Choices are limited here as well. For instance, power locks, windows and mirrors are available only on the Xtracab SR5. The good news: If you step up to the SR5, you can slice $1165 off the cost of well-equipped versions with a $457 value package (VP). Along with the above, it includes air conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering and added instrumentation, along with wider tires and chrome trim.
SR5s with power accessories feature large, door-mounted control tabs you can find, identify and operate without taking your eyes off the road.
We spent most of our time in a minimally equipped Xtracab DX, which highlighted some basic strengths of the T100 lineup, as well as a few significant weaknesses.
Space up front is one of the high points. The T100's front seat legroom is on a par
with any full-size pickup. While hip and shoulder room are tight compared with a Dodge Ram, they're within an inch or two of Ford and GM trucks. A 60/40 front bench that reclines and folds is an added plus, as are height-adjustable upper mounts for the shoulder belts.
Another small but welcome touch is an ignition lock located on the dash, rather than somewhere on the column--easier to locate and use. Directly below it is a twist handle for the parking brake that's easier to use than the usual foot pedal. Drivers also get large readable gauges for the speedometer and optional tach.
Along with the tach, our Xtracab DX had the oil-pressure and volt gauges included in the $605 Convenience Package. While informative, the extra gauges are spread out compared to the ones in newer trucks. They're also enclosed in dated-looking
rectangular graphs that are harder to read than round displays.
Other complaints: A center-seat cutout eliminates thigh support for the occasional
center passenger. The oft-used radio controls are mounted below the ones for climate. And instead of rotary knobs for temperature and modes, the T100 has old-fashioned slide levers that are obscured by the slide-out cupholder when it's in use.
In back, a 3-pasenger 50/50 folding bench faces forward like the ones in other large pickups. It's also inclined 15 degrees aft for added comfort. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of legroom up front leaves precious little of it for rear passengers. And while rear hip and shoulder room are generous compared with a compact pickup, both are narrow for a full-size truck. As extended-cab pickups go, the T100's rear seat area is exceptionally cramped.
Things get better on the road. While the new twin-camshaft V6 won't rev any higher
than the old single-cam version, it does so a lot more quickly and smoothly. It's also
quieter and more powerful off the line, thanks to a lower torque peak than the
previous V6. That and a significant weight saving over competitors helps the T100 V6
outrun some V8s, at least according to the numbers.
But the appeal of V8-powered trucks goes well beyond mere specifications. They're also
about satisfying sounds and exhilharating rushes of power--neither of which this V6
delivers.
Low operating noise levels are a Toyota trademark, and the T100 is a worthy
representative of the family on this score. Layers of sound deadening and an extra
thick rear cab wall shield occupants from undesirable sounds. The result is what may
be the quietest ride of any pickup on the road today, large or small.
Handling is competent and cornering flat and stable for a pickup, thanks in part to a
fully independent front suspension and a relatively low center of gravity.
Two-wheel-drive T100s also come with direct-acting rack-and-pinion steering, while
space constraints on 4x4 versions require the added linkages of a recirculating-ball
system. Surprisingly, the rack-and-pinion steering requires added turns lock to lock.
Space constraints up front also require torsion bars instead of the coil springs on
other 4x2 pickups. Though the long bars help handling, they also contribute to this
truck's busy ride over bumps. So does a short wheelbase compared with other full-size pickups; the Xtracab shares the same wheelbase as the standard T100.