2011 Toyota Tundra Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Toyota Tundra review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Tundra, and includes Toyota Tundra safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Toyota continues to improve and refine the Tundra in an effort to win market share in a fiercely competitive market populated with brand-loyal buyers. The standard 4.0-liter V6 gains power and torque for 2011, and all Tundras are equipped with new trailer sway control technology. Otherwise, it’s business as usual.

Buying a 2011 Toyota Tundra is pretty simple. First, pick a cab style: Regular Cab, Double Cab, or CrewMax. Next, select an engine. Then choose between two- or four-wheel drive and standard or long cargo bed lengths (CrewMax comes only with a super-short 5.5-foot bed). And if you’re getting a Double Cab or a CrewMax, you can opt for the Limited trim level.

Standard equipment for the Tundra depends on the cab style. Regular Cabs have 18-inch steel wheels, vinyl floors, and cloth seats, which makes them very basic. However, they also include dual-zone air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a CD player. Add a V8 engine, and you’ll also get front tow hooks, a trailer hitch receiver, and a seven-pin wiring harness.

Step up to the Double Cab and the Tundra adds chrome trim for the grille and bumpers, carpeting for the floor, a tachometer, an outside temperature gauge, cruise control, front map lights, power side mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and variable intermittent wipers. The Tundra CrewMax adds a V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, a power sliding rear window, dark tinted rear glass, and a rear defroster.

If you just want a simple truck for getting a job done, the Work Truck Package is for you. It deletes extraneous features from the Regular Cab and Double Cab, even swapping the cloth upholstery out for vinyl. The result is as basic and inexpensive a Tundra as you can buy.

Many people want to upgrade the Tundra with the SR5 Package. On the Regular Cab, this package adds chrome grille and bumper trim, carpeting, upgraded fabric, a fold-flat front passenger’s seat, cruise control, and power accessories. On the Double Cab and CrewMax, SR5 trim includes features for towing and surviving in cold-weather climates. Luxury seekers will want to investigate the Tundra Limited. Available only as a Double Cab or CrewMax model, the Limited includes leather upholstery, power heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth wireless calling and music streaming, a HomeLink universal remote control, front and rear parking sensors, Optitron gauges, and a JBL premium sound system with a CD changer, satellite radio, a USB port, and an iPod adaptor. A tilt and telescopic steering wheel, heated side mirrors with turn signal indicators and puddle lamps, auto-dimming side and rearview mirrors, a trip computer, and a compass are also standard on the Limited, and the Double Cab versions also receive dark tinted rear glass and a power sliding rear window. Unique exterior trim, fog lights, a deck rail system with tie-down cleats, and 18-inch alloy wheels make it easy to identify the Tundra Limited.

Toyota offers a Platinum trim package on the CrewMax with the 5.7-liter V8 engine, creating the Lexus of pickups in the process. With Platinum trim, the Tundra gets 20-inch wheels, perforated leather covering heated and ventilated front seats, special interior and exterior trim, a navigation system, a reversing camera, a power sunroof, a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and memory settings for the driver’s preferences.

Toyota Racing Development (TRD) offers several option packages for the 2011 Tundra. The TRD Sport Package can be added to the Double Cab with two-wheel drive and a V8 engine, and includes 20-inch wheels, P275/55R20 tires, fog lights, color-keyed exterior trim, and unique cloth bucket seats. If serious off-roading is in your truck’s future you may want the Rock Warrior Package. This contains an off-road suspension with Bilstein shocks, 17-inch forged alloy wheels, light-truck all-terrain tires, fog lights, color-keyed exterior trim, and special graphics. The TRD Off-Road Package is available on all models, including the Limited and Tundras with two-wheel drive, and it includes the off-road suspension with Bilstein shocks, skid plates, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, mud guards, and tow hooks.

Toyota offers a number of additional options for the Tundra, depending on the model you buy. A la carte items include Bluetooth, a navigation system, a rear seat DVD entertainment system, front and rear parking sensors, power trailering mirrors, a reversing camera, a power sunroof, an upgraded audio system with satellite radio, alloy wheels, and other features.

Last year, Toyota introduced a new 4.6-liter V8 to the Tundra lineup. For 2011, the standard V6 gets a massage, adding variable valve timing technology to boost horsepower and torque to 270 at 5,600 rpm and 278 pound-feet at 4,400 rpm, respectively. Fuel economy is 16 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway, likely restricted by the continued use of a five-speed automatic transmission.

The 4.6-liter V8 is standard on the Tundra CrewMax and optional on Regular Cab and Double Cab models. It makes 310 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 327 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 rpm, and is good for 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway with two-wheel drive, and 14-mpg city/19-mpg highway with four-wheel drive. This V8 comes with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The top engine choice is a 5.7-liter V8 generating 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 401 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard, and this engine is rated to get 14-mpg city/18-mpg highway with two-wheel drive and 13-mpg city/17-mpg highway with four-wheel drive. The 5.7-liter V8 is available in a flex-fuel version that burns E85 ethanol.

Depending on model and configuration, the 2010 Toyota Tundra can carry a maximum payload of 2,090 lbs. and tow up to 10,400 lbs.

Every 2011 Toyota Tundra includes a comprehensive set of safety features. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction and stability control, and eight airbags including knee airbags for the front seat occupants are standard. Options include a reversing camera and front and rear parking sonar to help the driver “see” hidden objects – such as children – that may be at the front or rear of the truck.

For 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has modified its crash-test procedures in an effort to make it harder to achieve 5-Star ratings. In the new tests, the Tundra Regular Cab and Double Cab receive a 4-Star frontal impact rating, a 5-Star side impact rating, a 3-Star rollover resistance rating with two-wheel drive, and a 4-Star rollover resistance rating with four-wheel drive. The NHTSA has not tested the Tundra CrewMax under the new guidelines.

In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, the Tundra is a Top Safety Pick because it receives the highest rating of Good in all four of the IIHS’s crashworthiness assessments: offset frontal, side impact, rear injury protection, and roof crush strength.

When it comes to reliability predictions for the 2011 Tundra, Consumer Reports says the V6 model should provide excellent reliability, while the V8 models range between average and above average. J.D. Power and Associates doesn’t distinguish between powertrains, estimating that the Tundra will return better than average dependability over time.

After clambering up into the driver’s seat of a 2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4WD, the first thing you might notice is how massive everything is. From the swollen blisters on the hood to the enormous rear seat accommodations, everything is as big as the state of Texas, which might make sense considering that the Tundra is built there on an assembly line where four out of five parts are sourced from a North American manufacturer.

Twist the key, and a 5.7-liter V8 engine roars to life. This is a powerful engine, making 401 lb-ft at just 3,600 rpm, and if you goose the throttle after shifting into gear the Tundra leaps forward with unexpected velocity. Keep your foot in it and the refined V8 revs, emitting a delicious American-style V8 rumble and roar. Steering, braking, and handling are surprisingly sharp and responsive for such a massive machine, and the suspension pounds over broken pavement and rutted trails in a way that suggests the Tundra might just be indestructible.

Though we briefly ventured off-road and did travel some winding country roads, the majority of our time with a Tundra CrewMax Limited 4WD was spent on urban freeways, which produced a 15.3-mpg average over a couple of hundred miles. You may have noticed that our country’s infrastructure is nearing the point of failure in many locations, and Los Angeles is one of those places. So while you might feel like you don’t need a truck because you don’t tow anything or haul anything, perhaps a purchase is justifiable for no other reason than to pummel poorly maintained pavement into submission.

The Tundra proved comfortable up front and especially in the rear, where legroom rivals a limousine. The rear seat even slides forward and reclines for napping. Up front, all the controls are large and clearly labeled, making them easy to find and use, even when wearing work gloves. Storage is abundant, and Toyota even supplies seven cupholders for the front seat occupants. Wow.

Unfortunately, we didn’t use the Tundra for hauling payload or towing a heavy load, so we can’t comment on how it performs these tasks. If you’re serious about buying a full-size truck, though, Toyota has plenty to offer, from Built-In-America status to an impressive track record for durability.

Though it’s been five years since the Tundra’s last complete redesign, this full-size Toyota remains a compelling choice in a cutthroat class. Safe, dependable, and capable, the Tundra struggles primarily with overcoming fierce buyer loyalties in the segment. When you’re from a Chevy family, or a Dodge family, or a Ford family, driving home in a Toyota can get you shot. Or worse. Even if the Tundra is built in Texas.

By Christian Wardlaw