2012 Toyota Tundra Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Toyota Tundra review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Tundra, and includes Toyota Tundra safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The 2012 Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup that offers seating for up to six people and is built to compete with the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Ram 1500. Buyers can choose between three body styles, three bed lengths, three engines, and two trims.

Behind the 2012 Toyota Tundra’s unchanged sheet metal are a number of updates designed to broaden this full-size pickup’s appeal. First and foremost, Toyota has streamlined many of the packages to make ordering easier for buyers, while also adding a new Chrome Package that serves to dress up the Tundra’s exterior. Other new-for-2012 enhancements include standard heated and power-adjustable mirrors on all models, a rearview camera on the luxurious Limited version, and a heavy-duty battery on most configurations.

When it comes to full-size pickups, choice has never been in short supply. Such is the case with the 2012 Toyota Tundra, a genuine workhorse that’s offered in Regular Cab, Double Cab and CrewMax body styles with the option of a standard, short or long bed bolted onto the rear portion of the sturdy frame. Of course, rear- and four-wheel-drive models are included in the lineup, with muscle coming from one of three available engines.

And then there are the Tundra’s trims, of which there are just two. Depending on cab style, the base Tundra comes equipped with power-operated heated mirrors, cloth upholstery, air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, a single-disc CD player, 18-inch steel wheels, and a tailgate assist feature. Double Cab versions tack on cruise control, power windows, and power door locks with keyless entry, while the CrewMax dials things up a bit more with a standard power-sliding rear window.

If you’re a buyer with a few extra dollars to spend, Toyota has a number of options available to put a bit more shine on the base 2012 Tundra. Among the more notable offerings are a Sport Appearance Package that features (depending on cab style) fog lights, a power driver’s seat, and body-color exterior trim; popular SR5 Packages, which add items such as an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener, a rearview camera, and upgraded cloth upholstery; and an assortment of TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Packages, including a TRD Rock Warrior Package boasting unique 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, Bilstein shocks, a skid plate under the gas tank, special exterior graphics, and more. At the other end of the spectrum is the Work Truck Package, designed for buyers who want the basics and nothing but the basics. This is the way to go if you desire vinyl seats and flooring, manual windows and mirrors, and matte black exterior trim.

Those plain-Jane items are nowhere to be found on the upscale Tundra Limited trim, available on Double Cab and CrewMax trucks. Standard features include a billet-style grille, the rearview camera, leather upholstery and interior accents, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, dual-zone climate control, power-folding mirrors with integrated turn signals, tie-down cleats in the bed, 18-inch alloy wheels, a JBL sound system with a subwoofer and a USB port, and more. That’s a rather stout assortment of niceties, but you can continue to climb the content ladder with options like a power sunroof, 20-inch alloys, a touch-screen navigation system with voice activation, a memory package, and a top-of-the-line Platinum Package that bundles many of these individual items with perforated leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, and woodgrain trim.

In keeping with its work-truck roots, the 2012 Toyota Tundra is offered with a trio of capable engines. Starting things off is a 4.0-liter V6, which might surprise more than a few potential buyers with its 270 horses and 278 pound-feet of torque, figures that were representative of eight-cylinder mills in the not-too-distant past. A five-speed automatic transmission manages that generous output. Only available with rear-wheel-drive variants, the V6 is expected to average 16 mpg around town and 20 mpg on the highway.

The Tundra’s mid-level engine option is a 4.6-liter i-Force V8 packing 310 horsepower and 327 pound-feet of torque, which, in this case, puts hooves to pavement courtesy of a six-speed automatic transmission. That gearbox is also charged with controlling the grunt coming from this truck’s mightiest powerplant, a 5.7-liter i-Force V8 pushing 381 ponies and 401 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy peaks at 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway for the 4.6-liter engine; the 5.7-liter V8 promises up to 14 mpg and 18 mpg, respectively.

For those truckers who want a pickup for actual work and not simply commuting duty or the occasional run to the local big-box store, the Tundra sports a maximum payload capacity of 2,090 pounds and a towing capacity of 10,400 pounds. Those numbers don’t equate to class-leading capability, but they should meet the needs of the vast majority of light-duty truck owners.

When you’re talking about a vehicle that weighs in between roughly 4,500 and 5,600 pounds, safety becomes a rather significant consideration. As a result, Toyota has equipped the 2012 Tundra with four-wheel-disc antilock brakes to slow things down in a hurry, an effort that’s aided by electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist systems, as well as a Smart Stop feature engineered to override the accelerator when the gas and brake pedals are inadvertently applied simultaneously. Other standard features, such as stability and trailer sway control, work to keep the Tundra, its occupants, and its cargo traveling safely on the straight and narrow. If an accident or collision does occur, eight airbags are available to protect the driver and outboard passengers.

That’s all very comforting, but we need to consult with the experts to find out how the Tundra fares in real-world crash simulations. When subjected to tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Toyota’s full-size pickup performed very well, with the CrewMax model earning a Top Safety Pick award. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also evaluated the Tundra, which received mostly high scores, though rollover protection for rear-wheel-drive models earned only three out of five stars.

Expected reliability also appears to a Tundra strength, at least from the information that’s available as of this writing. Consumer Reports gives the Tacoma’s big brother a grade of above average, and lists it among the publication’s Recommended models. In its most recent round of reliability predictions, J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tundra well above average.

To add a bit of perspective, we looked at the 2012 Tundra CrewMax and compared a few key specifications to those of the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, and the Ram 1500 Crew Cab. We learned that, first, the differences are fractional; and, second, among the four trucks, the Tundra offers the least amount of front and rear head room, a maximum towing capacity that beats only the Ram, and fuel economy from its 5.7-liter V8 that battles Ford’s more powerful 6.2-liter V8 for last place. However, what might be of greater concern to buyers who use their new truck for commuting and shuttling kids is the Tundra’s front and rear leg room, which ranks above all three rivals.

As the saying goes, third time’s the charm. After launching the disappointing T100, and then the better but not-quite-full-size first Tundra, this current-generation model has taken hold and proven itself as a viable competitor to more established models like the Ford F-150. No, Toyota’s truck doesn’t lead the field in the traditional areas of horsepower and rugged capability, but it certainly comes close. And it does so while offering a generous selection of configurations and desirable features, plenty of room for even the huskiest of families, and a solid track record of safety and reliability.

By Thom Blackett