when it was introduced as the first full-size import pickup to be sold

in the United States. The biggest knock on this otherwise fine first try

was its rather anemic 3.0-liter V6 engine, while all of the domestic products

had V8 engine options and therefore much greater hauling capacities.

Since the earliest days of its life, the T100 has been rumored to be

getting that elusive V8 engine, but that won't materialize until sometime

in 1998. However, the performance of the T100s have been improved through

the use of a new, larger and more sophisticated 3.4-liter double overhead

cam V6 that makes a great deal more power and torque than the original

3.0-liter.

Toyota has been building small pickups for decades, and they have always

displayed what we think of as typical Toyota quality, durability and value.

Although the T100 is much larger than the compact Toyota pickup, now known

as the Tacoma, it still has all of the basic goodness that the Toyota name

implies. The T100 has been awarded J.D. Power's Best Full-Size Pickup trophy

for its initial quality in three of the past four model years.

The list of new equipment for 1997 is minimal: a larger alloy wheel

and tire package, a new optional sport seat package for the SR5 XtraCab,

and wider distribution of standard equipment and option packages across

the T100 line. Also, there are two new colors.

full-size pickup truck, with a conservative face, cab design and minimum

of decoration. This truck was being designed before the current Dodge Ram

and Ford F-Series made their big market splashes, so Toyota went with a

very conservative approach just as the market was changing toward chrome-grilled

macho trucks. So the design is a little behind its U.S. competition, but

if you want a conservative truck that may last a decade or more, it's still

a good bet.

What you will also see is painstaking construction quality, inside and

out. Toyota takes pickup door fit and panel match as seriously as the same

fitments on Lexus luxury cars, which obviously pays off down the line.

Everywhere you look on the T100 there are quality materials, quality workmanship,

and excellent, if subdued, design.

Our test truck was the top-of-the-line SR5 XtraCab 4x4 (from $24,778,

including destination), which comes with the best level of standard equipment,

but Toyota also offers three lesser series as well as standard-cab models

and two-wheel drive. The model array is almost as wide as those of the

American Big Three, minus V8 or diesel power and big-time work ratings.

But the T100 V6 has almost everything else. It is rated to carry a 2150-pound

payload in 2WD V6 editions, and tow up to 5200 pounds. It has all the traditional

pickup truck equipment, including an easily removable tailgate, two-tier

cargo storage, an array of tie-down hooks in the bed, and a set of stake

pockets in the bed as well, where customers can add aftermarket wooden

stakes to retain taller loads.

But as you'd expect of a Toyota, it isn't so businesslike as to avoid

creature comforts. The option lists include all the popular pickup power-operated

accessories like seats, windows, mirrors and locks, as well as several

very good sound systems.

The SR5 package adds a ton of equipment to the truck, including chrome

wheel arch moldings, chrome grille, chrome front bumper and door handles,

a sliding rear window, privacy glass, tilt steering wheel, full instrumentation,

an AM/FM/cassette sound system with four speakers, map lights and a passenger-side lighted vanity mirror.

The only things conspicuously absent are a passenger-side airbag, which

we'll see on 1998 models, and a third door for extended cab models, something

that's been very popular for Ford and General Motors trucks.

as well. The instrument panel has everything you need, laid out properly,

but while the tach and speedometer are large and conventional, the minor

instruments are sliding-bar gauges that went out in the '70s in American

passenger cars.

We found the interior of the T100 to be just as roomy as any of the

other extended-cab pickups on the market, and the 60/40 split front seats

were comfortable, with plenty of front-rear manual adjustment (power seats

are available). Interior materials in our test truck were high quality

and have the look of high durability, as well, although we found the color

combinations a bit on the dull side.

The rear seat area was well done, with a one-touch lever on the passenger

side that would slide the front passenger seat up so that groceries could

be loaded into the rear floor area. The rear seats, which split for even

more cargo convenience, are hinged off the back wall, and are a great deal

more comfortable than most. There's a storage compartment built into the

floor under each seat as well, and the rear compartment is fully trimmed

out.

Our test truck had the optional tonneau cover, and we're not sure whether

we liked it or not. The black, semi-rigid cover, with a hefty vinyl covering

supported by underbows, looked great and was extremely well made and taut.

But it's attached to the truck bed rail by a complicated system of six

aluminum clamps that will be hard to reach whenever the owner wants to

use the cargo bed.

of taking the 3.0-liter V6 or else, the T100 has a 2.7-liter four-cylinder

engine rated at 150 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, but it is

offered only in the budget-priced Standard truck, with the 3.4-liter V6--190

hp, 220 lb.-ft. of torque--standard in all other models. The 2.7-liter

engine is the only four-cylinder offered in a full-size pickup, an installation

made in 1994 to reduce the T100's basic purchase price, and its power doesn't

stack up all that well against the basic engines in its Big Three rivals.

The V6 is also short of the V6 power and torque of a Ford or Chevy pickup

for real work, but on the street, with only passengers to carry, it was

just fine, quiet, smooth and eager to perform, even with an automatic.

And don't forget, Toyota also makes some of the world's best manual gearboxes;

we mention this because a manual may be a better deal with this engine,

since it makes the most of the available power.

The T100 suspension, with leaf springs at the rear end and torsion-bar

setup at the front, offers plenty of travel and shock absorption for a

street truck, a smooth ride, and a minimum of wallowing about.

While the steering is nice and light in the 2WD mode, when the 4WD system

was engaged the front tires seemed to get bound up at relatively shallow

wheel angles, forcing a lot of extra maneuvers in parking lots.

The 4WD system is a simple on-demand setup with a separate shifter for

transfer case engagement and shift-on-the-fly capability up to 50 mph.

Like most pickup truck systems, it's designed for occasional use, rather

than full-time.

travel duties including light towing and family hauling. The cabin, especially

the portion aft of the front seats, seems quite large and comfortable for

kids and cargo use. Toyota's materials and workmanship are first rate throughout.

The powertrain is typically Toyota, with good performance and the promise

of excellent long-term durability and few visits to the shop for things

other than routine maintenance.

Our reservations have to do with power and price. You still can't get

a V8 engine, and more importantly, at $29,822, our loaded SR5 4x4 XtraCab

was at least $3000 more than a comparable American truck, due to the vagaries

of the yen and the dollar. Regardless of price, you get top quality with

the Toyota T100.