Toyota Tacoma

Although Toyota billed the 2016 Tacoma as a redesign, this was by no means a clean-sheet, start-from-scratch effort. The Tacoma remains as rough and tumble as it has always been. Toyota's compact pickup features a 3.5-liter V6 hooked up to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine, which can be mated to a five-speed manual, is also available. Both two- and four-wheel-drive models are offered. Our four-wheel-drive V6 Tacoma delivered a good 19 mpg overall. Though the truck is tough as nails and delivers impressive off-road prowess, it's primitive. The ride is stiff, handling is ponderous, the cabin is very loud, and the driving position is awkwardly low. The modern connectivity features are welcome. 2018 models got the Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) as standard equipment, which includes forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Safety features such as blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning are available. For 2020, the Tacoma got a mild freshening that brought thicker glass to suppress noise, the availability of a power driver's seat and, finally, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The Tacoma pickup truck has traditionally been a reliable, but hard-riding workhorse. It holds its value surprisingly well, making bargain-priced used ones hard to find. The Tacoma comes with one of two sizes of four-cylinder engines, or a more desirable V6 engine, which in more recent examples was a 4.0-liter V6. The ride is awful, bucking and jittering constantly and the cabin is loud. Handling is clumsy, but ultimately secure. The high floor and low roof make access tricky and the low driving position is awkward. Interior materials are quite rudimentary, as befitting a work vehicle. Versions powered by the V6 are rated to tow about 6500 pounds, but payload capacity is relatively small. TRD-equipped trucks are excellent off-road.

Introduced for 1995, the compact Tacoma pickup is available in regular-, extended-, and, since 2001, crew- cab models, and with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive. Two four-cylinder engines-a 2.4- and a 2.7-liter-are offered, along with the more desirable 3.4-liter, 190-hp V6. Unlike most other Toyota offerings, the Tacoma was unimpressive in our tests. It jitters uncomfortably on smooth roads, and kicks and snaps on poor ones. The steering is slow and numb. Stopping distances are long without the optional antilock brakes, which can be hard to find. The cabin is quiet, but the seats are low and lack support.