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GLOBAL ONE MAG’S TOP PICK Price: $29,220.00 $65,545.00. ## 2020 TOYOTA TUNDRA The Kind of Fun That Lets You Go Places

by Ella Patterson

The 2021 Toyota Tundra is the oldest truck in its class, but it's still a dutiful hauler and plenty capable of getting the job done. Every model is powered by a 381-hp V-8 that can tow up to 10,200 pounds. Its powertrain is perky great fuel economy rating make it a favorite. The Toyota pickup feels smooth at highway speeds and its ride quality is graceful. Its offroad-ready options—including the lifted TRD Pro model—are bright spots that fulfill their mission. Inside, the Tundra crew cab offers apartment-like room. The 2021 Tundra looks and feels good. It comes standard with a suite of driver assists that complement its design.

What's New for 2021?

For 2021, Toyota supplies the Tundra lineup with a new appearance package called Nightshade. It's only available on the Limited, and it includes black 20-inch rims, black exterior accents, and black leather upholstery. The new Trail Special Edition, of which only 5000 will be made, is based on the SR5 crew cab (called CrewMax) and comes with all-weather floor mats, black exterior badging, and black upholstery with tan contrast stitching. The Trail Special Edition also features the same body-color grille as the top-tier Tundra 1794 Edition, a lockable storage unit in the cargo bed, and unique 18-inch wheels fitted with allterrain tires. (Toyota Tundra)

Pricing and Which One to Buy

• SR: $35,270 • SR5: $36,969 • Trail Edition: $43,565 • Limited: $43,985 • Nightshade: $44,985 • TRD Pro: $50,370 • Platinum: $50,490 • 1794 Edition: $50,490

The Toyota's greatest virtue is its off-roading abilities, which are fully realized on the TRD Pro variant. The Tundra crew-cab body style pairs with the shortest 5.5-foot cargo bed, we'd stick with the extended cab and the standard 6.1-foot box. The base TRD OffRoad package improves the truck's ability to play in the dirt, mud, or sand. The improved off-road chops come courtesy of trail-tuned dampers, increased underbody protection, front tow hooks, and 18-inch wheels. In addition to those mechanical enhancements, the kit adds a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen. It also brings a larger fuel tank for a

longer driving range and replaces the standard front bench seat with a pair of buckets and a center console.

Engine, Transmission, Performance

The Tundra's engine and transmission are standard 5.7-liter V-8 is good for 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard and fourwheel drive is optional for both setups, but not for all cab-and-bed configurations. The Tundra's engine is reasonably peppy with a satisfying exhaust note, and its six-speed automatic shifts are quick. Due to the Tundra's firm suspension, bumps are not transmitted into the cabin, which makes for a great ride when driving over rough surfaces. The upgraded shocks on the TRD Pro and models with the TRD Off-Road package marginally improve the ride quality, as well as help to better manage body motions in corners. The Tundra's light steering isolates the driver from the road at highway speeds. The Tundra's brakes are adequate and can haul the truck down from 70 mph in a so-so 190 feet, for consistent travel.

Towing and Payload Capacity

The Tundra's maximum tow rating of 10,200 pounds will be more than most people need, and even its least capable configuration can tug at least 8800 pounds.

Fuel Economy & Real-World MPG

While the EPA hasn't released fuel-economy ratings for the 2021 Tundra, we don’t expect its figures to change from the previous year. The 2020 model has good fuel economy in its class. The government rates its V-8 with four-wheel drive at 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. The last one we tested matched its highway rating on our 200-mile real-world route, but that figure is still lower than all the other pickups we've tested.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The Tundra's interior is spacious and dotted with oversized features, but it's an outdated presentation and the materials in most models feel cheap and rubbery. Is rear-seat legroom is among the best for crew cabs, the quality and layout of the Tundra's cabin are impressive. Its amenities are not lacking as shown in the 1794 Edition, which has luscious saddlebrown leather-trimmed seating and Ultrasuede accents. The Tundra's front roof pillars are wide at the base and the large rear windows of the crew cab offer adequate visibility. An abundance of cargo and storage space is offered. While the Toyota is merely adequate in most areas, our testing revealed that the cavernous crew cab can hold 21 carry-on suitcases with its rear seat folded, two more than any other pickup. Deep door pockets help store larger items, and the extended cab—called Double Cab—has a storage compartment under the rear seat. The Tundra has three cargo-bed lengths. The shortest is 5.5 feet and is only available with the crew cab. The extended cab can pair with a 6.5- or an 8.1-foot bed.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The Tundra's infotainment system is tolerable, functioning adequately and responsively but never intuitively. Fancier trim levels have an advanced package that adds more speakers for the audio system as well as integrated navigation. The Entune system will not delight users with its tiny onscreen buttons, but our testing showed that its response time is faster than popular smartphones. Thankfully, the newly available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make the system more intuitive and modern.

Safety Driver-Assistance Features

The Tundra has merely average crash-test ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, every model has a smorgasbord of standard driver-assistance technology. Key safety features include: • Standard automatic emergency braking • Standard adaptive cruise control • Standard lane-departure warning

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage: The Tundra's primary warranties are consistent with the competition. Toyota's two years of roadside assistance is the only part of its coverage that stands out. • Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles • Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles • Complimentary maintenance is covered for two years or 25,000 miles MSRP: $33,575 - $52,930 · Official site: https://www.toyota.com/tundra/

Are you interested in purchasing a vehicle? Contact: MARTIN PATTERSON III (972) 238-4494 Email: mpatterson@toyotaofrichardson.com Photography Compliments of TOYOTA.com

PHOTO BY PHICA STOCK

#SAYHERNAME CAMPAIGN

Launched in December 2014 by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies (CISPS), the #SayHerName campaign brings awareness to the often invisible names and stories of Black women and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence, and provides support to their families.

Black women and girls as young as 7 and as old as 93 have been killed by the police, though we rarely hear their names. Knowing their names is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for lifting their stories which in turn provides a much clearer view of the wide-ranging circumstances that make Black women’s bodies disproportionately subject to police violence. To lift up their stories, and illuminate police violence against Black women, we need to know who they are, how they lived, and why they suffered at the hands of police.

On May 20th, 2015, at Union Square in New York City, AAPF hosted #SayHerName: A Vigil in Memory of Black Women and Girls Killed by the Police. For the first time, family members of Black women killed by police came together from across the country for a powerful vigil designed to draw attention to their loved ones' stories. The family members of Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelly Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey,