The 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4 hasn’t changed under the hood, but it has changed everywhere else with improvements to the interior and exterior that make it a better ride.
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4 | $47,320 | $49,930 | 381/401 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: Buy It! | 13/17 Combined 15 | 11.9 |
All those design changes add up to an imposing, aggressive, and tough looking truck that, before you even get behind the wheel will make you feel like it’s got your back. The front fascia simply dominates with angular side panels that add to the vibe.
Inside, this is the Platinum edition, so although still the tough, functional truck, it shows its softer side. There’s quilted leather trim on the dash, doors and seat uppers that give it just a hint of luxury sedan, which is what these higher trim levels are trying to deliver.
Don’t be thinking the 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4 has gone soft, because you still have big, chunky knobs that are easy to grab with gloved hands, a center console that could hold enough supplies to keep you going for a week, and a backseat that is expansive. It’s Grand Canyon huge.
There’s 42.3″ of legroom, 38.9″ of headroom and 60.4″ of hip room so there’s space aplenty for your favorite linebackers. The seats are comfortable, too, so those linebackers won’t reach up front and throttle you at the end of a long ride. If cargo is your focus, the rear seats fold up giving you a nearly flat floor space for anything you don’t want outside in the 66.7″ long bed.
Grab a ladder, look under the hood, and there’s a 5.7-liter iForce V8 that will give you 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, plenty to move the 5,860 pound truck out of its own way. It’s paired to a 6-speed automatic that shifts smoothly whether you’re driving easily around town or hitting it hard to merge into highway traffic.
But, you don’t want to be driving it hard if fuel economy is of even the slightest concern. It averaged only 11.9 MPG in what was roughly a 75/25 highway/city driving experience. This is where the 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4’s heavier curb weight hurts, but the lower initial price point than competitors makes up for some of the pain you’ll feel at the pump.
Handling was, well, truck-like. This is a big vehicle and it drives like one, giving you the feeling that you are riding high above the rest of the world. The comfortable interior is very quiet, making conversation easy even with people in that huge backseat.
It has very little body roll and is smooth and surprisingly sedan-like once you’re on a smooth highway. The pothole-ridden roads of New Hampshire proved a bit more of a challenge with random bumps not doing much at all, but rolling frost heaves making it feel a little like a roller coaster ride. I’m not actually sure that’s a bad thing, depending on your point of view.
I did not test the 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4’s towing abilities but it is rated at 9,500 pounds. Although that isn’t as high as other comparable trucks, it’s important to remember that Toyota is already using SAE J2807 standards for its tow ratings.
Other manufacturers have promised to implement the same standards beginning in 2015, but haven’t with current models. It’s widely expected that their ratings will fall once they do begin following J2807.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4 a Buy It!
In a market where an increasing number of people buy trucks not just for work, but as their everyday vehicle, the 2014 Toyota Tundra Platinum CrewMax 4×4 hits the mark. It’s affordable, comfortable and functional. After a week behind the wheel, I really want a truck.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
