are small trucks gone?

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In the early 70s when the gas crunch hit small trucks like the Datsun trucks were popular. as the f150 sizes get bigger and higher every year (may need a ladder soon to get into one- when will the higher is better idea stop?)

are all the smaller trucks gone?
 
In a nutshell, yes. The bigger form factors (F150) that cover more real estate are allowed worse MPG. This is why we see aluminum, turbo F150s. Jalopnik covers this somewhere.

I like the small trucks just from a city delivery maneuverability point of view, but the current CAFE incentives block this.

Personally, though, I don't see why they can't have a lower bed with gunwales you can throw a bale of hay over without throwing out your back. They "need" high hoods/ fenders for pedestrian safety out front which is why cars & trucks have such goofy styling lately.
 
Having owned ranger extended cabs, Nissan xtra cabs and a number of F150's, I've got to admit that small trucks are just too small for me.

I guess I'm a typical modern American, big (not fat) and I can't fit in non extended small truck cabs of years past. In fact, I often would modify the seat rails to make the seats go back farther.

So, while the small truck idea is nice, it morphs into a longer cab for the necessary room and interior volume. Then the bed grows to accommodate a dirt bike/ATV. After this, the "compact" pickup truck is nearly as long as a normal SuperCrew F150, just skinnier.

I suppose engineers could make the nose shorter with the modern small engines. But, the practical reality is that a certain size is kind of necessary. Both the Colorado and the new Toyota mid sized trucks are really close to the size of half ton's from the 1960's.
 
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I'd like to see small trucks offered again that were once popular here in North America.
All I need is AC and a decent radio.

This VW Amarok would suit me.

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I don't remember the exact years (1980's?), but at one time Ford aggressively marketed a downsized F series for better economy. At the Detroit car show, I noted that the new Chevy Colorado is about the size of the Fords years back. I agree that today's trucks are too bloated.
1980-1989-ford-trucks-30.jpg
1980-1989-ford-trucks-9.jpg
 
The manufacturers are missing out on the true COMPACT pickups. Many people today don't need a full- or mid-size pickup, and would greatly appreciate a compact pickup being offered. The Datsun, Mazda, and Toyota pickups of the '70s (that were also rebadged for American manufacturers as the Chevy LUV and Ford Courier) and American '80s compacts (Chevy S-10/GMC S-15, Ford Ranger) are what some consumers are asking for to return size-wise.

The Toyota Tacoma is the best "most compact" truck being sold today.
 
I still own a 1985 Ford F-150 with 302cid 2bbl carb. automatic trans, she just turned 30 years old. I don't take it far from home, just use it to cut wood several times each fall & to haul when needed. The bed is low enough to load easily & you can get into and out of without any problem. Why they got away from this design is beyond me. Oh, the air conditioner & cruise control still work, will the new ones after 30 years?
 
I think pricing is the issue. Most manufacturers find it doesn't cost any less to make a smaller truck than it does to make a larger one. And most buyers, when they see a $30K price tag for both a small and a big truck, will probably choose the latter because they think they're getting more for the money.

This is one reason why the above mentioned VW Amarok is not sold here...

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/20/why-its-not-coming-here-vw-amarok-priced-at-35k-in-europe/
 
If there was a market, there'd be sales.

But let's be clear: if a maker were to take a compact car, lop the back off and make a bed, sales would be what? dismal at best? It'd be mocked for inability to tow, too small, etc.

VW and Subaru did that back in the day; Subaru and Honda did that in recent history. Went as far as to make four door vehicles. Sales were not there. But really, wouldn't a Ridgeline/Brat/similar serve most people well enough? Pretend bed of a few feet, modest towing for a trailer, enough interior space for the family, and (hopefully) mpg better than a full sized truck?

Compact trucks got sales because they were cheap to buy. Once emissions and safety caught up it became the same cost for R&D, and nearly the same price to manufacturer.

Need a full frame with towing or heavy weight? Well, if it's a working truck... why not a real truck? Instead of paying nearly the same cost as a full sized, just buy a full sized in the first place.

When I was shopping I couldn't justify paying nearly the same price for a Tacoma as for a Tundra, not when the Tundra would "do it better" at a slight mpg penalty (which I didn't care about as it was a low mile/year vehicle). If a Taco had been half priced I would have bought differently.
 
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I have had 3 Rangers over the years and only bought my F150 when I needed it for the farm. I would sure like to see Ford bring back a smaller truck, since at some time I will downsize and I would like to stay with Ford. Guess we will see how the new Chevy and GMC smaller trucks do. If they tend to be very popular I am sure Ford will jump back in the market.
 
You hit the nail on the head! Almost NO difference in price and almost NO difference in fuel economy.
In my limited experience the Ford Ranger 2WD was the largest success.
It's bullseye was to serve as a delivery vehicle for almost any business.
Every darn Ranger I saw for sale (I was looking for 2 friends) was a 2WD. Kira
 
I think there's a market for them. But much of it has to do with profit. There's a lot more "meat on the bone" with a $35,000 sale than a $14,500 sale.

I bought new a '93 Toyota compact pickup. 4 cyl 22RE, 5 speed, regular cab, 2WD, Air cond, cloth and nothing else (I bought and installed the stereo). 11 grand and change. It was fantastic. Until I had to pick up a friend at the airport in a thunderstorm. Had to put his luggage in trash bags so they could go in the bed because there was no room in the cab with 2 average size adults. And no, I don't want a topper or a tonneau cover, even today.

Traded in that truck for a new loaded 2000 Tundra Access Cab 4X4. 222,000 miles later and that truck is still my daily driver. Haven't bought trash bags since.
But I do miss the MPG of the 4 cylinder, especially when gas was over $4.30/gal and it cost $100 weekly to fill the Tundra.

Someday I will replace the Tundra, hopefully well after 300K miles. When I do, I'll buy a smaller truck with an extended cab. Hopefully there will be a gas-sipping Toyota diesel by then.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
If there was a market, there'd be sales.

But let's be clear: if a maker were to take a compact car, lop the back off and make a bed, sales would be what? dismal at best? It'd be mocked for inability to tow, too small, etc.


I agree.

Most trucks sold hardly ever get used. Most new trucks are bought by guys who just want a truck, not a car. There is nothing wrong with that, just the way it is.

And if a truck is used for it's intended purpose....a guy will load up his mower to take it to the shop a few times in his lifetime, haul a few loads of landscaping materials in his lifetime, etc. etc. Very few trucks are used for work...most are just transportation devices.

But a guy who buys a truck "just in case" he needs it and he knows that he'll need a truck about 1-2 times a year. So the same guy who spends $40k for a truck that will hardly ever get used, wouldn't dare buy a truck that won't do what he needs it to do (too small, not enough room, low towing capacity) on the rare occasion that he is actually gonna use it. Especially when you consider that a 5 cylinder Colorado is only 25% cheaper than a full size V8 Silervado.

So, Silverado's and F150's are sold....and all the "toy trucks" are mostly left behind.
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I don't remember the exact years (1980's?), but at one time Ford aggressively marketed a downsized F series for better economy. At the Detroit car show, I noted that the new Chevy Colorado is about the size of the Fords years back. I agree that today's trucks are too bloated.
1980-1989-ford-trucks-30.jpg
1980-1989-ford-trucks-9.jpg


The F-100 was actually the same size as an F-150, but offered smaller engines like the 3.8L V6 and 4.2L V8. Some print ads claimed up to 28 MPG, but that was obviously with a ridiculous gear ratio and much less realistic EPA testing at the time.

The Ranger was the downsized F-150...it was designed to mimic the F-Series' styling and engineering, just in a smaller package. That's why the first Rangers shared the Twin-I-Beam suspension and an eggcrate grille meant to look like the F-150's.
 
Somebody has to give it a shot again. The car makers fight over increasingly small market niches and CAD makes designing smaller production runs of vehicle types easier to do. A small truck should not be that complicated. Of course, by not paying attention to the gradual government screw tightening we have ourself in the mess we are currently in with big brother dictating car design points. Imagine of the idea of a motorcycle were first floated TODAY what the bueaucrats would say about it.
 
I almost bought a 2004 F150 several years ago. When the dealer wouldn't budge on price, I walked. A few weeks later, I bought my Ranger. In hindsight, I am SO GLAD I didn't get the F150. I'm way happier with my Ranger. It does everything I could ask for, and is a much more practical size. I can haul 1,300 lbs in the bed (which I've done several times) and tow up to 5000 lbs (haven't done that, not sure I'd want to go above 3,000 lbs realistically). The 4.0 V6 has tons of power, I can drive through anything in 4wd, I can go on an on about how awesome this truck is. I'm NEVER getting rid of it. F150s have gotten too ridiculously huge.

Originally Posted By: Phishin
I agree.

Most trucks sold hardly ever get used. Most new trucks are bought by guys who just want a truck, not a car. There is nothing wrong with that, just the way it is.

And if a truck is used for it's intended purpose....a guy will load up his mower to take it to the shop a few times in his lifetime, haul a few loads of landscaping materials in his lifetime, etc. etc. Very few trucks are used for work...most are just transportation devices.

But a guy who buys a truck "just in case" he needs it and he knows that he'll need a truck about 1-2 times a year. So the same guy who spends $40k for a truck that will hardly ever get used, wouldn't dare buy a truck that won't do what he needs it to do (too small, not enough room, low towing capacity) on the rare occasion that he is actually gonna use it. Especially when you consider that a 5 cylinder Colorado is only 25% cheaper than a full size V8 Silervado.

So, Silverado's and F150's are sold....and all the "toy trucks" are mostly left behind.


Anyone who buys a truck just in case they need it 1-2 times a year is a fool. They would be much better off buying a regular car, and go to Home Depot and rent an F150 for the day for those 1-2 days a year they need a truck.
 
Originally Posted By: John_K
Hyundai is talking about it, Google Hyundai Santa Cruz.

John

Ugg, an urban pickup... that looks like it would work great in the woods... I wonder how a round bale would sit in the "bed". Or a face cord of firewood...

I still think there is a small market for a small simple truck, built out of the parts bin of any of the manufacturers. But they don't want to do anything just to sell 20-30k trucks a year.
I look at the small tractor industry, where they build machines more complex than a pickup in 6 different sizes, in very small volumes, and distribute them around the world and still make a profit! They would kill to sell 20k/year of a model in the US.
Sure there are a few more hoops to jump through with a road vehicle, but in the age of computer modeling, how hard can it be? Buy a suitable drivetrain and put it together.
 
I have a V-6 Silverado that actualy gets better mileage than 2 people I know with Dakotas and a friend with a Toyota Tacoma. So with more room and more capability it's a no-brainer for me. My real world mileage here in VA where it is basically flatland is 19 overall. Best ever was 22, and highway road trips it gets no less than 20. But the downside is that I have a weakish V-6. Similar engines in the smaller trucks have more merging, passing power and way better maneuverability.
 
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