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LA BUENA VIDA

driver’s seat

PickUp Kings

It’s been decades since rednecks and construction workers comprised the bulk of the pickup truck owner base. In the past 25 years, these job-oriented utility vehicles became all citi-fied, evolving from stripped-down workhorses to being the principal transportation for many households. Leather interiors, power accessories and DVD-based entertainment systems are now commonplace. Moreover, full-size pickups are a major revenue source for the manufacturers supplying them, and well-received redesigns are critical. No manufacturer understands this better than Ford as it releases the updated F-250 Super Duty or Toyota with its makeover of the Tundra into the brand’s first true full-size pickup.

Toyota Tundra

Toyota has tiptoed around the fringes of the full-size pickup segment since launching the T-100 in 1993; but until the second generation Tundra, has never offered a pickup of sufficient size or power to take on Chevy’s Silverado or Ford’s F-150. Convinced the full-size truck segment is the only area where it can pick up any significant sales increases, Toyota beefed up the 2007 Tundra in size and power. Tundra now offers three cab sizes, bed sizes, wheelbases, engines and trim levels.
The top-of-the-line engine is an all-new 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8. It transfers power to the wheels via a new six-speed automatic transmission. It can reach 60 mph from a standstill in under seven seconds and can tow 10,000 pounds-plus. Antilock disc brakes lurk behind the standard 18-inch wheels. Traction control and stability control are standard on all Tundras.
Qualifying as pickup truck firsts, the upper glove box accommodates a thermos bottle, while the center console will house a laptop or hanging file folders. All Tundras have roll-sensing side curtain airbags. Passengers in the backseat of the four-door CrewMax cab are treated to 44.5-inches of legroom and a rear seat that slides and reclines. Base prices soar from $22,935 for the 2WD regular cab V6, to $42,495 for the 4WD 5.7L V8 CrewMax. Toyota’s most Americanized vehicle to date, the Tundra was designed, engineered and is being built in the U.S.

ford F-250

When a half-ton pickup such as the Tundra or Ford’s own wildly popular F-150 isn’t up to getting a chore done, a three-quarter ton pickup may be the answer. Ford has redesigned its F-250 Super Duty 3/4-ton pickup this year. Branded a 2008, it is offered in three body styles and four trim levels with a dizzying array of some 40 factory options and option packages. What will arguably be its most popular combination is the four-door Crew Cab with the beefy 350-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 turbo diesel that also delivers 650 pounds-feet of stump-pulling torque. When appropriately equipped, it can tow up to 12,500 pounds with a gross combined weight rating of 23,500 pounds. Two gasoline-fueled V8s are also available.
The Crew Cab long-bed F-250 with turbo diesel and five-speed automatic transmission in Lariat trim stickers out at about $46,800. Add the $3,640 King Ranch package with its special saddle-colored leather interior and you are pulling your trailer in real style. It’s everything you’d expect in a $50,000 pickup.