AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
Pickups have grown through the years, like every other vehicle, some now being nearly as long as a semi-trailer.
But so-called compact pickups, like the tested Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, are really closer to the more manageable sized pickups of 20 to 30 years ago. These smaller pickups are more economical both to buy and operate if you’re after a pickup that will haul boxes, plants and building materials on a weekend and you’re not a farmer or construction worker needing the size and grunt of a full-size truck.
Tacoma is a darned pleasant drive too. This one giving you a full rear seat and four doors so that four adults can easily fit inside, or five, if one is of moderate size. Our black test truck was a 4x4 model with a 4.0-liter VVT-I V6 that creates 236 hp and will tow up to 6,400 lbs. So the Tacoma can handle a trailer with two snowmobiles.
The engine is plenty strong and gets you up to highway speeds easily via a 5-speed automatic that shifts smoothly, in fact better than some cars I’ve driven.
Handling is decent too, the truck corners well and with its four-wheel drive system is good in snow. Steering is easy with a moderately heavy feel to the wheel, although there’s a fair amount of play in the wheel too.
Ride is typical truck with some bounce over large bumps and dips in the road. The test truck added the TRD (bad acronym) Off-Road Extra Value Package for $4,850 and included virtually everything you could add minus a laptop and a kitchen sink. From a performance standpoint the main additions include off-road tuned suspension with Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, R-rated BF Goodrich tires and a skid plate.
There’s also a $650 tow package that gives you extra oil coolers, a heavy-duty battery and upgraded alternator along with a towing hitch and electrical hookup. That’s a must for snowmobilers.