Here’s What the 2022 Toyota Tundra Should Look Like to Be Competitive

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Toyota Tundra is a dinosaur…and not a cool one. The Tundra is a relic of the past that desperately needs a makeover. The full-size pickup truck is due for a redesign soon. Here’s everything Toyota needs to change about the Tundra to make the 2022 Toyota Tundra competitive.

The Toyota Tundra’s redesign is overdue

A Toyota Tundra pickup truck is seen at a car dealership | Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images

According to The Drive, the Toyota Tundra has kept the same design from 2007 for 14 years. Today, nameplates are redesigned every few model years to keep customers interested. The Toyota Tundra has made little to no changes for over a decade.

A lot has happened in the automotive industry in the past decade. Full-size pickup trucks have made dramatic improvements. The Toyota Tundra has remained in the midsection of top truck rankings because it has failed to improve year after year.

One of the few selling points of the Toyota Tundra is its powerful V8 engine. Many consumers and auto enthusiasts argue that the V8 engine is no longer necessary. Everything about the Tundra could benefit from a complete redesign. If Toyota wants to sell more Tundra models the redesign must include major changes to keep up with the latest industry trends as other automakers do.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra’s powertrain needs to get with the times

A blue Toyota Tundra.
The Toyota Tundra | Toyota

Toyota is a pioneer in hybrid vehicle production. Ironically, the Toyota Tundra and its V8 engine have remained consistent throughout many Tundra model years. The other vehicles in Toyota’s extensive lineup have all received hybrid options for the most part. Toyota has become an industry leader in fuel economy. So why is the Tundra’s fuel economy so poor?

The Toyota Tundra’s fuel economy isn’t just poor for a Tundra, it even sucks for a full-size truck. Trucks like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 get better gas mileage. In order to compete the Tundra needs different powertrain options so it could create less carbon emissions and guzzle less gas.

Competitors like the Ford F-150 are getting electrified. If the Toyota Tundra doesn’t enter the electric pickup truck race soon, the brand could lose out on plenty of potential sales. In order for the Tundra to survive the coming years and the rise of the electric truck, it must offer more powertrain options to keep up with the evolving vehicle class.

The Toyota Tundra’s cabin needs a complete refresh

A white Toyota Tundra.
The Toyota Tundra | Toyota

Toyota models don’t normally use the most refined cabin materials. The Toyota Tundra and its plastic components however are drab, even by Toyota’s standards. The 2022 Toyota Tundra needs to either use better materials or rethink how space and arrangement come into play in the vehicle’s cabin. The Tundra could benefit from a completely new design language.

The 2022 Toyota Tundra most evolve and become more than a work truck. Even more high-tech trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning can be work trucks. The Tundra must adapt and offer capability beyond raw power to really compete with today’s truck advancements and technology.

Toyota’s newest Tundra can make or break the nameplate

A brown Toyota Tundra.
The Toyota Tundra | Toyota

The 2022 Toyota Tundra will either be a hit or will flop and continue to disappoint fans of the truck. This redesign has been long-awaited. If Toyota doesn’t deliver and bring something new to the table, people will lose interest in the Tundra.

Automakers like Ford understand that consumers have changed with the times. The modern-day work truck looks much different than it did just a few years ago. The 2022 Toyota Tundra will either reinvigorate the nameplate or doom it to be a relic of the past, eclipsed by trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning.

RELATED: How Many Miles Will a Toyota Tundra Last?

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That Time Ferrari Let Lancia Borrow a V8 Engine and It Ended up in a Boxy 80s Sedan

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Intake manifold on a Ferrari engine | Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

Ferrari is legendary around the globe for high-performance engines, which are typically reserved for its own luxury GTs and supercars. In the 1980s, however, some of its 3.0-liter V8s actually ended up in a bunch of front-wheel-drive Italian family cars. The resulting vehicle was called the Lancia Thema 8.32. Say what?!?

Thickening the plot, Ferrari didn’t even build the motors; they apparently outsourced engine assembly to Ducati. That’s right, the motorcycle firm generally known for Moto GP, lusty V-twins, and trellis frames. We’re not sure who came up with the idea for this odd duck of a car, but it sounds phenomenal!

Hold on, hold on. Who or what is a Lancia?

1953 Lancia Aurelia
1953 Lancia Aurelia | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images

You’re forgiven for asking (just this once though), since they’ve been laying low for decades now. Lancia is a once-famous Italian automaker and former motorsports powerhouse. It was the company responsible for the first unibody (also known as monocoque) chassis, all the way back in 1922. So unless you drive a pickup truck (that’s not a Ridgeline), you can thank Lancia for the idea behind your car, SUV, or van’s lovely ride quality. Oh, and that 1922 Lancia Lambda also had the first independent front suspension.

That wasn’t the end of their innovative thinking, however. Those sly geniuses in Turin also came up with the first production five-speed transmission. And they made the first balanced V6 engine in the 1950 Aurelia model, by angling the cylinder banks at 60 degrees. Lancia had been experiencing bad vibes, literally, while trying to develop V4 engines. Thankfully, designer Francesco De Virgilio devised the first solution to that inherent problem. And it would benefit Ferrari later on.

Alright…what else did Lancia do?

Lancia Delta Integrale Rally Car
Carlos Sainz driving the Lancia Delta Integrale in the Monte Carlo Rally | Pascal Rondeau /Allsport via Getty Images

Funny you should ask. Lancia holds more manufacturer’s titles in the World Rally Championship than any other automaker. That sounds mildly impressive, until you consider that they haven’t competed in WRC since the 1990s. And it’s 2021 now. Ironically, given its pioneering of the V6 in the ’50s, one of Lancia’s best-known rally cars used a V6 engine from Ferrari’s Dino product line. The mid-engined Stratos brought edgy Bertone design to the rally stage and solidified Lancia’s clear aptitude for motorsports.

The Stratos’ three-year dominance was only a prelude to Lancia’s run in the 1980s, however.

So, back to the Thema 8.32 with the Ferrari V8 engine

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Rollaway Car Accidents Claim Nearly 150 Lives Every Year

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Cars can be a lot of fun to drive in addition to being a necessity in our everyday lives. However, that pleasure can turn into a nightmare in an instant. That’s what nearly 150 families experience every year whenever an unfortunate rollaway accident occurs.

What happens in a rollaway car accident?

Neatline of suburban houses in Fairfax, Virginia. | (Photo by: Robert Knopes/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

A rollaway car accident happens when a vehicle starts moving and the driver is unable to control it. There are a few different ways that a rollaway accident can occur, according to Duane King Law. Most newer vehicles are equipped with a brake transmission safety interlock (BTSI), which prevents the car from slipping out of park without the brake pedal depressed. However, this safety system isn’t 100-percent safe.

Here are other ways that rollaway car accidents occur:

  • If the vehicle’s transmission is worn, it can slip into a forward or reverse gear
  • The BTSI system could have a defective solenoid pin, which keeps the vehicle in “park”
  • The transmission system could have a design flaw
  • Unattended children can shift the car out of “park”

Rollaway accidents are more common than you might think

A story released by NBC News4 in Washington reported about a couple – Debra and Alan Moses — that was planning a trip to a water park. According to the police report and the attorney involved, the car rolled over Debra when her husband got out of the driver’s seat to help her with opening the trunk. The vehicle rolled back and ended up crushing her.

It’s such an unfortunate accident, but apparently, these types of accidents are more common than you might think. News4 did some digging and found many different stories and accompanying security camera footage of people getting run over by their own cars all over the country.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) keeps track of these rollaway incidents. So far, it estimates that there are around 142 deaths and 2,000 injuries each year resulting from rollaway accidents. Although, that statistic could only be a fraction of the total number of rollaway accidents since not all of them are reported to the police.

Fortunately, one auto manufacturer is tracking these rollaway incidents. Toyota collects data from its vehicles’ control history, which is similar to a black box. In fact, Debra’s Moses’ accident was recorded on her vehicle’s log. The entry on August 22, 2020, states “Driver exited the vehicle when shift position wasn’t in P.”  You might be thinking, “what’s the point of tracking the incident if they aren’t going to do anything about it?”

Actually, Toyota did do something about it. In a press release from 2019, Toyota announced that it would phase in an Automatic Park feature in its 2020 model year vehicles and going forward. This feature will automatically put the vehicle in park or activate the parking brake in the event the driver exits the vehicle without shifting it into “park.”  

How to prevent a rollaway accident

Most rollaway accidents are avoidable. The following tips can assist in preventing one from occurring:

  • Turn the engine of before leaving the car
  • Always use the emergency brake when parking
  • When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels toward the curb
  • Never leave children unattended when they are in the car
  • Never leave the keys in the vehicle

While rollaway accidents are serious and life-threatening, they can be easily avoided. Cars are a necessity in our everyday lives, but we must remember that they can take away lives in an instant as well.

RELATED: 10 Things You Should Always Do After a Car Accident

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2021 Ford Bronco vs 2021 Ford Bronco Sport: Is Ford’s Newest Full-Size SUV Worth the Upgrade?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

In the Summer of 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Ford unveiled their 2021 Ford Bronco alongside the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The full-size SUV made its way back onto dealer lots for the first time since 1996 in July 2020. Completely redesigned for a modern look with the same tough, off-roading attitude, the SUV immediately garnered the attention of Bronco lovers everywhere. With plenty of space, the capability to drive off-road, and of course the ability to remove doors, the Bronco made its way onto lots with two versions; The Bronco and the Bronco Sport. But what are the differences between them and is the 2021 Bronco worth the upgrade? Here’s the 2021 Ford Bronco vs. the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport.

Ford Bronco vs. Ford Bronco Sport Differences

2021 Ford Bronco | Scott Olson/Getty Images

ENGINES

One of the most important differences to consumers everywhere is in the engine. The Bronco offers the options of both a four-cylinder delivering 270 hp as well as a V-6 with 310 hp. 

While the Bronco Sport shares engine options with the Ford Escape, giving drivers either a three-cylinder with 181 hp or a four-cylinder 245 hp engine.

Depending on a buyer’s ideal usage for the Ford Bronco, either option may be viable. The Bronco is going to be the way hardcore enthusiasts go, looking for more power for off-road driving or just speed in general. Casual consumers may be more attracted to the 2021 Bronco Sport, since its smaller engine sizes will offer better gas mileage, and as an everyday driver provide everything they might need. The decision is ultimately yours, but the Bronco definitely provides more power if that’s what you’re looking for. In that sense, the Bronco is certainly worth the upgrade.

BODY & CHASSIS

Another important feature to fans of the new Ford Bronco is of course how well it can stand up to the competition. Part of the competition being Jeep Wranglers and any other vehicle with removable doors and roofs. To some, the Bronco might not even be of interest to them unless the doors come off. Fortunately, they do, but not on the Sport version.

The Bronco offers three designs for hard and soft top varying in capability. Remove all doors, drive fully open or closed, and stow all the panels on the four-door model. Taking into account weather and off-road conditions, Ford has also added waterproof vinyl upholstery and drains on the floors. This version is a body-on-frame truck-based SUV chassis, modeled after the new Ford Ranger pickup truck. 

The 2022 Ford Bronco in Cyber Orange shown on a trail
2021 Ford Bronco | Ford

The Bronco Sport comes in only one body style, to which the doors and roof will always be attached. The sport version does not come with anything detachable but has an optional moonroof with at least the Badlands trim level. The Bronco Sport chassis is the same as the Ford Escape crossover SUV. Therefore, this is more of a “car-based” SUV instead of a truck.

The Sport version of the Bronco will drive and handle similar to a small SUV. The Bronco will be closer to a large SUV or truck.

TRIM LEVELS & PRICING

As far as any vehicle purchase goes, the most important things at the end of the day are available options and cost. There are major differences in price for the two versions of Bronco with the standard Bronco starting at $28,500 and the most expensive option being $57,410. That’s a range of $28,910 between the Base model and the First Edition. The Bronco Sport Base starts just slightly under the Bronco at $26,660, with its First Edition trim level costing just $38,160. 

The Ford Bronco offers seven different trim options – Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands, Wildtrak, and First Edition. Four-door models are automatically more expensive than the two-door, and trim levels obviously vary based on engine, technology, and other features. 

The Ford Bronco Sport offers just five trim options – Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, and First Edition. While the Sport misses on many features the Bronco has, the price may be worth it. The First Edition trim level of Sport can be had for almost $800 fewer than the Outer Banks Bronco. So while you’d still miss out on key features like detaching doors and a V-6 engine, the luxury included in the First Edition may make up for it.

Ford Bronco or Ford Bronco Sport

Ford Bronco vs Ford Bronco Sport
2021 Ford Bronco | Ford

So you’re looking for an off-roading, no-door Bronco that can drive fast? The 2021 Ford Bronco is the one for you. Especially when looking at the base models of either Bronco. The base Bronco costs just $1,840 more than the base Bronco Sport. If luxury doesn’t matter as much and capability is your primary concern, there’s no reason to settle for the Sport at this trim level. Of course, it becomes extremely costly as you add more features.

At the end of the day, there’s a Bronco for everyone. Any version of the Bronco Sport is going to be the way to go if you’re looking for a slightly smaller SUV, regardless of speed or power. If your search is for a full-size SUV or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon replacement, the Bronco is the only choice. Both of these vehicles have sleek interiors and plenty of options to choose from. As far as the debate of the 2021 Ford Bronco vs. 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, it’s up to the needs of the buyer.

RELATED: The 2022 Ford Bronco Borrows More From the Jeep Wrangler

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