I UP GRADED FROM A 89 ISUZU TO A GREAT TRUCK. SO FAR THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN GREAT. NO COMPLAINTS. IT RUNS SMOOTH ON THE HIGHWAY AND TWO LANE STREETS. QUIET RIDE. ENOUGH POWER TO PASS QUICKLY AND ADVERT ANOTHER CARS. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS ABOUT TOYOTA TRUCKS, HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO SAY THE SAME THING. MY ISUZU HAD 205,000 MILES ON IT SO I AM HOPEING TO GET THAT ON THIS TRUCK

Toyota reliability and build quality; off-road prowess; brisk acceleration, even without SC.

Price too high; bed a bit shallow. A slightly revised version will be available in 2005, so you may want to wait.

My 2004 4x4 Tacoma is my first truck, and so far I'm very happy with it. I wanted a small truck that could go off-road, do a little towing, and get me through the snow in winter. The Tacoma does all these beautifully. I got the XtraCab, which provides decent storage space with two jump seats available when needed. The bed is more shallow than I'd like, but it serves my needs. The stock engine of the Tacoma is a 3.4 V6 producing 190 horsepower, but I wanted even more power and opted for the TRD supercharger pumping out an additional 75 hp. This is a $2,500 option, but is really worthwhile if you can afford it. It's also covered by the Toyota warranty. The braking and cornering of the Tacoma is better than most trucks, although body roll is still present. The interior is plain (no Tundra luxury), but all parts feel solid. In summary, the Tacoma runs great off-road and is quick and agile on-road. The vehicle should give you years of dependable service. Highly recommended.

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Nissan Frontier

very stable, good acceleration in automatic turn off overdrive and turn on ECT for highway accelerating and passing.

@ 50,000 miles squeeking when take foot off gas at 30-45 mph(very irritating), shifts up and down too much when going up hill, windows fog up, hard to access tie downs with bed liner

great truck for all uses, good towing capacity, great clearance when offroading, ligher than most trucks in class(good in mud)

V6 Stock Clearance trd looks fairly short thro on the 5-speed quiet cabin Solid feel Xtra cab is key to comfort

clock placement once again Expensive toyota acessories 16" tires could be better...The Rugged Trails that came on it are nice but the stock truck is more suited for some Bridgestone Revos in my opinion Cant think of any more. I guess you get what you pay for.

So far I am very pleased with the truck..I got the v6 just because I wanted something with a little more power. The truck is pretty good size and I think the v6 is the best choice if you haul a lot of stuff around. Im getting fair mpg...About 17 around town and 20 on the highway...Cant expect much more from a strong 6...In my opinion its most definatly the nicest looking truck on the road...And its extremly capable from the minimal off roading I have encountered. I opted for the trd package just because I had the extra cash at the time and it felt more sturdy and tighter on corners. The trd model is also recommended by Consumer Reports for better handling and braking capability. So far I am very pleased with the truck and I will soon have a Jerico Cap going on the back. This is my first Toyota and I plan on owning this one till its dead. If I have problems in the future I will repost...I hope I dont have to do this again...But thanks to all who have because it seemed to help when making my decision...

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First truck of my own...Always wanted 4x4 but never could afford it...Plus I like performance...This truck offers both.... 2000 VW Golf 1997 Honda Accord 1988 Honda Accord 1988 Olds Cutlass

"Bomb Proof" Toyota build and quality. Quiet on the highway (less than 75 MPH). Very stable and predictable steering. Pretty good mileage. Reliable as a swiss watch.

Brake pulsing. Tacoma has a short bed, the Nissan Frontier has an optional 6 foot bed. Also, a lack of a 5 speed with the DBL Cab. I drove these things overseas with a 5 speed, why can't I get one in the USA? Also, no diesel! I want a diesel! I almost went with the Nissan Frontier, because they make a DBL Cab with a 5 Speed, but the local dealers had none.

Bought the DBL Cab because I needed to haul people as well as stuff. I didn't need the 4X4 so I went with the PreRunner, and the 2.7L four. I've recently turned 12,000 miles and can say this vehicle lives up to its reputation as a reliable truck. I have not had any problems yet (except one below). I have not towed anything yet, but will purchase a small trailer soon. I believe that it will handle this task well. The seats are comfortable. I recently drove from Louisville to Key Largo, non-stop, and my back/butt felt fine. I do have those neoprene seat covers too. Toyota quality is high, except that I too, have noticed the brake pulsing. I do not have ABS, so it's something else. I pretty much got all the options on the PreRunner: Rims/power windows/power door locks/cruise control/air cond/cd player. 90% of my mileage is highway travel. It has consistently turned in 21 MPG, as long as I do 70-75 MPH. If I slow it down to 55, I can stretch that figure to 23 MPG. That's not bad with a four speed auto tranny. I have not taken the truck to the dealership yet, but there are a few recalls that have to be completed soon. All other categories of the truck work well. I recommend this truck for someone that needs a reliable "stuff mover". The PreRunner is not a four wheel drive, so don't get this one of you plan on going off-road.

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1981 Datsun 2WD Truck (owned). Numerous 1995-2002 Toyota trucks in the middle east (used/abused). 2003 Land Rover (used/abused) in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Handling and braking are excellent for a truck. This is a 2WD and I'm amazed at the traction. Maine residents know how to drive in winter conditions, and traveling there during a recent blizzard nobody was passing me and I must have passed a half dozen 4WD vehicles that had skidded into ditches. On rutted and pot-holed dirt roads, it actually rides a little better if you speed up--sort of skips across the tops of the pot holes. I don't have ABS, and so far I have not missed them. The truck stops well and is not prone to skid. In 50,000 miles, I have had no mechanical problems. All I've done is change the oil. I've carried loads the probably exceed the specs. Though the steering gets a little light and oncoming traffic thinks your high beams are on, it still handles decently.

I have been unable to master shifting the 5-speed transmission. I grind the gears at least once almost every day. I've taken it to the dealer several times, and they say the tranny is fine. I've driven stick shift vehicles for years, several hundred thousand miles worth, including the '88 Toyota p.u. I previously owned, so it seems like I ought to know how to shift. The problem is markedly worse when its cold. It's usually okay if I shift very slowly, pausing between gears and putting only gentle pressure towards the targeted gear until the synchros line up, but I frequently forget myself and try to shift it like a normal vehicle. Grates and grinds almost every time. I'm disappointed in the mileage. I have the four cylinder engine and the EPA rating specified 22 - 27, but I've never done better than 25, and if you are running the AC, hauling a load, or have a canoe on the top as I frequently do, it gets 23-4 in mostly highway driving. The dash has developed an annoying rattle. The extended cab provides a nice improvement in space over my '88, but it annoys me that if you want to tip the seat forward to put something back there, the seat springs forward. My truck seats have no memory feature, and it always takes me several tries to get the seat readjusted. It irritates me that I need to run the defrost whenever it rains, especially since the compressor always kicks in, eroding the power and already poor mpg. But I have not been able to figure out a way to vent the truck and keep the windows from misting, so I'm forced to use the defrost. The side pockets on the doors are narrow and access is blocked by the arm rests and window cranks. Tie downs are provided in the corners of the bed. They are difficult to access if you install a bed liner. My '88 didn't have this problem, but when you lower the tail gate, a yawning gap opens. If hauling loose mat'l like gravel or mulch, it falls in and clogs the gap. You gotta scrape it out to close the gate.

Overall I'm satisfied with the truck, despite a few pesky issues (see weaknesses). I traded up from an '88 Toyota p.u., and the Tacoma, while earily similar in layout, is a major improvement in every category except mpg. I'm 6'4" and find the seats comfortable (I'm surprised so many other reviewers complained). In the '88, my back was killing me after an hour. I've driven the Tacoma 12 hours at a stretch in comfort. Overall, for the price, I think this truck was a good buy. However, if I had it to do over, I'd shop more than I did when I bought the Tacoma, which was the only truck I considered.

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1988 Toyota pick-up

Damn thing runs and runs and runs. If you keep up with oil changes and checkups you can just keep putting gas in it and it will run forever. I can't complain with how reliable this truck has been.

At 50,000 miles started to develop an awful earspliting scream every time I pushed the clutch pedal in. Every type of lubricant in the world has been tried and nothing will quiet down the sound. Seems as if a $900 extended warranty will cover this...wrong. The clutch itself is sound but the clutch bushing (whatever that is) is worn and that is causing the sound. Toyota Extra Care could give a SH-T less that the dealership wants to charge me $300 to replace the bushing. Don't waste your money on the extended warranty, it doesn't cover anything that actually breaks. Truck is great, warranty is bad.

Could not have been happier with the purchase. I'm in the military and knew I would be putting a lot of miles on the truck and felt Toyota would last forever. Comfortable on long drives (west coast to east coast and back) with great gas mileage for a pickup. Recently put rancho shocks on at 50,000 miles which greatly improved the ride. Plan on keeping the truck until it falls apart, I'm hoping at least 200,000 miles. K&N air filter adds a little boost in power. Only downfall is purchasing the Toyota Extra Care Gold Package. Not the truck's fault, just the dealership who sold it to me. It doesn't cover what should be covered. If you spend $900 on an extended warranty you shouldn't have to pay $300 to get repairs done (will elaborate in weaknesses below)

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2000 Ford Ranger Extra Cab 4WD

I like the truck...and I've been driving Toyota's for many years...but service ain't what it used to be.

Dealer Service

At 15K miles I noticed excessive tire wear on both front tires...inside edge. Obviously an alignment problem. Purchased truck out-of-state and local dealer refused to do anything. I firmly believe this truck was delivered with the front-end out-of-spec and have since found 2 other Tacoma's...same year w/same problem. I've had the truck aligned by a local shop and as expected the alignment was way-out-of-spec! I'm the only driver and therefore convinced it came from the factory out-of-spec. Anyone else experienced this problem? Thanks.

good clearance,looks,power,more room in interior

95'toyota decided to put 3 leaf srings in rear.didn't work.no recall.but they will sell you the repair kit which buy the way comes with four leaf springs.so &771.00 later you have truck you should of had in the first place.cannot replace front u-joints in rear driveshaft have to buy whole thing 1000.00 (!&*&*?) unlike old trucks.i agree with the other review .they were built better in japan.

this is third toyota truck.you can't buy a better small truck.86 i had i put 243,000miles still running great when i sold it.

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1986 4x4 toyota pickup,1989 4x4 toyota pickup

Plenty of engine power. Acceptable gas mileage, good cargo capacity in bed for hauling things.

An inch wider in the cab would make all the difference in the world. Bought the truck with just a short test drive around the block and was in a hurry (my fault). I drive 1 hour each way to work daily, and soon found my back crying in pain. The bucket seats are virtually a little cloth stretched over plywood, and designed for a very small driver. You can go to the junkyard and get a set of bucket seats out of an Astro van and they will bolt up. Hoever, for $24,000, would it be that hard for Toyota to cut loose with a little extra foam padding? Oh well, Im stuck with it as long as my back holds out. Can trade it but will lose a ton of $$. My fault for not doing a susbstantial test drive.

Great looking little truck. Rides up high..peppy and fun to drive. However, miserable in the comfort department.

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Why Ford Ranger doesn,t come out with a 4-dr version is beyond me. They could sell millions of those bad boys.