I'll update this as I own the truck (update #1, #2, and #3 below)

Author's Rating:

Pros: Reputation of reliability, styling, good acceleration, fun to drive.

Cons: roll-overs?

Ease of Loading:

The Bottom Line: 
So far, the Tacoma has been great. I'll keep you updated as I go along...

Author's Review
I have a 2002, manual, 4X4, V6, Extracab with the TRD package. I bought the truck used in 2003 with 5,000 miles on it and have only put 1,000 on since then.

When I was researching this truck, I found the longitudinal reviews with numerous updates to be most helpful, so that's what I plan to do here (I plan to drive this truck 'til it dies).

I also considered (all used) the Nissan Frontier, the Dodge Dakota, the Jeep Wrangler, and the Toyota 4Runner. My criteria were: #1: 4WD, #2: Reliable, #3: Powerful engine, #4: Good looks. I ruled out the Frontier because the 4X4 was virtually impossible to come by in Florida and a comparable model was more expensive than the Tacoma (Which served as the Gold Standard to me). The Jeep got booted from my list mainly because of it's poor reviews of reliability (Consumer Reports) and it's awkwardness on pavement... it's natural habitat is in the woods. The 4Runner was a close one, but because of the popularity of SUV's, a comparable model was much more expensive than the Tacoma. I could have gotten a similarly priced 4Runner had I gotten an older one (1999), but that trade-off didn't make much sense to me. The final competitor to the Tacoma was the Dodge Dakota. I test-drove this truck for 2 days and really enjoyed the drive. It is a nice looking truck and has very powerful engine (V8). Also, I could have gotten a Dakota for cheaper than the Tacoma. It all came down to reliability. I looked on Consumer Reports and read tons of online reviews. Basically, I took a gamble and went with Toyota's bullet-proof reliability over Chrysler/Dodge's less-than-stellar reliability ratings. I hope this gamble pays off.

I've had the Tacoma for about a month now, and it is pretty much what I expected. It has fewer bells and whistles than the Dakota (compass, auto-dimming rear view mirror), but I don't really care about that stuff. It has less room inside the cab than the Dakota, but I'm not a huge guy so that doesn't matter much. It's a lot of fun to drive, especially over bumpy cobble-stone roads. It has pretty good acceleration, but it has a tendency to really lean on tight curves, and makes me nervous given the fact that the '03 model was poorly ranked in the roll-over category. Then again, it's a pickup truck, not a sports car. The front seats are comfy, but I've heard (on a 2 hour drive to the beach) that the rear jump-seats aren't too hot. The 4WD and locking rear diff were a lot of fun to use once we got to the beach... it was kind of fun to pass all the 2wd trucks digging their wheels out of the sand.

So far, the truck seems to be getting around 18.5 MPG mixed city and hwy... which is pretty much what I expected with 4wd and the V6.

Other than that, the Tacoma is exactly what I wanted and I am happy I bought it.

--Update #1

So far I've got 10k miles on it. Nothing has changed at all other than an oil change. Occasionally the engine will rev up to 2 rpm when in neutral just after starting the truck. This stops after 2 minutes of driving. I haven’t investigated yet as to what is causing it. That’s all so far.

--Update #2 (1/4/04)

14K miles, no problems at all. I bought a reusable, high-flow, K&N air filtercharger for $50 in hopes that I might squeeze out another 2 MPG and increase Horsepower. The K&N web-site reports a 2-4% increase in HP over the 190 stock HP. I've also noticed about 1 MPG increase... not bad I guess. It's a pretty cheap upgrade for 7 extra horses and one extra MPG.
I'll let you know in 20 years if she ever breaks down.

--Update #3 (2/24/05)

37K miles, no probs. It has developed that annoying dash rattle that other reviewers have commented on. The only thing it's needed is gas. I have accumulated quite a few door dings... the metal Toyota used is pretty thin. The placement of the clock is as annoying as ever. Overall, I'm still glad I own it and I plan to drive it until I die.