The V8 engine provides excellent acceleration performance in the 45-mph range. It allowed us to pass slower drivers on winding two-lane roads on the Big Island in the four-wheel-drive Tacoma with no drama, and we quickly dashed down the state of Virginia with a full load of furniture in a two-wheel-drive model.

Toyota's V8 is a marvel of balance. It is silky smooth, quick, and extremely responsive. At the same time, the throttle isn't overly sensitive at tip-in, so it doesn't lurch off the line. This engine also sounds great. Stand behind this pickup when it is started, revved, or even idling, and you're treated to a classic V8 burble that's pleasant to American ears. Yet, it's super quiet when sitting inside the truck or standing in front of it.

V8 engines with twin cams and four valves per cylinder are usually associated with imported luxury sports sedans. Toyota perfected this design in its Land Cruiser and Lexus luxury vehicles. With distributorless ignition and other state-of-the-art features, the 4.7-liter V8 produces nearly 200 foot-pounds of torque starting at just 2000 rpm. It's the first V8 in the segment to qualify as a low-emission vehicle, or LEV, by the government. The transmission is smooth and responsive, communicating well with the engine, and always choosing the appropriate gear.

We loaded 300 pounds of fertilizer into a two-axle horse trailer and pulled it up a steep grade with a two-wheel-drive Tundra Limited model. Starting from a dead stop, the Tundra easily accelerated up a long hill with the 3,000-pound trailer. This rig was stable going around sweeping turns, braking from high speeds on steep downhill sections and bouncing over a rough lava-covered dirt road. There was none of the up and down motions some trucks exhibit when their front suspensions aren't up to balancing weight on the rear tongue. Transmission and engine oil coolers are standard.

Ride quality is excellent. On rough pavement and bumpy dirt roads, the Tundra's suspension really shines. It damps out unwanted vibration and harshness and controls the movement of the wheels precisely, keeping the tires in contact with the road surface for excellent grip and handling.

Both the two- and four-wheel-drive models offer exceptional handling. The 2001 2WD SR5 I drove through Virginia was incredibly responsive. Everything about it felt exceptionally tight. I bounced up a steep mountain trail -- barely a path -- on the Big Island of Hawaii in a 4WD model, and the Tundra's suspension performed amazingly well. Bounding over harsh dips and humps, the suspension offered impressive travel and damping performance. It was easy to control the truck over this rough terrain in spite of a rapid pace up the steep mountain trail. The suspension never bottomed on the bump stops in spite of my efforts to beat it up.

Toyota off-road racing legend Ivan "Ironman" Stewart helped Toyota Racing Development tune the optional TRD suspension. Using Bilstein shocks and special progressive-rate springs, this suspension is designed for performance in extreme off-road conditions; it reportedly rides better on rough road surfaces.

The brakes felt great to us and Toyota claims the Tundra can stop quicker than the domestic pickups.

While bouncing over moguls, we noticed that neither the cowl nor the front hood shook. The Tundra's chassis is highly rigid with boxed front frame rails. Toyota also claims this truck offers a class-leading ground clearance and everything underneath is tucked above the frame rails.

A limited-slip rear differential is not available, so the inside rear wheel will scramble for traction when you accelerate around a tight gravel corner in a four-wheel-drive model, and you can get rear wheel spin when driving quickly around tight turns in two-wheel-drive models.