Tacoma's interior benefited from a major redesign last year. Changes included new door trim, orange instrument illumination and available white-faced gauges, a new fabric bench seat, full cut-pile carpeting, door pockets, two auxiliary power outlets located under the cigarette lighter, dual cup holders, a driver-side foot rest, tinted windshield glass, auto-off headlights and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Electric rotary climate controls added a touch of convenience, and a new four-spoke steering wheel provided a variety of comfortable places to rest lazy thumbs. We found the large instruments easy to read, the controls well placed and functional. A new assist strap on the driver's-side windshield pillar was added for 2002.Drivers over six feet tall will find the regular cab a mite cramped for space. The Xtracab has a little more legroom (41.7 inches versus 42.8), plus room to recline the seat. Xtracabs also get a 60/40 split front seat, comfortable for driver and passenger. The big bucket seats in the Xtracab Limited we test-drove felt too big for the cab, giving the space a cramped feeling. But they sure were comfortable. And that lumbar support in the driver's seat was a godsend on a long drive. The cloth trim seems to be of good quality. In the extended rear cab area there's a little table that folds up to serve as either a cup holder or as a support for a child-restraint seat. Double Cabs are reasonably roomy in the back seats. There's lots of kneeroom and good headroom, but the upright seatback makes them most suitable for short trips. Getting in and out of the back seats is awkward because it requires swinging your feet around the B-pillar. The Tacoma has a pull-out hand brake, which is inconvenient and seems old-fashioned.
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