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Most of the half ton pickup trucks on the market today are wonderful utility vehicles with endless option combinations. The Toyota Tundra has been a quiet benchmark for superb ride, nimble handling and value overall. This week we kick the tires of the 2018 Tundra SR5 Four door.

Under the hood is a 5.7L V8 pumping out 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and 4WDemand part-time 4WD with electronically controlled transfer case. Power delivery is very smooth and shifts where you would except. In fact, with the TRD performance exhaust, this truck sounded so good you were always looking for a spot to put your foot down. There’s a nice rumble on acceleration, but it’s fairly quiet at idle and cruise.

Exterior styling is large and well-executed. The only problem I have are the small wheel/tires because the truck is so big. Even with 20-inch wheels, they look small and out of place. Regardless, the truck itself is gorgeous with a large, up-front grill flanked by LED headlamps and fog lamps. Running boards along the side help to equalize the proportions which are off due to the truck being a full four-door cab with a huge rear seat. Rear tail lights are still halogen bulbs and that’s annoying, but it works well on this truck. One cool feature on the Tundra is the rear window that opens like a normal window and falls into the cab. Not a sliding window like on most trucks.

Jump into the driver’s seat to find a really simple and easy-to-use dash layout that features a large touch screen and bulky knobs to select the radio and HVAC. The interior is exceptionally durable and comfortable. Lots of places to put pens, phones, keys or whatever you are carrying. Cupholders are large for almost any size cup and the center armrest opens into an enormous storage spot big enough for a laptop. Rear seating is also cavernous, providing a large area for the tallest adults. Like I mentioned before, the rear window rolls down and provides lots of airflow.

Driving the Tundra is a treat in itself. Adding the TRD packages and SR5 update really makes this truck stand out amongst the top contenders. This pickup has a lot of character and does everything pretty smoothly. Ride quality is top-notch and allows it to feel like an SUV in certain circumstances, like highway commutes but definitely feels like a truck when you hit rough terrain or large bumps. It is a large vehicle overall, so going into small parking lots and parking garages will take some care to execute the commute or parking. Accelerating onto the highway and from a stop light is a treat due to the dual TRD exhaust but also because it’s a really strong V8 under the hood.

My overall impression of the Tundra is one of a well-executed truck with updates in all the right places. It didn’t have leather seats, push button start/stop or a complicated engine. It’s a real truck with good street credit and looks to carry it forward. I didn’t have the opportunity to tow anything or haul anything of any size, so I can’t comment on the capability in that regard, but the truck will handle a family of five with no problems whatsoever.

Toyota claims 14 mpg average, and I was able to maintain around 15 mpg during my road test. MSRP for a basic Tundra is $39,570. Adding all of the TRD and SR5 options brought the price to $48,543. I highly recommend the dual exhaust and running boards if you are going to update something.