Ford, Chevy, and Ram may fight over the crown of having the best trucks in America, but Toyota isn’t far behind. In fact, the Toyota Tundra is already pretty good in NASCAR, and it’s catching up to its rivals elsewhere. Here’s a look at the impressive safety features that Toyota has on the 2021 Tundra.

The safety features on the 2021 Toyota Tundra

Toyotas are well-known for being some of the safest and most reliable cars on the road, and the 2021 Tundra continues to carry on that trend. According to Autotrader, the Tundra, unlike its competitors, is unusual in that Toyota has put a ton of smart safety features as standard on it.

This means that, rather than spending a premium on getting those features, customers will have access to those features no matter which Tundra trim they buy.

These features are relatively advanced safety features, too. They include the likes of a forward-collision warning system, an automatic braking system, a pedestrian detection system, a lane departure warning system, and adaptive cruise control, just to name a few.

These standard smart safety features are an addition to the more generic standard safety features, such as anti-lock brakes and an electronic stability control system. 

That said, Toyota does offer more safety features for customers who absolutely need every tool in the toolbox. Autotrader said that blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert are optional safety features on the 2021 Tundra. 

Not a perfect truck by any means

While Toyota seems to be making the Tundra extremely safe when compared to the competition, the competition does have a few advantages over the Tundra. One of the reasons why the Tundra is so reliable is because Toyota hasn’t done many major changes to it. In fact, Autotrader wrote that it’s been 14 years since Toyota did a major overhaul of the Tundra. 

While this allows the Tundra to be an exceptionally reliable truck, it also means that, when compared to its peers, the Tundra does look and feel more dated. Autotrader said that, compared to the likes of the Ram 1500, the Tundra’s interior and ride quality just fell short. 

One of the other side effects of not updating the Tundra often is that its engine, while powerful enough for the segment, isn’t very fuel-efficient. Toyotas are usually known for being fuel-efficient, but the aging engine of the Tundra bucks this trend.

Autotrader also wrote that the Tundra only comes with a 5.7-liter V8 that gets 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque. While this is a decently powerful engine, it also only gets about 15 MPG combined. 

Is the 2021 Toyota Tundra worth it?

At a starting price tag of about $35,000, Autotrader said that, at the cheaper trim levels, the Tundra is good enough for most customers. It’s a safe, reliable truck, and it’s powerful enough to get most jobs done.

That said, Autotrader also wrote that there are still better trucks at the price point that Toyota is selling the Tundra at. Those trucks may not be as safe or as reliable as the Tundra is, but they’re better in most other categories. Those alternative trucks, of course, are the F-150, the Ram 1500, and the Silverado. 

The 2021 Tundra is an even worse truck for customers who are looking at the more expensive options. According to Autotrader, the 2021 Tundra TRD trim, for example, simply isn’t worth the money when it’s compared to the more luxurious trims of its competitors.

For reference, the Tundra TRD starts at a hefty $50,000, and for that price point, Ford, Chevy, and Ram have plenty more to offer than Toyota does.