2005 Toyota Tacoma X-Runner

While full-size trucks were the cash cows of Detroit through the Nineties, compact truck development went fallow. The Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma were crude, the Ford Ranger ancient, Mazda and Isuzu had retreated to selling slightly disguised versions of their domestic partners' products, and Mitsubishi left the game altogether. EvenToyota and Nissan, who had practically created the small truck market back in the Seventies, seemed to have only a half-hearted interest in it then. Only Dodge, with its somewhat oversize Dakota, seemed to take the market seriously. By the turn of the 21st century, the full-size pickups were all pretty good… and the compact pickups were all pretty mediocre.

That has all changed. This year GM replaced the S-10 and Sonoma with the Colorado and Canyon, and for 2005 Dodge is launching a new Dakota, Nissan has what promises to be a vastly better Frontier on the way, and Toyota's new Tacoma is the subject here.