Dodge Dakota

Back in the muscle-car era, Dodge marketed its Drat as the jumbo shrimp of small cars, a “Dodge size Compact”. The Dodge Dakota pickup has assumed that position in the modern lineup. What was once a “midsize” truck in now labeled a compact, and viewed in that light it does indeed stand out as a bruiser in the compact truck field.

The Dakota is physically larger than its competitors and offers much larger engines. There’s even a link to Dodge’s past in the Dakota R/T option, which offers young buyers a taste of what was all about. On the other side of the coin, the Dakota costs more than its Ford Ranger and Chevy S-10 rivals and is a bit thirstier at the pump, so size does come with a price. The largest Dakota remains the 4-door Quad Cab, which gets a welcome upgrade to standard P235/75R-15 tires. The Dakota is also sold in Club Cab and regular cab configurations.

The base, Sport and SLT models carry over, and are joined by a new SXT model for regular cab and Club-Cab trucks. The SXT seeks to be a value model combining popular options into a sporty package. It comes with 16-in. alloy wheels with all-season tires on 2-wheel-drive models, and all-terrain tiers on those with 4wd. Other equipment includes a rear anti-roll bar, a graphite metallic tinted grille with matching front and rear bumpers and wheel flares, air conditioning and bucket seats.

Cadillac Escalade EXT

Cadillac’s quest to remake both its product line and image took another step forward with the introduction of the Escalade EXT. This Chevrolet Avalanche in a tux is the newest entry (Sport Utility Truck) corner of the market. The SUTs are a new class of vehicle promising to deliver more than what a simple crew-cab pickup can offer. The balance is tipped more in favor of SUV comfort than pickup utility, especially in the case of the EXT, but GM’s offerings definitely have their practical side. Cadillac’s research shows that nearly a quarter of their customers own full-size pickups, so the cargo box had to be more than an afterthought.

The driving line between truck and SUV is the EXT’s “midgate” feature. The midgate separates the rear seats from the cargo box and can be folded to open up an 8-ft. 1-in, bed. With the midgate up, the EXT’s bed measures 5 ft 3-in. The rear window is removable, allowing the EXT to be opened up further for old-shaped items, or to just catch some breezes. The cargo box itself is a combination of steel and a composite material, with a standard rubber bed mat.

Two lockable storage containers mounted along the sides of the cargo box add utility. The EXT also comes with a 3-piece cargo cover and locking tailgate to further shield and contents of the bed. The EXT comes with Cadillac’s usual package of luxuries such as the OnStar system, ultrasonic rear parking assist, electronic climate control and handsome 17-in. alloy wheels.

Chevrolet S-10

For years, compact pick-ups were favored by the younger, single and economy-minded crowd. Trucks like the Chevy S-10 still figure prominently in this market segment, but the recent trend toward 3 and 4 door crew cab chassis configurations has expanded their appeal beyond traditional demographic boundaries. With five variations on the compact pickup theme, the S-10 stands tall in this realm.

Introduction of the 4-wheel-drive Crew Cab S-10 put this truck in a good market position. Bigger and more versatile than the 3-door, smaller and easier to maneuver than a full-size truck, the Crew Cab filled an empty niche in the S-10 camp. Crew Cab is available with a Graphite leather trim interior and Sandalwood exterior color. The next rung down the S-10 ladder is the extended-cab model, available in 2-or 4-wheel drive.

Additional standard equipment, which has also been added to this and all S-10 retail (non-fleet) models included air conditioning and a tachometer. For added customer convenience, two significant suspension upgrades are available. Two wheel drive models can now receive the ZQ8 Sport Suspension Package, which is, in fact, standard on Xtreme models. This setup features a 2-in-lower ride height and comes with special shocks, springs, anti-roll bars and 16 x 8-in. wheels. Four wheel drive models can go the other direction with ZR2 Wide Stance Sport Performance suspension package, Designed for more than casual off-road driving.

Toyota Tundra

There were more than a few arched eyebrows and knowing smiles back in 1993 when Toyota had the audacity to take on Detroit’s Big Three in the full size pickup skirmishes with the T100. The first foray was assembled in Tokyo by Hino, and came in the form of a regular cab long-bed with 3.0 liter V-6 power. The initial T100 sold to the Toyota faithful, but ran smack into the indisputable fact that North American truck buyers traditionally like their pickups to have plenty of power and cabin room. Size, it would seem, really does matter no these shores. So Toyota responded in 1995 with a large 3.4 liter V-6 and an extended cab, gathering accolades for T100 build quality along the way, if not the sales it was looking for.

Through this initial assault met with limited success, Toyota learned valuable lessons, and regrouped for 2000 with the new Tundra in both regular cab and 4-door Access Cab versions, now built in Princeton, Indiana. The result was the best Toyota product sales first appearance ever, with more than 8000 Tundra going out the door in the first month. For 2002, Toyota hones the Tundra with minor wheel option revisions and, more significant, the availability of a limited-slip differential on V-8 models.