Why I love my 2008 Toyota Tundra truck

I recently bought a used 2008 Toyota Tundra in August, after trading in our 2006 Scion Xb. I've never owned a truck before, but I absolutely love mine! I did a lot of research on trucks including the Ford F-150 (the most popular truck), Dodge Ram (the most inexpensive), and the Chevy Silverado (a boxy looking truck). I didn't even consider the Toyota because of all the recalls with accelerator problems.

But, after taking our Scion Xb in for it's regular oil change, my husband and I walked around the Toyota car lot and sat in a couple of the 2011 Toyota Tundras, and we were really impressed, it was comfy, luxurious and spacious! Our daughter loved it too. So, one mild day in August, after looking at a couple trucks on-line, I made appointments at a dealer to test drive a 2008 Ford F-150 and a 2008 Toyota Tundra. My husband, myself and 6 year old daughter arrived in the morning to look at the vehicles.

First, I drove the Toyota Tundra. It was easy to drive and all the switches were exactly where I would naturally reach for them. I sat up higher than normal but it was easy to see traffic around me. I was comfortable steering and felt so grounded that I thought it was an all wheel drive vehicle, like our old 2002 Subaru Forester. The Subaru, was a great car too. This Toyota was a 4x2, I realized with surprise. I would've preferred a 4x4, but this car felt so good and handled so well I didn't care if it was a 4x2! It's not like I go off road a lot anyway, and when my family goes to the mountains I just need sandbags and chains for snowy conditions. I also loved the metallic blue color, brand new tires and wheels and smooth lines of the truck. It doesn't get great gas mileage, about 18 mpg, like all the other cars my husband and I have owned, but the Tundra is so much more practical.

With a truck, you can haul numerous items like, camping gear, groceries, Christmas presents, Christmas trees, construction debris, topsoil and compost, bark mulch, furniture, bicycles, garbage, and thousands of other things. You can always use a truck, because you will always have big items or debris to dispose of or haul.

Next, I drove the Ford F-150. I was really excited about this one, because all the research I had done showed that this was a great truck. But, when I drove this truck it was sadly, clunky, noisy and awkward. It didn't drive very smoothly and the seats were not very comfortable. My husband agreed and didn't even want to test drive it. I'm not sure what F-150 model this was (there are several) but, it felt very basic. And this truck was a 4x4! Maybe, you have to purchase the higher model to get a more luxurious Ford F-150 but, I don't know.

My husband and I adored the Toyota Tundra so much that we went immediately to talk with the salesman about purchase options. We traded in our Scion Xb for $7500 and put half towards the down payment and half to pay off our Mastercard bill. I wasn't expecting to bring the Tundra home that day, but we worked out a good deal and drove it home in the afternoon. It was great fun to drive, although there has been some learning curve as I have never driven a truck as big as this one. For instance, it took me a while to not park crooked and I'm still practicing going through roundabouts, and not hitting the curbs, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Even though, I am in the landscape industry and I am very concerned about being environmentally friendly and being "green," I now have a truck that is a gas guzzler. But, I make up for it by the fact that my husband has a super fuel efficient motorcycle!