Faults:

Nothing but maintenance items. This truck has never broken down.

Maintenance items are as follows:

Spark plugs, ignition cap & rotor, fuel filter, transmission and differential fluids, replaced drive belts and both battery terminals.

General Comments:

This truck was bought new by my grandfather, and then when he quit driving, it was passed down to me.

Because my Grandfather was already retired when he bought this truck, it only has 63,000 miles on it.

This truck is not fancy, but it has the basic things to be comfortable such as A/C and power steering.

The windows and door locks are manual, there is no tilt steering wheel, no carpeting, just a rubber mat and a bench seat.

This truck is utilitarian, but with just enough to make it reasonably comfortable.

I have owned 3 trucks, including a 1977 Toyota Pickup and a 1992 Dodge Dakota. I will attempt to compare this truck to the other two.

In comparison to the 1977 Toyota Pickup, it is very similar in the way that it drives, handles loads and trailers. The biggest differences is that the 1992 is more comfortable, it has a slightly larger interior, the seat is more comfortable and this truck has A/C, whereas the 1977 did not (and I don’t like to be hot). Also the gas mileage is better with the 1992 (25-26MPG is my average) than the 1977 (18-19 was my average).

Both my 1977 Toyota and my 1992 would haul or tow anything I asked them to, and on occasion I asked them both to haul more than I probably should have.

The 1992 has a slightly higher top speed than the 1977, 85MPH is about it on level ground for the 1992, whereas the 1977 was about 70MPH. Of course the more you haul or tow, the lower the top speed.

As a general summary, I would say that the both the 1977 and the 1992 are true, honest, unstoppable work trucks. The 1992 feels like a more refined, more comfortable version, but it still feels like the same truck that was built in 1977, and that is meant as a compliment.

One last note; I prefer the classic looks of the 1977, but I love the added comfort of the 1992.

Now the 1992 Toyota pickup compared to the 1992 Dodge Dakota.

Hauling wise they are similar; both will take a good amount of weight in the bed, though I have found that the Toyota will take more weight in the bed without sagging, both of them will tow a similar amount of weight, however the Dakota will speed up faster and hold higher freeway speeds on hills better.

The Dakota is by far the most comfortable of the three trucks, it is also the heaviest and the biggest. The Dakota’s gas mileage is 14-15MPG, the 1977 Toyota was 18-19MPG, and the 1992 is 25-26MPG, all three are 2wd, so both of the Toyotas win that one, and the 1992 wins by almost double the mileage, and with the high cost of gas these days, that is a big win.

Both of the Toyotas win reliability wise. I have had to have the Dakota towed once, and had to fix it on the side of the road or in my driveway more times than I care to admit to. The Toyotas have never let me down, other than routine maintenance, they just don’t need much repair.

So to summarize, all three trucks will tow or haul what you need to, just the Dakota is more comfortable and will go faster. The Toyota is more reliable, and more economical and while the 1992 Toyota is not as luxurious as the Dakota, it is has enough creature comforts to be comfortable for long trips.

One last note. I live on a large wooded piece of land that has ATV trails cut in the woods in order to access the remote corners of the property. Both of the Toyotas could maneuver down the ATV trails fairly easily if I need a pickup in a remote corner, the Dakota however cannot. Not only is it a bit wide for some places, but it simply can’t turn that tight.

So for me the Dakota was the most comfortable going down the road, but the 1992 Toyota wins in all other areas such as gas mileage, towing, hauling, anything that involves the work a truck should do.

Faults:

Starter, neutral safety switch, kept overheating even after replacing the thermostat, cap. radiator checked no leaks, and coolant replaced, new shocks, tires, new paint. New plugs, cap & rotor.

General Comments:

Bought one brand new in 1992, needed a new car after my pristine Subie' XT GL was totaled in Fla. The low miles (supposed to be verified with Carfax) were VERY misleading! The truck was not reliable, costly to run! The only, and I do mean only saving grace, is after it was totaled by a drunk driver, the re-sale value was fairly decent, so I could recoup my investment! I had some problems with my original 1992 in 1993 with the engine overheating. I bought a 1993 Volvo 240, and have been in love ever since - see my review here!