2022 Toyota Tundra Delivers Solid MPG Gains

Toyota was slow to update the full-size Tundra pickup truck, letting it reach deep teenage years before issuing a complete overhaul for the 2022 model year. The new trucks are an improvement on their predecessors in nearly every measurable way, including fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) estimates for the new Tundra are now available, and they mark a sizable step forward in efficiency for the truck.

The new 2022 Toyota Tundra’s standard twin-turbo V6 powertrain returns 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined for the SR trim level with 2WD. All other 2WD trims drop one mpg on the highway to 23. Four-wheel drive (4WD) tends to zap fuel economy, at least slightly, which is why the 4x4 SR and SR5 trims return fuel economy of 17/23/19 mpg. The Limited, Platinum, and 1794 trims are rated at 17/22/19 mpg. Toyota says that fuel-economy estimates for the optional hybrid powertrain are not yet available.

Those fuel-economy ratings are a significant improvement for the Tundra, even before Toyota discloses estimates for the new hybrid setup. The outgoing Tundra came with a 5.7-liter V8 and a 6-speed automatic transmission that combined for a dismal 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined with 2WD and 13/17/14 mpg with 4WD. As a point of reference for how bad that is, the 2021 Tundra wasn’t a whole lot better than the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and giant off-road tires that returned 10/14/12 mpg.

Remarkable efficiency gains aside, the 2022 Tundra is a solid all-around pickup truck. The new truck is rated to tow up to 12,000 pounds when properly equipped. While a bit lighter than its American rivals—the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Ram 1500—12,000 pounds is a 2,800-pound improvement over the 2021 truck and is still more than most people will ever need to pull with their new Tundra.

The 2022 Tundra starts at $37,645, including the $1,695 destination charge, and will go on sale in December 2021. That price tag is steeper than the Tundra’s American counterparts, but Toyota is banking on the fact that the truck’s innovative powertrains and upgraded features will help it chisel out a place in the cutthroat market. The hybrid powertrain won’t go on sale until next year, and pricing details will become available as we near its on-sale date.

Toyota is the source of information for this article. It was accurate on November 8, 2021, but it may have changed since that date.