2004 Truck of the Year Utility Review

Utility
The major reason buyers choose trucks over cars is the enhanced utility. In addition to giving rear-seat occupants big doors and a roomy seat, the Tundra Double Cab offers benefits in cargo space as well. Though the Double Cab's bed is nearly a half inch shorter than the Access Cab's, the former's bed is 3.5 inches deeper, making for a bigger box in total volume.

Ford takes the F-150 down the deeper bed route on all models for 2004, now possible due to its taller, straighter sides. And the spring-loaded assisted tailgate is one of those "why didn't someone think of that one before" flashes of brilliance.

The Titan introduces a number of firsts to the full-size segment: side storage cubby for tire chains or jumper cables, adjustable tie-downs on rails, and an optional spray-in bedliner.

Chevy's Colorado and GMC's Canyon feature a two-position tailgate that can be latched at 45 and 90 degrees. At 45 degrees, the top of the tailgate is at the same height as the tops of the wheelhouses and notches sculpted into the bed to handle 4x8 sheets of plywood. The tailgate is lockable, too.

Also lockable is the aft end of Chevy's retro rod. The bed of the truck is capped by a hard tonneau that flips open at the rear to give access to the cargo area. Think of the SSR's posterior as a long but shallow trunk, not a pickup bed, as the tonneau limits your ability to put anything large or messy inside. Not that you would. Don't put a mountain bike in there; the tonneau won't close. And removing a tonneau, while possible, isn't a spur-of-the-moment job.