Tundra tow vehicle report
Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2022 2:00 pm
Howdy,
I've been offline for a long while, but thought I'd share my experience with my new tow vehicle. Have had a 2012 Mercedes GL 350, since new, which was doing an admirable job towing our 1978 Avion 26-H. My plan was to get a Tundra to replace the aging Mercedes. I picked up a 2021 Tundra SR5 with the 5.7 V8 engine last November, right before the 2022 Tundra with twin turbo V6 engines hit the market. Here are my observations:
1) Tundra and GL350 both have around 400 ft-lb of torque. Tundra, however, has nearly double the HP. When I was towing with the Mercedes in the mountains, and a car in front of me slowed me down, I had to be patient to gain speed again. Not with tundra. You just floor the gas pedal, the v8 roars, and you accelerate quickly.
2) Going down a 10% grade with Mercedes, I would slow down to 40 MPH before starting the descent, and would apply the brakes when I reached 50 MPH to get back to 40 MPH, and would repeat this. On a 3-4 mile grade, I had to apply the brakes 6-7 times. Tundra with 5.7 V8 has far superior engine braking and I only apply the brakes maybe 3 times.
3) Tundra's wheelbase is much longer than Mercedes. This means going downhill, I feel comfortable towing at higher speeds. Going down the 10% grade, at 60 MPH, I felt in control in Tundra. With Mercedes, 50 MPH was the top limit for my comfort zone. On flats, I also feel comfortable at 65 MPH in Tundra. With Mercedes, I usually set the cruise control to 60 MPH.
4) I love the integrated brake controller and integrated tow mirrors on Tundra. I despised putting clip on mirrors on Mercedes and connecting the brake controller.
5) Tundra's bed is a much better place for grill, firewood, lawn chairs, and other dirty items than Mercedes' hatch.
6) Tundra has a 38 gallon fuel tank, and hence has more range, even though the MPG is worse than Mercedes' diesel engine.
7) Tundra has 250# more payload. Axle ratings are also higher than Mercedes.
All in all, I am very happy with my purchase of Tundra. It's cheaper than a Mercedes, more reliable (fingers crossed!), has much lower maintenance cost, is also a great vehicle when not towing. I would recommend a second generation Tundra for towing a similar sized trailer as mine.
I've been offline for a long while, but thought I'd share my experience with my new tow vehicle. Have had a 2012 Mercedes GL 350, since new, which was doing an admirable job towing our 1978 Avion 26-H. My plan was to get a Tundra to replace the aging Mercedes. I picked up a 2021 Tundra SR5 with the 5.7 V8 engine last November, right before the 2022 Tundra with twin turbo V6 engines hit the market. Here are my observations:
1) Tundra and GL350 both have around 400 ft-lb of torque. Tundra, however, has nearly double the HP. When I was towing with the Mercedes in the mountains, and a car in front of me slowed me down, I had to be patient to gain speed again. Not with tundra. You just floor the gas pedal, the v8 roars, and you accelerate quickly.
2) Going down a 10% grade with Mercedes, I would slow down to 40 MPH before starting the descent, and would apply the brakes when I reached 50 MPH to get back to 40 MPH, and would repeat this. On a 3-4 mile grade, I had to apply the brakes 6-7 times. Tundra with 5.7 V8 has far superior engine braking and I only apply the brakes maybe 3 times.
3) Tundra's wheelbase is much longer than Mercedes. This means going downhill, I feel comfortable towing at higher speeds. Going down the 10% grade, at 60 MPH, I felt in control in Tundra. With Mercedes, 50 MPH was the top limit for my comfort zone. On flats, I also feel comfortable at 65 MPH in Tundra. With Mercedes, I usually set the cruise control to 60 MPH.
4) I love the integrated brake controller and integrated tow mirrors on Tundra. I despised putting clip on mirrors on Mercedes and connecting the brake controller.
5) Tundra's bed is a much better place for grill, firewood, lawn chairs, and other dirty items than Mercedes' hatch.
6) Tundra has a 38 gallon fuel tank, and hence has more range, even though the MPG is worse than Mercedes' diesel engine.
7) Tundra has 250# more payload. Axle ratings are also higher than Mercedes.
All in all, I am very happy with my purchase of Tundra. It's cheaper than a Mercedes, more reliable (fingers crossed!), has much lower maintenance cost, is also a great vehicle when not towing. I would recommend a second generation Tundra for towing a similar sized trailer as mine.