How We'd Spec It: 2022 Toyota Tundra from Base to Nearly $60,000

The new 2022 Toyota Tundra has the truck world buzzing, as it's redesigned so infrequently that every new generation feels like a significant step forward. While there are still plenty of models still to come for the new third-generation truck such as the hybrid and the TRD Pro, Toyota has released the configurator tool for trucks powered by the standard twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 engine. Our editors chose from the various options for colors, bed sizes, cab configurations, and trims, and you'll notice that many of them centered on similar combinations of trim levels and packages.

Connor Hoffman's $58,862 Tundra Limited TRD Off-Road

If I bought a 2022 Tundra, I’d get a TRD Pro, but it’s not arriving until the spring, along with the other iForce MAX hybrid powertrains. I’m impatient, so I’d go for the next best thing: a Limited model with the TRD Off-Road package because this truck is hopefully going to live most of its life on the trails. I’d get it in the crew-cab configuration with a 5.5-foot bed and four-wheel drive. I love that you can now get my favorite Toyota color, Lunar Rock, previously a TRD Pro–specific color, on non–TRD Pro trucks. The TRD Off-Road package costs an extra $3085 and it adds things including 20-inch TRD wheels on all-terrain tires and Bilstein dampers—things I’d add anyway. Some other options I’d add are the all-weather floor liners ($169), console safe ($359), hard tonneau cover ($1295), rock rails ($270), and a black tailgate badge ($89) for a total of $58,862.

Austin Irwin's $41,075 Tundra SR

I wanted to see how weird the cheapest new Tundra with four-wheel drive would look. The base SR trim starts at $38,075 with destination, but keeping the final cost close to $40,000 requires sticking with the smaller DoubleCab and a 6.5-foot bed. The larger, more desirable CrewMax cab with a shorter 5.5-foot bed costs an extra $2050; although the DoubleCab with the longer 8.1-foot bed is only $330 extra, it makes the Tundra’s proportions look like a cabin with an attached bowling alley. I was willing to pay an extra $3000 for four-wheel drive, an obvious must-have in Michigan, even if it drops the max towing capacity by almost a half-ton to 11,200 pounds. For no extra cost, I chose Midnight Black Metallic because it’s the only color offered at that trim level to separate you from the delivery truck at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I also found that the $430 SR Tow package that’s not included in the base price isn’t optional in the configurator, but seems necessary as it includes a hitch and trailer harness. At $41,075, my truck is better than the previous-generation Tundra: It can tow more, has standard LED headlights and a larger 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, while retaining keyless entry and push-button start. Even if the DoubleCab looks a little goofy, the non-hybrid 348-hp twin-turbo V-6 for base models makes more torque sooner than the old truck's beloved 5.7-liter V-8. I think there’s some beauty in that.