In much the same way as there's a certain look a minivan must have to earn the public's acceptance in that market segment, so does it appear today's full-size pickups must mimic at least to some degree the Peterbilt-like, oversize grille and bulging hood that first appeared on the Dodge Ram in the early 1990s.

To this end, the 2007 Toyota Tundra abandons the high-stepping, nose-in-the-air look of the 2006 Tundra in favor of a more down-to-earth, but still dominant grille, boldly framed in black or chrome, depending on trim level, and carrying into the truck's fascia the lines of the deeply sculpted hood. Headlights are set into the fenders and separated from the bumper, itself bottom-loaded with black resin, chrome finish or body colored, again by trim choice.

The side view is rather bland, very Toyota-like, with understated fender flares tied together by a gentle indent along the lower door panels. The optional towing mirrors look overly large on the regular and double cab models. Deep recesses make beefy door handles easy to grip. The CrewMax uses these big handles on all four doors, while the Double Cab uses vertical grabs on the back doors that are a bit snug. Body proportions comfortably accommodate the three bed lengths and three wheelbases. Interestingly, gaps between body panels aren't as tight as in the newer models of some of the competing brands; Toyota's stylists concluded slightly wider gaps are more suggestive of the impression of ruggedness they want the new Tundra to make.

Rearview, of course, is traditional pickup. No stand-out styling cues here, save maybe for the backup lights, which are dimensionally almost the equal of the taillights.

Finally, the Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup. In all but one or two dimensions, the Tundra's three different beds are within mere tenths of an inch of the competition's comparables, in most cases on the plus side. The short bed on the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra measures 2.3 inches longer than its Tundra counterpart, the Ram standard bed is 2.4 inches shorter, and the Silverado's beds are 1.2 inches shallower, the Ram's beds two inches shallower.