Chevrolet Silverado vs Toyota Tundra

What's the difference?

This is a serious truck with load-carrying and towing capabilities far beyond Australia’s ubiquitous Ranger/HiLux-sized one-tonne utes. However, those vehicles thrive in urban use due to their relatively compact dimensions so, in that context, this pick-up is simply too large to be a practical alternative. However, if you have more specialised work and recreational requirements, like GCMs as high as 12 tonnes with spacious comfort for a crew of five, this big American would be tough to top.

The Toyota Tundra is a big, comfortable, full-sized ute, but it’s much better suited to carrying loads, towing and touring, than it is to 4WDing. 

But, that’s no surprise for any of these US behemoths.

Despite that – and its hefty price-tag and less-than-ideal payload – the Tundra has enough positive characteristics – including its on-road performance, 4.5-tonne towing capacity and a full factory-backed warranty – to keep it in the good books with Toyota loyalists who still perceive value and reliability in the badge.

You get more bang for your buck in the equivalent Ford F-150, Ram and Silverado 1500s, but if you’re a diehard Toyota fan and you’re looking for a full-sized US ute that has plenty of potential as a comfortable 4WD towing and touring vehicle – and you don’t mind the cost – the Tundra just might be the right choice for you.

MY24 brings a freshened front-end appearance with new fascia, headlights, body-coloured bumpers and grille garnish, black body highlights and more.

With a traditional ladder-frame truck chassis and sprawling 4036mm wheelbase, this behemoth measures almost 6.4 metres in length (6387mm) and more than 2.2 metres in width (2263mm).

It also stands more than 2.0 metres tall (2039mm) and has a vast 16.1-metre turning circle. So, multi-storey car parks, drive-thru takeaways etc are best avoided. And domestic driveways (if wide and long enough to accommodate it) may suffer under its weight over time.

It rides on 20-inch high-gloss black alloys with LT275/65 R20 Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres and carries a full-size spare.

New Z71 off-road suspension includes skid plates and Rancho twin-tube dampers, offering 251mm of ground clearance and 28.5 degrees approach/19 degrees ramp breakover/23.6 degrees departure angles.

However, its 4x4 capabilities would be better suited to accessing rugged worksites, pulling a large caravan out of a boggy campground or towing a large boat trailer up a slimy boat ramp, than hardcore bush-bashing on narrow tracks.

The Silverado’s extensive remanufacturing to RHD, performed on a dedicated production line in Melbourne, exudes OEM standards of fit and finish. The dashboard module is particularly impressive, in providing a mirror image of the LHD original in appearance and function.

The leather-appointed cabin is a highlight, offering palatial space and comfort for all. It features a tasteful blend of contrasting materials and surface treatments, including silver-grey woodgrain inserts on the doors, dash and centre console plus exposed stitching along seams and subtle splashes of chrome.

The entry pathway to the rear seat is expansive, thanks to wide-opening doors and a flat floor with no transmission hump to straddle. There’s executive-lounge rear head and legroom, even for tall people, combined with enough shoulder room to ensure a crew of five can travel in comfort.

The Toyota Tundra Limited is 5955mm long (with a 3700mm wheelbase), 2040mm wide, 1985mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2778kg.

It’s built on the same chassis platform as the LandCruiser 300 and Prado 250 Series, but the Tundra’s 3700mm wheelbase is 850mm longer than the 300’s and its 1737mm wheel track is 70mm wider than the 300’s. 

The Tundra looks and feels massive but it’s actually not so much bigger than a Ranger, 300 Series LandCruiser, or a new-gen Patrol but it does have a blocky presence.

For reference, here are measurements for: the Ranger (5370mm long, 1920mm wide, 1880mm high), the LandCruiser (Sahara ZX) 5015mm long, 1980mm wide, 1950mm high), and the Patrol (5165mm long, 1995mm wide, 1940mm/1955mm high).

The long-wheelbase F-150 Lariat is 6184mm long (with a 3994mm wheelbase), 2030mm wide, 1995mm high and has a kerb weight of 2555kg.

Tundra-specific exterior styling includes i-Force Max moulding and badge, active grille shutter and front spoiler, crushed tube side steps and a black exhaust tip.

In terms of the Tundra’s interior, the space is a basic and familiar Toyota layout, but overall it lacks the kind of prestige look and feel you’d expect for a vehicle with this price-tag.

With its towering 3762kg kerb weight, the 2500 HD offers a choice of ADR load ratings (NB1 or NB2) which must be specified by the customer at the time of ordering (at no extra cost) to ensure the correct certification for vehicle registration.

The NB1 category allows up to 4500kg GVM/733kg payload, which can be driven by car licence holders. NB2 allows up to 5148kg GVM/1386kg of payload, but requires a truck licence. Our test vehicle is certified for the lower NB1 rating.

The 2500 HD is rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer with a 50mm ball and up to 4500kg with a 70mm ball. These trailer weights are well within its capabilities, given that its GCM rating (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) is an eye-popping 12474kg.

Yep, that’s more than 12 tonnes, which allows for trailers weighing more than 4500kg using heavy-duty connections like pintle hooks, goosenecks/fifth-wheel turntables installed and certified by specialist aftermarket suppliers.

The enormous load tub offers almost 2.0 cubic metres of cargo volume and has large external steps front and rear for easier access. The load floor is 2089mm long, 1814mm wide and 533mm deep, with 1317mm between the rear wheel-housings allowing Aussie or Euro pallets to be carried.

It’s protected by a tough spray-on liner, plus there are 12 load-anchorage points, LED lighting, power tailgate and a camera to keep an eye on loads when driving. Our test vehicle was also fitted with adjustable and removable load-dividers, which are part of the GMSV accessories range.

Cabin storage for driver and front passenger includes two bottle/cupholders and a large bin in each door plus a single glove box. The centre console has a large open tray up front, two bottle/cupholders in the centre and an Esky-sized box at the back with padded lid that doubles as a plush elbow rest.

Rear seat passengers get a bottle/cupholder and bin in each door plus two more bottle/cupholders in the rear of the centre console and another two in the fold-down centre armrest. There are also large storage pockets on both front seat backrests and compartments cleverly hidden behind hinged upper backrest cushions.

The 60/40 split rear seat base can swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is required. This also provides access to the under-seat storage accessory fitted to our test vehicle. You’d seriously struggle to run out of cabin storage!

As expected the interior of the Tundra is huge so there’s plenty of room for the driver and all of the passengers, no matter their size. It’s that big.

As mentioned the Tundra interior does look and feel familiar – which is a good thing – but it is basic, full of plastic surfaces, lacks any real distinctive premium gloss about it and ultimately seems out of place in such a costly ute.

On the plus side though, it’s functional and very comfortable and there are ample storage spaces and charge points throughout the cabin.

To the business end…

The Tundra’s tub is 1666mm long and 1491mm wide with 1237mm between the wheel arches – so it will fit an Aussie pallet – and the load space is 531mm deep, so all of your camping gear etc should fit without a problem.

The tub has a drop-in tub liner, four fixed-in-place tie-down points, four tie-down points that are attached – two each side – to a rail system near the top edge of both sides of the tub and are adjustable horizontally. The tub also has a lighting system at the bulkhead and a camera so, from the cabin, you can see a view from over the tub and to the rear of the vehicle.

The Tundra does not have a load box access step that some other utes have, such as the Ranger, or a step that pops out of the top of the tailgate, like that in the GWM Cannon XSR or the long wheelbase Ford F-150 Lariat. For the money, you’d expect more from the Tundra.

It does have a power-assisted tailgate, which is a good addition, but I reckon it drops too fast for the first one-third of its opening movement and that will present a head-knock hazard for kids around the campsite.

There is only one spec level of the Toyota Tundra available for now – the Limited – but another the higher-grade Platinum variant is expected here later this year.

The Tundra Limited is a five-seat dual-cab ute with a price-tag of $155,990 (excluding on-road costs). Price as tested is $156,665 RRP because that includes the test vehicle’s Feverish Red optional paint ($675 RRP).

Standard features include an 14-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto), 12-speaker JBL premium audio, wireless charger, digital rear-view mirror, a 12.3-inch colour multi-information display, leather-accented steering wheel (with phone, audio, MID, and driver assist controls), heated, ventilated and power-adjustable leather-accented front seats, a 360-degree camera system, 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps with manual levelling, and heated power side mirrors.

The Tundra also has smart entry and start system, front and rear parking sensors, electronic parking brake, power sliding rear window, front dual-zone automatic climate control, and rear cargo camera.

That seems like a stacked features list but you get just as much, if not more, when buying the cheaper Ford, Ram or Chevy equivalents.

As we’ve noted in previous yarns, the Tundra Limited costs more than rivals, including the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium ($130,500, excluding on-road costs), Ford F-150 Lariat ($139,950, excluding ORCs) and just under three hundred bucks cheaper than the top-spec Ram 1500 Limited ($156,950, excluding ORCs).

Exterior paint includes Glacier White (at no extra cost) or choose from Feverish Red (on our test vehicle), Frosted White, Silver Storm, Graphite, Eclipse Black, Espresso Brown, Jungle Khaki, or Saturn Blue – each costing $675.

The 6.6-litre Duramax turbo-diesel V8, with driver-switchable exhaust brake, is tailored for heavy-hauling with an external engine oil cooler and functional bonnet scoop feeding fresh air to the engine’s intake system.

In the latest MY24 specification, it produces 350kW at 2800rpm and 1322Nm of torque at 1600rpm. That’s 18kW and 98Nm more than the previous model.

The refined 10-speed torque converter automatic with column-shifter is also fitted with an external oil cooler, while closer gear ratios and revised final-drive ratios for MY24 enhance all-round performance.

A dual-range transfer case offers a choice of four drive modes comprising 2WD, 4WD high-range, 4WD low-range and Auto (traction-sensing full-time 4WD). Also new is an automatic-locking rear differential.

Its armoury of advanced towing hardware and technology includes a 4500kg tow-bar with 12-pin wiring harness and integrated trailer brake controller.

Plus, there’s a rear-view camera with hitch guidance, automated trailer lighting test, in-vehicle trailering app with trailer profiles, trailer theft alert, trailer tyre pressure/temperature monitoring and lots more.

New MY24 features include adaptive cruise control which can be used when towing (detecting the additional weight behind the vehicle to automatically increase braking distances). Others are 'Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert' (TSBZA), which extends the blind zone area when towing, plus 'Gross Combination Mass Alert' (GCMA) which alerts if you exceed the GCM.

The Toyota Tundra has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 (the gloriously monikered iFORCE MAX) – producing 290kW and 649Nm – but that’s paired with a parallel hybrid system (with an electric motor and battery pack), so combined peak output is a claimed 326kW and 790Nm. 

The Tundra has a 10-speed automatic transmission and a part‐time 4WD system.

This is an impressive set-up – the Tundra is punchy off the mark, smooth and refined at highway speeds – and overall it offers a comfortable and controlled driving experience.

Its selectable driving modes include (for on-road) Eco, Normal and Sport – and Tow/Haul.

It doesn’t have any off-road driving modes or diff locks but it does have an automatic rear limited-slip differential.

The dash readout was claiming 17.5L/100km at the end of our 351km test, which comprised mostly city and suburban driving plus some highway running with a full payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in slightly lower at 16.8, which is decent economy for a vehicle weighing more than 3.7 tonnes unladen in ‘real world’ driving.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 800km from its big 136-litre tank.

Toyota does not have to provide an official fuel consumption figure for the Tundra because its GVM is over 3500kg, but, for reference, the equivalent US figure of 20mpg is approximately 11.8L/100km so that’s a good guideline.

I recorded 14L/100km on this test. I did a fair bit of high- and low-range 4WDing and the Tundra was never working hard.

This Tundra has a 122L fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 870km from a full tank. 

For reference, our recent tests of the Ram 1500 (14.6L/100km), Silverado (16.5L/100km) and Ford F-150 (14.2L/100km) yielded figures around that mark.

The Tundra uses 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

Side-steps and large handles on the A- (and B-) pillars assist climbing aboard. It’s a very comfortable driving position, given the multiple seat and steering wheel adjustments along with plush elbow rests on both sides.

The large door mirrors, combined with numerous camera angles including the central rear view mirror's pin-sharp image, provide commanding all-around vision.

The steering is nicely weighted and surprisingly communicative for such a giant, providing good feel and response at all speeds.

The suspension tuning is supple enough to provide a smooth ride, yet retains enough firmness to minimise the ponderous feel inherent in vehicles of this size and weight.

Braking response is also reassuringly strong, without requiring huge pressure on the brake pedal to achieve it.

The 6.6-litre turbo-diesel V8 and 10-speed auto provide effortless performance. With maximum torque tapped at just 1600rpm, the engine is barely ticking over at city and suburban speeds.

And it requires less than 1500rpm to quietly maintain 110km/h on the highway, which combined with its low tyre and wind noise results in a supremely relaxed long-haul cruiser.

With its NB1 GVM rating, we loaded more than half a tonne into the load tub, which combined with our crew of two was just under its 733kg payload limit.

It simply didn’t notice the added weight, storming up our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb with acceleration unmatched by any loaded vehicle we’ve tested on this ascent.

Its engine-braking on the way down using the exhaust brake also set a new benchmark, never exceeding 50km/h and 2000rpm on overrun without once touching the brake pedal.

The Tundra is imported to Australia as a left hand drive vehicle and converted on our shores by a company called Walkinshaw Automotive Group and they've done a great job on the Tundra, it really is quite impressive. 

Steering is light and precise for such a big vehicle and off-the-mark acceleration is admirable for something so large. 

The 10-speed automatic transmission is very cluey and the iFORCE MAX system – 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, electric motor and battery – works seamlessly well. However, every now and again there's a bit of a clunky downshift – it’s the engine cutting out when you decelerate, or a slightly jarring transition from engine to motor and battery and back – but that's hardly a deal-breaker when the system otherwise works well.

The Tundra sits really well on the road or track because it is so big and it has such a long wheelbase and wide wheel track It's composed and confident and that makes driving the Tundra at speed on bitumen or on dirt or gravel in the bush, an easy, safe and comfortable experience.

But this ute’s shortcomings are quickly exposed once you try 4WDing in it.

It's not all lollipops and rainbows because this is a big vehicle and it has a massive 15m turning circle – and you really feel that in the bush when you get onto tighter tracks and more technical four-wheel driving. 

The Tundra is simply not built for low-speed, low-range, off-roading, This big ute doesn't excel at those things because its size severely limits its capabilities. That's not to say it's terrible though, it's just not as comfortably capable in difficult 4WD scenarios as mid-size dual-cab utes are – those kinds of utes are more nimble, more manoeuvrable and more comfortable at home in those types of off-road situations than the Tundra is. 

And because the Tundra has such a long wheelbase, it doesn't have a lot of ground clearance, a listed 216mm which is about standard for a full-size US ute, and that makes the Tundra’s undercarriage vulnerable to knocks and scrapes, no matter how innocuous the ruts or the moguls you are driving through may be. 

The Tundra has the kind of off-road angles you’d expect for a vehicle this large: approach angle is listed as 23 degrees and departure angle is 21 (ramp-over is not listed).

Because the Tundra is so damn big you also tend to feel every bump and every pothole or rut when low-speed off-roading, whereas at higher speeds (upwards of 50km/h) on a formed track, it's nice and settled, it’s completely the opposite. When you take on challenging terrain at low speeds in the Tundra, it yields a wild and bouncy ride. And that's purely because, again, it's a bigger vehicle with a bigger wheelbase. I don't mind it – it’s a bit of fun – but some people may quickly grow tired of being thrown around inside the cabin.

The Tundra is let down by the fact it doesn't have any off-road driving modes, off-road traction control or diff locks. Sure, it has high- and low-range 4WD and a limited-slip diff, but it would certainly benefit from more help – especially lockers.

This ute’s standard tyres – Bridgestone Dueler H/T tyres (265/60R20) – are perfectly okay for light-duty four-wheel driving but fall well short when it comes to anything more difficult. Easy fix: get a full set of all-terrain tyres.

The Tundra’s payload is an underwhelming 758kg – for reference, the Chevrolet Silverado has a 757kg payload; the Ram 1500 (878kg) – but even dual-cab utes, such as the Ford Ranger (966kg kerb weight)/1010kg min kerb weight), offer better payloads. The F-150 Lariat LWB (710g) offers less.

Once you load in people, pets, camping gear, food, etc, then you've used up a lot of your payload capacity. And that's not to mention the fact that you may put aftermarket accessories on your Tundra – a bullbar, a roof rack, any of those sorts of things – and those reduce the amount of weight you can then throw in the Tundra. 

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 4500kg (braked) – with a 70mm towball. GVM is 3536kg and GCM is 7825kg.

Overall, the Tundra’s impressive on-road performance is enough to outweigh its 4WDing flaws.

The Toyota Tundra does not have an ANCAP safety rating.

As standard it has eight airbags and driver-assist tech includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, lane departure alert, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, a 360-degree camera, trailer sway control, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitor, as well as a trailer wiring harness with 12-pin connector, trailer brake controller, and trailer back-up guide.

The Silverado is covered by a three year/100,000km warranty with three years roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/12,000km, whichever occurs first, and there's no capped-price servicing. This ownership package falls short compared to rivals like Ford's RHD F-150.

The Tundra has a five-year/unlimited km warranty, same as the Ford F-150’s warranty, which compares favourably to the Ram 1500’s and Chevy Silverado’s three years/100,000km warranty.

Roadside assistance is available but check with your dealership for more details on that.

Servicing is scheduled for every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs soonest, whereas the Ram 1500 is due every 12 months/12,000km, as is the Chevy Silverado; the F-150 is due in every 12 months/15,000km.

Capped-price servicing applies to the first five years and, at time of writing, was listed as $450 a pop. Average yearly servicing for the Ram 1500 is around the $650 mark, the Chevy Silverado is between $550 (for the LD) and $720 (for the HD) and $429 per service for the F-150.