MSRP: Starting at $41,977
ESTIMATED MPG: 13 City / 17 HWY
ENGINE: 4.0-liter V-6, 4.6-liter or 5.7-liter V-8
The 2014 Toyota Tundra 1794 is a workhorse disguised as a gorgeous pickup truck. I have wanted to test drive a pickup truck for a long time. Maybe it’s for my need to overcompensate for my shortness or because I want to feel tough on the road for once. I am not an aggressive driver by any means so having the opportunity to drive an aggressive looking but fascinatingly pretty truck was impossible to pass up. The Tundra 1794 handled our busy everyday family-life of hauling kids and their equipment to sports practices, taking several 7-year old girls to get ice cream, and driving up our local ‘mountain’, with incredible ease.
The 2014 Toyota Tundra 1794 is a beautiful 4-door truck with a safe, luxurious family-sized cab and many utilitarian features. It is the top of the line among Tundra’s, and that means it offers the best dashboard technology which will please the geekiest of Moms and Dads, like me. 😉 The price is top of the line, too, jumping over $44,000 compared to the base model’s $26,000 price tag.
Powertrain vs. Fuel Economy
Safety
Safety equipment includes child-related features such LATCH car seat connectors. This should keep kids’ car seats in place in an accident. Side impact beams and eight airbags should protect precious cargo. The active safety systems provide electronically-controlled stability and traction. The 1794 gains front and rear parking assist sonar systems in addition to its standard rearview camera. Mom and Dad will appreciate the help even when it’s just backing out of a familiar driveway. A blind spot monitor is an important option, especially since it comes with rear cross traffic alerts for reverse maneuvers. The 1794 tightens up security by adding a glass breakage sensor to its anti-theft feature.
Exterior
When I saw the Tundra 1794 being driven into my driveway I got goosebumps. It’s massive size, ravishing red color, and bold silver grille took my breathe away. The 1794 exterior exchanges the color-keyed bumper for a silver one with chrome end-caps and a chrome grille surround. You can even opt to exchange the 1794’s 20-inch alloys for chrome ones. The liftgate has an easy lower/lift feature that will moms and dads with kids who have to haul a lot of sports equipment to practice and games happy. When it came time to put my son’s lacrosse gear in the truck bed and take it out, my 14-year-old welcomed the easy lower liftgate. A windshield wiper de-icer and power-defrost mirrors take care of wet weather problems. The 1794 adds embedded turn signals to the power-folding side mirrors, a must-have in my opinion.
Interior
The 1794 definitely upgrades the Tundra cabin. It exchanges fabric for premium perforated leather. It adds ventilation and heating to the front seats. It adds a dual zone climate system, which operates with both Mom’s and Dad’s input. To keep the kids cool, the rear window is a vertical-slide, power-operated one. I especially appreciated the 10-way power driver seat. I am 5’1″ and was worried that I wouldn’t reach the pedals easily but the practically endless driver seat adjustment options allowed me to get comfortable and ready for a drive quickly. Front seat passengers will be pleased with their own 6-way power seat.
My kids found plenty of places to stash stuff since the cabin has numerous cup and bottle holders and the largest front cabin storage unit I’ve ever seen! My daughter stored coloring books and more in the storage compartment. As far as the back seat was concerned, my kids were in heaven. You have to see the interior of the Tundra in order to believe it when I saw it’s gigantic! Madelyn, 8-years-old, could barely touch the front seat with her toes.. great for me as she thinks that pushing on my seat with her feet is “giving me a back massage”. I’ll take a professional masseuse, thank you. 🙂 The Tundra’s split rear seat folds away for extra cargo space, in the rare case that you’d need more cargo space. Perhaps for a large stroller?
Technology
Utility
