I just wrote a story about Canadian Black Book resale values and learned that Tundra retains its MSRP better than any other full-size truck (click “Toyota” under TCM Quick Links below to read the…

2017 Toyota Tundra Double Cab TRD Pro

I just wrote a story about Canadian Black Book resale values and learned that Tundra retains its MSRP better than any other full-size truck (click “Toyota” under TCM Quick Links below to read the entire story), but I’ve covered every recent model year of this pickup in multiple trims as well as generations past (scroll through that same link for previous reviews), plus my dad owned a fault-free first-gen version decades ago, so I don’t need to be sold on how good it is. Then again, the TRD Pro took me off guard.

2017 Toyota Tundra Double Cab TRD Pro
The TRD Pro’s rugged take no prisoners design grabs attention wherever it goes. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

This truck is bold, brazen, and just plain baddass! Chrome? Not. It’s matte black all the way, except for its superb “Cement” grey paint. I can’t tell you how many neck-snapping looks it’s received from passersby over the past few days, but suffice to say it’s pulled more eyeballs than most of the ultra-exotic hardware I’ve driven this year, and the sound of its big 5.7-litre V8 makes at full throttle is almost as intoxicating as the exhaust note of one of those supercars (the amount of gas it guzzles is almost as dizzying too). At 381-hp and 401 lb-ft of torque it’s quick for a 2,480-kilo (5,467-lb) behemoth too, but its ultimate capability is meant to be experienced off-road.

2017 Toyota Tundra Double Cab TRD Pro
Zero chrome makes the TRD Pro stand out, not to mention matte black detailing, glossy black wheels, and “TRD PRO” stamped onto each side of the box. (Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press)

Without giving too much away ahead of the full review, initial criticisms include gluttonous fuel economy, poorer interior plastics quality than most rivals, and no integrated rear bumper steps (or anything likewise) for climbing up onto the bed when the tailgate is lowered, but before you think I’ve got nothing good to say, the Tundra TRD Pro’s attributes are way too lengthy to list (here at least) so stay tuned for all the details in my upcoming road test…

Story credits: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

Photo credits: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

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Sales immediately jumped, from 40,906 units in 2012 to 44,449 in 2013 when first introduced, and then 48,881 deliveries in 2014, the first full year of availability. People liked what they saw, as well as the much better looking, more refined interior filled with up-to-date electronics, its improved ride and handling, etcetera. Still, sales have ebbed over the past couple of years, sliding to 47,918 units in 2015 and then 45,626 last Read Full Story
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As you may have already heard, Toyota said goodbye to its youth-oriented Scion brand that started off with a bang back in 2003 and ended in a fizzle at the close of 2016. All that's left is this iM, which was already sold as the Auris Hatchback in Europe and simply as the Corolla Hatchback in Australasian markets, and the fabulous FR-S sports coupe that was also sold globally as the 86 (or at least as some version of the 86 nameplate including GT86 in Europe and New Zealand as well as FT86 in Nicaragua Read Full Story
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Of course, today's sport wagons are nothing like the wooden decaled behemoths that wafted down the highways and byways of my youth, their distorted AM radios buzzing War's "Low Rider" through grossly underpowered single-speaker sound systems, or an "8-Track Stereo" if your folks happened to pay more for the luxurious tufted velour upholstery upgrade. In comparison, most of today's mainstream volume brands reserve their "five-door" models for upper trim levels with more options, while premium brands often do likewise because of low take-rates Read Full Story
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