The compact light-truck segment, exploited so successfully by Japanese manufacturers, reached its peak in the '70s and has been dropping steadily since. Volkswagen, Isuzu and

Mitsubishi (also sold as captive imports called Dodge Rams) came into the market late and have largely disappeared. Mazda, through its partnership with Ford has moved up to marketing only midsize trucks built for the U.S. market.

Thus, the only two forces left in the compact pickup market are Toyota and Nissan. And Toyota, with its midsize cum full-size T100 appears to be moving in the direction of bigger pickups.

Although sales are declining, compact pickups still account for a sizable-enough portion of the market to compel us to review at least one offering. We chose Nissan because it remains firmly in the segment. We also chose to make price a criterion, hence our selection of the 4x2 XE Regular Cab. One step above the base truck offering, the XE includes some popular equipment while maintaining a relatively low price. Our truck had an MSRP of $11,819, including a $380 destination charge. Not bad considering it had options such as air conditioning, power steering, a premium sound system and a convenience package including power mirrors and chrome package with special graphics.