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Toyota Tacoma Named Four Wheeler Magazine's 'Pickup Truck of the Year' - - Again

10 December 1997

Toyota Tacoma Named Four Wheeler Magazine's 'Pickup Truck of the Year' - - Again

    TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 10 -- The 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4WD V6,
with its all-new Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Off-Road Package, was named
Four Wheeler Magazine's "Pickup Truck of the Year" in the publication's
January, 1998 issue.  The announcement marks the third time in the awards ten
year history that a Toyota compact pickup truck has taken top honors.
    "The Tacoma TRD has performance features that no other truck offers," said
John Stewart, editor of Four Wheeler.  "It's suspension and locking rear
differential package produced on and off-road performance that was head and
shoulders above the other trucks tested."
    The Tacoma was compared directly to other all-new or substantially revised
four-wheel-drive pickups.  Tacoma competitors for "Pickup Truck of the Year"
included the Ford Ranger and Mazda B3000.
    The magazine noted that Tacoma's 3.4-liter, 190-horsepower V6 engine and
excellent axle gear made it substantially faster than its competitors in both
loaded and unloaded track testing.  In fact, Tacoma swept its rivals in every
performance-related category of the competition.
    This is the tenth year Four Wheeler has chosen a "Pickup Truck of the
Year."  The test format includes five performance categories and nine
empirical tests.  Subjective performance judging includes mechanical
operation, on-road ride and handling, off-highway performance, interior design
and function and exterior styling.  Empirical tests included fuel economy,
interior noise, braking distance from 55 mph, ground clearance, payload,
acceleration and Ramp Travel (the magazine's measure of suspension
flexibility.)
    Pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles continue to gain in popularity
among U.S. consumers.  The top two best-selling vehicles in the U.S. are
pickup trucks, and four of the top ten are truck- or sport utility-type
vehicles.  Since pickup trucks have become more user friendly, many consumers
have taken advantage of their versatility as a vehicle for personal use in
addition to their utility attributes.  "Pickup Truck of the Year" is the only
test program focusing on evaluation of pickups from both a utility and
personal-use point of view.
    To be eligible for the once-a-year program, a four-wheel drive pickup must
be new or significantly revised for the model year.  The vehicle must also be
available for domestic sale in quantities over 2,000 units.
    Four Wheeler Magazine is the industry's oldest consumer magazine catering
to the four-wheel drive truck enthusiast.

    PAST PICKUP TRUCK OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

    1989 -- TOYOTA SR5 COMPACT TRUCK
    1990 -- Mitsubishi Mighty Max
    1991 -- GMC K2500 HD
    1992 -- Dodge Dakota Club Cab
    1993 -- Ford Ranger Supercab
    1994 -- Chevrolet ZR2
    1995 -- Ford F-250 PowerStroke
    1996 -- TOYOTA TACOMA SR5 V6 XTRACAB
    1997 -- Dodge Dakota
    1998 -- TOYOTA TACOMA TRD 4WD V6

SOURCE  Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.