Wheels: Sub-compact Toyota Tacoma

My first and only new vehicle purchase was a 1987 Toyota pickup, back when it was still considered small — because it was. Fast forward several decades and the “small” Toyota pickup has morphed into the more or less mid-size Tacoma. The appetite for large vehicles and trucks here in America is healthy but there’s a growing rift in the market that desires small pickups again.

Honda’s Ridgeline dabbled with the small truck class but its styling and limited capabilities never really caught on in volume. In 2021, Hyundai introduced the Santa Cruz, garnering decent reviews though its aesthetics don’t appeal to everyone. Upstart, Slate recently burst on the scene with the promise of a small $20,000 EV pickup, but we all know there can be a sizable gulf between ideas and reality, and the “EV” portion of their proposal was a turn-off to some consumers. If it does come to fruition, the price will undoubtedly climb with the government’s elimination of EV incentives.