Introduction

In a field of outstanding trucks, the Toyota Tacoma stands out as one of the best, perhaps the best, of a very good bunch. It comes in a wide range of configurations to please a wide range of buyers. As a result, the Tacoma dominates the market for midsize pickups. The Tacoma offers a comfortable cab, a refined ride, and quality construction. Its onroad handing is responsive, its offroad capability is proven. The Double Cab delivers more rearseat comfort than most of the competition, with enough room to rival a small sedan. Properly equipped V6 models can to tow up to 6,500 pounds. Models range from a $15,000 work truck with a fourcylinder and 2WD to a $31,000 V6 4WD Double Cab Long Bed with all the candy. The base model is among the few regularcab pickups still available, as the market has moved to extendedcab and crew cab styles; it excels at durability and reliability. Tacoma PreRunner models can make you feel like Ivan "Ironman" Stewart practicing for the Baja 1000, while the sporty XRunner may make you feel like Rod Millen preparing to blast up Pike's Peak. New for 2008 is the Rugged Trail package, with locking rear differential, specially tuned offroad suspension, skid plate, 16inch black Baja wheels, black overfenders, and unique graphics. There are no other changes for 2008. For 2007, Toyota upgraded the front seats for enhanced interior comfort, while chromerimmed instruments and new audio head units brightened its twotone instrument panel. Compact pickups aren't what they used to be. For one thing, they're no longer compact. Nor are they uncomfortable. They're more comfortable and more capable than ever before.

Walkaround

The Toyota Tacoma is an attractive truck, though not as stylish as its competitors from Nissan and Dodge. Big headlights and a bold grille highlight the Tacoma's front end. Flush rear surface glass and flush surface structures between the bumper sides and body give it a polished look. PreRunner and 4WD models are distinguished by bold overfenders. Overall length of the Tacoma varies by body style: Regular Cabs are the shortest and most maneuverable, measuring 190.4 inches overall on a 109.4inch wheelbase. Access Cab and Double Cab shortbed models have a 127.2inch wheelbase and 208.1inch overall length. Double Cab longbed models are quite long at 221.3 inches overall on a 140.9inch wheelbase. All models have sixfoot beds except the Double Cab shortbed, which has a fivefoot bed. How to choose? Regular Cab models pack lots of cargo space in a relatively small package, good for maneuverability in the big city. Regular Cab PreRunners and 4WD's also have the best breakover angle due to their short length, and therefore offer the best capability off road. Access Cabs feature large dual rear auxiliary doors, not good for people but very good for gear. Double Cabs have long, conventionally hinged rear doors that open 80 degrees for ease of entry or loading gear. Double Cabs offer the peoplecarrying comfort of a sportutility. Longbed Double Cabs can carry more stuff but are unwieldy in tight places. Tacoma comes with a composite inner bed, lighter than steel yet tougher and more durable. The bed features twotier loading and an integrated deck rail utility system with four adjustable tiedown cleats. The rails are compatible with Genuine Toyota Accessories, including cargobed cross bars, a forkmount bike rack, and diamondplate storage boxes.

Interior Features

All of the latestgeneration midsize pickups have decent interiors, but the quality of Toyota's interior materials seems just a little better. The lower dash and console are a lighter color than the main upper dash, brightening the interior. Chrome rings surround the three clustered gauges. Not everyone loves the perforated silver plastic used for the center stack. But the cloth upholstery is decent and the seats look nice. In fact, Toyota made the Tacoma's seats bigger last year, which was an improvement. The manually adjustable seats include lumbar adjustment but no adjustment for seat height or the angle of the seat bottom, whereas the power seats on the Nissan Frontier have these features. Overall, the Tacoma provides the driver with a good driving position. Big mirrors afford a good view to the rear. Solid cup holders are provided in the center console area. On models that don't have sport seats, the front passenger's seatback flips down to form a tray table or to make room for long objects, a handy feature. The switchgear is easy to operate, and everything is where you expect it to be. Big rotary knobs make it easy to adjust cabin temperature even with gloves on; the knobs are electronic, so they're easy to twist. The radio is fully integrated into the upper center stack and it's easy to operate. CDs sound good through the JBL speakers. We aren't thrilled with the pullout handbrake that comes on models with manual transmissions, as we prefer a lever or footbrake. Models with automatics come with a footoperated parking brake. The rear seats in the Tacoma Double Cab are particularly comfortable for the class, offering good legroom and shoulder room and decent headroom. The seatback is angled back slightly, making it more comfortable than the overly upright rear seats in some other compact pickups. In a backtoback comparison test, we found the back seats of the Tacoma more comfortable than those in the Frontier. A younger person should be okay to ride across the state back there, and even adults won't complain too much on short trips. The rear windows even go all the way down. The rearseat area in the Double Cab is also good for carrying cargo. The seat is split 60/40. Flip the seat bottoms forward and fold the two sections down to form a flat platform for gear. It takes two hands to do this, and you first have to remove the headrests, which is a hassle, though Toyota has at least provided a place to store them. The backs of the seatbacks are hard, and form a sturdy cargo floor. It's not a bad spot for a dog, better than the bumpy floors in the Nissan Frontier and Dodge Dakota, but still a big jump down. Our experience has been that none of the trucks in this class is particularly good for dogs. The Access Cab has rear seats, but they're pretty hopeless for humans. The space back there is best used for small cargo that you don't want to put in the bed.