Family Car Review: 2025 Toyota Tundra Platinum

How much does the Toyota Tundra cost and what are the options?

The 2025 Toyota Tundra is available in two grades: the Limited from $155,990 and the flagship Platinum tested here from $172,990 (both excluding rego, stamp duty, etc.). Optional paint is $675 on either grade. This is one expensive vehicle! You could buy two Kia Tasman X-Pro utes for the same money. But the Tundra is in a different league when it comes to size, power, and towing capability.

Both grades share the same hybrid engine with A LOT of power. Both also have a 10-speed automatic transmission and selectable 4WD system with low-range of orr-roading.

The Platinum grade adds some lovely touches over the Limited such as genuine leather seats with massage for the driver and front passenger, heated and ventilated rear outer seats, a heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, colour head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, LED lights in the tray and ambient interior lighting. Given the $17K price difference between the two Tundra versions, the Platinum should pile on the comfort features!

How big is the tray of the Toyota Tundra?

The tray of the Toyota Tundra is absolutely enormous. It will hold 35 shopping bags when empty, which is more than any standard-size dual-cab ute we've tested. That matches the Ford F-150 (35 bags) and is just behind the Chevrolet Silverado (37 bags). Standard-size utes are well behind: the Kia Tasman holds 31 bags, the Ford Ranger holds 30, and the Toyota HiLux holds 29.

The tailgate is electronic, which is fantastic news. It opens and closes at the touch of a button and comes down nice and slowly, which is great given how heavy it is. One thing to be mindful of: with all tailgates, it sits at little kid head height, so keep an eye on your children when it's moving.

One thing I love about the tray of the Tundra is that I can fit our whole family's bikes in the back. Two adult bikes and two kid bikes, all inside the tray with nothing hanging over the edge and no bike rack needed. Everything we need for a family bike ride day out all fits in here, making it really practical for active families!

The multi-configuration pram with a single seat, will fit in the tray of the Toyota Tundra with 26 shopping bags.

The multi-configuration pram with two sibling seats, will fit in the tray with 26 shopping bags.

The multi-configuration pram with a single seat and the bassinet, will fit in the tray of the Toyota Tundra side by side with 21 shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don't want to move around while I'm driving such as my daughter's lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it's not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don't move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum's life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually measurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The single running stroller with the back wheels on, fits easily in the tray of the Toyota Tundra with 23 shopping bags.

The double running stroller with the back wheels on, fits easily in the tray with 23 shopping bags.

The tray of the Toyota Tundra can also accommodate a 90-litre, a 70-litre, and two 40-litre duffel bags with room to spare.

Multiple large dogs will fit comfortably in the tray of the Tundra.

How good is the storage in the Toyota Tundra for families?

Storage throughout the Toyota Tundra is excellent for families. The interior is big and spacious but also clean and minimal, with easy-wipe surfaces that are perfect for family life.

In the back of the Toyota Tundra there are two cup holders in the back of the central console box that can be reached from either the front or the back. They'll hold a child's sippy cup, a reusable water bottle, or a reusable or disposable coffee cup.

There's also a fold-down in the central seat back with two more cup holders. They will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and kids' drink cups fit in them nicely too. With a slot between them to hold a phone.

There are map pockets in the back of both front seats that are really nice and big. They'll easily hold and conceal an iPad.

The door bins in the back are really big. They'll hold one or two refillable water bottles and an iPad or wallet fits in them as well. There are also little storage wells in the handles.

In the front of the Toyota Tundra, there is heaps of storage.

There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. In front of them, you've got a wireless phone charging pad, and space next to it to pop another phone, plus space below it too.

The central console box is enormous, with a USB and USB-C socket inside. There's a little storage tray in the top of it that retracts back so you can easily reach into the box below. This is a great design.

There's also a USB-C socket on the dash, so there's plenty of charging capability throughout the vehicle. In total, there are three USB-C outlets in the front and two in the rear.

The glove box is a good size and will hold my wallet and iPad with the manual.

The door bins in the front are enormous. They'll hold two water bottles and an iPad, wallet, or book fits in them as well. Above the door bin is a phone tray, and there are storage wells in the handles too.

There's a lined glasses case in the ceiling and the front vanity visors have lit mirrors.

How many child seats will fit in the Toyota Tundra?

This is where the Toyota Tundra pays off for families as you can legally install three across! There are ISOFIX anchorages in the two outer rear seats. They're not within plastic guides, but they're nice and easy to connect to.

There are metal top tether anchors in the back of all three rear seat backs, and the seat backs fold forward individually so you can easily access them when fitting multiple child seats, which is fantastic news!

I could fit three child seats across the rear bench, which is great news for families.

Not many utes can do this. Most dual-cab utes on the market can only fit two child seats because they don't have a top tether anchor for the centre seat. See our big ute comparison here. The Tundra is one of the few dual cab utes that can manage three across, alongside the Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-150. Standard-size utes like the Kia Tasman, Toyota HiLux, and Ford Ranger can only fit two. This is a massive advantage for families with three young children who need a ute.

There is so much room in the back. It's a really spacious rear seat in this cab, so fitting three child seats across is comfortable with space to spare. The doors open really wide too, so access is really nice and easy when putting children in and out.

Legroom is really good. When you've got a rear-facing infant capsule installed, we could easily fit a 186cm driver and taller in front, which is excellent. With forward-facing child seats, we could fit 186cm and taller in front.

There is a hump in the central footwell, so passengers will have to climb over that when going to and from their seats.

The rear seats are split 60:40, and the seat bases fold upward or the seat backs fold forward, which gives you flexibility if you need to carry something large in the cabin.

How comfortable is the Toyota Tundra for families?

All members of the family will be kept very comfortable in the Toyota Tundra Platinum.

There are air vents in the back of the central console box, so you can keep your little rear passengers at the right temperature while you're driving along. In this Platinum model, the rear outer seats also have their own heating and ventilation controls in the back of the central console box. So if you've got older kids or adults in the back who aren't in child seats, they can keep themselves comfortable independently. There are USB and USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box too, so rear passengers can charge devices while travelling.

There are hooks above both rear doors (not handles in this case) where you can hang a child's toy to keep little rear-facing passengers entertained while driving along. There are also lights in the rear central ceiling, so you can see what you're doing when putting your kids in and out at night.

I have found our daughter does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it's really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON'T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it's not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

There are inbuilt window blinds in the rear doors of the Toyota Tundra, which are great for keeping little passengers in the back shielded from the sun while you're driving along. I also like to leave them up when we're not in the car so it keeps the interior a bit cooler when you've parked in the sun. This is a lovely touch that you don't often find in utes.

The front seats are really lovely and comfortable. They have an armchair-like feel  and you've got this wide central console between the front seats which gives you an enormous amount of personal space. Everything in here, although it's big, is kept minimal and easy to wipe clean, which is perfect for family life.

The Platinum model has massage function for both front seats, which is a real treat on a long drive with the kids although it's a bit fiddly to access the seat massage controls through the media screen.

The front seats have 8-way electric adjustment for the driver and 10-way electric for the passenger (one way you can tell it was originally designed with the steering wheel on the left, as well as the “Sync” setting on the climate control that puts the front passenger and not the driver in charge of the temperature). Both front seats are heated and ventilated. The Platinum also has a heated steering wheel, which is lovely on cold winter mornings.

The media system in the Tundra is on an enormous 14-inch touchscreen in the central dash. It does have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is fantastic, so you can access your phone and apps easily while you're driving.

The controls are down the left-hand side of the screen. You can change the sound settings there, which is handy if you've got sound-sensitive kids. You can also access all your vehicle settings, including the seat massage controls and driver assistance settings.

When you put the Tundra into reverse, the cameras are lovely and big on this screen. You've got multiple different views, which is fantastic with a vehicle of this size.

There's even a view that looks down into the tray, so you can see exactly what's behind you when you're hitching up a trailer or just want to check what's in the tray.

You can also access the cameras at low speed when you're not in reverse, using a button on the dash, which is really handy for manoeuvring such a big vehicle around car parks.

You can also customise the ambient interior lighting colour through the media screen, which is a nice little touch. We like having ours green!

The Tundra also has a 12.3-inch digital driver's display and a brilliant 12-speaker JBL stereo. The Platinum I tested also has a colour head-up display that projects driving information onto the windscreen so you can keep your eyes on the road.

How safe is the Toyota Tundra for families?

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: The Toyota Tundra has not been through ANCAP crash testing. When it comes to safety all the American pick-up trucks Tundra, RAM 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-150 are not put through normal ANCAP safety crash testing of passengers vehicles. For these large utilities ANCAP has a different testing system around collision avoidance and are given a percentage and grading.

The Toyota Tundra scores an ANCAP- Collision Avoidance rating of- Silver and 50%.

It has six airbags as standard, including: dual front airbags, front side airbags, and head-curtain airbags for front and rear outer seating positions. You can check for updates on the Tundra's rating at ANCAP's website.

The Toyota Tundra does come with eight airbags as standard, including side curtain airbags that extend to the second row, which provides head protection for rear passengers.

The Tundra features Toyota Safety Sense as standard on both grades, which includes a pre-collision system (AEB) that detects pedestrians day and night, oncoming vehicles day and night, and cyclists in the daytime. It also includes emergency steering assist.

You also get active cruise control (ACC), a lane support system with lane trace assist and lane departure alert (LDA), automatic high beam, blind-spot monitor (BSM), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), parking support brake, front and rear parking sensors, a panoramic view monitor, rear-view camera with guide lines, and a digital rear-view mirror.

The chassis includes anti-lock brakes (ABS), vehicle stability control (ESC), hill-start assist, and trailer sway control.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub's asleep!

What is the Toyota Tundra like to drive?

The Toyota Tundra is a really nice big ute to drive. Its size is a consideration for some people but I find it enjoyable.

The steering is nice and light, which makes it completely manageable despite the vehicle's 5,955mm length. That said, the turning circle is big, so you do need to be comfortable with manoeuvring and making three-point turns. You can use the camera button on the dash to bring up the panoramic view at low speed, which makes parking and manoeuvring safer in tight spots.

Visibility is good from the driver's seat. You sit nice and high with enormous side mirrors, and I could see out of the back even with three child seats installed, which is great.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and the kids have either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful.

Now, the Tundra does fill an entire parking space and more, so parking at the supermarket or school is something to think about. I find the cameras make it more manageable but if you're used to a standard-size ute or SUV, the extra width and length will take some getting used to!

Even though it's a hybrid I did notice that the Tundra chews through fuel, as you'd expect with a vehicle of this size. The electric motor can power the vehicle at low speeds on its own but is designed more to give the petrol engine a boost when you need extra power. The ride is really enjoyable, it feels solid and planted on the road.

The Tundra has a 4.5 tonne braked towing capacity, which would be ample for most families' caravan and camping needs or for towing boats. The standard tow ball is rated at 3.5 tonne, with a separate 4.5 tonne towing kit available. There's also a trailer brake controller with 10 selectable adjustments and a trailer back-up guide with autonomous steering control when reversing, which is a fantastic feature for anyone who finds reversing with a trailer stressful.

Additional Information:

Toyota offers a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty for the Tundra (or five years/160,000km for commercial use). Capped-price servicing is available at $450 per service maximum, with intervals every six months or 10,000km, for up to 10 services.

The Platinum is available in seven colours: Eclipse Black, Graphite, Silver Storm, Jungle Khaki, Saturn Blue, Feverish Red (all metallic), and Frosted White crystal pearl. The Limited has nine colour options including Glacier White and Vintage Brown Pearl.

Compare the Toyota Tundra:

If you're looking at the Toyota Tundra as a full-size ute for your family, the most direct comparisons are the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (37 shopping bags, three child seats across) and the Ford F-150 (35 bags, three child seats across) and RAM 1500. All four full-size utes share the ability to fit three child seats, which is a huge advantage over standard-size utes. See our ute comparison here.

For families who want a ute but don't need full-size capability (or the full-size price tag), the Ford Ranger Wildtrak PHEV (30 bags, five-star ANCAP with 93% child occupant protection) offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain at a fraction of the price, though it can only fit two child seats. The Kia Tasman (31 bags, five-star ANCAP, reclining rear seats) and the Toyota HiLux (29 bags, five-star ANCAP) are both proven family choices, but again limited to two child seats. The Volkswagen Amarok (31 bags, two child seats across, five-star ANCAP).

For families who want to compare ute safety ratings, have a look at our guide to the safest dual-cab utes for families as rated by ANCAP. And for more on how child seat fitting works in utes, see our article on which ute is the easiest to fit child seats. I've also tested which dual-cab utes can fit 3 child seats.

BabyDrive Verdict on the 2025 Toyota Tundra Platinum

To sum up, the Toyota Tundra Platinum does make a fantastic BabyDrive if you can justify the price and live with the size. The ability to fit three child seats across the rear bench is ideal for families with three young children who need a ute. This is one of very few options that can do it and it does it with room to spare!

The tray space is enormous. Being able to fit the whole family's bikes in the tray without a bike rack is brilliant for active families, and there's more than enough room for all your camping gear, prams, and everything else that comes with family life.

The Platinum model adds some real luxury touches that families will appreciate: the heated and ventilated rear seats, the front seat massage, the inbuilt rear window blinds, and the panoramic roof. The cabin feels comfortable and well-equipped for long family road trips.

Where the Tundra falls down for families is the lack of an ANCAP crash testing, the size (parking at school and the shops takes patience) and the price. At $172,990 for the Platinum it's a serious investment! Also, despite being a hybrid fuel consumption is still high.

If your family needs a ute that tows heavy loads, fits three child seats, and has an enormous tray for adventures, the Tundra is lovely. If you can get by with two child seats and want an ANCAP-rated ute, you'll find better value and proven safety ratings in the Ford Ranger PHEV, Kia Tasman, or Toyota HiLux.

Key Pros:

• Fits three child seats across the rear bench
• Enormous tray holds 35 shopping bags (fits the whole family's bikes)
• 186cm driver fits comfortably in front of a rear-facing infant capsule
• Eight airbags including side curtain airbags extending to second row
• Inbuilt window blinds in rear doors
• Heated and ventilated rear outer seats (Platinum)
• Front seat massage function (Platinum)
• Electronic tailgate
• 4,500kg braked towing capacity
• Trailer back-up guide with autonomous steering control
• Multiple camera views including tray camera
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Panoramic roof and head-up display (Platinum)

Key Cons:

• Not ANCAP crash tested
• Very large turning circle and fills an entire parking space (and more)
• Expensive: $172,990 Platinum, $155,990 Limited (excl. on-road costs)
• High fuel consumption despite hybrid powertrain
• 758kg tray payload is lower than most standard-size utes
• Hump in central rear footwell
• Android Auto is wired, not wireless (Apple CarPlay is wireless)