It turns out the high-tech Tundra's 5.7-liter V-8 makes so much power, we couldn't get a solid run down the racetrack without spinning the tires. Still, a 0-to-60 time of 6.5 seconds isn't too shabby; by a good margin, it's the fastest time of any stock half-ton we've tested. But our test crew felt there was more power to be had, so they switched the Tundra's 4x4 system to four-wheel high range to disconnect the power-robbing electronics (even with stability control switched off, it still interfered with our testing procedures). With all four wheels locked in unison, perfectly splitting the engine torque through both driveshafts and then the tires, the 0-to-60 number improved about eight percent. Impressive, to say the least.
However, and this is a huge "however," Toyota will be the first to tell you in its loudest legalistic voice, you should never, never, never run a part-time four-wheel-drive pickup truck on a high-traction surface in four-wheel-drive high or low range. (Toyota hadn't printed up the owner's manuals at the time we had the truck at the track.) As it was, nothing bad happened, meaning nothing on the truck blew up.
We learned a lot about what this 381-horsepower half-ton pickup truck can do. But it does prompt us to wonder, especially when tossing the Chevy Silverado into the mix (its four-wheel-drive setup includes a separate all-wheel-drive setting), why would Toyota make such a powerful pickup but not allow the owner to make full use of it?
There's something to be said for a truck that allows the driver a degree of choice, even if one of those choices is to let the truck's computers figure out the best traction solution. In "Auto," the Chevy sends all the power to the rear wheels until it senses or anticipates wheelslip, then it electronically locks a series of clutch plates in the center differential, splitting the available engine power between the front and rear driveshaft, giving traction where it's needed--all in less than a split second. And when it determines there's enough grip on the rear wheels, it stops turning the front wheels and driveshaft and reverts back to a conventional rear-drive pickup. The Chevrolet owner's manual says you can leave the Silverado in the Auto setting for the life of the vehicle with no worry. We wouldn't recommend this last part, mainly because if you don't switch over to two-wheel drive, you won't be able to get the back end to come out and get a little sideways (something we find ourselves doing occasionally for photo shoots).
To be fair, Toyota's strategy is to rely on existing electronics and sensors to make sure a driver doesn't get into trouble, but an all-wheel-drive setting would be nice. Maybe there's still room for a little more change, even if it is a new world out there.