Edmunds Recommends Tundra Over F150 For 2010

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Last Friday Edmunds.com announced their recommended vehicles for 2010, and two Toyota trucks made the list: the Tundra and the Tacoma. Alongside, Edmunds also recommended the Ram 1500 and the Nissan Frontier. Here’s a breakdown of their truck recommendations.

Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma

Edmunds compact truck recommendations are the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma

Edmunds Recommended Compact Trucks

The Frontier and the Tacoma are fairly obvious recommendations. Not only are they the best selling models, they also offer the widest range of configurations, the best safety and performance ratings, great reliability, and excellent resale value.

Ford’s Ranger is not recommended by Edmunds, but it’s a decent truck that sells very nicely. Edmunds doesn’t like the Ranger – the interior is much smaller than the Tacoma or the Frontier, the ride and handling aren’t competitive, and it doesn’t offer a lot of features. Frankly, the Ranger is an older design that Ford intends to cancel soon, which is likely the reason that Edmunds doesn’t consider it.

The Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon and the “Ram” Dakota are the other notable compact truck models on the market. Edmunds panned the Dakota as an expensive truck with a very cheap feel, where as the GM trucks are knocked for subpar fit and finish.

It’s important to note that Edmunds doesn’t give the Dakota or the Colorado/Canyon credit for offering V8 engines. Their rationale seems to be that compact truck buyers don’t need a V8 – if they did, they would opt for a full-size. Considering how expensive a V8 powered compact pickup is, this rationale makes some sense.

2010 Toyota Tundra

Edmunds recommends the Tundra for 2010, knocking off the F150 which was recommended in 2009

Edmunds Recommended Full-Size Trucks

The Ram and the Tundra share Edmunds recommendation for 2010, which is bad news for the F150 (which the Tundra replaced). As far as the Ram is concerned, Edmunds really likes the Ram 1500’s refinement. They cite the Ram’s excellent ride (a result of the Ram’s coil spring rear suspension) and luxurious interior as their favorite features.

As for the Tundra, Edmunds really likes the Tundra’s new 4.6L V8:

The Toyota Tundra finds itself back on our recommended list thanks to a new-for-2010 midgrade 4.6-liter V8 that represents an excellent alternative for those who don’t really need the prodigious power of the top-dog 5.7-liter V8. The Tundra’s large cabins, quality construction, comfortable driving position and massive towing capacity add up to a smart choice

This is high praise for the Tundra, but a bit confusing. First and foremost, the note about “massive towing capacity” doesn’t jive with the praise for the 4.6. The most one can tow with the 4.6L V8 is 9,000 lbs – and that’s only if you buy the 4×2 regular cab with the standard bed. While the 5.7 offers excellent to capacity on all models, other models from GM and Ford are rated to tow more. Despite these inconsistencies, it seems the Edmunds likes the overall value offered by the 2010 Tundra.

Last year, Edmunds liked the F150 because it offered a full range of fancy features as well as excellent towing capability. None of this has changed – the F150 still offers a full range of fancy features and excellent towing, so it’s like that the Tundra knocked off the F150 because of an improved safety rating (which is not mentioned but would explain the change).

Frankly, in our minds, the Tundra should have knocked off the Ram. While the Ram’s refinements are wonderful, it’s an expensive truck that simply doesn’t have the capabilities of trucks from Ford, Toyota, or GM. In any case, when it comes to half-tons, GM, Ram, Ford, Toyota, and Nissan all offer an excellent product.

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What do you think: Should Edmunds have recommended the F150 instead of the Ram for 2010?

Filed Under: Toyota Tundra Reviews and ComparisonsTundra News

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  1. mk says:

    It all depends on which truck mfg. paid Edmunds the most money recently to say what they wanted to say. I’d be curious to find out in a few years the quality of the new dodge ram since usually these consumer magazines and companies favor Honda and Toyota over the big 3 when it comes to quality and reliability even though Ford and GM (I don’t think much on Dodge) have some decent vehicles offered recently.

  2. gnawbone says:

    I agree with Tundra HQ’s last comment:

    “In any case, when it comes to half-tons, GM, Ram, Ford, Toyota, and Nissan all offer an excellent product.”

    Everyone offers something the other doesn’t and you match that “something” with the preference of the buyer. It could be power, or plush interior, or ride, or looks, or overall package or any combination thereof that suits the buyer.

  3. Jason says:

    gnawbone – Thanks – I agree with your point as well. At the end of the day, different users will like different trucks for different reasons. Test drive em’ all! 🙂

  4. Anonymous says:

    You left out,
    “09 Customers Top Rated”- F-150, no Tundra
    “Best Used Car Bets” 2002-2007 F-150, again no Tundra
    “Top 10 American All Stars” you guess it, no Toyota’s (but isn’t the Tundra made in the US with more American Parts content?)
    “Top 10 Vehicles For Towing” once again no Tundra (their big selling point)

    To recap one this the Tundra was on one of what 20 or 30 lists they produce. I guess I would be proud too if I made A list! So let’s throw a party, we made a list and it wasn’t a recall!

  5. mk says:

    Hey anonymous, if you don’t have anything 1/2 way decent to say, keep the yap shut. I’d still take the tundra for towing over any of the other 1/2 ton trucks on the market because I believe the 5.7l tundra has the best tranny and engine of any 1/2 ton truck made.

  6. Jason says:

    The F150 won the coveted “Top 10 American All-Stars” award? Really? Never heard of it. Is it a real thing? How many boxtops do you have to send in to get one?

  7. Anonymous says:

    Jason, does it say that the F-150 won the Top 10 American All Stars? It says “Top 10 American All Stars

  8. mk says:

    you hook up with chains your 1/2 ton to my 1/2 ton and we’ll see who pulls who?

  9. Harry says:

    LMAO!! Last ditch effort of a Tundra owner, “Oh yhea well let’s hook bumpers”!

  10. TXTee says:

    Nice to see the Tundra made the list. Ram has a very nice interior and I will give them that much. F-150 has been overrated for too long now. I still believe the only reason it’s popular is because it’s cheap or SEEMS affordable prior to all the time it’ll spend in a shop. 🙂

  11. Jason says:

    That Top American All-stars thing sounds pretty amazing. It’s definitely important that the Ford won that. Looking at both part 1 and 2 of the list, I’d like to note that the Ram and Chevy 1500 both appear on the list. According to the federally mandated domestic content labels on those vehicles, both of them have less American content than the Tundra.

    Seems like a flawed list, especially considering how many truck that Ram and GM make in Mexico. https://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/2008/07/28/toyota-tundra-more-american-than-silverado-and-ram/

  12. Mickey says:

    Anonymous you know as well as anyone else Sam doesn’t need a an upper end rebuilt job. How about getting your crap together for once.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Congratulations to Jason he just validated the creditably of Edmunds! I knew it was just a matter of time! So this article and every other article is BS.

  14. Jason says:

    Pretty sure that anyone who read the article wouldn’t say that…as usual, anonymous comments have little value.

  15. […] Tundra ahead of the 2010 Ford F150? Jason over at Tundra Headquarters wrote about it in his blog, Edmunds Recommends Tundra Over F150 For 2010. Definitely check it out to read more about the Edmunds […]

  16. Justin says:

    The thing I always find funny when people or sites reference particular articles from reviewers. Not saying Jason has done it, but I know a few posters that do it quite often. These users will refer to a particular magazine or site where their vehicle of choice has won an award. Then the following year when the award comes out and their vehicle of choice doesn’t win, it’s all about “they don’t know what they’re talking about” type of excuses. I’ll admit I’ve fallen into that trap before. But any award or recommendation must be taken with a grain of salt. Remember these are people who are influenced by their personal likes/dislikes, so you may not always get the most objective opinion from them. this is why you read multiple sites and multiple magazines to figure out on average, what do most these reviewers like/dislike. Better yet, go drive all the vehicles yourself and figure out which is the best option for you, not base it soley because Edmunds or so and so magazine/website said so.
    *****
    TXTee: I see you seem to still have the “domestics” are inferior mentality. You may dislike the F150, but I still find it the best “overall” truck. Not always the best this or that, but provides a good rating in all areas. And the cheap aspect, sheesh wish people would grow up and learn Ford offers models that cost less than the Tundra, and models that cost more than the Tundra. Just because a person elects for a striper model F150 over a striper model Tundra, doesn’t mean they did it soley because the F150 was a hundred or so $ less. In that case, I could say a person purchased a Tundra Limited over an F150 Platinum because it cost less. It’s not always about the minuscual price difference. Also, I owned an ’02 F150, never in the shop for anything other than your typical services. Have an ’06 F150, same deal, no major items (speaker replaced, emblem replaced & message center bulb replaced). Sure some people with F150s have issues. But guess what, so do Tundra owners, it happens. And I’d simply venture to guess, if based on the # of F150’s on the road and the # of Tundras on the road, they both would have roughly the same % of problems and time in the shop. You simply hear of more F150s because there are hundreds of thousands more on the road, not because they are truly more prone to problems.

  17. […] Tundra ahead of the 2010 Ford F150? Jason over at Tundra Headquarters wrote about it in his blog, Edmunds Recommends Tundra Over F150 For 2010. Definitely check it out to read more about the Edmunds […]

  18. spurs fan says:

    who really cares what any articles have to say about what truck is better..I own a 2010 TOYOTA TUNDRA,2009 CHEVY truck and a FORDtruck..Love my TUNDRA CREWMAX 5.7,looks sweet,drives fast and is a SPURS LIMITED EDITION..if it breaks down..warranry is for that reason..not all things are ment for everyone in life..those who bitch about pity stuff usually dont have anything anyway..after all do u always believe the weather man?? not always right..people arent perfect,dont expect a vehicle to be….

  19. Manu fan says:

    I recently visited the valley and saw a Spurs Limited Edition at a Harlingen dealership and fell in love with it at first sight. How is it on gas?

  20. Jason says:

    Manu fan – It’s not an official Toyota package, which means it’s identical to other trucks in terms of fuel economy.

  21. david says:

    2010 F-150 pickup truck has absolutely no comparison when it comes to lifting and towing in its segment, so I think if you major concern is towing huge load, then F-150 would prove to be a better choice than the 2010 Tundra.

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