Time for posture
Time for placement
Gonna do it right
I know what matters
Yeah I'll take it
Right now!
Right!
I'll take credit

�If Credit�s What Matters I�ll Take Credit� � Hot Snakes

Forty percent. 40%. 40 percent. Forty %. No matter how you phrase it, 40 percent is a crucial figure for mid-size trucks, as it�s the percentage of sales increase from 2014 to 2015 in the segment (253,826 to 357,406*). Who deserves the credit for this increase is up for debate.

On one hand, GM can certainly claim its share of the credit by introducing a new truck platform shared on the GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado, the latter of which won our 2015 Mid-Size Truck Shootout. Then again, Nissan and Toyota deserve their share of praise for keeping the segment afloat after most manufacturers left it for dead.

It�s hard to pinpoint exactly why mid-size truck sales, like the automotive industry as a whole, were up last year. A rebounding economy helped, as did lower fuel prices. And it appears GM�s re-entry didn�t hurt anything other than Nissan�s market share a little bit. The head-scratcher was really Toyota, with a 10-year-old product, having its best sales month for Tacoma ever � and that was prior to the new 2016 model being launched.

This growth means good things for you, the truck buyer, for one simple reason: competition breeds innovation. This year�s 2016 Mid-Size Truck Shootout is evidence of that, as we have one all-new truck in the Tacoma and a first-ever diesel engine for the U.S. in the GMC.

Truck Lineup
If you think that you're strong
Wanna fight?
Well come on, and line up
�Line Up� - Aerosmith

The segment leader Toyota has unveiled its all-new Tacoma this year, sporting a newly designed exterior, interior, and a host of new off-road features for the TRD Off-Road version of the truck we are testing.

One of the most noteworthy changes to this year�s truck is the replacement of the 4.0L engine with a new 3.5L Atkinson Cycle V6 that provides a 42-horsepower increase over the previous engine. Toyota also ditched the five-speed transmission in favor of a new six-speed. The 2016 truck also boasts improved city and highway fuel economy ratings.

GM is making big news in the segment for the second year in a row by introducing the first-ever diesel engine for a mid-size truck in the U.S. market. The new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel is available in both the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon for 2016.

The new engine is rated to produce 181 horsepower and a class-leading 369 lb.-ft. of torque, and what�s more the Duramax-equipped Colorado and Canyon boast the best fuel economy of any pickup truck at 31 mpg in 2WD form. We, however, will be testing a 4x4 version, though it still promises an impressive 29-mpg highway rating. For 2016, we�ve included the GMC Canyon in our test, which is the same platform as the Colorado but is essentially more handsomely equipped inside.

Nissan�s motto in 2016: Why change a good thing? That�s the approach with the Frontier this year, as no major changes are found on our PRO-4X off-road version of the truck except for a new Forged Copper paintjob.

The Frontier offers great value with its added features, affordable price tag, and its proven tried-and-true 4.0L V6 engine that is still very much competitive in the field.

Mid-Size Truck Shootout Shortcuts
Jump to: Engine Performance, Speed

Jump to: Suspension & Handling, Towing

Jump to: Ergonomics & Features

Jump to: Scorecard, Results

*Thanks to GoodCarBadCar.net for the sales figures

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