Tundra gets a true back seat for ‘04

Last year, 90 percent of those who bought a Toyota Tundra chose an Access Cab model with two narrow access panels opening to a small back seat.

The popularity of the Access Cab told Toyota that owners wanted more room, an itch that could be scratched only by a truck with a full-size cab. One with two full, front-hinged doors and a real back seat.

Rather than design a new cab from scratch, Toyota dipped into its parts bin, emerging with the forward cab from the full-size Sequoia SUV, which is taller, wider and longer than the Access Cab.

To make it fit on the Tundra platform, engineers added 4 inches to the Tundra’s overall width and stretched its wheelbase.

To give it the requisite amount of cargo-carrying capacity, they crafted a 74.3-inch bed. And, because the beltline of the Sequoia is higher than that of the standard Tundra, they deepened the bed by 3 inches.

Slightly smaller than its full-size competition, the Tundra has always been considered a 7/8 -size truck. But the Double Cab is a full 6 inches longer than the crew-cab models from Ford and Nissan, and its bed is 10 inches longer.

The new configuration gives the Double Cab the same cabin dimensions as the Sequoia. Rear-seat legroom measures 37.5 inches — enough that front-seat passengers won’t crowd the knees of those behind them, even with their seats all the way back — and there are gobs of head, hip and shoulder room.

The 60/40 split-rear seatbacks are slanted at a carlike 24 degrees, rather than the more upright angles found on competitive models, and rear-seat passengers get their own cupholders and pillar-mounted air-conditioning vents.

The rear window in the Double Cab is electrically operated and retracts downward into the rear bulkhead.

With the addition of the Double Cab, there are now three Tundra configurations — Regular Cab, Access Cab and Double Cab; three trim levels — base, SR5 and Limited; and two drive-train configurations — rear- and four-wheel-drive.

Prices start at $16,495 for a base RWD regular cab with the default power plant, a 190-hp V-6, and top out at $32,600 for a 4x4 Double Cab model with the Limited trim level, optional V-8 and four-wheel-drive.

Base and Access Cab models can be had with either the six- or eight-cylinder engine, while the Double Cab is eligible only for the eight.

All Tundras are equipped with air conditioning, anti-lock brakes and an AM/FM/CD audio system.

The SR5 trim adds automatic climate control; cruise control; tilt-adjustable steering; power sliding rear window; rear defroster, and power steering, brakes, mirrors, windows and door locks,

Limited adds power driver’s seat, fog lights, remote keyless entry, fender flares, JBL stereo upgrade and alloy wheels.

Brakes are discs up front, drums in the rear. Side-impact and curtain-style airbags are not available.

A StepSide option is available on Access Cab models only.

The two transmissions offered are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. The four-wheel-drive system is not the Sequoia’s automatic, full-time system, but the part-time system found in the rest of the Tundra line. It has a two-speed transfer case and is extremely capable off-road.

For ‘04, Toyota chose to hold the fort on its power plants. Power for the Double Cab is provided by a 4.7-liter iForce V-8 that makes 240 horsepower and 315 foot-pounds of torque. The six is Toyota’s 3.4-liter that makes 190 hp and 220 pound-feet. at 3,600 rpm.

Properly equipped, the Tundra can tow up to 6,800 pounds, or about 2,000 pounds less than the class leaders. The absence of a diesel is a good indicator of Toyota’s strategy of leaving the industrial-strength jobs to the competitors. Speculation has a new, more powerful eight coming in the not-too-distant future

In terms of ride and handling, the Tundra and Sequoia are among the better rigs in their respective categories, so it’s no surprise that the Double Cab excels in both areas. Even unloaded, our tester stayed planted on the road surface and the empty bed exhibited little tendency to bounce and shimmy.

Steering is precise and accurate and there’s little kickback from the rack-and-pinion steering system.

Although it’s not the most powerful engine in the class, the iForce eight responds eagerly to the throttle and accelerates quickly. At 14 city/17 highway, though, it’s not the thriftiest V-8 on the market.

The interior of our tester was finished in high-quality leather, which unfortunately was accompanied by faux wood trim that fell a little heavily on the faux. The seats were large and comfortable and Toyota still uses basic rotary knobs for audio controls, although they reside in a recessed interface and were more difficult to grasp than they otherwise might have been.

Though comfortable, the second-row seat is awkward in operation, folding forward to produce a level cargo floor rather than backward. The seat is held in that position by fastening a seatbelt to a grab-handle near the ceiling, an awkward arrangement at best.

Last year, the Tundra received a new grille, which was intended to toughen up its image, so there’s little in the way of cosmetic change for ‘04.

Instead, Toyota has focused on what buyers want — more cabin room with no loss of cargo space. The 2004 Tundra has always had sophistication and utility on its side — now, it has an extra pair of seats, as well.