Reliability vs Tundra TRD PRO

[quikag]

I have a 2013 LX570 and love it. It’s my wife’s ride and hauls our precious 23 month old boy around. Anyway, I love Toyota, especially my 200 series Landcruiser based vehicle. It’s one of the most reliable, well engineered, overbuilt vehicles on the planet.

The Tundra is more mass produced but has the same engine/transmission. It’s a solid vehicle too.

Anyway, I drive a 2019 Raptor and it’s technology, ride comfort, acceleration, looks, basically everything besides maybe 300k mile engine reliability (that 5.7 is pretty awesome) is better. So, I bought a Raptor and also bought (for a few grand from a Flood Ford) a 125k mile zero deductible 8 year warranty for sleep at night peace of mind. I have only 6k miles on the Raptor buts been 100% perfect so far.

 

[Smokey]

I looked at a '19 Tundra TRD PRO when I decided to upgrade from my '16 Tundra TSS.... I bought a '19 Raptor.

the Tundra is pretty much a decade behind in every category. I couldn't see spending that kind of coin on a truck that's a marginal upgrade from what was "dated" when I bought my '16.

as for reliability; my Tundra had a random engine miss that was practically impossible to diagnose as it didn't trip the CEL. fuel pump, coils, plugs, intake, injectors, etc. tested and or replaced all kinds of shit with no resolution. Toyota dealer was ZERO help figuring it out.

will my Raptor ever have issues? who knows. so far I've put 10,000 hard miles on it since September and it's been the single most enjoyable truck I've ever owned.

Toyota is considered the most reliable brand... F-150 IS the best selling truck.

keep in mind, most any testimonials you get on a forum will be anecdotal at best.

 

[allinon72]

The Tundra is probably the least reliable vehicle in Toyota's fleet currently. Still, reliability is not a concern. What is a concern is its an uninspiring, decade old appliance with a trim package added on to bring the price up.

 

[Terry]

The Toyota will most likely win hands down on fuel mileage. 20K per year with a Raptor will be expensive at the pump.

Caveat: I just looked up fuel economy for the TRD and it's not going to be any better than the Raptor, so please ignore my comment above.

 

[allinon72]

The Toyota will most likely win hands down on fuel mileage. 20K per year with a Raptor will be expensive at the pump.

Caveat: I just looked up fuel economy for the TRD and it's not going to be any better than the Raptor, so please ignore my comment above.

I was gonna say....the Tundra fuel economy is horrible and is the main thing people point out about it.

 

[Bruno Marques]

Love the Raptor 1000 times better than tundra and the tundra price doesn’t help vs Raptor. I do over maintenance my vehicles which isn’t a problem. I like to change my oil at 5k max etc. just hate to deal with all other BS. I had a Mercedes GL 350 diesel and it was the worse vehicle I ever owned. Most likely I will get the Raptor especially how they hold value.

 

[RAPTOHYBRID]

Well I'm a Toyota fan as well, I did my share of 4 Lexus and 2 Toyotas, actually I still have a Corolla for "daily driving" since I bought my Raptor in Oct 31, I can't get enough of this truck, I owned VW, Mazda, Chevy, Renault, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Porsche and this truck is one of the top 3 more fun to drive vehicles that I ever owned, what was supposed to be a weekend vehicle, became my daily driver, life is too short to drive boring cars especially if you're planning to keep it for 5 or more years.

 

[DrippinRaptor]

My 2018 Raptor History:

Issues:

First - timing belt tensioner. It was gone nearly a month while this issue was resolved. Happened around 14,000 miles or so.

Second - charging system fault. Cable from the alternator to the fuse box worked itself loose on a trip from Texas to Arkansas. Bad timing.

Third - wrench icon when driving down the highway. Went into limp mode. Replaced throttle body, air speed sensor and turbo boost sensor. Happened around 22,000 miles.

Fourth - APIM went bad. Touchscreen stopped working, blue tooth stopped working, steering wheel radio controls stopped working. Took about 3 days to fix. Happened around 26,000 miles.

Fifth - happened this week. Check engine light. Crankcase pressure sensor had to be replaced. Happened at 34,500 miles.

Maybe mine is a lemon, or a Monday/Friday truck. Take it for what it is.

 

[Badgertits]

If you’re even contemplating a tundra seriously as an option, I think it would make sense to sit on sidelines a bit see if they finally update it- otherwise, hard pass. You want to pay 2020 money for a 2006 design be my guest.

They get horrific gas mileage which I’m sure is only exacerbated w/ TRD pro trim & any mods, the interior is a joke, the power is anemic & hence why they all come w/ deep gearing to make up for lack of low end TQ which also contributes to poor mileage. They have C-channel frames nowhere near as rugged as a GM or Ford 1/2 ton.

I could go on.

Sure they’re reliable- it’d be like if GM just kept producing my ‘07 Silverado only making minor tweaks/edits addrsssing every little possible electric gremlin or minor mechanical flaw only refining a dated design vs innovating & keeping up w/ the competition. GM has gone through THREE complete overhauls of their 1/2 tons including powertrains while Toyota sat on their ass making the same “reliable” tundra b/c they’re too scared to make something new & actually AHEAD of the competition & run the risk of tarnishing that “reliability” rep.

No more evident than when they basically lean entirely on BMW to make their new Supra- a car that SHOULD be a showcase of Toyota’s cutting edge design philosophy & incorporating new performance tech that trickles Down eventually to their more pedestrian vehicles. That is precisely what other automakers do when it comes to their “halo” or “legend” cars. But Toyota? Nope. Scared. Know they can’t make a boosted 6 engine that will be as reliable & potent as what BMW can make so they don’t even bother trying.


Sad.

I’ve owned a couple Toyota’s mainly stuck w/ Honda/Acura when it comes to Japanese cars. Wife drives a 19 MDX. I’ve had mostly GM V8 cars & trucks over last 15 years. All that being said - my 2018 Raptor w/ 17k on it now is by far hands down the most satisfying vehicle purchase I’ve ever made. I love the thing. First truck that I actually LIKE driving in the same way I like driving my vette- pure enjoyment. I did opt for the extended 100k b2b warranty more so to cover stuff like pano roof or infotainment down the road - the tranny is better than whatever Toyota brings to the table (or borrows from someone else) & at this point the EB motors have been around long enough & used in fleet vehicles etc to where I think it’s proved it’s merit. I don’t think they’re all trouble free, but I also doubt the best selling vehicle in america would get that status if it were leaving the majority of owners stranded either.

 

[MORaptor]

My 2019 Raptor is the best built vehicle I've ever had - and I'm 56 years old. Not one thing wrong with it. No squeaks or rattles. Awesome powertrain. Exceptional interior and functionality. Arguably, the best vehicle on the market today. 10,000 miles on it.

I agree with Tim's comments. I am also 56 and typically buy a new vehicle every 2-4 years. My 2018 Raptor replaced my 2014 F150 Lariat. The Raptor is by far, the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have 49,000 miles on mine and will hand it off to my son next year when I get my next Raptor. He now has my 2014 and has over 150,000 miles on it. If you perform the necessary maintenance, these vehicles are easily 200-250k mile vehicles. The Raptor is made for both pavement and trails, I would expect the life to be shorter on the Raptor IF you are pushing it to the extremes on a regular basis.