The ride was a perfect combination of on-road comfort and off-road toughness…

The 2014 Toyota Tundra has deep roots in the Wild, Wild West.

The 1794 Edition is a tribute to the ranch, founded in the year 1794, on which the Tundra plant is located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2002, Toyota began the search for a US facility to build the second generation Toyota Tundra. The 2,000-acre ranch site was acquired and ground breaking took place Oct 17, 2003. Just like the ranch it replaced, hard work and dedication prevailed bringing production numbers up to 200,000 units.

On September 18, 2013, the one-millionth truck, a Sunset Bronze Mica colored, 1794 Edition Tundra, rolled out.

This truck has a completely new body design with an aggressive grille that extends from the bumper to the raised hood. The fender flares are larger and more defined, and the tailgate has Tundra stamped into the sheet metal.

The top of the line Western-themed 1794 Edition comes with a unique chrome grille and chrome and silver bumper. It’s almost like a large belt buckle!

The inside screams Country music with its exclusive premium saddle tan brown leather seats with embossed and suede accents. Soft-touch materials are found on the center console, the front and rear door trim, and the instrument panel. Rich maple wood-grain covers the steering wheel, dash and shifter. Big improvement to the back seat of the Double Cab and Crew Max where a 60/40 split bench flips up with a one handed latch to allow more cargo space.

The Tundra is equipped with Toyota’s advanced display audio system with AM/FM Radio, CD, MP3/WMA capability, USB and auxiliary input, and voice recognition. It also includes standard Bluetooth and an integrated backup camera. A SR model has a 6.1-inch display, while the SR5, Limited and Platinum models feature a 7-inch display with integrated Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

Two engines available, depending on the model you choose. The 4.6 L i-force V8 that puts out 310 horsepower and 327 lb ft of torque and the 5.7 L i-force V8 with 32 valve dual overhead cam engine that generates 381 horsepower and 410 lb ft of torque. Both motors are connected to a 6 speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode.

Fuel economy numbers are;

5.7 L: 14.2/10.5 L/100 km (city/highway)

4.6 L: 11.0/13.6 L/100 km (city/highway)

Driver and front passenger airbags, roll-sensing, head/side curtain and front mounted side airbags, and the first 1/2 ton pickup to include driver and front passenger knee airbags.  Toyota’s star safety system includes electronic brake force distribution, smart stop technology, anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control, and active traction control. The side mirrors have the blind spot monitor system that detects a vehicle in your blind spot.

The ride was a perfect combination of on-road comfort and off-road toughness. The truck has exceptional steering response and firm enough not to nose dive in the corners.

The seats are spacious and very comfortable; I compare it to a living room couch with seat belts. It has a very quiet cabin, which I found to be true with the previous model, with very little road noise.

I am happy they continued with the larger oversized buttons and knobs, which you can operate while wearing gloves. With the popularity of the Tundra growing, I can easily see the two-millionth truck roll out before the next design change.

Tundra Range Sticker Price:

Tundra 4×2 Double Cab SR 4.6L $30,750

Tundra 4×4 Regular Cab SR 5.7L $30,825

Tundra 4×4 Double Cab SR 4.6L $34,825

Tundra 4×4 Double Cab SR 5.7L $36,650

Tundra 4×4 Double Cab SR Long Bed 5.7L $36,865

Tundra 4×4 Double Cab Limited 5.7L $46,950

Tundra 4×4 Crew Max SR5 5.7L $39,990

Tundra 4×4 Crew Max Limited 5.7L $48,120

Tundra 4×4 Crew Max Platinum 5.7L $53,700

1794 Edition   $54,000

Contact: ian [dot] harwood [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca