Toyota pickups have been on the road in the United States for over forty years now.  The Tacoma, introduced in 1995, represented the sixth generation of Toyota's truck production.  A fully redesigned model arrives for 2005, and the always durable Tacoma is now larger and more powerful.

The Tacoma is now available in thirteen variations, due to the variety cab style, engine, drive train, bed length and transmission combinations.  Between the compact Tacoma and full-size Tundra, Toyota hopes to provide a specialized truck for every type of prospective pickup buyer.

The Access Cab functions as a middle level trim for Tacoma, adding a few additional features beyond the fairly stripped Regular Cab models. Access Cabs come standard with a CD audio system, a full size spare, rear access doors and air conditioning.  The Regular Cab's front bench is swapped for two bucket seats on the Access and Crew Cab models.

A new 2.7 liter DOHC inline four is the Tacoma's base engine, generating 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. This engine may be paired with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission, both routing the power to all four wheels.  Drivers can expect mixed driving gas mileage around 20 mpg with the 4x4/four cylinder combination.