Pickups typically are noisier inside than sedans because more vibration gets through to the cab. To counter that, Toyota reduced noise, vibration and harshness by putting reinforcements in the floor, back panel, roof and roof pillars. Fluid-filled mounts under the back of the cab provide a vibration-damping cushion to help isolate the cab from noise and harshness.
Noise was further reduced by using single-piece pressed doors, dual-layer weather stripping and reinforced door frames. The result is a compact truck cab that?s as tight and quiet as anything you can find on the market.
However, even with these improvements, a basic Toyota Compact Truck isn?t a particularly pleasant place in which to be. The bench seat is upholstered in vinyl and the flooring is plain black rubber. Beyond its cupholder, the amenities are limited.
The message is clear. Toyota wants you to spend an extra $900 or so and get a DX model such as the one we tested. The DX adds dual outside mirrors, full wheel covers, fabric covered seats, cut-pile carpeting, a tinted windshield and a passenger assist grip. That may not sound like much, but it makes for a much more comfortable truck.
Order a DX Xtracab and you?ll get tilt-out rear quarter windows, front bucket seats, rear mudguards and all-season radial tires. And if you go so far as to add the V6 engine, you get power steering to boot.
All the other goodies, such as air conditioning, stereo, power windows and so forth are extra-cost options.
With the exception of its bench seat, we found the interior of our DX tester to be very carlike. The instruments and controls are few and clearly marked.
However, the bench seat does intrude on this overall impression. You?d have to look long and hard to find a seat like this in a passenger car, and if you did happen to find one you?d probably avoid it.
Thanks to its excellent sound isolation and smooth engine, carlike becomes a more appropriate word to describe how this pickup behaves when it?s moving.
True, it?s a truck, and the rear springs of a pickup are designed to be stiff enough to keep it level when there?s a load in the cargo box. As a result, ride quality does become a bit trucklike when the box is empty. We also noticed a tendency for the rear wheels to hop around a little over rough bumps. Even so, compared to the rest of the compact pickup universe, the Toyota?s ride quality and all-around handling is distinctly better than average.
We found the 4-cylinder engine?s performance to be generally adequate, although our preference would be for the V6. To be fair, though, the 4-cylinder was devoid of the buzzy vibration that plagues some small pickup engines.
Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional power steering, which we recommend. Toyota has done a good job of engineering a nice blend of steering feel without excessive steering effort.