Compact Pickups

Small pickups get better fuel economy

If you don't plan to haul a lot of long items in the bed -- or tall people in the backseat -- experts say a compact pickup may provide all the muscle you need, plus better fuel economy and a much lower price than a full-size or midsize pickup. Reviews say the 2009 Toyota Tacoma (*Est. $15,170 to $27,075) is easily the best compact pickup you can buy. The Tacoma has the lowest starting price of any pickup. But that doesn't stop it from having the nicest interior and best safety ratings in its class, according to reviews. Experts are especially impressed by the Tacoma's ability to be all things to all people. "The Tacoma can be as friendly to a plumber and his crew as it is to a family of four," writes Edmunds.com. It's offered in lots of configurations, so your Toyota Tacoma can be the best compact people-hauler, a great off-roader and/or a capable work truck.

On its face, the 2009 Nissan Frontier (*Est. $17,460 to $29,740) seems very much like the Tacoma. Both small pickup trucks offer four-door versions with enough backseat room for adults. Their maximum towing capacities (6,500 pounds) and payloads (more than 1,500 pounds) are similar. Both offer very capable off-road packages and a choice of engines: a strong V-6 or a fuel-efficient four-cylinder.

But most reviewers prefer the Toyota Tacoma to the Nissan Frontier. The Tacoma crew cab posts a full 2 mpg better gas mileage than the crew-cab Frontier in two real-world tests, and the four-cylinder Tacoma tops many other pickups by delivering 22 mpg in mixed driving, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Additionally, the Toyota Tacoma pickup gets better reliability ratings than the Nissan Frontier, although some prior-year Tacoma owners have complained of rusting frames. Inside the Toyota Tacoma, you'll find a much nicer interior, plus the Toyota pickup holds its value better and outclasses the Nissan Frontier and all other compact pickup trucks in safety tests, experts say. "In total, the Tacoma is ... a better-rounded candidate than those competitors, which include the Chevy Colorado, Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier," Edmunds.com concludes.

The 2009 Suzuki Equator (*Est. $17,220 to $28,550) is a new-for-2009 pickup based on the Nissan Frontier. Critics say the Equator shares a lot of the Frontier's strengths, such as the latter's off-road prowess, but the two trucks also share some of the same weaknesses, too. However, Edmunds.com points out that the Suzuki Equator offers more airbags and a longer powertrain warranty than the Nissan Frontier (seven years/100,000 miles).

Other compact pickup trucks lag far behind the Tacoma and Frontier in reviews. The 2009 Ford Ranger (*Est. $15,835 to $25,235) is "positively ancient," says Sajeev Mehta at TheTruthAboutCars.com; it offers subpar safety and few options. The 2009 Mazda B Series (*Est. $16,060 to $22,150) is a clone of the Ranger. Faring even worse in reviews are the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado (*Est. $16,705 to $26,940), its twin the 2009 GMC Canyon (*Est. $16,705 to $27,075) and the new 2009 Hummer H3T (*Est. $30,750), which rides on an extensively modified variation of the Colorado/Canyon platform (see our Introduction for more about these pickups).