have new water-resistant fabric. For more details, check out our first look of the pickup.

You can now get a Single Cab 4x4 with an automatic. Makes a good fleet addition. I find the addition of what sounds like rubber floors for access and double cabs delightful. The interior looks better and the outside is growing on me. Still no love for the lack of 6-speed auto transmissions, and the manual 6 speed needs more ratio spread. Direct injection would be cool...

You can get a full size more capable truck from the big American three for less money & more capability! Why bother with this way overpriced & OverHyped, mini-me of a truck!

@Len- ...and a Dodge Caravan has way more room than a Mustang, gets nearly the same milage, and can be had for less money. Why would anyone want a Mustang???? Get so tired of that stoopid droning.

Toyota is turning-up the heat with these changes!

Wow yes turning up the heat with 4speed automatics!

Who's left in this segment? Frontier/Equator, Ranger (barely counts), Colorado/Canyon, and Dakota (soon gone). Given the lack of competition, Toyota may have themselves a winner with the new Tacoma.

http://youarewhatyoudrive.blogspot.com

Who's left in this segment? Frontier/Equator, Ranger (barely counts), Colorado/Canyon, and Dakota (soon gone). Given the lack of competition, Toyota may have themselves a winner with the new Tacoma.

http://youarewhatyoudrive.blogspot.com

Why is this not posted in the Compact/Midsize section of this site?

Why do people buy the Tacoma ? its hideously fugly it has absolutely no intrinsic value and its a recall king , that Toyota koolaid must be potent .

The Tacoma is for the elderly (Toyota in general) or beginning drivers. People that have trouble driving/parking full-size vehicles.

Wake me when there's a MT longbed crew cab.

I'll just hang on to my Colorado, thank you.

Until you have driven a Tacoma off-road, stop knocking it. It has a tighter turning radius than full-size trucks and can go places they can't. Cool technology like hill assist and clutchless starting, to name a couple, make this truck great for off-roading. People don't always buy Tacomas to haul big loads or carry lots of people. They often buy them for the excellent off-road prowess and reliability that Toyota trucks have shown for the past 25+ years. I owned a Tacoma for 10 years, and in that time I replaced a battery and the tires. That's it! These are great trucks and Toyota is smart not to mess with a sure thing. I would like the stronger 4.0L V-6 from the 4Runner, though.

@MrKnowitall that is why the prices are as high as the full sizers, so you will buy a Full Size vehicle with more profit margin for the company, than a smaller vehicle with less. No surprise then that all of the companies are phasing out their midsize pickups. If the price of fuel goes through the roof., then smaller Full Size vehicles and possible diesels will be back on the agenda.

Until you have driven a full-size pickup on the road, while hauling 2,000 pounds in the bed or towing more than 8,000 pounds, stop knocking them. They have a higher load capacity and strength than a Tacoma. Cool technology like; a V8 (or turbocharged 6-cyl.s), solid-front axles (Ford & Ram HDs), and built-in tow brake controllers. People do not always buy a full-size pickup to go off-roading. They often buy them for excellent power, strength, and durability that Ford, General Motors, and Ram (Dodge) have shown for the last 75+ years. I have owned a Dodge Ram 2500, for over six-years, and in that I have replaced the tires and brakes. Thank goodness the warranty took care of the rear-locker actuator and front pinion seal. That is it!!! These are great trucks and Nissan (Titan) and Toyota (Tundra) are not smart for trying to mess with the big boys. I would like; a stronger solid-front axle in all 1/2 tons & G.M. HD pickups, and a selectable locker in the front of the F-150 S.V.T. Raptor though.

Pip-pip cheerio!

@Buy American a case of different needs, different vehicle. That is the point. What the problem as I can ascertain, is the choice of a midsize/full size will disappear for the immediate future. I think posters here what the choice to remain. Given the state of the US economy and the not so healthy balance sheets of companies, it will be a case of one size fits all. Or has Henry Ford said "You can buy a T-model in any colour as long as it is black"

@ maxx

there is a crew cab long bed model. its called a 7596 model.

@ Len AND buy american

First of all you CANNOT buy a detroit 3 (not american nor domestic, just detroit headquarters) EQUALLY equipped for less money than the Tacoma.

Secondly,

the Tacoma not only is tough its LEGENDARY, it hands down is the toughest truck built for longevity. If you dont believe me go to an off road park, look around at what MOST of them are driving and kickin the SH** out of and you'll then understand. people runnin domestics there CONSTANTLY break things unless they upgrade them. with the Toyota's they'll leave factory axles, ect. with huge tires and have ZERO problems.

Thirdly,
Go to a local dealer and price out a pre-owned tacoma. You'll find that they ALSO hold their value FAR FAR better than the trucks you proudly talk smack about.

@hemi lol,

You sound like a fanboi, stop dude. You were doing so good with the lowrider stuff.

Come on bro!

@buy American

Wow, dude! That is the most immature post I have ever seen from you. Immitating my post, huh? Hmmm...says a lot about you and your maturity level. Anyway, you can't compare a midsize truck to a full-size heavy duty truck any more than you can compare a coupe to a sedan so your comment is null.

The looks of this truck are starting to grow on me. I think the "pug dog" look is more pronounced with a lighter body colour. I do tend to agree with hemilol. The local 4x4 club is mostly pre-Taco compact trucks or 1st gen Taco's. I do see tons of '70's era F250's with big mudders, and minimal lifts.

I recall mudding as a kid back in high school. We were in my buddies F250 Highboy-- a beautiful truck. We buried it up past the doors and were flat out stuck. We rode back to town in the back of a Toyota pickup that had no problems in this situation... .

Big/small trucks have their time and place--in that mud field, I'd take the Toyota. If I was hauling wood or pulling a trailer, I'd take the Highboy. Going forward, its looking like only Toyota/Nissan will give us that kind of choice... .

@ frank

for what its worth i was just defending against the BS post by buy american.

People will pay whatever Toyota demands for the Tacoma because they hold their value.

I bought my grandson a brand new 2007 Tacoma 4-cyl, manual transmission, with air, when he got out of the Air Force to go to college.

And when he bought himself a 2011 4-dr 4X4 V6 automatic Tacoma after he graduated he got back 65% of what the 2007 cost me! Sixty-five percent!!! I would not believe it if I hadn't been there to see it for myself.

Try to get that back from ANY other compact truck.

Toyota can charge whatever they can get away with on the Tacoma and people will still buy it because the Tacoma is the best truck in that class.

Brian-

You are correct. My apologies, sir. My (poor) decision to mirror your post was out of line. It was not meant as a personal attack at you. It was just my quick, not well thought out, attack at the mentality that full-size trucks do not serve a purpose or can not hold their own off-road. Just defending the other camp.

I do not deny the capabilities of the Tacoma. I subscribe to five different off-road magazines and have seen pictures of Tacomas doing some pretty wicked things; stock, semi-stock, and crazy built. In those same magazines I have seen full-size pickups doing some gnarly things also.

Again sorry, Brian, hemi lol and anyone else that I got fired up with my poor choice of posting. All trucks serve a purpose, for different tastes and needs, and everybody has their own reasons why they buy a particular product.

not offering a standard cab prerunner is a big mistake on their part....IMHO

the Tacoma is a good truck you see them everywhere and are reliable, but for me i don't off road and have no use for a small truck like that, as for price Toyota's are more expensive and they should hold their value, i had a 4 runner it was ok but my insurance was higher and parts cost a lot more, compared to the 1/2 tons of today price is the same and so is the FE, so until they stop paving the roads i think i will do with out

wow, look at all the nick pickers...... it doesn't this, it doesn't that......... it selling more than others in its class so its doing something right......seriously, do peeps have nothing better to do.

seriously, do peeps have nothing better to do. @uh huh
apparently or they would not come to this website

@ Buy American

I thought that your post was hilarious!

...And I completely agree

LOLHemi: I agree with you! you can't get a full size for the same price as a taco, you get More Truck For the $$$ any wayyou look at it, the only way you would pay more $$$ for a full size, is a truck that has MORE features, capacity towing an hauling, and in many cases get better MPG to boot. The only thing I also agree on is that the taco is a good truck off road, due to size isues only, oh an one more is the ease of parking too. But for me I would rather ssspend my $ on a full size truck, as long as the manuf. insist on selling us a truck that is 3/4 size and full price, the only mid size is the Dakota that I own, buit they ruined thaat too..

Those who argue its better to spend that money on a full-size for better capabilities well a few points:

What if the owner of the Tacoma does not need to haul 1 ton or pull 10,000 lbs.?

Why would you waste money for just a show bunny of a full-size pickup?

Also your forgetting about cost of ownership! The Tacoma will have lower cost of ownership compared to the heavy full-size and the Tacoma retains its value better than any pickup in the world!

Unless you need a full-size for work or farm, it's just a show bunny!!!

@ oxi - "Those who argue its better to spend that money on a full-size for better capabilities well a few points:

What if the owner of the Tacoma does not need to haul 1 ton or pull 10,000 lbs.?"

Why are you contradicting yourself?

You stated a while back you were adding Deaver springs to your Taco to give you 1 ton capacity.

Hmmmm.........most guys would rather buy a LEGALLY RATED truck than 1/2 ass it and be ILLEGAL for road use.

There are trucks that are built to do truck jobs, such as full-size trucks. There are also pickups to use as toys and novelties, such as compact and mid-size pickups.

The Ford F-150 S.V.T. Raptor SuperCrew, Ram 2500 Power Wagon are built to do some of both. Great strategy, I think. G.M.C. are you listening? Make the Sierra HD All-Terrain and get a piece of the pie.

@oxi - "Unless you need a full-size for work or farm, it's just a show bunny!!!"

You offroad for no reason other than recreation/and or entertainment.
(And some paranoid end of the world strategy)

I bought a full sized truck to carry and/or tow my recreation and/or entertainment.

So what is the difference?

I think most people really miss the point. Unless you are in full time need of hauling four by eight panels that weigh over two ton, then there is really no need for those full size trucks. I own my own construction company and the tacoma gives me all I need. I dropped the GMC 1500 and gained five miles per gallon. In the end it saved me about 2500 in fuel cost for the year, and never had to go in for service, other than oil and tire rotate.

People that own full-size and mid-size sedans, that are not transporting four passengers full-time, are missing the point. They could get by with compact sedans, or even a 2+2 coupe, if they are driving solo most of the time. The extra seating is just a waste of space and capacity. There is no need to have the extra room and G.V.W.R. for those times when you might need it, right?

Ford Ranger has been discontinued. there should be some kind of a celebration, for that. :)

Can you get the double cab long bed in manual transmission?

People that own full-size and mid-size sedans, that are not transporting four passengers full-time, are missing the point. They could get by with compact sedans, or even a 2+2 coupe, if they are driving solo most of the time. The extra seating is just a waste of space and capacity. There is no need to have the extra room and G.V.W.R. for those times when you might need it, right?