Calling All Tundra Owners!

[re-pete]

Hey guys-

I'm looking at a used '02 Tundra SR5 Access Cab TRD.  Leather captains chairs, 61000 miles.  Toyota Certified. Very good paint/overall condition.  Tires have about 40% tread left  $19,995 in the Philly area.

Kind of high miles for a n '02, but thinking not too bad for a 'yota.  

 Any words of wisdom?

PS.  How good (or bad) is the mileage with these trucks?  I've heard anywhere from 14-18 mpg averages, but what is the best/worst I could expect?

Thanks.

[highflyn]

When I purchased the SX last May i managed to convince the wife I needed a new truck to pull it. I ended up with on 03 Tundra TRD ext cab 4x4. I'v owned it for about 8 months now and still look forward to driving it every day. I get 19 to 20 on the hwy if i keep my foot out of it. Around town im not sure, but would bet it's about 14. I don't know the market in your area but 19k for a 02 with 61k sounds like a good deal but not great. If every thing checks out and you really want it get it. You won' be sorry.

If it's at a dealer see if you can work a supercharger into the deal. It will add 100 hp/torqe. Not that you will need it to pull the epic, but it sure would be cool.

[wakejunky]

Hey guys.
Few words, Been a toyota master tech for about 3 years. Take a look at the front brakes. 00 through late 02 models front brakes well suck. Too small is an understatement. There is a tsb (technical service bulletin) out, but no recall. Look at the pins on the calipers that hold the pads in. ( can be seen with wheels on) If both pins share a lock wire you have the old brakes, if they have their own individual lock wires they are the new upgraded brakes. There was also an upgrade for the rear, not a big deal but nice. They changed the adjusters. Mileage is about what you have heard. Add the supercharger(if you can find one) and your looking at about 10 MPG. but oh good lord its a screamer. Had a fellow tech at the dealership with a 2001 and to say it lightly he hammered this thing. The engine never gave up, but the trans was a whole nother story. Also the exhaust manifolds leak and this causes o2 sensor failures, but toyota has extended the warranty on these items to 100,000 miles. a little more on the superchargers. They only fit 00-02, they dont meet emission standards on later models. And from rumors ive heard TRD will not be making them anymore. Especially now that the 05's have vvt. Another big kicker is the supercharger is about $5000 installed.  Other than what ive mentioned these trucks are bullet proof.

[phenom_1819]

Wanted to comment on the supercharger.  I don't know if the results would be the same on the V8 Tundra, but my gas mileage in my 4runner is right around 17 mpg combined, which is the same or better than my brother, who says he gets 16 mpg with his non-SC'd 4runner.  The only real gut-wrencher is running premium with the supercharger, vs. regular unleaded without.

By the way -- I don't care how much the supercharger costs, once you have it, you will be SO STOKED, regardless of whether the gas mileage is better or worse.  

[festivus]

I pull my S22 with an 02 Sequioa.  I'm not gearhead, but I think the powertrain is very similar to the Tundra.  
The sequioa does fairly well, with the following exceptions----
1.   gas mileage while pulling is b/n 8-10mpg, and with that weenie small gas tank, I feel like I am fueling up at every available station.  
2.  Pulling the Epic over the Rockies is a chore, there are a few spots where that I-Force V-8 is chugging.  Maxing out at 40-45mph.  Oh, and that gas mileage drops to low single digits.
3.  The tongue weight on my boat is a lot.  I feel like the Sequioa is dragging a#* whenever the boat is hooked up.  I know the newer Toy's have a ride leveling suspension, or you can get air shock thingys to help with that problem.  
but....
it's like a workhorse.  I may ask a lot while pulling, but after every stop, she fires right back up, tries her hardest to accomodate my needs, and is ultra reliable. It sucks to be stuck in the middle of Wyoming, 50 miles in either direction from a service station, and your Buick is spewing water and coolant like Old Faithful.  I never worry with the Sequioa.  Oh, and that Buick thing actually happened to me, just ask my father-in-law, it was his car  .
I am looking at replacing the 02 with the new body style, bigger V-8, etc. Sequioa that is due for 2006.  Anyone seen the changes Toyo made to it yet?  
Good luck with the Tundra.

[DENNIS]

I am the new car sales manager at a large Toyota dealer in Oregon.  I've had a number of Toyota Tundra's and every one has pulled my boat without any problems.  The fuel economy I got was 10-12 mpg while towing my 2001 S22.  Right now I have a 05 Tundra double cab 4x4.  It is my favorite Tundra to date.  It has the vvti engine and runs great.  I have not had a chance to tow my boat with it yet, but I'm sure it will do as well as any of the xcab's that I've had if not better.

It seems to me that the $19,000 price for a 02 Tundra 4wd is a fair price, especially if it is certified.  You might want to negotiate new tires into the deal.  I know from experience that you will absolutely love the Tundra.

In 2006 they are totally redoing the Tundra and the Sequoia.  They will have a larger V8.  Toyota is not letting us know much about any of the updates.  But, when Toyota redesignes anything, it is almost always sooooo much better than the previous model.

Dennis

[toyotafreak]

Let the record show that this thread is like pheromones to me. TOY DNA is STRONG in here right now.

Dennis, do you mean model year '06 or calendar year '06?

As good as these vehicles hold their value, they are vehicles and do depreciate. The '03 Sequoia we bought for 35 plus tax in December 2002 is probably worth mid 20's today.

I've heard from a friend who's in the market that a new Double Cab can be had for well under 30 and that a new-model Taco Double Cab is actually more expensive. This is a small jump from twenty and you get a much stronger engine, a much better warranty and that new-car smell. One minor note, I've heard a few people mention that visibility in the Sequoia (front end of the DC) is for some reason much better than in the prior Tundras. The downside to buying new right now is the HOPES of changes in the upcoming years which might throw your cycle off. Maybe by buying a four-year old truck now, you'll be ready to buy new in four years when the TOYOTA TURBO DIESEL HEAVY DUTY comes out.

All: if you're not members of Tundrasolutions.com, you're missing out. It's a HUGE, well-informed group of TOYOTA truck owners. Want to download the brake TSB mentioned by the wakejunky? Want to find the best alignment specs? Want to see mods? Want to know how twenty different wheel/tire combinations work on the Tundra and Sequoia? It's not all good, either. There are some lengthy strings on piston slap and other ugly cases.

If you were asking about a 2002 Expedition or Tahoe, I don't think you'd be hearing people talk about "you'll love it, it's bulletproof".


Someday I'll get a picture of our Seq and my pickup on here.


Finally, with the S22 the real average is 10.5 mpg. This isn't what the trip computer says, it's GPS corrected mileage, and the sample size is easily 4000 miles. 14 and 17 is a good number most of the time unless you're being really conservative or aggressive. We've got the K&N intake kit and a TRD cat back, but don't think either really improve mileage much. If you drove our truck 65 unweighted, you'd probably be closer to 18-19. Not sure that you could improve on 14 around town. If we towed at 55, it'd probably be closer to 12-13.

I love the truck. Best vehicle we've ever owned. 36,000 and only complaints are rapid brake pad wear (probably gonna average 20K per $80 set but no warpage on the rotors) and my stock Dunflops barely made 30K (wasn't safe, shoulda done them at 25). Pretty short list for something so complex as a full-size SUV.