In ye olden days, pickup trucks were stripped down beasts of burden. Maybe you got a radio inside, but that’s about it. You shut up about it and got on with the work of lugging America around small truck load by small truck load.
But, this is the age of smart vehicles based as much around creature comforts as performance — and the pickup truck never escaped that trend. We can use the 2015 Toyota Tundra Platinum as exhibit A.
The 2015 Toyota Tundra Platinum edition sits in the middle of the truck’s six stage trim listings. While I admit I don’t have piles of research supporting me, I believe — if the average consumer wants a kitted-out version of the Tundra – he or she reaches for the Platinum.
The 1794 Edition adds a lot of bling in the form of extra badges and swaths of chrome. And, the top of the line (in performance, but not price) TRD Pro version looks very aggressive and sporty, specializing in speed and off-roading over family or work hauling. If the buyer wants a Tundra with maxed out features, while retaining its aura of a working pickup truck, it’s the Platinum.
Related: 2015 GMC Canyon: A Truck Lover’s Pickup
But, here’s the tricky bit. That hopped up Tundra Platinum will cost you significantly more than the standard, off the line pickup. The standard Tundra runs about $28,500, which is already about $3,000 more than the similarly equipped, #1 selling Ford F-150. For that money, the base Tundra offers a 5.7 liter V8, power doors and windows, 18 inch wheels, heated outside mirrors, an 8.1 foot truck bed, daytime running lights and “easy lift and lower” tailgate.
The Platinum edition runs up to $44,900, adding the details. You get tie-down cleats, chrome heated mirrors, power moonroof, 20 inch platinum wheels (of course), more badges and a 5.5 foot truck bed. Why is the bed small? Again, the Platinum is built for the comfort of its passengers more so than the size of its would be burden.
This is a pickup truck built and equipped more for the workers or family members riding inside it. The keep them happy, the Platinum offers dual zone climate control, Entune Infotainment Multimedia System, leather trimmed and heated seats, telescopic powered steering wheel, auxiliary power outlets and, of course, extra cup holders.
For that $44,900, a buyer could take home a similarly equipped Mercedes-Benz or BMW (at least inside) — so he or she must want some element of that rugged, stripped down pickup truck feel without giving up the bells and whistles of a well-stocked ride. And, of course you can’t carry lumber home real well in the back of a C-Class.
As for the ride, the Tundra Platinum is smooth and amply powered. It’s a larger pickup, so its road presence goes a long way to clearing a path for you. If there’s a quibble to be made it’s only that the Tundra has a tendency to float a bit and bounce a little higher over road flaws — especially without a load in the truck bed. That’s a common issue with big pickups, so we can let that slide.
For the price, the Tundra Platinum is a vehicle for drivers who still need towing and cargo capacity and still want maxed out comfort and features. If they can handle that heavier price tag, this pickup will fulfill all of the above nicely.
