Twenty-six summers ago I arrived in San Antonio, Texas. I quickly surmised that the pickup truck was River City residents’ favored mode of transport– preferably with an occupied gun rack. These pickup-driving Hill Country Texans worshiped at the altar of one of two churches: Chevy or Ford. Since those simple days of my youth, the rules of the game have change. That community, so steeped in American pickup truck tradition, is now the production site for the all-new 2007 Tundra. Question: is Toyota’s big rig good enough to pry the keys out of the hands of F150, Silverado, and Ram-loving Americans?
Toyota’s empire is built on low-risk (i.e. bland) styling. If inoffensiveness is an indicator of success, the Tundra is destined for greatness. Critics have correctly observed that the new Toyota looks a lot like the last generation Ford F-Series, with a tri-ovate ‘T’ embossed on the grille. Everything from the front light clusters and aerodynamic-ish hood to the general proportions smack of Dearborn’s influence.
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