1997 Nissan Truck A lotta truck for not a lotta bucks. By Ray Thursby, New Car Test Drive .com

Buyers expect a lot from small pickups.

In some ways they expect more from a truck than they would demand from

a car. Pickups are expected to carry loads, go off road, and take the abuse

of construction sites and vacation trips. At the same time, they are expected

to be reliable, comfortable and good looking. Filling all those needs is

a tall order.

Careful shoppers can go from Toyota to Isuzu, with stops at Mitsubishi

and Nissan, in search of their ideal truck. Or they can add Dodge, Ford,

Chevrolet and GMC to their itineraries.

Nissan is an experienced player in this game. Ever since the days of

boxy Datsuns, the company has had at least one small hauler available.

Though the product has evolved as the needs and tastes of buyers have changed,

basic elements--small size, durability, and value--have remained constant.

Some years ago, Nissan took a gamble. The company decided that appearance

would play an increasing role in the truck-buying process. So a bundle

of money was invested in a reshaped truck penned by the designers at Nissan's

California studio. The result was the Hardbody--now called the Nissan Truck.

Controversial at first, it's now a proven design.

New option packages and a higher level of standard equipment make the

Nissan Truck one of the best values among compact pickups.