Another, and much better, Tacoma

INTRODUCTION:
Well, this isn't the first Tacoma I've reviewed, I did one last year on a 2002 4cyl extended cab, which was a nice small truck, but... Well, it was more like an S-10 than a Silverado... a car with a bed. No real off-road or snow capability... just a little 4 cylinder haul-little-things vehicle. Finally, after having the truck for a few months, my friends decided that they wanted something more... A real truck, something with four wheel drive and an engine capable of climbing the hills around the area without complaining. So, they bought a 2003 Tacoma V-6 4x4 extended cab, and despite my liking the first truck, this one is in a completely different league.

ENGINE:
The 3.4 litre 190 horsepower V-6 is certainly a distant relative to the adequate, but sluggish, four cylinder. This silver-shined beauty not only sounds fantastic (just listening to it start is a thrill), but it does its job, and does it well. It's no slacker at getting you up to speed, or up hills, and isn't afraid of some real work. I would definitely recommend getting a V6 over a 4 if it's financially possible.

DRIVETRAIN AND TRANSMISSION:
This is yet another area where Toyota is set apart from other companies (like Dodge). I have a Dakota V6, and frankly, I hate the way it shifts, sounds, runs, etc. It's a nice truck, but no aspect of it, especially the transmission, is deserving of any awards. The transmission in the Tacoma is still not as smooth as a new Camry or Avalon, but it's very good for a truck. There's not a "jerk" with changes during agressive acceleration (ahem, Dodge), though the change is noticable. Once again, not perfect, but definitely above average. As for the drivetrain, I think the 4-wheel drive system is great. Shift on the fly, no-nonesense, "I'll get you out of there" system has yet to fail at doing it's job. I'm pleased with it.

STYLING:
I know a lot of people don't like the way a Tacoma looks. Well, I think they're on drugs. The only other small to midsize truck that looks anywhere near as good as the Tacoma is the Dodge Dakota. True, the Dakota styling and the Tacoma styling are not anywhere near alike, but they're both very clean, very ready-to-go looking vehicles. I love the rear end of the Tacoma, like the sides, and I do like the front, which looks nice with all the chrome they put on it, but I can see how it might be a love-it or hate-it kind of look.

INTERIOR:
The area where most trucks (like the Dakota, and especially the Ranger) come up lacking. I don't generally like truck interiors all that much, because, like I said, most of them aren't very nice. I do however, like the Tacoma's interior. The dash is not made out of the same cheap plastics as it's competitors, and the whole console has a nice look to it. I don't think it looks as intergrated as it COULD, but it definitely fits together, and nothing is going to rattle or fall out, and that's what's really important. The overall noise level in the truck is low, with not too much road noise, but a little more wind noise than I like. Once again, though, this is not a Camry... it's a truck. The front seats are comfortable, the rear seat doesn't sit too badly, but there's almost no legroom for anyone other than a toddler (yet another woe of smaller trucks), and it's too costly to buy a 4door tacoma with a real backseat. So, nice interior, comfortable seats, good fit and finish, but anemic rear-seat legroom (though it's not any worse than any of it's competitors).

OVERVIEW:
I liked the first Tacoma, and I like the second one even more. I don't think there's a better midsize pickup on the market, and you'd probably be hard pressed to find a more reliable vehicle for the money. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend, and, with Toyota's history, I don't anticipate this truck ever causing anyone any problems.