Toyota doesn't try to convince anyone the S-Runner is a heavy work truck; its lowered stance and performance-oriented flavor say "sport truck" all the way. However, the S-Runner does have a decent payload capacity of 1373 lb, though we suggest you be conservative: Loaded with only 680 lb in the bed (roughly half of payload capacity), the rear of the truck sank deeply and handling became frighteningly light, which totally changed its handling characteristics.
Test 5: InteriorAny truck's "living room" is where owners spend their time, and in the tradition of the proverbial couch potato, seating should be comfortable, supportive, coupled with a pleasing decor, with all controls close at hand.
In evaluating our testers, we don't just take this notion of liveability into account, but the quality and usage of materials as well. Are they comfortable, pleasing to the eye, yet able to take years of abuse? Do all the parts fit properly, or has the switchgear been sourced from a cheap video game?
The GMC Sierra C3 is the luxury leader of this test, with its tone-on-tone, heated leather seats, steering wheel and rear-seat audio controls, black cherry "plood" (plastic wood) trim surrounds, and driver information center that calculates endless data in no fewer than four different languages. "Awesome bolster and lumbar BarcaLounger seat" and "Comfy and quiet. It's the Chardonnay of pickup trucks," were only two of the many editor comments praising the C3's interior.
If you're used to driving a tractor and want to retain the essence of a Spartan and old-fashioned truck, the Mazda B4000 packs a lot of comfort into a very basic package. "Cabin is plain Jane, but at least it's clean and simple," noted one editor. Believe it or not, you can actually fit five people into its Cab Plus 4 interior: three-across seating in the front and two side-saddle jump seats. It's a tight fit, but it works in a pinch.
Many editors liked the Explorer Sport Trac's interior with its Berber-like carpet, comfortable and supportive seats, and such amenities as a rear roll-down window (with venting feature), white-faced gauges, and removable center console.
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