There Is No Slowdown for Truck Manufacturers as Performance Improvements Accelerate Into the Fast LaneHigh Gear

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The Heavy Duty Silverado and Sierras offer the 6.0-liter gas engine as standard equipment, or a 6.6-liter turbo diesel with 365 hp and 660 pound-feet of torque. Payload capacity is 2,407 pounds, and towing weight has increased to 18,500 pounds. In the 1500 pickups, Regular, Extended, and Crew Cabs are offered with maximum towing capacity peaking at 10,500 pounds and payload at 2,160 pounds. Two bed lengths, 6.6-foot and 8-foot, are available in both pickups.

The midsize GM pickups, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, got engine upgrades for 2007, so little has changed since then. The base 2.9-liter, four-cylinder engine delivers 185 hp and 190 pound-feet of torque, while the 3.7-liter, inline five-cylinder now offers 242 hp with 242 pound-feet of torque. Regular, Crew, and Extended cabs are available with beds 6.1 or 5.1 feet long. Maximum payload is 1,733 pounds with a 4,000-pound max tow weight.

Toyota
When Toyota rolled out its massive CrewMax pickup in 2007, the manufacturer predicted its full-size truck sales would reach 200,000 in 2008—an audacious goal, considering it would require moving some 25 percent more vehicles off the lot. As of this writing, however, that target was in sight and closing fast.

The CrewMax, a heavy-duty version of the Tundra introduced in 1999, has a lot to do with reaching that goal, as did last year's introduction of a second big V8 engine. Toyota has shown that not only can it run with the big dogs, it can eat their lunch as well. Its share of the full-size truck market is now 17 percent and still growing.

After last year's big launch, in which all Tundras got a supersize upgrade, not much has changed in Toyota trucks for 2008. A four-door CrewMax and Double Cab and a two-door Regular Cab are available. Both the CrewMax and Double Cab models have full-size, front-hinged rear doors. The cavernous CrewMax interior offers sliding, reclining rear seats.

Three engines are available: a 4.0-liter V6 (236 hp with 266 pound-feet of torque), 4.7-liter V8 (271 hp with 313 pound-feet of torque), and the new, all-aluminum 5.7-liter V8 (381 hp with 401 pound-feet of torque). A new, 97.6-inch-long bed option was added in '07 to go with the standard 78.7-inch bed length. The CrewMax is available only with a 66.7-inch short bed.

Maximum towing weight for the Tundras is 10,800 pounds and a 2,060-pound payload rating. A tow/haul selector on the six-speed gearbox optimizes shifts for hills and heavy loads.

Anyone who works in a truck should check out the new Tundra interiors, which have a center console large enough for a laptop computer and hanging files, and a wide sliding armrest that doubles as a portable desk. Cabs have two 12-volt DC outlets (three in the CrewMax models), and two separate glove boxes, including a large-capacity lower compartment.

The Tacoma also is little changed for 2008. Its base engine, a 2.7-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder, provides 159 hp and 180 pound-feet of torque. Also available is the same aluminum, 4.0-liter, 24-valve V6 as in the Tundra. Maximum tow rating is an impressive 11,100 pounds with a special tow-prep package. Payload limit is 1,685 pounds. A supercharger is now available for TRD off-road and sports models equipped with the 4.0-liter engine.

Nissan
The Nissan Titan gets even bigger for 2008 with longer wheel-base models and a full 8-foot bed option on the King Cab. Altogether, four bed sizes are available, including the short-bed 5.5-foot and 6.5-foot boxes. A new Pro-4X off-road version expands the lineup to four full-size pickup iterations, all in Crew or King Cab only, not counting the midsize Frontier, a sportier version that shares some of the Titan's hard-working features. Standard power for the Titan is the 5.6-liter V8 (315 hp with 385 pound-feet of torque). A flex fuel (E-85) option, added in 2007, continues at no extra charge. Max payload for the Titan is 2,063 pounds with a tow rating up to 9,500 pounds.