Small trucks are slowly getting bigger and bigger

Today I happened to park my Toyota right next to a late '70's Datsun pick-up. It was in really good shape for a 40 year old truck. But the thing that really stood out to me was it's size. The Datsun was absolutely puny compared to my Tacoma. Probably weighs 1,000 lb less and is much smaller in every way. As I remember, a Toyota back then was about equal in size to a Datsun.

I started thinking as I drove home; that Datsun was the physical size of truck that I really wished my new truck was. A small truck that would just primarily carry me and my motorcycle, that would fit in today's standard 2-car garage along the wife's car with enough room where you can still get the doors open, one that with today's technology would get respectable gas mileage. But today's "small" trucks are all really pretty dang big. Each new re-design of Toyota's (and everyone else's) small truck has grown a little. I suppose that's ok if you are after a big truck. But it would be sure nice of having the option to buy a truly small truck if anyone were to still make them.

 

Yep, vehicles are getting larger and larger. If you look at today's Honda Civic, it's pretty much the same size as the Accord built 30 years ago.

 

I'm with you. I think my 2nd gen Tacoma is real close to the size of my grandpas full size Chevy in 1982. Trucks these days are what I can only call "bloated". If you look under/behind panels, you'll see how much room is "wasted". Take a look at one of the rear quarter panels on a big ford or Chevy truck. Like, look really closely just at the one panel. They're f'n HUGE! And there's a lot of space behind them. Hold your hand up to the "little" Ford logo on the tailgate. It's like the size of a thanksgiving turkey serving platter.

The local Toyota dealer has a tundra frame sitting on the dealer floor as a display. It was all there-- tires, engine, frame-- the body was simply lifted off exposing what was underneath. Looking at the box on the back of an actual tundra sitting next to the frame on display, you get a real feel for just how much "bloat" is actually there.

Maybe it has to do with safety stuff, I don't know. Or maybe it's simply making us feel like we're getting a lot more truck than we were getting 25 years ago. I have a feeling that's more the case. I think we're getting a lot more molded plastic and a little more steel; resulting in trucks that look like they're twice as big as they used to be?

 

Yep, pretty sure the taco is at least the same size if not bigger than a 90’s Chevrolet

 

I would say a lot of it is crash test based. I would be in a lot worse shape if I were to get in a 45mph wreck in that old datsun compared to my old Subaru.

 

My 03 Silverado 1500 was shorter (height wise) than the new Colorado. For a "small" truck...holy shit

 

My '13 Tacoma is about the same size as my Aunt's '02 Tundra. Length and width at least, the Tacoma is definitely taller.

If the trend continues, can you imagine Tacomas bigger than the current Tundra and Tundras as big as a current Peterbilt?

 

With the way Americans are growing I wouldn’t count it out.

 

A couple weeks ago my Wife traded her 2005 Sequoia for a 2017 4Runner. We both noticed that they were about the same size. She looked at a 2017 Sequoia but said it was so much bigger She did not like it. I am not sure a 2017 Sequoia would not fit in my Garage like the 2005 did. Several years ago (41 years) me and a buddy were in a head on crash, we were in a new 1976 Datsun pickupon the way to get some munchies and were hit head on by a 1974 Ford LTD. and we both survived but were each broken up pretty good. Cars & Trucks have come a long way in 40 years.

 

I would love to put the engine, accessories, drivetrain, transmission, interior, etc into my old ‘89 single cab. I loved the 103” wheelbase and narrower width.

But there are things I wouldn’t want to give up, such as airbags and the access cab on my 2nd gen.

Life is a compromise.

 

I owned an "89 XtraCab" as it was called back then (no small suicide doors), it was the first year of the newer/rounder redesign. Wasn't even called a Tacoma, just simply known as the Toyota pickup truck. It had a three liter V-6, 150 HP/180 torque with a five speed manual, that thing was bullet proof. Not a lot of power but trucks were a lot lighter back then...it even had manual hand crank windows. The "shift on the fly" from 2 to 4WD smaller stick next to the shift lever was sweet. Miss that truck!

 

Boys it's all about safety. Crumple zones and airbags. That's why vehicles are bigger.

 

That’s certainly part of it. Another part is people don’t want to drive an underpowered vehicle that struggles to do anything.

 

But Jeep sells the shit out of vehicles

 

I owned a 4 door wrangler and it was a dog on the highway, would have been a great second vehicle though.

 

I like the fact we get more storage space and more leg room and having a better chance of survival in a major collision. I like old pick ups and classiscs too but with today’s terrible drivers I will take safety.

 

It’s a Jeep thing.

 

That’s right I don’t understand.
I owned one for 3 years and still don’t understand, top and doors off was cool but that’s about it.

 

Had one too. Major down fall of having no roof and no doors are the down pours we get all the time lol.