We only knew it as the Toyota Truck up until it was given the name Tacoma, but the rest of the world knows it well by the name “Hilux”. Toyota pickup trucks are legendary for their durability…hell, an entire episode of TopGear was devoted to the pursuit of killing one, and they went to extremes before giving up and putting the wrecked remains on a pedestal. The 1980s and early 1990s trucks tend to have a great cult following and you can see why. Unlike the Honda Ridgeline, which sports a transverse-mounted engine and more than a passing resemblance to other Honda products, the Hilux comes off as a Camry Pickup…nice inside, pure truck throughout. 
This is a 1992 Hilux SSR-X. Here’s what you need to know: You get a crew-cab/shortbed body style that the U.S. market didn’t get. You also get a 2.8L diesel that is tuned for fuel economy. Don’t get too wrapped up in coal-rolling fantasies, the “3L” four-cylinder engine makes 90 horsepower and 139 ft/lbs of torque naturally aspirated. It’s right-hand drive and you’ll have to get used to converting the speed from kilometers to miles per hour in your head, but get past that and it’s another 1992 Toyota. It’s legal for the U.S. since it’s over twenty-five years old, and while there is no title, all of the documentation from the importation is ready to go to the DMV with.
If you are hell-bent about turning a truck into the perfect family vehicle, this isn’t a bad start. A four-door pickup with a five-speed manual and the ability to off-road fairly well? Markets the world over can’t be wrong…
eBay Link: 1992 Toyota Hilux SSR-X diesel
never !
Me and everyone else that’s hung out in IRQ and AFG has been lusting after a diesel Hilux. Indestructible with everything you need and nothing you don’t all it needs is a Dshka mounted in the bed.
The good: It’s a Toyota 4wd diesel. The level of aftermarket support is almost Jeep level, probably one of the the best supported pickups around infact. They are pretty decent off road stock. It’s pretty hard to kill them.
The bad: An athletic sloth is faster. Because the air intake is BELOW the headlight a decent splash of water over the light will really ruin your day. The central axle disconnect, if fitted, can die. Toyota no longer supports the model. Some parts cost as much as Audi parts. People think a nearly 30 year old pickup is worth as much as it was when new.
The cab is cramped. They’re gutless.
Yeah I don’t think they’re that good. But I’d still own one.