2022 Toyota Tundra versus Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 - CNET

It's been a long time coming, but the new Toyota Tundra is finally here.

Toyota

Whether you're shopping for a new car, SUV or pickup, today's vehicles are far greater than the sum of their spec sheets. Even so, it's always useful to compare the numbers to see how candidates for your hard-earned dollars stack up. That's particularly true when it comes to full-size pickups, because capability is everything. Toyota has unveiled its all-new 2022 Tundra light-duty pickup, and it's a force to be reckoned with. Here's how Toyota's latest lines up against the updated 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2022 Ram 1500 and 2021 Ford F-150 (we're still waiting on 2022MY specs from the Blue Oval).

The name of the game in full-size, light-duty trucks is choice: cab choice, bed choice, trim choice, but namely engine choice. The Tundra only has two powertrain options: a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 and a hybridized version of the same. Ford has no fewer than six internal-combustion powertrain options (not to mention the forthcoming all-electric Lightning), but other companies aren't quite as robust. Chevrolet offers four engines starting with a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder and climbs to a huge 6.2-liter V8. Ram has four powertrains available, including two mild-hybrid models.

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For the sake of this comparison, I've divided the powertrain choices into base, midlevel, upper-midlevel and upper-level specs. I've also included a table for the diesel and hybrid models. For towing and payload, I've assumed the maximum capability for those particular setups. In most cases, that means those powertrains come on a two-wheel-drive, regular-cab model with a long bed and a max towing package, but not always. For fuel economy, I've used these trucks' two-wheel-drive specs.

2022 Toyota Tundra debuts with a new look inside and out

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Full-size pickup truck: Base engine specs

Sure, most folks will option up, but that doesn't mean that the standard engines have nothing to offer. The new Tundra's base 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 blows the competition away with its 389 ponies and 479 pound-feet of torque. The Silverado punches to the ceiling as well with its turbocharged 2.7-liter mill. Ford keeps the numbers of the 3.3-liter V6 the same from last year's model -- a healthy 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. The base engine in the Ram 1500 is actually a mild-hybrid V6 with E-Torque technology, giving drivers an extra boost off the line.

Base engine specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	6	4	6	6
Displacement	3.5 liters	2.7 liters	3.6 liters	3.3 liters
Power	389 hp	310 hp	305 hp	290 hp
Torque	479 lb-ft	420 lb-ft	269 lb-ft	265 lb-ft
Transmission	10-speed auto	8-speed auto	8-speed auto	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	TBD	TBD	20/25/22 mpg	20/24/21
Towing capacity	TBD	9,500 pounds	7,740 pounds	8,200 pounds
Payload capacity	TBD	TBD	2,320 pounds	1,985 pounds

Full-size pickup truck: Midlevel engine specs

If you want a medium-spec powertrain, well you'll have to look at either the F-150 or the Silverado, as the Toyota and the Ram are absent here. Ford's second most-powerful engine is a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, while Chevrolet jumps all the way to a 5.3-liter V8.

Midlevel Engine Specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	N/A	8	N/A	6
Displacement	N/A	5.3 liters	N/A	2.7 liters
Power	N/A	355 hp	N/A	325 hp
Torque	N/A	383 lb-ft	N/A	400 lb-ft
Transmission	N/A	10-speed auto	N/A	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	N/A	TBD	N/A	20/26/22 mpg
Towing capacity	N/A	11,200 pounds	N/A	10,100 pounds
Payload capacity	N/A	TBD	N/A	2,480 pounds

Full-size pickup truck: Upper-midlevel engine specs

Here is where Ford has the advantage in the segment, with an extra powertrain for those who want a bit more power. The F-150 jumps to a 5.0-liter V8 with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Chevrolet, Ram and Tundra have no dog in this upper-mid-range engine fight.

Upper Midlevel Engine Specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	N/A	N/A	N/A	8
Displacement	N/A	N/A	N/A	5.0 liters
Power	N/A	N/A	N/A	400 hp
Torque	N/A	N/A	N/A	410 lb-ft
Transmissions	N/A	N/A	N/A	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	N/A	N/A	N/A	17/24/20 mpg
Towing capacity	N/A	N/A	N/A	13,000 pounds
Payload capacity	N/A	N/A	N/A	3,325 pounds

Full-size pickup truck: Upper-level engine specs

Now we're getting into the good stuff, with plenty of power offered across the segment. Since the Tundra's top powertrain is also a hybrid, I've included it in a chart below. Ford's top engine is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, but the Silverado is also pretty good here with its traditional 6.2-liter small-block V8.

Upper-Level Engine Specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	N/A	8	8	6
Displacement	N/A	6.2 liters	5.7 liters	3.5 liters
Power	N/A	420 hp	395 hp	400 hp
Torque	N/A	460 lb-ft	410 lb-ft	500 lb-ft
Transmission	N/A	10-speed auto	8-speed auto	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	N/A	TBD	15/22/17 mpg	18/24/20 mpg
Towing capacity	N/A	13,300 pounds	11,650 pounds	14,000 pounds
Payload capacity	N/A	TBD	1,940 pounds	3,250 pounds

Full-size pickup truck: Diesel engine specs

We've seen a resurgence in diesel offerings lately. Once seen mainly on heavy-duty trucks, diesels have been making their way down to half-ton and even midsize offerings. Unfortunately, Toyota doesn't offer a diesel for the latest Tundra. Among the rest, the Chevrolet takes the cake for towing here, but only if you have the max towing package.

Diesel Engine Specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	N/A	6	6	6
Displacement	N/A	3.0 liters	3.0 liters	3.0 liters
Power	N/A	277 hp	260 hp	250 hp
Torque	N/A	460 lb-ft	480 lb-ft	400 lb-ft
Transmission	N/A	10-speed auto	8-speed auto	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	N/A	TBD	22/32/26 mpg	20/27/23 mpg
Towing capacity	N/A	13,300 pounds	10,080 pounds	12,100 pounds
Payload capacity	N/A	TBD	2,060 pounds	2,980 pounds

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Full-size pickup truck: Hybrid powertrain specs

Finally, we can get the Tundra back into the mix with its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid. In this hybrid chart, note that the F-150 and the Tundra feature a full-hybrid powertrain while the Ram 1500 E-Torque is a less-capable mild hybrid with an electric starter-generator. Ram offers this technology in standard in the 3.6-liter V6 and as an option with the 5.7-liter V8.

Hybrid Engine Specs

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Cylinders	6	N/A	6, 8	6
Displacement	3.5 liters	N/A	3.6, 5.7 liters	3.5-liter
Battery	1.87 kWh	N/A	0.43 kWh	1.5 kWh
Electric motor	TBD	N/A	9, 12 kW	35 kW
Power	437 hp	N/A	305, 395 hp	430 hp
Torque	583 lb-ft	N/A	269, 410 lb-ft	570 lb-ft
Transmission	10-speed auto	N/A	8-speed auto	10-speed auto
Fuel economy (city/hwy/combined)	TBD	N/A	20/25/22, 17/23/19 mpg	25/26/25
Towing capacity	12,000 pounds	N/A	7,740, 11,560 pounds	12,700 pounds
Payload capacity	1,940 pounds	N/A	2,320, 1,850 pounds	2,120 pounds

Size matters with full-size, light-duty trucks

For both interior and exterior measurements, I'm using the popular crew-cab, short-bed configurations of two-wheel-drive trucks across the board. (Note: For the Ram 1500, fields with duplicate numbers indicate the maximum available with the optional air suspension.)

We don't have any numbers for the latest Tundra yet, but when it comes to exterior dimensions, the 2021 F-150 seems to split the difference nicely between the larger Ram 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado. The Ford is also one of the narrowest in terms of width without mirrors, but remember, if you want to add towing mirrors, you'll add a whole lot of width. In the case of the F-150, the larger mirrors add a whopping 26 inches.

Full-size pickup truck exterior measurements

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Wheelbase	TBD	147.4 in.	144.6 in.	145.4 in.
Length	TBD	231.9 in.	232.9 in.	231.7 in.
Height	TBD	75.5 in.	77.5, 79.6 in.	75.6 in.
Width	TBD	81.2 in.	82.1 in.	79.9 in.
Ground clearance	TBD	7.9 in.	8.3, 10.8 in.	8.5 in.

Again, I have no interior measurements for the new Tundra, but historically, the Toyota's interior has been pretty small, so let's hope it improves for 2022. For now, the Silverado wins the front headroom and legroom contest, but if you know you'll have bigger folks in the rear seats, the F-150 offers the most space.

Full-size pickup truck interior measurements

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Front headroom	TBD	43.0 in.	40.9 in.	40.8 in.
Rear headroom	TBD	40.1 in.	39.8 in.	40.4 in.
Front legroom	TBD	44.5 in.	40.9 in.	43.9 in.
Rear legroom	TBD	43.4 in.	45.2 in.	43.6 in.
Front shoulder room	TBD	66.0 in.	66.0 in.	66.7 in.
Rear shoulder room	TBD	65.2 in.	65.7 in.	66.0 in.
Front hip room	TBD	61.2 in.	63.4 in.	62.5 in.
Rear hip room	TBD	60.2 in.	63.4 in.	62.6 in.

Off-road ability

If you're going to take your truck off road -- and you should -- ground clearance and angles are paramount. I've excluded the Ford F-150 Raptor, Ram 1500 Rebel and TRX, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and the Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss and ZR2 in these numbers, as they really are different trucks in both design and price. Instead, I've assumed a 4WD, crew-cab model with a short bed.

We don't have any numbers for the Toyota or the Chevrolet yet, but we'll be sure to update this chart when they come in. Though Ram touts its Rebel for serious off-roading, you can get air suspension on non-Rebel trucks, which results in excellent geometry and ground clearance. (Note: Fields with duplicate numbers indicate the specs with the air suspension.) Finally, even with just a standard steel suspension, the Ford holds its own here.

Full-size pickup truck off-road geometry

	2022 Toyota Tundra	2022 Chevy Silverado	2022 Ram 1500	2021 Ford F-150
Turning radius	TBD	TBD	46.2 ft	47.8 ft
Approach angle	TBD	TBD	19.0, 23.0 deg	24.3 deg
Departure angle	TBD	TBD	24.9, 27.2 deg	25.3 deg
Breakover angle	TBD	TBD	19.5, 23.0 deg	20.0 deg
Ground clearance	TBD	TBD	8.3, 10.8 in.	9.4 in.

While it's tough to make a recommendation without knowing all of the Toyota Tundra's numbers, it looks like the new truck lines up nicely with the rest of the segment. However, there are a few key new features that can't be shown in a chart, like Ford's available Pro Power Onboard that functions as a generator for exportable power on the go, and the newly available Super Cruise hands-free driving assistant on the Silverado. Sure, the new Tundra has an upgraded infotainment system, but that's small potatoes compared to the advanced features of the rest of the segment.