This is by far the toughest vehicle I have ever driven. This truck just amazed the heck out of me in the torque and pulling capacity. Now I had just the standard cab, so the interior room was a little cramped, but it did what I needed it to do. I used it for my roofing business as a work truck and I has just under 1 ton in the bed and it never even hit the suspension stops. This was one tough truck!!!!! I also love the 31x10.5 stock tires!!! I was even able to a big Chevy Flatbed from an auction 50 miles to its final destination with a 4cyl!!!

The only things that I could say bad about the truck was that it didn't come with a clock and the acceleration was a bit slow.

I would strongly recommend a Toyota to anyone who wants a tough truck that will handle anything you want to throw at it. I used mine for my business and some of the things I used to do to mine were ungodly. It always came back for more. In the three years I leased it, I NEVER had any problems with at all. The first day I had it, I took off road with my wheeling buddies and beat the heck out of it to see what it could handle. This truck never let me down. In fact, I had to pull some the other guys out of the mud bogs!!! Granted even for just a reg cab truck with the 4x4 package it was a little pricey (around 21K) butI firmly believe that you get what you pay for!!!! When I turned the vehicle in 55k miles later, I still had almost 3/4 pads on the brakes!!!! WHAT A TRUCK!!!!!!

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Chevy 1500 4x4, Ford F150 4x4, Dodge Ram 4x4

Looks, Reliablity, Engine smoothness and power. Kicks but when passing. Runs circles around my last Jeeps 4.0L.

Vibrations, Overall ride sucks, Rear suspension, Clock, Transmission can be clunky, Highway stability

Overall Toyota makes a reliable vehicle but they need to use common sense in the design department especially with the clock.

I have experienced driveline vibations since I bought the truck. Have had it to the dealer several times to fix the problem. They did find one bad tire but it did not fix the problem. Only the shimmy somewhat. The stock Goodyears suck IMO. Toyota replaced the drive shaft and U-joints but the vibration is still there. They gave up after this and said it is the nature of the truck. Bulls@$t, I do not believe that a mfg. would release a product this way. I am currently in arbitration with them and by the end of next week I should know the outcome. I see that other owners have experienced this and feel free to email to discuss this if you want.

I am trying to keep and open mind with regards to Toyota products but I am not satisfied with this truck. My previous 88 V6 had it all over this truck in smoothness and ride.

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Ford Ranger, Previous Toyota 4wd.

Very Fast I put a clamp on K&N and retarded my exhaust cams 1 tooth, Revs like crazy now. Lowered the back 2 inches helps a tad.

handles like a truck but what do you excpect? Does alright considering, throw-out bearings go out too easy

Does great all-around. Great look, great performance(hi 15's)and I can haul things in the back. The only small truck to buy.

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No other small truck can even hang close. Chirps the tires into 3rd gear, beats most import racers. Except Gsr and up Vtec's but I'm still pretty stock. I raced a 2000 mustang V6 with exhaust(flowmaster) a K&N and plugs and wires and beat him by 2 car lengths with a bad start!

Great ground clearance,with a strong motor and low ratio gears I haven't found anywhere I can't go. Fast for a 4X4 which surprises most people who expect the acceleration of a freight train. Have left quite a few wannabes behind at the light.

Annoying vibration a around 45Mph and when decelerating that no one can seem to pinpoint the cause for.....yet.

Toyota quality and committment to fixing things BEFORE they get to the showroom are much appreciated. The TRD package is worth the asking price for the electric lock diffs. alone, the suspension goodies are like an extra bonus thrown in. Hey, if you are going to spend 22K on a base truck, step back and have a look at what the SR5 package adds to the truck and you will probably opt for it just as I did.
Awesome truck!

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94 Chevy S-10-SS
Could keep up with the SS up to around 90Mph or so, after that I really don't want to be sitting with that high of a center of gravity going that fast. better offroad manners than the Chevy, but a little twitchy in high speed turns.

V6 mill is very strong, super reliable, great looks, excellent suspension

poor gas mileage (15-18), tranny (auto) shifts pretty hard, backseat only good for coolers :) subs or little kids. No clock !?! fender flares like to chip and turn white from driving on gravel roads.

super pickup for anybody that wants a vehicle that wont fall apart after years of hard use. I've only got 19000 miles on mine but i can tell already that it will go for as long as i want to drive it. I read several reviews for the later model tacomas (98-2000) and alot have complained of a rattle around the passenger airbag area. my toyota service man just wedged a piece of plastic in front of the dash and it dont make any more noice, and its not noticable. Also the cubby hole under the ash tray rattles, the only way i've found to fix it is turn up the stereo. The locking rear diff works great in sticky situations. I was disapointed to see that the SR5 package didn't come with a digital clock. the V6 is pretty quick, i've made a lot of V6 stang owners mad, even out run a new 1/2 ton chevy with exhaust and a 327 engine. all my buddys drive 1/2 ton fords and chevys, but im always the one that gets called to pull them out of a snow drift or mud hole. also the best mods that you can do for the stereo besides completly replacing it is to add a 400 watt amp and a 12" Kicker Solo-Baric sub. also tinting the windows to match the factory tint makes one bad lookin ride. I had a bed liner sprayed in because i didnt feel right scraching the p!ss out of a brand new bed. also if ya order one from the factory dont opt for the running light/front abs package (its not worth the $600) I pity the fool who thinks anything besides Tacomas are the best pickups!!!

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had an 88 Toy 4X4 and it was bullet proof. dad has a 94 4x4 toy and its tougher than nails! Im sure my tacoma is just as tough.

There is a lot of interior room. The truck is very reliable in all of the snow.

NOTICE: The CROME is RUSTING!!!!! I purchased the truck brand new!!! It is only 4 months old and I have had to replace the bumper and all four of the rims!!!! I have spoke to two seperate dealerships, and they tell me
that there is no reason to replace the rims because in a couple of months they will rust again. They also tell me that it does not matter how much to wash it or wax it. I can't imagine what else I will have to replace on the truck.

I really enjoy my Toyota, but it has been nothing but a hassel. I have spent a lot of time replacing pieces on my 4 month old truck. In four months I should not have to be concerned about what is going to rust next. My truck is under warrenty, but I wonder what else is defective on the veichle. If you have the time to spend waiting for replacement parts and like dealing with sales people, this would be the veichle for you. I am sure not all of the products are like mine, but the chance is up to you. I would not recommend purchasing a veichle that is not made of high quality material.

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Although I enjoy the bodystyle of the Toyota, comparable trucks of Ford and Chevy are not rusting!!! They have been through the same wear and tear of my Toyota. They are made of better quality material. If you are going to invest your money, you might want to think twice.

Good power, excellent suspension (TRD with Bilsteins), capable off-roader, not much wind noise, even with big mirrors.

Squeaks, rattles, fit and finish, overall chassis build quality.

I bought a 1990 4x4 from Toyota, new in March of 1990. I just retired that truck into my brother's capable hands. That truck has only around 140,000 miles on it, and he's really happy to have it (his 87 Camry with 270,000 miles was getting a little raggedy).

I treated myself to a loaded extra cab this time, and spent literally twice the money I did on my first truck. The truck was delivered from Gulf States Toyota (our regional wholesaler) without the alarm because it was on national back-order. It also had a cracked turn signal lens and a missing trim piece. Figured I'd get all these fixed in one trip. Wrong. The small parts had to be special ordered, and by the time the alarm had come in three moths later, the dealer had sent back the turn signal lens and the trim piece. In the dealer's defense, the new car sales manager pried the pieces off of one of his trucks in stock!

I had the thing only a week, and the dash started to rattle and squeak. The squeak's on the driver's side, the rattle's on the passenger side. Ugh. Within another week, the wiring to the high-mounted stop light started to rattle above my head. Then, the cover for the baby seat tether hook began to rattle.

Next, I noticed a buzzing noise under the dash when the truck's in gear and my foot's on the brake (like at a stop light), happening only sometimes. Then, it started to happen all the time. At least it goes away when I put my foot on the gas pedal. To top it off, the power steering pump sounds like a FORD! (or like a GMC low on power steering fluid).

You think I'm too picky? After all, it's a truck, right? Don't expect Lexus quality in a Toyota, especially a truck, you say?

Bullsh*t. I'm only expecting TOYOTA quality. I have eleven years of experience with Toyota Pick-Ups. My 1990 didn't start to squeak until it was ridden hard and put away wet many times, beyond the 8 year and 100k mile mark. And then, it would only do it on occasion. As for rattles, not a one.

Search this page on the word "rattle" or "squeak", you'll see what I mean. Check out how many of the guys who posted here owned previous Toyota pickups, loved them, and bought another. We're all saying "the truck is great, but, you know, it squeaks and rattles a lot, and I wish the gas mileage was better".

We all bought based on the record of reliability we had with our previous Toyotas. Even if they weren't perfect (hey, my old truck blew a head gasket), they were better than most anything else available.

Potential buyer, you figure it out. Toyota has dropped the quality ball and does not deliver a product at the level it used to, even if it is still better than a Dodge. Ya gotta realize, that's not saying much.

Further, Toyota can not service well what they sell. J.D. Power and Associates Reports rank Toyota near the bottom of their Dealer Service Customer Satisfaction ratings. They used to win this category, hands down.

That's why Toyota can still sell cars and trucks today at such inflated prices. For crying out loud, these trucks are made in California now. There's no reason for the high price now, as there was when they had to be shipped from Japan and were slapped with high tariffs by our protectionist government.

It's just that we customers will pay for what we PERCEIVE as quality, even if our perceptions were truly formed years ago about a different product.

I sincerely hope I'm proved wrong about the wonderfully designed, but squeaky and rattling, truck I'm driving today. I have a strong feeling it will fall apart a lot faster than the last one. I hope I'm proved wrong about the dealer service, too. We'll see...

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1990 Totyota DX 4x4 I owned for 11 years was much less lavish, but had excellent off-road capability and much better chassis integrity. I wish the laid-back California work crew was more attentive to detail. The 2001 I now own is a good truck, but Toyota used to make a GREAT truck!

The truck is reliable and good looking. But I think to many people have been taken in on Toyota's advertising.

The seats in this truck are very uncomfortable unless your only driving it a half hour or so.It's not that wide and the ride is not that good. It gets poor gas mileage and you can't use regular gas in it. I own a Dodge Dakota and it's true I have had a few minor problems with it. All covered under warrantee. But it's beautiful, has a great ride, plenty of room, handles great and it uses reg. gas. I could drive this truck across country and not get tired driving it. You sure can't say that about the Tacoma.

Have driven the Tacoma many times and was not impressed with the truck at all. It is good looking and I know all about Toyota's reputation for quality. But I also want to be comfortable in a truck. I want room to take friends with me and not feel like Charle Tuna. I want to be able to drive it a few hours and feel relaxed. You don't get that with the Tacoma. My Dakota had all that and rides like a car. I think I would rather have a few problems and love to drive it. Rather than have no problems and feel beat up at the end of a trip.

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Ford Ranger & Dakota. Ranger got a lot better mileage than either the Dodge or Toyota. Dodge handled better than either.

Dependability, looks, rides smooth

gas mileage is not the best. Could have a little more power when accellerating from a complete stop.

As long as you keep up with the scheduled maintenance this truck will last a long time and run great. If you drive long miles on a daily basis, this truck will break you on the gas mileage.

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Chevy S-10. I like the Toyota a lot better.

Dependable so far (at 40,000 miles), good paint, easy to change oil and filter, good factory stereo and speakers in my opinion, good AC and heater.

Terrible handling especially on curves on a bumpy road (jumps sideways and feels like it wants to roll), uncomfortable seats, clutch hard to shift in 1st and 2nd, no power in 1st, clutch over-tight or something, worse mileage than my '86 4-cyl Hi-Lux. Windshield fogs up bad in winter, defroster not so good. Don't like looks all that much either.

Don't care much for this truck, which I purchased used (1 yr. old - 15,000 miles on it) but will probably keep it - all I really ask out of a truck is it get me where I'm going and is trouble-free. Hopefully Toyota dependability will make it worth keeping - I follow the routine maintainance schedule and no problems so far. And at least the rusting problem seems to have been solved - black paint holds wax pretty well. My old truck was more basic but better - this one has nice carpenting and a cupholder (two in fact) but is annoying to drive because of sluggish, sticking transmission and poor handling. I drive on-road only; handles ok in snow with weight in back. Stock tires lame so maybe new and better ones will make this truck handle and drive better.

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Had an '86 Hi-Lux Toy 4-cyl. p/up which rusted out at about 300,000 miles after many trips out west. Loved that truck, ran great! Wish I had it back. Everything worked perfectly and it never broke down except once when I put in some bad gas in it in New Mexico.