2022 Toyota Tundra Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Tundra debuted as a 2000 model and got its first significant makeover for the 2008 model year. The new 2022 model represents the start of the Tundra’s third generation of production. Toyota says every part on the new truck has been redesigned and engineered anew—right down to the turn signal stalks. The Tundra’s exterior has a more dynamic, expressive look than the outgoing model. It wears a large hexagonal grille, which will be filled with trim-matched patterns and branding. Some will be chrome-finished, some black, some dark chrome, and some gray-painted. All will wear a modest Toyota logo at the centre, except the top-of-the-line TRD Pro trim, which gets “TOYOTA” badging spelled out in retro letters above an LED strip light—very cool. The Tundra TRD Pro also gets trim with a technical camo pattern, a detail you have to study closely to appreciate. The camo pattern continues inside the cabin, where it is integrated into both the front seat and rear seat covers. The body’s side styling looks chiseled and muscular, with a solid foundation and pronounced wheel arches. The rear is neatly tucked in, with LED taillamps bracketing the tailgate, stamped with the vehicle’s name.

Subtle exterior differences distinguish the trim levels. Those with sharp eyes will be able to differentiate a taller stance for models with off-road suspension equipment.

The interior also benefits from updates and upgrades, following a trend toward more premium materials and amenities in trucks. The 14-inch touchscreen display, standard on Limited and Platinum grades, is a bold visual statement of the Tundra’s intent (an 8-inch screen is standard on SR and SR5). The Tundra wants to be in the driver's seat as your family’s everyday adventure vehicle. Shapes from the Tundra’s exterior repeat inside the cabin, linking the complete vehicle design into a cohesive whole—further evidence of a vehicle redesigned from the ground up and not assembled from the company parts bin.

The outgoing Tundra came with a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) 5.7-litre V8 engine—take it or leave it. The new Tundra introduces two new engines, neither of which is a V8.

The base engine, if you can call it that, is the i-Force. It is standard on all trim levels except TRD Pro. A twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 with direct gasoline injection, the i-Force puts out power specs of 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque (348/405 in SR). Compare that with the outgoing 5.7-litre V8, rated at 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque.

The hero powertrain is called “i-Force Max.” It is a hybrid gasoline-electric, adding an electric motor-generator to the twin-turbo V6 with a resultant output of 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. The i-Force Max uses a sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery with a 288-volt rating and a 1.87-kWh capacity. The battery lives beneath the second row of seats, taking up the under-seat storage compartment in Tundra hybrid models.

Both the gas and hybrid versions use a 10-speed automatic transmission to get power to the wheels. In Canada, RWD is standard on the double-cab SR grade only; 4WD is available on SR and standard on all other trim levels.

Natural Resources Canada rates the RWD Tundra at a fuel consumption of 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres combined (13.1 city, 10.1 highway). With 4WD, the standard V6 engine burns 12.2 L/100 km combined (13.6 city, 10.4 hwy). The hybrid powertrain also consumes 12.2 L/100 km combined (13.5 city, 10.6 hwy).

The new twin-turbo V6 turns out to be an excellent match for the new Tundra, both in gasoline and hybrid forms. Matched with the 10-speed transmission, the engine provides smooth and consistent power delivery without a hint of turbo lag or spikiness. On some models with the JBL sound system, Toyota has provided an enhanced engine sound to the interior, which can fool drivers into believing they’ve got a big, burbling V8 under the hood. They didn’t need to do that—the V6 sounds just fine and performs very well.

Supporting the powertrain, the new chassis and suspension deliver better handling than before. The front independent double-wishbone setup carries over from the previous Tundra but with new components and geometry. The rear suspension has switched from leaf springs to a multi-link with outboard-mounted coil springs, delivering much more compliant ride quality, especially noticeable with an empty bed. Available adaptive variable suspension and load-leveling rear-height control make things even better. Like all full-size pickups, the Tundra will never match a sports car on a curvy road, but this truck is now a pleasure to drive on a meandering path, with minimal body roll and precise steering feel.

A trip through a well-groomed off-road course revealed the Tundra’s capability in the dirt and over the rocks. Adding the TRD Off-Road package to any trim level (except Platinum and TRD Pro) upgrades the Tundra into an adventure vehicle, as Toyota expects many buyers to want. Buyers who wish to maximize on-road performance can add the TRD Sport package and get the Tundra that fits their lifestyle.

The Tundra comes in Double Cab or CrewMax configurations. Both are four-door crew cabs with a five-passenger seating capacity. The Double Cab has 846 millimetres of rear seat legroom, while the CrewMax offers an SUV-like 1,057 mm of legroom for its second-row passengers. There’s no Regular Cab two-door model—that’s long gone.

Double Cab models come with either a 6.5-foot (1,982 mm) or 8.1-foot (2,469 mm) bed. CrewMax comes with a 5.5-foot (1,677 mm) bed or a 6.5-foot (1,982 mm) bed. For the first time, all Tundra models get an aluminum-reinforced composite bed, a variation on the composite bed used in the Toyota Tacoma. This new bed saves weight over a steel bed, yet maintains payload capacity (up to 880 kilograms or 1,940 pounds, depending on configuration), resists scratches and dents, won’t rust, and doesn’t need painting. Owners can choose to add a spray-on or drop-in bedliner or bed mat if they want to, but Toyota doesn’t think they need to.

Tundra owners use their trucks to tow, according to the automaker’s research. The new truck's towing capacity reaches 5,443 kilograms (12,000 pounds) when properly configured and equipped, and the Tundra comes with standard trailer sway control and TOW/HAUL mode. Trailer brake control is standard on all 4x4 models except SR. A new trailer backup guide system is standard on the Platinum trim. It includes straight path assist, which uses the electric steering system to keep your trailer going straight while reversing, overcoming a significant obstacle for novice (and some experienced) towers.

In the cabin, designers made smart storage a priority. The front centre armrest is a great example. A sliding tray in the middle of the armrest allows access to the storage area in the centre console without having to lift the rear-hinged armrest, which could disrupt the driver’s posture and concentration on the road. The armrest can still open as expected, but now you have a smart, convenient option. Another out-of-the-box solution (literally) is the 12-volt power tap. Instead of being tucked away inside the centre console, it lives in a small tray behind the touchscreen display on top of the dash. In this position, the outlet can now power a dashcam or radar detector (where legal) without leaving an unruly cable dangling down the front of the centre stack. Wherever you look inside the Tundra, Toyota has applied this kind of buyer-focused thinking.

Usually, we measure a vehicle’s tech level against its current competition. With the Tundra, many buyers will be comparing the new truck against their older Tundra pickups. The very loyal Tundra owners hang onto their trucks for hundreds of thousands of kilometres, with documented examples exceeding the million mark. When a truck hasn’t had a major makeover since 2008, out-of-date technology becomes the focus for updates.

In the cabin, the most prominent new technology is the new infotainment system. An 8-inch touchscreen audio system with six speakers (Double Cab) or nine speakers (CrewMax) is standard in SR and SR5 trim levels, and a superstar 14-inch touchscreen is standard in Limited and above. A 12-speaker JBL premium audio system is standard on upper grades. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all models. Toyota Connected services are standard with a trial period, as are Safety Connect, Service Connect, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM. Drive Connect with a 3-year trial period comes with upper grades, as does a Qi-compatible charge pad that doubles as an angled dock for your smartphone (another clever placement by the Tundra’s designers).

SR, SR5, and Limited models come with a combination analog/digital instrument panel with a 4.2-inch colour TFT multi-information display. Upper trims come with a knockout 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a stunner with outstanding resolution and graphics. About a decade into these all-digital panels, we’re still amazed by them. We’re also still amazed by head-up displays (HUD). You can get a 10.1-inch HUD as part of Platinum models and see critical graphic information projected in your sightlines as you drive.

Off-roaders will appreciate the multi-terrain select system with crawl control and downhill assist control, which makes use of the electronically locking rear differential and is available on 4x4 models (standard on TRD Pro). Special cameras and a unique view make up the multi-terrain monitor system, further enhancing the off-road experience in the Tundra.

Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have released crash-test safety ratings for the 2022 Toyota Tundra yet.

Toyota has equipped all models of Tundra with standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), the latest iteration of its suite of driver assistance and safety features. It includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, and road sign assist. The Star Safety System is also standard, including enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart-stop technology. Eight total airbags are distributed within the cabin, and LATCH connectors are installed on outboard second-row seats. Rear door locks have a child-protector function, and the driver has a window-lockout control. Tire-pressure monitor system, hill-start control, drive-start control, and driver and front passenger active headrests are standard.

Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert are available as part of a package on most SR and SR5 models and standard on all other trim levels.

Starting prices on the outgoing Tundra went from $47,010 to $64,250. For 2022, those numbers get a not insignificant bump. The base SR trim with a double cab, 6.5-foot bed, and rear-wheel drive will start at an MSRP of $44,990, and figures rise from there. The luxurious 1794 package on the Platinum trim starts at $74,550. As of this writing, Canadian pricing for the TRD Pro has not been announced. An $1,890 destination charge is extra.

All told, the Tundra comes in five trim levels in 2022: SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, and TRD Pro. Toyota says SR5 and Limited are their core trims, with more examples produced than other trim levels. TRD Pro is a genuine flagship, with all the bells and whistles Toyota can muster, including FOX shocks and aluminum skid plates, and 1794 is Toyota’s ultimate luxury truck. One of two big options packages, TRD Off-Road or TRD Sport, can be added to just about every trim level (other than TRD Pro) to help personalize each Tundra for its new owner.

Even though Toyota’s counting on the Tundra loyalists to snap up this new truck, buyers will still be aware of the competition. The Ford F-150 (starting at $34,079 for a single cab, $40,259 for a SuperCab), Chevrolet Silverado (starting at $32,648 for a single cab, $37,448 for a double cab), GMC Sierra (starting at $41,148), and Ram 1500 (starting at $47,445) fill out the field. Stiff competition has bred some competent, technologically sophisticated, capable trucks. The Tundra has the disadvantage of not having a heavy-duty variant to attract a wider group of buyers. Still, Toyota’s okay with that, ceding that battle to concentrate on their core.

Bottom line: The 2022 Toyota Tundra improved massively over the outgoing model. If the newly styled and engineered truck can live up to its inherited reputation for durability and all-around capability, Toyota will be able to maintain and maybe even build its niche in the full-size truck market, treating buyers to a new vehicle they can live with happily for a long, long time.

Note: Images show a US model.