Tacoma Vies for Best Compact Pickup Bragging Rights
Unlike most new vehicles that I get to test prior to their official launch, I actually had the chance to test drive Toyota's new
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| The Tacoma is integral not only for the sales it will garner, but also for Toyota's long term growth in the lucrative truck segment. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Tacoma pickup twice. The first time was a pre-production version way back in July during a 2005 all-model Toyota-Lexus debut. I was able to take it on a couple of short runs around the countryside. It was enough to be impressed, but not enough to get a real feel for what it was capable of. This time around, however, Toyota gave me a variety of Tacomas to drive around the Kemptville, Ontario area for the majority of a day, and I was able to truly understand the direction the Japanese automaker is taking with this critical vehicle. Why do I say critical? Well, Toyota already sells its fair share in most car segments, but it lacks volume in trucks. Trucks, SUVs and crossovers are hot right now, making up about half of all new vehicle sales in the U.S.
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| My Dad is a classic Toyota truck buyer, one who is fed up with questionable reliability and poor dealer service from the domestics. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
and a sizeable margin in Canada, so therefore Toyota sees the segment as its growth market. The Tacoma is integral not only for the sales it will garner all on its own merits, but also for long term growth in the lucrative full-size truck segment. Most moving up to a
Tundra or
Sequoia arrive via one of the brand's smaller, entry-level pickup trucks or SUVs. This scenario played out similarly for my Dad. In recent years he went from a couple of rear-drive GMC Safari vans, to a RAV4, which he still owns, to most recently to a full-size Tundra. He's a classic case really. Fed up with questionable reliability and poorer dealer service he's dropped the domestics, and now that he's with Toyota he'll most likely never leave.
