Some might argue there are very few "compact" pickups any more. And by a 1990s yardstick, that's quite true. In this latest round of redesigns, most have adopted the Bigger is Better philosophy and grown to become at least midsize, and some border on full size.

Furthermore, the traditional regular cab is nearly extinct. Many brands don't even offer one in the compact class, and those that do find they account for only about a quarter of sales. The current trend, therefore, is toward extended-cab and crew-cab body styles.

Cool Compact Pickup Truck Features

-  Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon offer GM's On Star assistance system. -  Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi Raider offer Chrysler's U-Connect hands-free cell-phone link. - Honda Ridgeline has an available navigation system. - Nissan Frontier has a fold-flat front passenger seat. - Toyota Tacoma  X-Runner blends the utility of a pickup with the handling of a sports car.

Port of Entry
All extended cabs are available with narrow, rear-hinged back doors. While these "half doors" may work fine in the showroom, they tend to be cumbersome in tight spaces because they only open about 90 degrees. In all extended cabs, the front doors have to be opened first, and then the rear doors. If you have a shopping cart and there's a vehicle parked next to you, opening the doors "boxes in" the entry to your truck's interior, with you and/or your cart on the outside of the "box."

It brings to mind the old saying "You can't get there from here." Which is why crew cabs with four conventional doors came along, and are increasingly popular. Later in the '06 model year, the Dodge Dakota Club Cab (extended cab) is due to offer rear doors that open wider, lying nearly flat against the sides of the bed. But even then, there might not be enough space between the door and an adjacent vehicle to roll a shopping cart.

Seating Surprise
Nearly all extended cabs offer seating for up to five people, but not all achieve that capacity the same way. Most do it with a three-passenger front bench seat and two rear "jump" seats, which each hold one person and fold out of the way for cargo. Since the center position on a front bench offers only enough room for a child--who should be riding in back--these realistically should be considered four-passenger trucks. Among compact extended cabs, only the Toyota Tacoma Access Cab offers a three-passenger rear seat, but those passengers should be small and very friendly.
 
Ditto for crew cabs that claim to hold six. One of those would have to sit front and center, and that's both uncomfortable and unsafe, so they should really be considered five-passenger vehicles. One more thing about seating: No compact extended cab offers enough rear leg room for adults, and none of their rear seats--whether jump or bench--are very comfortable, as padding is sparse and the backrest usually upright. In crew cabs, rear leg room is marginal at best, so these really aren't the vehicles for tall drivers who want to carry adults in back.

Best Buys

Toyota Tacoma

Recommended Pick

Dodge Dakota Honda Ridgeline

The Payback for Payload
Payload capacity--the maximum number of pounds of people and cargo the vehicle can safely carry--varies greatly among the trucks in this class. For some it's as little as 900 pounds, but most are in the 1200- to 1700-lb range. Some offer option packages that increase payload capacity, but these include stiffer rear springs that can adversely affect ride and handling--particularly in bumpy corners--when the bed is empty. Think about how much weight you're likely to carry at any one time, and buy accordingly.

Ride and handling can also suffer with optional off-road suspensions. Most include not only stiffer springs, but also a taller ride height. The latter not only raises the center of gravity (making the vehicle more likely to tip over), but also makes it harder to get in and out, particularly for shorter folks.

Getting Traction
All compact pickups are offered with either rear- or four-wheel drive. Rear-drive versions are notoriously difficult to drive in slippery weather when their beds are empty, because there's little weight over the drive wheels. Many offer an optional limited-slip rear axle, which improves traction by sending power equally to both rear wheels. But that does nothing to overcome excess application of power, which will simply spin both tires rather than just one. Better is traction control, which will apply brakes or reduce engine power to keep the wheels from slipping. Traction control is available on the Chevrolet Colorado and its GMC Canyon sibling, as well as the Nissan Frontier.

Four-wheel drive offers even better traction, but some systems are more convenient than others. With most, 4WD should be switched off when running on dry pavement. This is because the system doesn't allow the wheels to spin at different speeds, as they need to when rounding a corner. Failing to switch the system off on dry pavement results in driveline binding and increased wear. Other systems can be left engaged on dry pavement, because they provide for different wheel speeds. This makes them more convenient when the road is slippery only in some areas. Among compact pickups, these systems are called All-Wheel Drive (AWD), and are offered on the Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, and Mitsubishi Raider.

For those who do severe off-roading, the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma offer systems that prevent the truck from rolling backward on uphill runs, and regulate speed on downhill runs. 

Safety
As with other types of vehicles, compact pickups are beginning to offer a full complement of safety features. These include 4-wheel antilock brakes (ABS) and antiskid systems, along with side airbags and curtain side airbags. Some even offer curtain airbags that deploy in rollovers. Consumer Guide considers all these to be worthwhile features, even if they cost extra. Note that the Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi Raider come standard with ABS that works only on the rear wheels; a 4-wheel system--which is what's used on all other compact pickups--is optional.

Beds
Most crew-cab compact pickups have a bed length of about five feet. Most regular- and extended-cab versions offer a bed of about six feet. Two exceptions are the Dodge Dakota Club Cab's 6.5-ft bed, and the Ford Ranger regular cab's 7-ft bed. A bed extender, which is a tubed "cage" that pivots to enclose the tailgate when it's down, is offered on Ford Ranger, Mazda B-Series, Mitsubishi Raider, and Toyota Tacoma.

Honda's Ridgeline, which comes only as a crew-cab, offers a covered well in the bottom of its bed, along with a tailgate that can either fold down or swing to the side.

Luxury Features
Some people might think the words "luxury" and "truck" to be mutually exclusive, but compact pickups offer some pretty ritzy features. A sunroof, heated front seats, leather upholstery, and hi-tech sound systems are common options these days. This makes it easy to turn a $20,000 compact pickup into a $30,000 one, so pick and choose carefully. Most trucks have a daunting number of options, and sometimes the few items you want are available separately rather than bundled into an expensive package that includes lots of stuff you don't.

When introduced for 2006, Honda's Ridgeline redefined what a crew-cab pickup could be. Rather than being built on a truck-type platform, it rode an SUV chassis that included independent rear suspension for a smoother ride. It also offered features never before seen on a compact pickup. Ford's redesigned Explorer Sport Trac, due to go on sale by fall 2006, is expected to offer similar features. Another vehicle worth considering is Subaru's Baja, which is based on the company's Outback all-wheel-drive four-door wagon. However, instead of an enclosed cargo area, Baja has an open 3.5-ft cargo bed that lengthens to about five feet with the tailgate and optional bed extender down, and there's a small pass-through from bed to interior when the rear seatback is folded.

Chevrolet Colorado Base Price Range: $14,730-$23,830 EPA MPG Range: 16-27 Body Styles: Regular Cab, extended cab, crew cab Chevy's Colorado and GMC's Canyon focus on the light-duty noncommercial user--assuming heavy haulers will move up to the large Silverado and Sierra. Given that mission, these are useful, well-balanced small trucks. Similar Isuzu i-280/i-350 share these attributes, but a sparse dealer network and questions about Isuzu's long-term viability blunt their value.

Dodge Dakota Base Price Range: $20,090-$29,590 EPA MPG Range: 14-22 Body Styles: Extended Cab, crew Cab Dakota and its Mitsubishi Raider cousin impress for their refinement, available all-wheel drive, and curtain side airbags. They're a bit too big for easy daily commuting, but a V8 model is a terrific choice if you tow or do heavy hauling and don't want the bulk of a true large pickup truck. That earns Dakota a Recommended nod. Mitsubishi's warranty coverage is broader than Dodge's, but the Japanese brand is hampered by a spotty dealer network and uncertain resale value.

Ford Ranger Base Price Range: $14,450-$26,670 EPA MPG Range: 15-29 Body Styles: Regular cab, extended cab This basic design is more than a decade old and acts like it. Rivals, all much newer, offer better power, refinement, room, and comfort. Still, Ranger and the similar Mazda B-series are proven workhorses that are attractively priced and often heavily discounted. Ford offers a wider array of features than the B-Series does, plus the convenience of more dealers.

GMC Canyon Base Price Range: $14,730-$23,200 EPA MPG Range: 16-27 Body Styles: Regular cab, extended cab, crew cab Canyon and cousin Colorado focus on the light-duty non-commercial user--assuming heavy haulers will move up to a full-size GMC Sierra or Chevy Silverado. Given that mission, these are useful, well-balanced small trucks. List prices are fairly steep, however, so don't buy without a substantial discount.

Honda Ridgeline Base Price Range: $27,700-$36,640 EPA MPG Range: 16-21 Body Styles: Crew cab Ridgeline blends pickup utility with carlike civility in a solid, sensible, Honda-style package. The light-duty design won't suit hardcore truckers, but should meet the needs of families and recreational users, as Honda intends. Innovative pickup features and Honda's typically strong resale value enhance its Recommended status.

Isuzu i-280/i-350 Base Price Range: $14,730-$23,830 EPA MPG Range: 18-27 Body Styles: Extended cab, crew cab Like their Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon cousins, the i-280 and i-350 are useful, well-balanced small trucks. But a sparse dealer network and questions about Isuzu's long-term viability blunt their value. Sales have been slow, so deep discounts should be available.

Mazda B-Series Base Price Range: $15,340-$26,440 EPA MPG Range: 16-29 Body Styles: Regular cab, extended cab These Mazdas share an aged but still-viable design with their Ford Ranger siblings. Rangers, however, are available with more popular equipment and at a greater number of dealerships.

Mitsubishi Raider Base Price: $19,180-$33,920 EPA MPG Range: 15-22 Body Styles: Extended cab, crew cab Raider impresses for its combination of quietness, refinement, available dry-surface 4WD, and curtain-side-airbag security. We recommend a V8 model as a terrific choice if you need power for towing or heavy hauling but don't want the bulk of a true large pickup. Six-cylinder versions are best suited to light-duty chores, but  Raider's large dimensions render it too big for easy daily commuting. Mitsubishi offers more generous warranty coverage than Dodge, but is hampered by a spotty dealer network and uncertain resale value.

Nissan Frontier Base Price: $15,900-$27,200 EPA MPG Range: 15-25 Body Styles: Regular cab, extended cab, crew cab Frontier carves out a nice niche for itself in the compact-pickup market with a powerful V6, middle-of-the-pack size, and options that appeal to off-road enthusiasts. Ride and handling are also good for the class, but interiors disappoint with too much tacky plastic and subpar rear-seat room.

Toyota Tacoma Base Price Range: $13,980-$25,815 EPA MPG Range: 16-27 Body Styles: Regular cab, extended cab, crew cab Despite its off-road prowess, Tacoma holds its own in refinement, and is more than competitive in performance and accommodations. Available curtain side airbags are an important safety plus, though they're available only on Double Cabs. Add Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability, and Tacoma is an easy Best Buy choice.

Some trucks in this group are sold in similar form under more than one nameplate. Differences are mainly in appearance and feature availability. Chevrolet Colorado is the basis for the GMC Canyon and Isuzu i-280/i-350. Dodge Dakota spawned the Mitsubishi Raider. Ford Ranger is retrimmed as the Mazda B-Series.

Compact Pickup Truck Specification Comparison

Vehicle	Wheel-base, in.	Length, in.	Curb Weight, lb.	Maximum Payload	Fuel Capacity, gal.	Front Head Room, in.	Front Leg Room, in.	Rear Head Room, in.	Rear Leg Room, in.
Chevrolet Colorado reg. cab	111.2	192.8	3117	1539	19.6	39.6	44.0	NA	--
Chevrolet Colorado ext. cab	125.9	207.6	3346	1539	19.6	36.9	44.0	37.9	23.1
Chevrolet Colorado crew cab	125.9	207.1	3511	1343	19.6	38.6	44.0	38.3	34.8
Dodge Dakotaext. cab	131.3	218.8	4261	1750	22.0	39.6	41.9	36.5	32.1
Dodge Dakota crew cab	131.3	218.8	4376	1640	22.0	39.9	41.9	38.4	36.4
Ford Expl. Sport Trac crew cab	130.5	210.2	4516	1400	22.5	39.8	42.4	38.5	36.8
Ford Ranger reg. cab short bed	111.5	189.4	3012	1260	17.0	39.2	42.4	--	--
Ford Ranger reg. cab long bed	117.4	198.4	3051	1260	20.0	39.2	42.4	--	--
Ford Ranger ext. cab	125.7	203.6	3171	1260	19.5	39.2	42.4	33.3	40.1
GMC Canyon reg. cab	111.3	192.4	3375	1539	19.6	39.6	44.0	--	--
GMC Canyon ext. cab	126.0	207.1	3461	1539	19.6	39.6	44.0	37.9	23.1
GMC Canyon crew cab	126.0	207.1	3677	1343	19.6	39.3	44.0	38.3	34.8
Honda Ridgeline crew cab	122.0	206.8	4494	1558	22.0	40.7	40.8	39.1	36.4
Isuzu i-280 ext. cab	125.9	207.6	3346	1532	19.6	39.6	44.0	39.7	23.1
Isuzu i-350 crew cab	125.9	207.1	4093	1190	19.6	38.6	44.0	38.3	34.8
Mazda B-Series reg. cab	111.6	187.5	2999	1260	16.5	39.2	42.4	--	--
Mazda B-Series ext. cab	125.9	201.7	3305	1680	19.5	39.2	42.2	35.6	40.3
Mitsubishi Raider ext. cab	131.3	219.9	4311	1700	22.0	39.6	41.9	36.5	32.1
Mitsubishi Raider crew cab	131.3	219.9	4415	1590	22.0	39.9	41.9	38.4	36.4
Nissan Frontier ext. cab	125.9	205.5	3675	1583	21.1	39.7	42.4	38.3	25.4
Nissan Frontier crew cab.	125.9	205.5	4226	1482	21.1	40.0	42.2	38.7	33.6
Toyota Tacoma reg. cab	109.4	190.4	3140	1685	21.0	40.0	41.7	--	--
Toyota Tacoma ext. cab	127.2	208.1	3425	1615	21.0	39.9	41.7	35.2	28.2
Toyota Tacoma crew cab short bed	127.8	208.1	3810	1540	21.0	40.1	41.7	38.5	32.6
Toyota Tacoma crew cab long bed	140.9	221.3	4100	1485	21.0	40.1	41.7	38.5	32.6