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OUR TAKE: What a wicked little pickup--okay, not so little anymore, considering this King Cab version barely squeaked into a standard garage space. That said, this is a solid truck, with all the equipment one might want in this kind of a vehicle, along with strong off-road credentials.

This Nismo model packs an off-road-spec Bilstein suspension, extra skid plates, trail-ready BFG rubber, locking rear differential and limited-slip differential. And while all that stuff is great on your local off-road trail, it worked surprisingly well on-road, too.

Zipping down the expressway at 80 is uneventful, the ride steady, with a relatively quiet cabin. It also feels pretty good rounding turns. The engine thrashes a bit in the lower gears, but there's no lack of motivation. The V6 is strong, and it's hooked up to a slick six-speed manual gearbox. The manual is pretty slick considering it's a truck--you won't mistake it for a sports car, it feels too stout for that--but it's nice to get in a vehicle like this that still has a clutch pedal. However, you'll quickly find out that the engine is a thirsty beast as the gas needle dips lower and lower during commutes.

The interior is straightforward, with a number of spots to tuck away items, and it's put together well. Its outward appearance is clean, with a particularly tough-looking front end, which is de rigueur for pickups these days, it seems.

This is a nice piece to drive, solidly built, plenty of power, good steering feel and handling, given what it is, even a really nice ride for an off-roadable truck. The Nismo folks have gotten their sums right.