Somewhere between the proud homeowner and carefree apartment dweller lives the best of both lifestyles. Who wants to throw money away on a rented apartment or deal with the hassles of home ownership? Enter the townhouse: smaller bills and fewer hassles than a full-size home with more usability than a mere apartment. Just like a townhouse, the mid-size pickup combines attributes of rigs both big and small. And ever since its inception, the Toyota Tacoma has been living large in the mid-size pickup penthouse.
Too bad Toyota forgot the first rule of pickup design: it’s gotta look like a truck. A decidedly cab forward A-pillar flirts with Corolla owners looking to trade up, while asymmetrical fender blisters flow into the Double Cab's sheetmetal to create a pregnant manatee silhouette. Multiple grille textures confuse, while a non-functional hood scoop says "poser" better than any decal-laden hatchback. While the PreRunner's aggressive offroad stance and beefy 16" rims bulk up the look, nothing conceals the bulbous tailgate with its jawless rear bumper. Topping the decidedly un-trucklike presence are girly door handles that operate with a light and flimsy action. Dude, where's my truck?
The almost-truck theme continues within. The interior's car-based door handles aren't working man friendly. A motorcycle-influenced gauge cluster takes the sport-truck theme to places it's never been before– and should never go again. The cabin's blizzard of textures and finishes is schizophrenia in-car-nate. The door's furry polka-dot cloth relaxes like a tall glass of warm milk; a durable, while the breathable netted seat fabric provides an extreme hit of Mountain Dew.
Of course, this approach has its advantages. Ignore the hodgepodge of dashboard polymers (faux Lexus here, Band Aid there) and peep the convincing metal effect trim, numerous storage compartments and tender leather-wrapped wheel. Aside from the dead plug on said tiller; Toyota did a commendable job hiding non-functional items from discriminating eyes. It's a pickup after David Beckham's heart: small and posh.
Four adults fit into the Tacoma's Double Cab frame with ease. At the same time, the mid-size Tacoma boasts parking lot slalom skills no big truck can touch. The business end also impresses: a plastic bedliner with integral 115-volt power supply makes the Tacoma PreRunner a first-round draft pick for tailgate parties. Fill with cargo and the Toyota hauls with the confidence of a seasoned bird-dog on the hunt.
Hit the road sans cargo and the choppy-riding Tacoma sends mixed messages. Pickups are no stranger to chassis flex, but the Tacoma's latest redesign keeps the clapped-out turnip truck's legacy alive. Feather the go pedal and jumpy throttle mapping means there's less thrust from the 24-valve engine than initial reports indicate. Sucking high-octane fuel in its full throttle wake, the 4.0L V6 makes a respectable 266lb-ft of torque after 3800 revs, but 236hp at a sky-high 5200 revs mean honest truck grunt is not the Tacoma's strong suit. Put it another way, this mill feels more at home in a lighthearted passenger car chassis, not a burly truck frame. The powertrain's saving grace is a quick-witted, trigger-happy five speed automatic that usually keeps the narrow powerband in its sweet spot.
Foot flex the pedals in a corner and the Tacoma rewards with confident street moves, even with the off-road prowess of the PreRunner package. Modest grip from the stubby M+S tires nets predictable understeer, with responsive steering and disciplined suspension tuning. While the Tacoma's composed demeanor rarely upsets, the stoppers need re-thinking: rear drum brakes and mushy pedal feel disappoint both on paper and in practice.
Highway cruising is both quiet and comfortable for one so boxy and tall, with a JBL tuned system providing quality sound for all but the rabid, subwoofer crazed hip-hop fan. The audio aura is most welcome, as the door-mounted tweeter grille sings an off key, buzzy tune with the stereo off. Quality control snafu aside, is there really a place for the Tacoma in the market?
Given the full-size pickup's manufacturing economies of scale, our Tacoma's as-tested price of $28,800 fails to prove that less is more. The Tacoma seemingly trumps a full-size in efficiency, but in the real world, a high-octane diet and moderately smaller proportions translate into less bang for the buck.
While the small(er) truck market has a loyal following with company fleets, these models sport white paint, crank windows, rubber floors and four pot motors with manual transmissions. Give retail customers what they demand and the Tacoma's value proposition flies right out the door. Make no mistake; the Tacoma PreRunner is a good pickup. But Toyota's upmarket mid-size offering forgot its humble origins; whether or not the Tacoma has a significant value proposition over a "real" truck is a question for the customer and entire mid-size genre.
[Toyota provided the vehicle reviewed, taxes, insurance and a tank of gas.]
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If i`m gonna put up with big fuel cost, rough ride,tough parking then give me a real truck
Doesn’t look like the Tacoma can hold a candle to the Nissan Frontier
Can’t you get a decently equipped, 4×4 F150 for less than that?
Once again, Sajeev writes a useful review. I hope the fray isn’t too hard on him for being anti-American, anti-import, anti-truck, pro-car or whatever.
What I find interesting is that most of the typical car mag reviewers tend to rate the Toyota at the top of the list of midsize/small pickups. Apparently, it doesn’t take much to beat a Ranger design that is decades old or a 5 cylinder Chevy. And yet, Sajeev makes the point that maybe this is a class of vehicles that doesn’t make much sense.
About 10 years ago, Chrysler figured out that Americans love size, so they replaced their Mitsubishi sourced small pickup with the midsize Dakota, featuring Ram looks and an optional V8. Smart move, and it forced the imports to upsize their offerings to match.
But now, we come to realize that the differences between fullsize and midsize aren’t that great. Mikey is right – for thirty grand, buy a “real truck.†And the cost efficiencies of the full size truck platforms are huge — Ford, GM and Chrysler make some 2.5 Million copies a year, plus another million large SUVs off the same platforms. The savings in raw materials in making midsize truck vs. a fullsize one is small compared to the billions it takes to design a new platform.
So why would anyone design a new midsize truck? Maybe Ford is right to let the Ranger twist in the wind, rather than squander their engineering resources on a dwindling market. Pour everything you’ve got into the F-150. And maybe GM is smart to outsource midsize truck design to Thailand and let the Trailblazer/Envoy die off in a couple of years.
It will be interesting to see what DaimlerChrysler does here. They have so many midsize truck/SUV platforms – Jeep Cherokee/Commander, Durango/Dakota, Mercedes M/R/GL, you would expect some consolidation, especially as sales volumes shrink.
I still like my full size GMC, but, it’s not a daily driver. I bought it (used) for one purpose; to be a truck.
Granted, it’s got all the poshy extras (leather, heated seats, etc.) and all the “manly” extras as well (4×4, tow package, etc.), but, it’s first and foremost for me a weekend hauler and it has yet to fail me.
The best $14,000 I could’ve spent. New trucks are too over priced.
nweaver: The Tacoma tested was a PreRunner, which is a 2WD truck with off road bits. A similar F150 STX or XLT trim (STX is the more “extreme” of the two) is either the same price (STX), or 3-5 grand more (XLT) at MSRP.
SherbornSean: excellent perspective. But did the Dakota ever sell well compared to the Tacoma, S-10 and Ranger?
As a Texan, I still think a real small truck is viable for both fleet and retail sales. The Ranger got the shaft from Dearborn just like the Crown Vic did. Its a nice size, was a best seller for years, but its 1980s chassis and 1990s interior don’t cut it anymore. And I’m still not sure what to think of the Colorado…
The Dakota sold well til they messed with the style and made it as ugly as the new Durango.
Lots and lots of Texas boys on the Dodge truck forums, and they loooove their R/Ts. :)
I think the $3 gas is finally forcing some sense back into the truck/SUV mish mash. CNN reported that truck sales to people who actually need them (contractors, farmers, etc) are stable whereas the big fall in sales is occurring in the “second car, recreational vehicle” side of the market. Interestingly only 30% of the truck market is to contractors and their ilk and the other 70% was being sold to those of us who just wanted a truck for fun or image sake. Very bad news for Ford/GM.
This was a good and more balanced review than i’ve come to expect from TTAC, thanks Sajeev. However, you didn’t really comment on how exceptionally ugly this truck is from the front. I actually have to look away when i see one on the road. You did make the critical point about value, for heaven’s sake why spend 30 large for this butt ugly pseudo truck when you can have a nice F150 or new GM rig for the same bucks. If you’ve after value check out the Honda Ridgeline. Not exactly good looking, but amazingly smooth and well put together, nice ride and runs on regular gas.
Thanks, Phil! (and thank you to everyone else for writing)
Styling is always subjective, but since you mention it: its mighty ugly, but not in a refined way like Ridgeline. There’s so many ugly features fighting for your attention its like a reality TV show in sheetmetal! There, I said it.
Something else I didn’t add to the review: my tester was finished in radioactive Blue, which didn’t bother me. Then someone said that color made me look gay.
That color bothered me after that.
i think the next big truck crazy is going to begin with the Dodge Rampage. The Honda Ridgeline got the ball rolling with a more car like truck. But i think the Rampage is going to be a big hit. its small enough to drive around town with ease, will likely have a host of engine options, has those really cool hideaway seats. No it wont be able to tow a boat or climb a mountain, but it wont have a problem with home depot runs or helping a friend move. Thats more then sufficient for 95% of the people that own trucks now anyway. i think that the move towards the smaller trucks will bring the full size trucks down in size and totally eliminate the mid-size class.
LOL, Sajeev, say no more!
Yah, the Ridgeline has its own kind of ugliness, but it’s so useful it grows on you. Mine was bilious green, with varying degrees of the same shade throughout. I nicknamed it “Frankie” for frankentruck.
Ugh, I’m a mopar fan, but the new Rampage does nothing for me.
oh dont get me wrong, i think the Rampage is hideous and the rumor of a FWD Hemi is plain old stupid. but i think its going to be the 1st of its segment and start a whole new trend. sorta like the PT Cruiser
Suggesting that “real” trucks are a better proposition (with “real” meaning “big”) seems a bit irresponsible, and doesn’t make much sense considering that most trucks wthout company lettering on the door are used for putzing around, commuting, and maybe bringing some leaves to the dump. That would be like saying that someone shopping for a BMW X3 should also consider a Suburban, because they are similarly priced, and the Suburban would be a “real” SUV and bigger. Trucks have gotten huge lately. My dad parked his new Silverado next to his ‘86 F350 and the size difference was staggering. Full size has grown into Super-size. Seems like the market should be wide open to fill in the void with more reasonably sized and purposed trucks.
Saheev, it’s not the “radioactive blue” color you should feel uncomfortable with… It’s that “someone” that said it made you look gay that you should be worried about. Since when does blue go with gay??? Pink maybe, but not blue.
Sajeev, the Ford is cheaper!
According to Ford’s web site, a base 2007 SuperCab F150 STX 4×2 is $24k with the current discounting, and 4×4 is $27k, with the 6.5′ bed.
Why would I get the Tacoma? I’m no Ford loyalist, but the F150 seems like such a better work vehicle than the Tacoma.
Nissan Frontier is a significantly better buy, especially with the NISMO package. It has more power, nicer interior, better functionality and is cheaper than the Tacoma.
I owned a 1995 Toyota Tacoma LX 4×4. I absolutely loved that truck. It could (and did) go anywhere I asked, from the dirtiest/muddiest construction sites to the snow-laden Sierras. The Tacomas of today are an embarassment to their legacy.
Prerunners are the true posers, the stance of a 4×4, yet its only 2-wheel drive. The old Tacoma 4×2 had the useability of a truck, but it drove like a car. No more.
Speaking of car-sized pickups, posers, and sport trucks, I really wonder where the likes of El Camino are. Those could be to pickups like crossovers to SUV’s – a nicotine patch of the auto industry.
In fact, such trucks could be much more popular now than they were back in the 70’s.
Sporty body styling would appeal to the kind of people who buy V6 Mustangs. Young, clueless buyers have lots more money these days. A cool-looking two-seater (that’s also a pickup) would only need modest sticker price and good fuel economy to own this demographic group lock, stock, and barrel.
Utility and lack of need for trunk/interior maintenance would counquer the hearts and souls of those who have a month’s worth of dirty laundry lying around their apartment. Let’s not forget that most of these folks live in a city, and they wouldn’t be caught dead driving a real (ugly, tall, cumbersome) pickup.
Car-like handling and gobs of power for the relatively light package equals welcome reviews from enthusiasts and journalists. Face it, every review of a luxobarge, SUV, or a family sedan usually has the “handling qualities don’t exist” paragraph in it, and this kind of truck could actually manage to come out with a clean review.
In other words, car that is a truck could be a very desireable “only” vehicle for people who are coming off the SUV/full-size pickup needle, but noone’s making it.
And no, the new Rampage won’t cut it. A RAM by any other name…
I agree, the concept of a mid-sized pickup truck is ludicrous. Why would I want to buy something that is 90% of a full-sized truck, when I can get a full-size truck for the same money or less?
Small pickups should be small. To see a picture of what a small truck should be, click below.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3j6z2/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/62falc.jpg
I cannot believe with all of the comments, and within this article, that nothing is mentioned about the main reason Tacomas sell so well, especially to young men. This is one of the vehicles that has ingrained Toyota = legendary reliability into the minds of consumers worldwide. In reality, it’s the Toyota Hilux that deserves the praise, but the Tacoma is the relative we get here in America. Top Gear tried their best to destroy one and failed, even after driving it into the ocean it started back up. Every third-world idiot with a kalishnakov rides in the back of a Hilux–because obviously they don’t have the money to try and rely on anything other than the most dependable vehicle they can buy. 4-runners, Land Cruisers, and Toyota pickups rule Central America’s rutted muddy roads, Africa’s parks, the UAE’s sand dunes, and even California’s highways. I do not believe any other vehicle on earth has such an indestructable reputation. Regardless of design, price, and matching materials–this is reason #1. Half of my friends drive Tacomas, and will consider no other vehicle.
I am a Chevy truck fan, and own my 2nd Blazer (ZR2). As much as I enjoy my vehicles and have had nothing but good luck with them, if I was given one choice of vehicle to rely on on a trip through the Sahara, it would be a Toyota truck. Thank God my commute is a lot easier than that, so I can still buy and enjoy Chevy’s (used, of course, so someone else takes the awful depreciation hit). I was considering a Colorado for my next vehicle, as I am interested in a relatively inexpensive truck with decent mileage. So, Sajeev, what do you think of the Colorado?
Why is a mid-size truck ludicrous? A full-size isn’t always needed, sometimes a smaller vehicle does the job.
Tacomas, or Tacos as they’re more commonly known to their fans, have a huge following among the recreational off-roading community. They’re light, really tough and have great aftermarket support.
Speaking of car-sized pickups, posers, and sport trucks, I really wonder where the likes of El Camino are. Those could be to pickups like crossovers to SUV’s – a nicotine patch of the auto industry.
The Subaru Baja is being cancelled, so I don’t imagine we will see anything like an El Camino for a long while.
I think there is really a huge market hole left by the disappearance of the true light pickup. This move to mid-size has left a lot of people without a product for their purse, myself included. The Ranger is the only product still available in this segment and nobody wants to buy a 15 year old design. I know tons of people still driving around old Nissan, Toyota, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi pickups from the 80s and 90s and wondering what the heck they’re going to replace them with that doesn’t suck down gas like it’s going out of style. The light pickup was a great product because it handled something like a car, was easy to park, and got good mileage, but could still be used to haul a few things. You could actually buy it as your vehicle, and use it to commute, run around town, and “work”/haul. There’s a huge opportunity for an upstart car company (Korea? China?) to start stamping these things out again in the sub-$20k price bracket.
NN and Lesley, you are remembering the Tacos/Hilux of old. The new Tacoma has morphed into nothing more than a freeway cruiser with questionable quality (note not reliability).
It seems odd to complain that a V6 midsize truck doesn’t have the power of a full-size with a V8.
Of course it doesn’t.
And it’s not supposed to, either.
(I can’t comment about the quality or utility of the Tacoma, personally, since my Toyota pickup is the Last Of The Pre-Tacomas, a ‘94 compact. But that one, at least, seems indestructible, going strong at 190k miles…)
As regards price, well, sure, you can get an F-150 for the price of a tricked out PreRunner, but people after a low-price truck would be getting one of the… low priced ones, starting at just under 14 large. (And the cheapest F150 with an extended cab is $6k more than the cheapest Tacoma extended cab. $3k more if they both have the V6, which is fairer. But then, comparing a full-size with a mid-size is unfair to begin with… the markets are mostly different.)
In the San Francisco bay area, Tacoma is very popular among contractors who need to find parking that only fit a mini-cooper or the fuel economy similar to a car. Do they need a full size truck to go between Home Depot and the customer and park their truck 6 hrs a day on the curb? Probably not.
I suspect Tacoma’s popularity has a lot to do with Toyota’s reputation of durability rather than how stiff their chasis and towing capacity is.
I’ll be in the market for a new truck in the not-too-distant future. What I really need is 4×4 and an automatic transmission. I currently have a long bed Chevy with a V-8, cruise, and A/C. Other than that, it’s a base model with crank windows and vinyl flooring. To buy something like this new would be around $20-20K, and I’ve been getting 18-20 MPG in my driving.
So I look at the Tacoma on Edmunds, and to get the 4×4 and an automatic, I have to get the extra cab with the V-6. This makes it more expensive than a lightly-optioned full size, and maybe it gets 10% better mileage.
Why I’d pay more for a smaller truck that still gets mediocre mileage I don’t know. I might be interested in a 4-banger 4×4 that got 25 MPG, but Toyota doesn’t offer that with the auto transmission anymore.
There’s also the matter that I live in a strange area of the country: The Chevy dealer is low pressure and handles warrantly claims without question. The Toyota salesmen are jerks, and I have to drive farther to get to them.
WHOOPS… I should have ended with “but my Porsche is only nickel plated………..
“Who wants to throw money away on a rented apartment or deal with the hassles of home ownership? Enter the townhouse: smaller bills and fewer hassles than a full-size home with more usability than a mere apartment.”
Nice writing.
I drive a mid size truck (old Base 97 dakota) (and live in a townhouse too) but I think that the market is about to take a swing back to the small old truck. The old Nissan 4 cyl and small Toyota Trucks. Something like this http://buggybank.com/14663.htm for the dude who wants to hit Home Depot for two peices of lumber and carry it home. Given fuel prices, whoever does it would have a huge first mover advantage. Small little trucks, small engine. Then again maybe I’ve got heat stroke from the no AC in the old Dakota.
Sajeev,
Good write up. I agree that the new Taco is ugly and oversized for its role. You also could have mentioned the MPG which is pretty pitiful for a supposedly “mini” truck. I briefly considered one to replace my Outback (I really miss having a truck) but between the exorbitant price, the ugly design, and the sucky MPG, I quickly changed my mind.
What pisses me off most is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Back in 85 I bought my first new vehicle, a Toyota 4×4 pickup (back when they sold the Hilux in the US). It had a 2.0l RE22 engine, carbureted, and was able to get 25-30 MPG without any difficulty. True, it had manual steering and no AC, but there’s no reason – none at all – why the likes of Toyota can’t sell a geniunely small pickup (maybe even with an economical diesel) in the US like they do in the rest of the world.
Bring back the Rabbit Pickup.
What’s this big commotion about the Hilux?
The Taco is practically the same pickup, and its built at the same plant the US Hilux was (NUMMI Fremont CA).
Sajeev, great write up, I agree that the front is ugly, but I have to say I don’t see such a big problem with the rest of the design. But everything else you said was right on.
Point Given – I hear ya on the heat stroke… air conked out in my 97 dakota too.
Chadillac: I think they’re referring to the Hilux that the rest of the world gets, not the US model.
I’d really like to replace my 2.5L ‘96 Dakota (A/C works, which is a very good thing when it’s 115 in the desert, like today) with the rest-of-the-world-but-U.S. Mazda pickup. I’d consider the first new mini pickup offered here in the States actually, but the midsizers just aren’t working for me. The 70s were pretty good times for little pickups, but now the Japanese seem to think they know what we want. That’s a Taco’ on a cut Tundra frame and the Frontier/Tundra. Too big. Too heavy.
Hell, I’m all for the rebirth of the Chevy LUV if I can get better than 21 MPG driving up and down the hill to my house every day. Where’s the Mighty Max? The Hilux? A new B1800? A – wait for it – brand new Courier? Bring them back and I’ll be hauling my trash down to the dump with a big self-satisified grin that only a sanctimonious Prius owner could appreciate.
Your pal,
bob
Hutton: I don’t understand your BMW X3 to Surburban analogy. The X3 is a car with a liftkit and the Surburban is a wagon on a truck frame. Both the Tacoma and its comprable full-size counterparts are 1) large 2) heavy-framed 3) offer similar features 4) serve the same basic purpose 5) cost about the same to fill the tank.
(see my rant about premium fuel down below)
NN: I haven’t driven a Colorado, but on paper its rather heavy, underpowered and expensive. Seems to have a decent interior though, maybe class leading. How often do you hear that about a GM? :)
Sigivald: I never said the Tacoma needs to compare to/have a V8, it needs to have a real V6. The 4.3L Chevy has (well had) plenty of grunt, even the small 3.0L Ranger pulls strong outta the hole. Heck the Ford 4.9L straight six was one of the best full size truck motors out there. The Tacoma doesn’t have much low end, and redlines at 5500rpm, where it can’t take advantage of the 4-valve heads.
Martin Albright: my buddy bought the last of the “old” Tacos, I enjoyed that truck. It was like a new Ranger, except it felt modern. To your fuel economy point: I think the mileage is good for what it is (4v motor, mid size frame, etc) but the point I want to drive home is the recommended fuel grade: it needs premium gas. Don’t put high octane in, the knock sensors go into overtime and cut engine timing…resulting in a loss of around 20hp and 1-3mpg in my past experiences with this.
So what’s the benefit to the Taco over a full-size? Hard to find.
Its been said here, but I’d like to reiterate.
1) GM and Ford need to bring their Aussie El Camino/Ranchero counterparts down here to give the non-full size pickup market a shot in the arm. After all, they are already planning on using these chassis for upcoming models.
1.5) At the same time, GM needs to sneak an Aussie-Camino onto the set of “My Name is Earl”, much like the Lucerne on “Monk”.
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/buick/index.html
Could Karma give Earl a new El Camino? Don’t touch that dial!!!
2) Valentine is on the right track. The lack of a competitive small truck (i.e. a Ranger that doesn’t suck) should introduce a new carmaker into the fold. Or maybe Ford/GM/Toyota busts out with one of their third-world pickups for us…provided they actually pass crash tests.
Having driven both the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma, each for a week’s duration, and each also at company sponsored – the company that built them – off-road ride-and-drives, the competition is fierce between them. Most especially, when you take the Nissan and turn it into the Xterra, with its heavy duty differential, well rock climbers take note!
I bring up rock climbers, because after returning from the Hollister Hills ride-and-drive in the summer of 2004, for the debuting ‘05 Tacoma, my next door neighbor told me he’d likely never trade up on his Tacoma; since he loved it so much. His had a bit more than 200,000 miles, and most of those were hauling gear for himself and his rock climbing buddies.
When I had the Frontier, with a burly (and Ward’s Best Engine winning) VQ/V6 in the engine bay, I missed getting him to drive it and tell me his impression(s). For my own part, I missed that hill-descent control in the Tacoma. Generally, one would just use the brakes. But when going down some deep descents in an off-road park, a bit east of Hollister Hills CA, the damn thing worked well to allay the fears of those with vertigo.
Is the Tacoma a bargain? Probably not much, anymore. When they first hit in 1995, you could get a decent four-by-four for maybe $16,500. But that was 11 years ago. You know how the Japanese do it: establish a beachhead, and then jack up the price. Remember the original Z car?
My gut tells me that the Frontier could do most of what the Tacoma does – and probably do it about as well. But perception is reality, in more than just politics. And most people, most especially young rock climbers, think that “Toyota rules.” Who am I to tell them different?
For shear utility, the Rampaage would actually be hard to beat.
With no crud out back, the load-in height will be lowered signifcantly.
Sure, you can’t tow, but boy could you haul.
The problem with selling any “third-world pickup” here would be keeping the price down. In addition to the added cost of meeting all the federal safety and emissions standards, they couldn’t import it at a reasonable price because of the ridiculous 25% tariff on imported trucks. Building it here would automatically jack up the price because of the increased labor costs and overhead of the domestic factories. Either way, the consumer loses.
I wonder how an HHR-based El Camino would look. Cut it down just aft of the front passenger compartment and extend the rear a bit to give it a reasonably sized bed. Then beef up the suspension a bit so it could haul more than 500 lbs and put the supercharged Cobalt SS engine in it. I don’t care much for the “delivery van” looks of the HHR but it might make an interesting mini pickup.
Not sure why everyone keeps saying, “for the money, just buy a full-size ford or gm.” Not everyone wants a full-size truck, for whatever reason. That’s the appeal of the smaller trucks. And while the new Tacoma design may be somewhat controversial–I’m sure the people that are buying them think they look good, but others here have used the term “butt ugly”–I don’t think you can argue with the quality and reliability, rust problems from the mid-to-late ’80’s vintage aside. And I’m not just talking about quality of the Tacoma in the current iteration—whatever your problems with Toyota (Honda, too, for that matter), reliability is not one of them. In short, I’d rather pay up for something now that I know is going to nickel and dime me on its way to 100,000 miles and will still have some value in five years than go cheap now and regret it over and over again.
Two wanna-be trucks in my stable.
03 Tacoma 4X4 4-cyl. Bought it in the fall of 03 for about $16,400. There was some dealer incentive cash that they threw at me to get rid of this thing. I think about a 1,500 payload capacity and eats snow in a manner second only to my 1997 Wrangler. Not even broken in yet and getting 23MPG. Yes – it’s a toy small inside and out, but basically bullet proof. I’ve got it set up to haul 4X8 sheet goods hanging out the back. Handles maybe 14 or 16 sheets of drywall but gets a little squirrely at this point. Traded my complete POS 2000 F150 in for this. The next guy got totally screwed on that one……
81 VW Rabbit/Pickup diesel. Believe it or not has a payload capacity of 1,300 or 1,400 (real leaf springs in the back.) Bought it as a toy to learn about diesels. Gets a real 51 MPG if I keep it under 70. Yes – slow as molasses. Requires almost constant wrenching at this point, but that’s part of the fun. Was towed 250 miles home from the sellers place by the above Taco.
I do have a need for a truck owning an old farmhouse and acreage, though I’m not a farmer. I can get by with these trucks for occasional use. If I hauled drywall every day that’s a different story.
Agree that the new Taco is too big, too ugly and too expensive. The arguments about going full size at that point are mostly valid. Problem is that the Tundra it too pricey, and the new one will likely be more so and even bigger. Nissan is ugly and poor quality. That leaves domestics…..
Guy around the corner from me has old Subi Brat with the seats in the back. He absolutely refuses to sell and the thing just sets out in the weather all year long. I think lawyers killed those seats, but man would that be cool!
A mid-sized pickup is ludicrous? Why anymore so than a mid-sized car? I’m sorry, but that’s just plain silly.
As a consumer I’m pissed off that I can’t buy a genuinely modern compact or subcompact truck. I need one that has good gas mileage and is as reliable as a refrigerator. Yup, good, old basic transportation, replete with simple floor mats and white paint.
If today’s auto industry is so diverse, why is it that NO ONE offers a credible compact, let alone a subcompact pickup? My bet is that the market never really died — but rather than the auto companies fell prey to the “bigger, glitzier, more powerful” mantra.
Someone, please bring back the basic truck!
Sid: Regarding the Brat, the seats were only put there in the first place to turn the Brat into a “passenger vehicle” and avoid the 25% tarriff.
I didn’t realize the Rabbit pickup was made as far back as ‘81. For some reason I thought it was a mid-80’s thing.
I think it’s too bad that the Subaru Baja turned out to be such a lousy compromise (which is why it’s such a poor seller.) Also, they made the mistake of introducing it when its fuel-economy advantage didn’t mean much. Now that gas is so expensive, an actual truck from Subaru would probably appeal to a lot of people (I’m one of them.) But the Baja is getting the axe (’06 is the last year) and Subaru got burned so badly that I doubt they’ll introduce another small truck anytime soon. Really a pity.
Frank: I’m probably the only one on TTAC who likes the HHR, although I still wouldn’t buy one because (a) it doesn’t offer AWD while Honda and Subaru do, (b) it’s still too short for me, by about 6″, and (c) with the future of GM up in the air, I don’t want a vehicle that might have a worthless warranty. Having said that, I drove an HHR last month, and thought it was pretty OK. In fact, if I was a high-school kid or in college, I’d prefer an HHR to a PT Cruiser or a Scion XB just because it’s bigger, better looking (IMO) and still gets pretty good MPG.
I think an HHR-based pickup would be an excellent idea for those of us who’d like a pickup but who don’t really need full body-on-frame construction. And while we’re HHR-dreaming, I’d also like to see a windowless-panel truck version. I think that would be a big hit with customizers, tuners, and people who like big stereos. Add the AWD package from the Vue or Equinox and I think you’d have a great little mini-SUV.
Frank: we DO get a “Third World Pickup”, its called the Colorado/Canyon. Thats a Thai-market design brought into the US by GM’s beancounters who couldn’t be bothered to designd a real midsized truck that could take a V6.
I know! A SMART car pickup!
In a large number of comment sections the readers often mention increased safety standards – usually in relation to why we are unable to get a certain vehicle in North America, or why they weigh so much, etc. I think it would be interesting subject material for a TTAC article — give us a rundown on what these standards are, what level of government imposes them and how it impacts the manufacturers.
I, for one, wish that these standards could be relaxed. I ride a motorcycle with no crumple zones, no airbags, no seatbelts, no ABS, no traction control, no nothing save for immensely powerful front disk brakes and my own discretion (better part of valor and all that). Why can’t I buy a car or compact truck without all this crap?
Sajeev, rather than complain that it’s nearly the cost of an F-150, why didn’t you try out a Tacoma taken from the cheap end of the ocean? You ended up testing essentially a Camry XLE with a cargo box.
And, never mind mid-size, count me as another who’d like a good, modern compact truck. In fact, it doesn’t have to be good. Sid Vicious’ Rabbit diesel pickup is pretty close to what I’d want. I don’t even mind a painted metal interior, as long as the seat is comfy, it’s reasonably quiet and it goes a long way between fillups.
Rabbit based VW “pickups” were sold and manufactured (to avoid the Chicken Tax) in the US for only 4 model years – 80 to 83. The quality of the Westmoreland plant was pretty poor, plus VW insisted on equipping 75% of trucks with diesels. I guess at the end dealers couldn’t give them away.
In the end the plant was closed, Golf production moved to Mexico and I believe production of the truck was moved to Europe. Rabbit based A1 “Caddys” continued to be sold in Europe until 1989 or so I think.
Dean: The 81 VW diesel pickup is what you’re looking for! 50 MPG, no airbags, power nothing (including under the hood), manual trans, no air, nothing but a thin tinny door between you and that Excursion that just blew the stop sign. Horse power just under that of a new Harley.
Sid Vicious: I can’t speak for the Rabbit, but your ‘03 Taco is a real truck in my book. It’s a real compact truck.
dhathewa: This review was with a press car (which I neglected to mention, emailing RF right now) so I test whatever Toyota gives me. :-)
In all fairness, a 5-speed manual, 4-cyl SR5 access cab (suicide doors) is about $22,000. Its got power everything, leather wrapped wheel, floormats, upgraded audio (not JBL), and a fair amount of chrome additions. Sounds good on paper, but buyers easily get swept up on option packages and unnecessary gadgets.
I betcha the V6, automatic, DoubleCab Taco I tested is more indicative of what retail customers actually purchase.
You can get an ‘07 Ranger w/ a/c for $14,500 (MSRP – rebate) and it’ll get 24/29 mpg w/ a 1620lb payload or a 4×4 supercab w/ V6, auto, a/c, & class III towing for $21,400 (MSRP-rebate) and still get 17/22mpg. Sure, it’s a Ranger, but lots of these posts are focusing on cheap, efficient, easy to maneuver trucks. Also, ignoring the flames and rants, it’s a modern vehicle w/ good dependability & quality.
On a different note, why don’t you make friends with your local car dealers? Even if they don’t let you drive their cars enough for a full review, they’d probably let you take a spin in differently-equipped models.