There is a certain joy that can only be found when driving a truck. You sit up higher, with a commanding view of the road. You never have to worry if cargo will fit. There’s always room in the truck bed. A truck feels different. It drives different. And it was a real pleasure to drive a truck again.
My grandfather taught me to drive using his full-sized truck, and I later bought a small pick-up of my own. I had to retire my truck after 200,000 miles, and I often think about buying one again. When you own a home, there are many times when you need a truck to haul home your purchases from The Home Depot.
Toyota was kind enough to loan me the 2017 Tundra 4×4 for a week. They sponsored the Monster Energy AMA Supercross at CenturyLink Field, and invited my family to attend. Of course, I jumped at the chance, and I did what anyone else with a big truck would do. I visited a construction site.
We have a new home under construction and have been driving out to see it every weekend. The Toyota Tundra seemed right at home alongside the stacks of lumber and construction equipment. On this visit, the basic shape of the house was beginning to appear as they framed the first-floor walls.
It is about an hour drive to the new house, and the Tundra was a comfortable way to travel. The leather seats and sunroof made the truck feel luxurious. My son loved the amount of space he had in the second row. I liked the layout of the dashboard and buttons. It made it super easy to find the controls I needed. And most importantly, the Tundra had more cup holders than we could ever need. I always have a coffee cup in hand, so this was especially nice.
My biggest worry with driving a full-sized truck is parking. But I was pleasantly surprised to find the Tundra could fit in every parking structure I visited. We had no problem parking in the structure at CenturyLink Field for the Supercross.
My son brought his friend along for the Supercross, and the boys enjoyed getting to walk through the pit areas and to try some of the activities. The Supercross was fun with the fireballs, mud, and loud engines. The rainy conditions turned the track into a mud pit. After a few laps, the rider’s colorful jerseys disappeared under a thick layer of mud, and many of the bikes sank deep into the soft ground. I give the drivers a lot of credit for navigating that difficult track.
On the way home, both of the boys fell asleep in the truck. The excitement of the day had worn them out, and the Tundra’s spacious interior gave them plenty of room to stretch out. We all enjoyed the supercharged weekend, and the opportunity to have fun together. Thanks Toyota for the tickets and for the test drive.
