Pickup: 2012 Toyota Tacoma
- Starting price: $17,125
- Gas mileage: 21 city/25 highway mpg
For those who need a pickup truck and strong towing capability in a smaller package, the 2012 Toyota Tacoma does the job handily.
Redesigned for 2012, the Tacoma features new front-end styling as well as a new steering wheel, revised gauges and new center instrument panel.
The Toyota Tacoma comes in three cab sizes that seat three, four or five people, and two cargo bed lengths. The Tacoma can tow up to 6,500 pounds when properly equipped.
There are two different engines available:
- A 159-horsepower, 2.7-liter, four-cylinder paired with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission version gets 21 city and 25 highway mpg (with four-wheel drive, it gets 18 city and 20 highway mpg). The four-speed automatic gets 19 city and 24 highway mpg (with four-wheel drive, it gets 18 city and 21 highway mpg).
- A 236-horsepower, 4-liter V-6 mated to a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. The manual transmission version gets 16 city and 21 highway mpg (with four-wheel drive, it gets 15 city and 19 highway mpg). The five-speed automatic gets 17 city and 21 highway mpg (with four-wheel drive, it gets 16 city and 21 highway mpg).