Toto Drake II Review – Pros, Cons, and Comparisons

Last Updated on October 4, 2023 by toilethaven

Toto Drake II is one of the best flushing toilets not in only among other Toto toilets but across the industry. What are its features? Is it the best toilet to buy, or are there other better choices?

Toto Drake II is a two-piece single flush elongated and WaterSense comfort height toilet. It is a high-efficiency toilet with a consumption of 1.28 gallons of water per flush using Toto’s Tornado flushing system.

The sleek two-piece design, high water efficiency, powerful flushing, universal/ADA height, and compact size are what make the Toto Drake II a really great toilet. It is, however, a little bit more expensive than most toilets.

Toto toilets are popular among most homeowners due to the quality and performance they offer. Toto Drake II, Toto Ultramax II, and Toto Drake are 3 of the most popular Toto toilets, and I will compare the Drake and Ultramax II against the Drake II later in this post.

You may or may not know that Toto Drake II is an improvement of the time-tested Toto Drake. But what is the difference between Toto Drake and Toto Drake II?

The difference between Toto Drake and Toto Drake II is that Toto Drake II uses the E-Max flushing system with a consumption of 1.28 gallons per flush, while Toto Drake uses the G-Max flushing system with a consumption of 1.6 gallons per flush. Toto Drake II is also sleeker than the Toto Drake.

Toto Drake II is expensive, but it is worth it. I would only advise you to pick an alternative like the Toto Ultramax II if you are looking for a one-piece toilet. Otherwise, the Toto Drake II is one of the best toilets in the market.

Let us start by looking at the features and specifications of the Toto Drake II.

Feature	Specification
Style	Two-piece toilet
Bowl type	Elongated/round
Water use	1.28 GPF
Flushing system	Tornado flush
Bowl height	16.125 inches
Toilet dimensions	Depth: 28.5 inches Width: 17.25 inches Height: 30 inches
Rough-in	12 inches
Toilet seat	not included
Colors	cotton, bone, colonial white, Sedona beige and ebony
Warranty	1-year

TOTO CST454CEFG#01 Drake Bathroom-Hardware, Cotton...

Item may ship in more than one box and may arrive separately
Double Cyclone Technology.does not come with a seat, it is just a bowl C454CUFG#01) and a tank (ST454E#01).
Powerful, quiet flush every time

Flushing System

Toto Drake II uses Toto’s Tornado flushing system, which is arguably one of the best flushing systems in terms of flushing power and water efficiency. Often, the Tornado flushing system is also referred to as the double-cyclone flushing system.

This system involves the use of a rimless bowl with no rim holes, as is the case with most toilets. Instead, it has 2 powerful nozzles, one on each side of the bowl. It combines the 2 nozzles with a 3-inch wide flush valve (instead of the usual 2-inch flush valve).

The use of a wider-than-usual flush valve ensures that water from the tank is dumped inside the bowl faster and more forcefully. As the water enters the bowl, it forms 2 powerful cyclones on each side of the bowl (hence the name double-cyclone) due to the orientation of the nozzles.

Apart from creating a powerful flush, this system is also very effective in bowl scrubbing and rinsing. It ensures that there are no spots on the bowl that have not been cleaned during the flushing cycle.

For every flush, the Toto Drake II toilet uses only 1.28 gallons of water. It is, therefore, compliant with the requirements of the EPA WaterSense as well as CalGreen and can hence be sold everywhere within the United States, including California and Texas.

Two-Piece Design

There are 2 types of toilets. One-piece toilets and two-piece toilets. Toto Drake II is a two-piece toilet. There are advantages and disadvantages to owning either of these toilets.

I consider Toto Drake II to be one of the best two-piece toilets. The others I can think of are the Toto Vespin II, American Standard Cadet 3 Flowise, and Kohler Cimarron.

When you buy a two-piece toilet like the Toto Drake II, it will be shipped to your address in 2 different boxes, one with the bowl and the other one with the tank. Sometimes, the boxes arrive on separate days. If you receive one box, just be patient, as the other box might be arriving the next day.

As much as these can be inconveniencing, it reduces the chances of the toilet breaking during transportation. As a matter of fact, one-piece toilets tend to break more often than two-piece toilets during shipping. This is because of the size and weight of the one-piece toilet that has to be shipped in one big box.

One main advantage of two-piece toilets is that if one piece (either the tank or the bowl) cracks, you would only need to replace the broken piece. With a one-piece toilet, you must replace the entire toilet, which is not cheap.

Two-piece toilets are, however, a little harder to clean than one-piece toilets. The little gap between the tank and bowl is a nice spot for dirt and germs to hide and is also very hard to reach. One-piece toilets’ seamless integration between the tank and the bowl makes cleaning a breeze.

A two-piece toilet tank is joined to the bowl using bolts. There is also a tank-to-bowl gasket that prevents leaking between the tank and bowl during flushing. With time, the gaskets become worn out and bolts corroded or loose.

These results in toilets leaks, and a repair would need to be done. If that is not something you can do for yourself, you would have to call in a plumber, which is not cheap. One-piece toilets do not have such issues; hence, it’s true to say a two-piece toilet like the Toto Drake II requires more maintenance than one-piece toilets.

I have written a detailed post on the pros and cons of one-piece toilets vs. two-piece toilets. Read it here.

Elongated Bowl

The most popular model of the Toto Drake II is the elongated model. Few people actually know that a round Toto Drake II model exists.

The main advantage of an elongated toilet over a round one is comfort. Elongated toilet bowls are about 18.5 inches long, while round toilet bowls are about 16.5 inches long. An elongated toilet, therefore, offers more surface area to sit on.

Round toilet bowls are not without their own advantages. They are mostly preferred by people with small bathrooms as they are more space-economic than elongated toilets. In case you would be interested in the Toto Drake II round toilet, check it out below.

TOTO CST453CEFG#01 Bathroom-Hardware,...

✅ Tornado flush [1.28Gpf/4.8Lpf]
✅ Cefiontect ceramic Glaze
✅ Universal height

I have also written a separate article comparing the pros and cons of elongated vs. round toilets in detail. Read it here.

Cefiontect Glaze

Toto Drake II, just like other modern Toto toilets, is coated with Toto’s Cefiontect glaze, commonly known as Sana gloss. This smooth glaze inhibits the adherence of dirt, mold, bacteria, and any other organism, making toilet cleaning easy without using any harsh chemicals.

It also prevents your poop from sticking to the toilet bowl. I’m sure you have seen it in old toilets where you use a toilet, and you have to scrub it to remove the poop marks left on the bowl. Cefiontect glaze makes the bowl smooth like a mirror such that poop does not stick.

Toto Drake II Dimensions

Toilet dimensions are critical. It is important to make sure that prior to buying a toilet, it is going to fit in your bathroom space and that it will be comfortable as well.

The dimensions of the Toto Drake II are:

Depth: 28.5 inches
Width: 17.25 inches
Height: 30 inches
Bowl height: 16.125 inches
Rough-in: 12 inches

Toto Drake II is not a very compact toilet, but neither is it too big. It will fit in most bathrooms without a problem. It also comes with a standard 12-inch rough-in.

The one thing to notice here is that Toto Drake II is a comfortable height toilet. With a bowl height of 16.125 inches from the floor, its seat height will increase to 17.25 inches, which falls between the 17 and 19 inches required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Comfort/ADA toilets like the Drake II are also known as universal/right/chair height toilets. They make it really easy to sit and stand on a toilet, especially by the seniors and old folk.

The opposite of comfort height toilets is standard height toilets. To read more on the pros and cons of comfort height toilets vs. standard height toilets, check out this post.

Toilet Seat

Unfortunately, Toto Drake II does not come with a toilet seat. Although that sucks, it also gives you the chance to buy a toilet seat of your choice. Most of the toilet seats that are sold with a toilet are really flimsy and uncomfortable.

Toto also sells the Toto Drake II with a washlet. A washlet is a Toto bidet toilet seat. You can choose the Toto washlet you want to go with your Drake II, starting with cheaper options to high-end models.

A washlet, although expensive, cleans way better than toilet paper. It uses warm air-infused water with adjustable temperature and pressure to cleanse you and, after that, dry you off with a warm air dryer.

If you would be interested in one such offer, check it out below.

TOTO Drake WASHLET - Two-Piece Elongated 1.28 GPF...

✅ A REFRESHING CLEAN - Gentle yet powerful rear and front warm water cleansing; Adjustable temperature and pressure settings; oscillating and pulsating option creates a refreshing clean every time;...
✅ STEP INTO A LAVISH STANDARD OF LIVING – SoftClose heated bidet seat provides consistent warmth coverage over full seat surface; Air deodorizer neutralizes bathroom odors with powerful air...
✅ CLEAN INNOVATIONS OFFER PEACE OF MIND - PREMIST helps prevent waste from sticking by using the incoming water supply to mist the toilet bowl before each use; The wand self-cleans automatically...

Toto Drake II vs Toto Drake

Toto Drake is a two-piece single flush elongated comfort height toilet. A dual flush Toto Drake also exists. What is the difference between Toto Drake and Toto Drake II?

Toto Drake II is the improved/deluxe version of the Toto Drake. It is sleeker, more water-efficient, and overall better-looking than the Toto Drake, albeit it is pricier.

The main difference between Toto Drake and Toto Drake II is that Toto Drake uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush, while the Drake II uses only 1.28 gallons per flush. Toto Drake uses Toto’s G-Max flushing system, which is actually a very powerful flushing toilet.

Residents of some states like California and Texas cannot buy the Toto Drake since the states require toilets sold there to use 1.28 gallons of water per flush or even less.

Another difference between these 2 toilets is in the design of the tanks. When you look at Toto Drake II’s tank, it is uniform in size from top to bottom, and the front appears to be curved. This makes the Drake II look really sleek and elegant.

With the Toto Drake, the toilet tank is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, with the front being flat. It is also way bigger than that of the Drake II. To be more specific, the width of the Toto Drake II’s tank is 17.25 inches compared to the Toto Drake’s, which is 19.875 inches wide.

Toto Drake II’s toilet bowl is also uniform in width from the front to the back, while that of Toto Drake is a bit narrow at the back. When it comes to aesthetics, Toto Drake II is, without a doubt, the clear winner.

The dimensions of the Toto Drake are:

Depth: 28.125 inches
Width: 19.875 inches
Height: 30.5 inches
Bowl rim height: 16.5 inches
Rough-in: 12 inches

From the dimensions above, we can notice that Toto Drake II is more compact than Toto Drake II. Although both are comfortable height toilets, Toto Drake gives you the option to sit higher with its 16.5-inch high bowl compared to Toto Drake II’s 16.125 inches.

I have compared Toto Drake II and Toto Drake in a separate article. Read it here.

Toto Drake II vs. Toto Vespin II

Toto Vespin II is the skirted model of the Toto Drake. All of their other features are similar. A skirted toilet is one whose trapway is concealed, and the bowl appears to be in a skirt.

The advantage of a skirted toilet other than the aesthetics is the ease of cleaning it. This design eliminates the nooks and crannies otherwise found around a toilet bowl, making cleaning the toilet a cinch.

Another advantage of the Toto Vespin II, just like any other skirted Toto toilet, is that although it is a 12-inch toilet, it can be converted into either a 10 or 14-inch rough-in toilet. You only need to buy the Toto Unifit adapter.

The rough-in of a toilet is the distance between the toilet’s rear finished wall and the center of its drainpipe. The standard rough-in of a toilet is 12 inches.

I have written more on the comparison between the Toto Drake II and Toto Vespin II in a different post. Read it here.

Toto Drake II vs. Toto Ultramax II

Toto Ultramax II is a one-piece single flush elongated WaterSense and comfort height toilet. It is the improved model of the Toto Ultramax, which uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush compared to Toto Ultramax II’s 1.28 gallons per flush.

The only difference, therefore, between the Toto Ultramax II and Toto Drake II is that the Toto Drake II is a two-piece toilet while the Toto Ultramax II is a one-piece toilet. The decision to buy a one-piece toilet or two-piece toilet comes down to one’s preference.

I have also written a detailed comparison between Toto Ultramax II and Toto Drake II in another post. Check it out here.

Toto Ultramax II’s skirted model is the Toto Carlyle II. Read more on the comparisons between Toto Carlyle II and Vespin II in this post.

Toto Drake II vs. American Standard Champion 4

American Standard Champion 4 toilets come in different models, but the American Standard 2034.314.020 Champion 4 is the modern and best model. It is a one-piece single flush elongated and comfortable height toilet available in white, linen, and bone.

The Champion 4 is one of the best flushing toilets not only among other American Standard toilets but across the industry. It uses a 4-inch flush valve and an extra-wide trapway to dump water in and out of the bowl forcefully.

The main difference between Toto Drake II and American Standard Champion 4 is that the Champion 4 uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush compared to the Drake II’s 1.28 gallons per flush.

While Toto Drake II can be sold everywhere within the United States, American Standard Champion 4 cannot be sold in Texas, California, and Colorado. It is not WaterSense compliant/labeled.

Another difference is that the Bowl height of the Champion 4 is 16.5 inches from the floor. A Champion 4 user will, therefore, sit higher than that of the Drake II.

The dimensions of the American Standard Champion 4 are: