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Follow-Up Test: 2000 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner
Image is Everything
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By Neil Dunlop
Date posted: 01-01-1999
Image
is everything. That's a notion the younger generations
understand, especially when it comes to vehicles. Let
mom and dad worry about practicality and other boring,
adult concerns — young drivers want their ride
to look cool.
The Tacoma PreRunner embodies this ideal — its
bulging fender flares, snub-nosed grille, extra ground
clearance and 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels with off-road
P225/75SR15 tires give it the muscled, powerful image
of a dirt-spraying, rock-eating 4X4 — that's cool.
But, here's the thing, it's only a 4X2.
So what?
It costs about $4,000 less than an equivalent 4X4, that's
what.
Four grand is a lot of Hilfiger jeans and Nike trainers,
not to mention Red Hot Chili Pepper CDs. You know what
I'm sayin'?
That is not to say the PreRunner doesn't have many excellent
qualities. Just because it looks good doesn't mean it's
stupid. Its optional 3.4-liter V6 engine is a trip to
drive. Stomp on the gas and the 190 horses will lay
a strip of rubber longer than a Smashing Pumpkins tune.
A 2.7-liter four-cylinder powerplant is standard, but
it has 40 less horsepower and renders the PreRunner
gutless and boring.
Unfortunately, the PreRunner is available only with
a four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
That's really too bad, because a manual tranny mated
to the V6 would be truly rippin'. Hopefully, Toyota
will realize its mistake and offer a five-speed shifter.
Toyota does provide some shifting control, though, via
a dash-mounted button marked "ECT Power" (electronically
controlled transmission). This feature provides drivers
the choice of aggressive or sedate driving. When engaged,
ECT Power tells the transmission to make gear changes
at higher rpms, which provides greater acceleration.
Be forewarned — if you've got a heavy foot, enabling
ECT Power is like choosing between reasonable and unreasonable
fuel consumption.
According to U.S. EPA figures, under normal driving
conditions the 3.4-liter PreRunner should achieve 19
mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. That's still
not great, but if you're saving money for pizza and
PlayStation games every little bit counts.
The PreRunner's double-wishbone and coil-spring front
suspension and multi-leaf springs in rear provide a
firm, truck-like ride. The variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion
steering feels directly connected to the wheels, so
response is immediate and decisive. There's no mushy
ride here, but, the PreRunner is part of the rough-hewn
Tacoma lineup, so, it should feel that way.
On the highway, the PreRunner is a little noisy. Wind
noise and drag could be reduced with a tonneau cover
for the bed (that will save gas too), especially if
the truck won't be used for hauling anything messy and
work-like. If the bed is going to be used, though, it's
ready to go. On our test truck, a plastic bedliner covers
the top rails to prevent paint scratches while loading
mountain bikes or whatever over the sides. And the tie-downs
are fully accessible and not recessed into the bed floor
as in many other pickups.
Toyota explains that the name for the PreRunner was
inspired by the vehicles used to "pre-run" off-road
race courses prior to competitions. The company brags
that the PreRunner can handle the same driving conditions
faced on those race tracks. To our ears, this sounds
a little far-fetched.
However, the truck's elevated ride height, big, all-terrain
tires and rear differential lock do prepare the PreRunner
for off-road shenanigans more than most other 2WD rear-wheel-drive
pickups.
Inside, the PreRunner is more workmanlike than play
toy. The front cloth bucket seats, while comfortable,
are basic in terms of appearance and design. It would
help if there were more adjustments than just forward/back
and recline.
The dash is plain and utilitarian -- no frills, just
the necessities. Air conditioning is included on Xtracab
models. Our test truck came with the optional cruise
control, sunroof and four-speaker AM/FM stereo with
CD player. The sound quality is OK, but if cranking
hip-hop at 70 decibels is your thing, dude, you better
set aside $1,000 for an aftermarket system.
The rear jump seats are to sitting what Wayne Newton
is to music - once you get over the novelty, it's just
darn painful. Small people might not mind sitting in
back for short hauls, but anyone over 5'5" will feel
like they're sitting in a packing box.
That's OK — they should be so lucky as to ride
in your truck.
See all the Ratings: 2000 Toyota Tacoma 2 Dr Prerunner Extended Cab SB Road Test Scoreboard
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(Enlarge photo)
Styled with flair, PreRunner is muscular looking with big, fat, knobby tires on attractive alloy wheels.
(Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.)
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