Strong engine. Ride is comfortable and smooth, EXCEPT WHEN I STOP!! Bang!

Interior is boring. Stereo is WEAK. Banging in the rear end.

Not a bad truck but I wouldn't rave about it. The stock radio is very weak and the interior is just O.K. The V6 engine is strong and smooth. The suspension seems very soft. It's not a bad ride on the road and I'm sure it would be good for off-road driving but I bought it to haul construction materials and I'm really questioning whether it can carry the 1500 pounds it's rated for. Also, I have a loud bang in the rear end whenever I come to a complete stop. Toyota tells me it's the drive shaft sliding and that the noise is very normal. Normal?? For who? Had a GMC Sonoma for 10 years and it never made any noises like this. Come on Toyota, at least make an effort to fix it. If it wasn't for all of the repairs I had to do to the Sonoma, I would have bought another. All I can say is, this thing better be reliable.

Similar Products Used:

'91 GMC Sonoma SLE

Sits up nice and high. Looks nice. AM/FM-CD-Cassette very good for a Toyota. Engine runs smoothly and automatic does well with decent power for a 4 cylinder.

Rough ride. Steering very erratic--hard to control. High center of gravity which is prone to overturning. It really scares me to think of what will happen if I have to take a hard turn in an evasive action--I will overturn for sure!

Overall this is a decent truck for the money. I just can't get over the poor steering on this truck. At slow speeds it is fine, but at higher speeds it is down-right scary. I am trading it in soon because I simply do not feel safe driving it. Others may feel differently. This truck does look nice and has many good points.

Similar Products Used:

86 Toyota 4x2--loved it. Bought this one because of my 86 Toyota.

This truck is fast. It is the quickest one in town. It has a 3.4 V6 under the hood. My Tacoma loves burnouts. I can sit in one spot and smoke the tires all day long. This truck can really handle the high rpm's. I took it on the freeway and the govoner stopped me at 107 MPH. I raced a 2000 tundra with a V8 and stayed right with him. I love this truck and am never going to sell it.

My truck is all stock. I need to buy some aftermarket parts for it. The truck bed is to light. When I race from a dead stop is is really hard not to spin the tires.(giving me a late start)The finnal weakness is the govoner kicks in at 107 mph.

This truck is the best. All of my friends are jelous of me. I got it for a great deal. If I was going to get anthor truck I would definetly get a toyota.

Similar Products Used:

This is the best truck I have ever drove. Nothing Compares.

Great view of the road. Excellent all weather traction. Strong engine with good throttle response. Good ergonomics. Well built rattle free interior. Low amounts of exterior body plastic.

Automatic transmission is somewhat abrupt (not as smooth as the F-150)
Automatic transmission seams to shift early on hills sometimes (use ETC setting)
Horn sounds like it came straight from the Tercel.
Bumps and stutters easily upset tracking and the tight suspension gives a harsh highway ride.
Loud highway tire noise.
Standard items like clocks, interior lighting, etc. costs extra and Toyota should be ashamed for that.
Costs a little more than some full size trucks, but hey, if you can get 250,000 miles out of it, it's like buying two trucks at once anyway.
Oil filter hard to reach (after draining the oil it still holds fluid which promply runs down your arm when removed and then onto the skid plate out the back and onto your driveway - not an ecologically friendly design)

In the winter of 2000 Arkansas had a bad ice storm closing the highways and locking up the state. I got stuck in the storm while traveling with the truck and fared much better than several 4wd trucks (Prerunners just look like 4x4's). The roads were horrible but I was able to cross medians to go around jacknifed diesels and pass dozens of other vehicles in the ditches.
My previous employer has a Toyota truck with 260,000 miles with the original engine.
After driving a 4 cylinder Ford Ranger this truck is amazing.
The extended cab is good for short trips with friends and very usefull for storing items when the weather is bad.
My negative comments above are minor issues that should not turn anyone away from this brand. Overall a great vehicle I highly recommend to anyone searching for a realiable, well built, long lasting truck.

Similar Products Used:

Ford Ranger (weakest 4 cylinder ever)
GMC Sierra (Good utility vehicle)
F-150 (Best full size in my opinion)

This is by far the best 4x4 i've ever driven off the show room floor. You are surrounded by quality inside and out, the interior does not give you the cheap feeling you get in other make small trucks. The exterior is also a work of art with a quality looking fit and paint, it is absolutly a beautful truck.

My only complaint is the price, but i guess ya get what ya pay for. I could mention the stiff ride on the high way, but once ya get this thing off road you know your in a serious 4x4 rig, but even with the stiff ride it behaves well at highway speeds.!Have heard other folks complain about the seats being uncomfortable. Well the bucket seats in some i test drove did feel odd, but since i went with the short cab and it comes with the bench seat, let me tell ya it sets higher and has a much better feel than the bucket seats. Last but not least, it's just too damn pretty to scratch up.

I live in the piney woods of NE Texas, and have extensive 4x4 experience at work and play.This is by far the most capible truck off road, as is, from the dealer i've ever driven. My Tachoma was the only truck that could make it to a bull dozer which had run out of fuel while building an oil field access road through a swamp.Should have seen the contractors eyes when we pulled up with fuel!They had been using the dozer to pull dump trucks and equipment in and out. Well, enuff said, if ya want a great looking truck that is capible off road, and will last forever (10-15 years), get this truck. The only hard part is talking yourself into paying that much, but trust me I have no regrets.

Similar Products Used:

I drive s-10's, and fords at work and each one starts to fall apart at the 2 year mark.These work trucks are not beat on either, we drive them as if they were our own and they still fall apart. The only truck i've had that even compares is a nissan hard body, another truck that will last forever. Oh yea, forgot to mention the sound system quit in every GM truck i've driven at the 3 year mark!

The Best qualities of having this truck is that it's not small like a ford ranger or S10 and isn't too large as a f150 or chevy. it's just right. excellent off road and has great managability.

the back cab is a little small and the seats can be a little more comfortable.

overall the truck performs excellent. it has the looks, agressivness off road, and durability. it handles well and has been my pride and joy ever since i got it. i plan to put a lift on it to make it look a little more aggressive and attractive.

Similar Products Used:

i drove a S10 for a while and had nothing but problems. toyotas are the best vehicle a person can buy truck wise or car wise.

Good steering tracking. Decent composure on rough pavement. Prerunner looks meaner than WWF character. Design has aged well. Well-calibrated auto tranny.

Loud wind noise from rear window. Intermittent rattle from dash just like my 95 Tacoma. Skimpy clearcoat in places.

Regular cab with 4cyl has decent power, even w/auto. Prerunner package, with big tires, rides better than expected. Get the bucket seats, not bench seat, if you can. Biggest gripe is noise -- even for a truck. Undercoating helps reduce tire howl, but engine and tranny buzz gets old fast. Rear sliding window installation looks haphazard and gaps produce whoosh that drowns out radio on interstate. And Toyota would you please pay better attention to dasboard assembly--same broken bracket as in my 95 Tacoma that caused same buzzy rattle. Somebody call the Camry engineers. Hurry.

Similar Products Used:

4 cyl auto is peppier than 6-cyl 5-spd Ranger once owned, though noiser. Rear-end is much more composed on rough pavement than Rangers.

The best off road vehicle you can buy!, suspension has excellent manners on and off road. The fact that it comes with a locker says it all. Combine this with Toyota quality and craftsmanship and you have the best truck money can buy, full size or compact.

Could use better aftermarket support. The available lifts and other modifications are expensive for the most part. Truck gets blown all over on the highway in heavy winds but hey, it's a truck...

I have owned the truck exactly one year today and have rung up 30k miles. The truck has performed flawlessly and I have taken it down some tough trails in New England. I would not have the confidence to do this with any other truck. My only complaint is poor stability in high cross-winds on the highway. The truck makes up for it in all other areas. It has a pretty good factory sound system. It swallows potholes and bumps with little comotion. It is also sharp looking, covered with mud or all shined up to take the woman out on the town...

Similar Products Used:

Have driven all big three compacts and full sized, Jeeps and Hummvee. They do not compare off road, or in quality. I must admit my full sized GMC was a better truck for long rides in terms of comfort...

The truck gets good gas mileage, does extremly well in off-road situations,has plenty of power {to be a 4cyl}for climbing hills,playing in the mud,and towing my bass boat.

I wish that it had better acceleration.

If it accelerated as good as the full size trucks I've had,I would have no complaints at all.But,its not a full size truck.It performs better in off-road situations because it is smaller,lighter,and manuevers better than a full size.
I got what I paid for.And reccomend a Tacoma to anyone that doesn't have a lead foot.

Similar Products Used:

98'Dodge Ram and 97'Chevrolet Z71
Tacoma beats both hands down.

The V-6 engine coupled with the automatic transmission is smooth and has plenty of power, although you won't win any drag races with the bigger, more powerful American V-8 products. The gas mileage in traffic hovers around 12-14 mpg and can stand some improvement. The body finish and overall appearance of the truck is excellent. The extra cab is a bit cramped, but the overall feeling is more spacious than my previous Toyota. Potential buyers need to consider what they'll likely be piling into the back of their Toy and may want to consider the new 4-door if you anticipate taking a co-worker or two to lunch. The handling is sportscar like. As for dependability -- hey, it's a Toyota. My old 4x4 was 10 years old and had over 170,000 miles on it when I traded it and it was still going strong. I would've gotten more use out of it if I hadn't driven it through the salt water in Galveston so many times. I fully expect to go over 200,000 miles with this truck.

The truck came with Firestone Wilderness tires. This is something I failed to notice before I closed the deal and is somewhat troublesome to me. While my dealer has assured me that the Firestones alloted to Toyota are not experiencing the well-publicized problems as those that come with the Ford Explorers, I will in all probability seek replace them, pending a recall.

There is a little bit of an interior rattle over the bumps and the truck does tend to ride harsh sometimes, but this is to be expected since the truck does have an off-road suspension. I haven't had an opportunity to engage the rear differential lock yet, but having read the experience as described by other owners, I expect it will perform as advertised. But I will bring a winch when I visit the desert this spring.

So far, my 2000 Pre-Runner is living up to my expectations. But I would caution those who buy the extended cab with the intent of inviting passengers to consider the new 4-door model. Other than that, it's an excellent value and you cannot buy a better product.

Similar Products Used:

I've owned three trucks in my lifetime: a Dodge D-100 (absolutely sucked. I spent more time underneath my Dodge than I spent in the drivers seat -- as far as I'm concerned, the U.S. Government should've let Chrysler die a merciful death when it went belly up in the 80s. Their products suck and their after-sale warranty service is worse). The second truck was a 1990 Toyota 4x4. It was an excellent vehicle, but I had a lot of trouble with the air conditioner in the second 100,000 miles. This Pre-Runner is my third truck and I anticipate that it will perform as well as my 1990 4x4.