Toyota TacomaToyota Tacoma

Toyota Tacoma

The Tacoma, the No. 1 selling compact pickup five years running, reminded me how versatile and useful these trucks can be. They can carry a lot of stuff — up to 1,435 pounds — nearly matching the payload capabilities of a few full-size trucks. They can tow between 895 pounds and 6,500 pounds, depending upon their configuration.

But the mistake of the new Tacoma is the same mistake all other small pickups make — they're too big and they're too expensive. Small should equate to small in stature, small in price. Small can still be important. Ryan Seacrest is a pretty big big shot, but still can't ride most roller coasters at Cedar Point.

The big four-cylinder 2.7-liter engine seemed to whine a little on the highway, but that might have been the four-speed automatic transmission, not the engine, which belts out 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. It's 2011 and four-speed transmissions should be banned or at least those carmakers offering them should be publicly shamed.

The truck also offers a fairly smooth ride. The rear leaf springs are not too jarring, even when the truck's bed is empty. And it's the bed that's important. Too many people show up at Ikea with a station wagon and then can't fit everything in it. And if they had a bigger truck, they might overbuy — something that should be avoided at Ikea. A small truck limits how much you can put back there; think of the money you'll save by buying what you need instead of what you want.