8-11-2006
2006 Darrell Waltrip Toyota Tundra
by Dave Stall
2006 Darrell Waltrip Toyota Tundra a fitting tribute to a NASCAR legend

If you're a NASCAR fan, I'm sure you've seen a bunch of Toyota commercials with NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip terrorizing the countryside. Due to the success of these commercials, and the fact that Waltrip owns a Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Tundra race team, Toyota has decided to come out with a commemorative truck bearing his name.

What you get is a stripe package and a whole lot more. Poway Toyota General Manager Rick Gallagher claims the stripe package can be removed if you're not into large script wording on the rear quarter of the bed (the stripe runs to the front of the truck). However, there is a plaque on the cab itself that can't be removed. According to records, it looks as if Poway Toyota has sold more Darrell Waltrip Edition Tundras than anyone else in the county and Gallagher has a pit box full of them. So picking the right DW Tundra is a snap at Poway Toyota.

Toyota starts with a 2WD Tundra that has a 271 horsepowered 4.7-liter I-Force V8, plus a TRD (Toyota Racing Development) dual exit exhaust system. It gets 16 miles per gallon in the city and 19 MPH on the open road, thanks to an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission.

The Tundra also has the ability to tow up to 6,800 pounds with ease. This truck came equipped with standard tow features such as coil springs, double wishbone independent front suspension with a sway bar, power vented front disc brakes and drums in the rear, a heavy duty 130-amp alternator, transmission oil cooler, and a seven-pin electrical connector. The hitch is a Class Four system. It has a set of 18-inch TRD alloy wheels and a set of P275/55R18 tires.

Also included in the DW package are cloth front captain chairs with a nice two-compartment center console. The console has storage for large and small items, as well as cup holders, cubby holes for odd items and a couple of 12-volt receptacles within easy reach for passengers.

The rear seat has a center armrest and there are vents on the B-pillar for air and heat flow for the rear passengers. Need more inside storage? The rear seat splits 60/40 and comes with adjustable headrest and even flips and folds out of the way for even more storage area. The back glass is operated electrically up and down for added airflow, which is a nice touch. The dash is typical Toyota - neat and informative. But the mirror adjustment is on the dash and I would rather see it on the driver door.

There's a little chrome on this truck and since the truck is painted a "silver sky metallic," it actually adds to the look. There's chrome on the wheel wells, outside mirrors, and rear bumper. You also get factory mudguards, a tricked out mesh grill and a color-coded front bumper. The bed is double walled with tie-downs and has rail caps and a locking tailgate.

It also comes with power windows and door locks, and for safety, front airbags, (front side and curtain airbags are optional), beams in the doors, upper and lower child seat anchors and crumple zones surrounding occupants.

Poway Toyota ordered this DW Tundra with a few options I would have put on my wish list as well. It replaced the standard AM/FM/six-speaker sound system with a JBL AM/FM/cassette player with a six-disc CD changer and eight speakers in six locations. What a sound system! The overhead console comes with a compass, outside temperature gauge and home link universal transceiver, remote keyless entry, privacy glass, vehicle stability control, traction control, automatic slip differential fog lights and daytime running lights. Added is a power tilt sunroof, which I would have declined, but it's good for cooling the cab. The truck drove solidly and smoothly on and off-the road.

As a former Toyota service manager who worked at the Poway store for a spell, I was pleased to hear that the store is being torn down and a new state-of-the-art dealership is being built. That's good for the consumer and great for the employees. This visit brought back fond memories, but not enough to go back!

Maybe one of the reasons Poway is selling so many Darrell Waltrip Edition Tundras is that they start by knocking $7,000 off of the sticker price. So if you're a DW fan, Poway Toyota is your best bet to get one of his signature trucks.

Next week I'll review a vehicle from Marvin K. Brown Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Saab.