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Toyota Tacoma emerges as a new pickup truck made in America
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Ask someone who drives a compact pickup to describe the truck that's fun to drive on city streets but tough enough to take on hauling chores or chart an off-road course and, chances are, you'll hear the name of Toyota.
That's the brand among Japanese imports that first figured out how to deliver car-like conveniences as well as aggressive handling systems within the confines of a truck.
Yet competition in this class has been keen, especially in the last several years as more and more shoppers figure they need the hauling capabilities of a truck. With so many new models emerging in the marketplace, and soaring sales from domestic brands, Toyota's line of compact pickups was beginning to look a little dated.
What to do?
Toyota turned to its California design team to create a new sixth generational expression of the compact pickup, then instituted production at its West Coast assembly plant.
The result: Tacoma, a new name for the new truck by Toyota that's born and bred in the U.S.A.
Tacoma looks energetic. Deeply sculpted front fenders set off the notched nose and bold front grille accented by a horizontal ring of chrome which also wraps around corner-mounted aero-style headlamps.
The windswept design, obviously geared to American tastes, makes a strong, perhaps even different, statement which seems to set this truck apart from the crowd.
It's a look that turns heads and draws attention.
That's the feeling I got when steering a Tacoma through a series of tests stretched over a week's period. Eyes followed that truck wherever I drove, it seemed, and in my supermarket's parking lot in several instances other truck owners not only wanted to know what to call mine, but hinted that they'd like to take it out for a test of their own.
Compared against the Toyota pickup that Tacoma replaces, this revised version rides on a rugged new chassis and provides a larger passenger compartment with a floor dropped 1.58 inches for easier entry and exit.
It also stocks new systems for safety, handling and performance, including a choice of three frisky new engines.
Toyota's new truck develops various personalities, depending on options for cab configuration, traction format and powertrain. The base model carries a regular cab with bench seat and a powertrain with 4-cylinder engine connected to 5-speed manual transmission in rear-wheel traction mode.
An extended-wheelbase edition with additional cabin space, called Xtracab, adds more than 18 inches of length to Tacoma and puts two folding jump seats aboard.
Also, optional 4-wheel-drive traction enables Tacoma to venture off-pavement and deal with rough stuff. These 4x4 editions employ wider tracks, to improve stability, and pack four more inches of air between ground and chassis to increase clearance for off-road conditions.
Powertrains start with a dual-cam 2.4-liter four with four valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection.
Output reaches 142 horsepower, and you can select from either manual 5-speed or 4-speed automatic with regular or Xtracab 4x2 Tacomas. This engine earns the highest power rating of any base plant in the compact class, and there's more than enough juice on hand to accommodate an automatic shifter without noticeable dip in performance.
Tacoma also draws from two other engines, a 2.7-liter 4-in-line and 3.4-liter V6. Both consist of cast iron blocks with aluminum alloy heads, four valves in each cylinder and twin cams attached on top.
The 2.7-liter four, rated at 150 hp, serves as standard thruster for Tacoma 4-wheel-drive editions, while the V6 appears optionally across the board.
That V6 pumps 190 hp, then muscles up the torque curve to 220 lbs/ft.
For back-country maneuvers, Toyota's V6 musters maximum power for 4-wheeling and seems particularly strong in lower gear ranges. Also, for hauling chores, the package boosts this truck's trailer towing capacity to 5,000 lbs.
Either manual or auto shifter mates with the V6.
An ultimate version, Tacoma 4WD Xtracab SR5 V6, provides an optional push-button for switching to 4x4 mode.
The suspension on all models, with front independent double wishbone design and leaf-type rear spring, creates a smooth and comfortable ride quality.
On 4x4s, the distance Tacoma's front suspension moves up or down has been increased by 1.8 inches, which enables each wheel to track better in independent motion when dealing with surface abnormalities -- such as a deep ditch, pothole or rut rock.
Rack and pinion steering shows up on all Tacoma models, and power assistance is offered optionally on 4x2 models but becomes standard equipment on 4x4s and on those trucks rigged with the V6.
New safety systems include a driver's-side airbag and side-door steel beams, improved sideview mirrors and adjustable anchors for outboard 3-point seatbelts.
Disc brakes for all wheels with anti-lock feature is optional on all Tacomas.
The list of combinations for Tacoma models, engines, cabs and various comfort features strings out to sizeable length. To simplify matters, Toyota has selected equipment packaged by various function, like power, weather, chrome and convenience groups.
For instance, the SX package for Tacoma's 4x2 regular cab adds popular paraphernalia in a price-saving cluster. Items include power steering, twin bucket seats, an AM-FM stereo radio with dual speakers, plus sliding rear window and exterior highlights like aluminum wheels, side stripe and additional chrome touches.
For the 4x4 regular cab, the SX also gets gas shock absorbers and 15-inch R-rated tires.
An LX package for Xtracab 4x2 Tacoma stocks the contents of the SX package but also throws in gray privacy glass and air conditioning.
Convenience gear -- like tilting steering wheel, cruise control and tachometer -- show up in yet another group.
Pricing for Toyota's new truck extends through the teens but figures begin below $12,000 for a 4x2 regular cab.
1995 TOYOTA TACOMA
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1995 TOYOTA TACOMA Specs |
| Description: |
Compact pickup truck |
| Model Options: |
Compact pickup truck |
| Wheelbase: |
Regular: 103.3 inches
Extended: 121.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
Regular: 180.5 inches
Extended: 199.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I-4 16v
DOHC 2.7-L I-4 16v
DOHC 3.4-L V6 24v
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear, 4x4 |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
1 |
| Gas Mileage: |
2.4-L: 22/28 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 12,000 to $ 21,000 |
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