. She gave up on ride for mpg’s. Her car so I don’t think much about it till a Hurricane comes to town and her car can be a generator in an emergency.
Mickey, Is my sense of humor so warped that you don’t get it? It was only a joke …
Mike I understood what you meant. I was just telling you the wife isn’t high on green but it was only the mpg’s she was looking at. I really did like the ride of the crown vic.
Still people bashing the mag for picking the F150 over the Tundra. Many mags/sites have so far since the ’09s were released (have yet to see the ’09 Tundra #1 since the ’09 Ram & F150 were released). Guess they are all wrong. But they were supposedly all right when the Tundra won these awards/reviews in ’07. I admit the F150 has its downfall, simply the 5.4L. I’ll take the sales figures as who the public believe is the better overall truck.
Justin – First of all, we never put any stock in Motor Trend’s “truck of the year” award – I’m pretty sure that I’ve expressed that to you before. Secondly, there’s no bashing of Motor Trend for their opinion about the Tundra or the F150. The issue is that the magazine says the Tundra is better in most measurable ways, yet it still loses to the F150. We decided that the Tundra and the F150 were basically tied in our comparison, yet for some reason Motor Trend can’t come out and say “these trucks are both great – buy whatever one you want.” It’s nit-picking I admit, but it’s a valid point. So is your comment about many magazines liking the F150. I don’t feel that way, but I can certainly understand it. That’s part of the reason our comparison was a tie. In any case, I’m glad to see you commenting again.
Your right Tundra is better. Frame rust, throttle sticks on floor mat, check engine light, bed bounce and the list continues. The Tundra may have some nice features but don’t you have to start from the frame up!! Don’t be jealous the truth of the “Truck That’s Changing Everything” is really only changed the public option of Toyota and the Turda! And now you says that the Turda being Motortrends “Truck of the Year” ment nothing, yhea right! Didn’t you brag about it??
Ed do we need to bring in everyone of your manufacturer’s issues? Need I say more?
ed – We NEVER bragged about truck of the year. I challenge you to find one article on this site that brags about that “honor.” It’s a rigged award, one that every new “cool” vehicle wins every year. It is absolutely and totally worthless.