PICKUP COMPARISON

CM: Man, the interior reeked of fishy clutch for days! But it went away and I had no issues. I love the way the Taco shifts — short throws and positive feel — but why is the shift knob so big? My glove size is XL, but when I went for that knob, they felt like elf hands. Unfortunately, the only way to get a manual box in a Tacoma is in the TRD Pro or in the base four-cylinder four-by-four model; there are no other possibilities for a V-6 with a manual box. From what I can see, a manual is no longer available in the Colorado, regardless of the trim level.

DM: And didn’t you find the power in the Tacoma, even at 265 pound-feet, better than the 369 lb.-ft. in the ZR2?

CM: Actually, I found there was no comparison between the two. The Tacoma got up and went as soon as you got the revs up a bit, while the Colorado felt sluggish and underpowered. That’s the trade-off for good fuel economy, I guess. I saw 10.4 L/100 km in the Colorado and 15.7 in the Tacoma.

DM: The diesel undoubtedly brings better fuel economy and the ZR2’s long-term average was 11.8. Compared with the 15.9 tank averages I got in the Tacoma, that’s significant. But don’t forget that means coughing up the extra four grand for the diesel to shave those four points. With that kind of upfront premium and no noticeable advantage in power I don’t see strong value in this diesel and I love diesel.