Small trucks are slowly getting bigger and bigger

Today's taco is the size of a first gen Tundra

 

Read back a few post. That is literally what has been discussed.

I agree with you though. They are very similar.

Part of the reason I bought the current gen Tacoma.

 

When the Dodge Dakota came out was probably the point where smaller trucks started increasing in size.

 

LOL...looks like someone accidentally put it in the dryer.

 

I always tell people if they want a Taco with a V8 buy the 1st gen Tundra.

 

The purest of all the small, nimble, simple trucks were the Mazda B2000/2200.

I owned an '86 and an '89. Truly a compact rig...easy to drive, park and you could fix anything on them using a metric socket set and a screwdriver.

Wish I still had one of them

 

I think generally, bigger vehicles are more profitable and that's why they get bigger. A little extra cost in materials for a 20% increase in price. You can also market the fact that it is bigger. "Now with more leg room than X!"

 

And they called it a midsize pickup.

 

Tacomas are larger than a Datsun from the 70s. It's usually the sheet metal giving the effect that the vehicle is larger look at a vehicle refresh where the wheelbase hasn't changed and the passenger compartment hasn't changed. I can't think of good example off the top of my head.

 

My brother who owns a 1st gen Tundra access cab agrees with me that my double cab 2nd gen Taco is bigger on the inside then his truck, but is still slightly smaller outside, due to the Tundra having a bigger bed.

 

I thought buy

The Nissan has better seating position than the second gen.

How are the 2nd & 3rnd gens different in size? The wheelbase is the same when the cab configuration is the same.

 

Are we still talking about this?

Full sized trucks are bigger. Compacts are bigger. EVERYTHING is bigger. Look at the original Civic. It was tiny as in smart car tiny. That was oil embargo days and smaller meant lighter which meant better economy. Then people said let’s at least make it comfortable which meant larger.

We don’t drive small vehicles in general anymore. Soccer moms want Escalades not Civics. Full sized trucks are people movers now and they are HUGE. Which means the smaller vehicles fill the gap that was vacated by the now larger trucks.

I have spent tens of thousands of miles in Mazda B2000’s /2200’s and rangers and don’t want to go back. For many these would be a great vehicle and fit their needs. But people now buy what they want and not by need. Debt isn't something people fear anymore so how do you sell a cheap low optioned vehicle and make a profit? You need volume which when considering everyone is buying bigger and bigger can anyone bank on bucking the trend and win? Another thing to think about is motor. Those Mazda’s were no powerhouse. Read ANY TW thread on the 3.5 in the 3rd gen and there are so many who claim this is a gutless mini van motor. It’s like everyone expects a tire shredding 800 hp under the hood while giving your fuel economy of a Prius. I personally like the 3.5 and think it is a rocket. Sure it doesn’t have as much low end torque as many other options. But overall it works. I pull out to pass and damn I need to back off when I look down at the speedo. I used to drive my wife's Cobalt SS turbo and that was a rocket and this seems ALMOST as fast based on passing speed. So if we go back to B2000 sized trucks will people still claim it needs a V8?

The 3rd gen Tacoma is a great truck with a great motor for most of those who buy one. Yes it is bigger. Yes it isn’t a V8. So buy it for what it is and not for what you want it to be and you will love it.

 

/thread

Your post was a worthwhile read- thanks

 

I would drive a small, 4 cyl, manual tranny compact truck in a heartbeat. I just don't care about engine power and lots of tech gadgets. I probably use 1/3 of the available power that my 4.0 has most days. And sure, the power buttons and Entune are nice....but are completely unnecessary for me.

I like simple vehicles. But those are all gone the way of the Dodo bird...due to safety advances (which aren't a bad thing) and customer demand for more space, power and bells/whistles.

The low gearing of the B's did make them buzzy on the highway. But they were simple, honest little machines.

In 1994 I had the opportunity to buy a one owner '92 Mazda B2600i extended cab 5-speed 2WD with 18k miles on it for a steal....the last year for the Mazda built rigs. They were rebaged Rangers from that point forward. I so wish I had done that. That would have been the perfect truck. Compact, a little extra room with the extended cab, and better power from the Mitsubishi engine and taller gearing for better cruising.

Damn do I regret not buying it.

 

Most of my friends drove these, where I’m from though they were badged as Ford Couriers

 

There were reasons why you didn't buy it, and probably good reasons to boot. No use thinking about it imo.

I really liked my 91 S10 regular cab with 4cyl, 5speed MT, no power steering, AC, hand crank windows, etc., but it was a Chevy and was falling apart after 6 years and less than 100k on the odometer, lol.

If I had the chance to buy something brand new with the same exact configuration, I probably would not, because my family is now 6, not just me and my wife like in 91.

And safety! When we bought a 2001 Forester, I was happy that it had such high safety ratings. Seeing pictures and testimonials from 3rd gen owners about how these trucks can handle such horrific accidents is reassuring. That my old S10 would not do nearly as well is a given.

Last, my 97 Dakota was truly a mid size truck, and Dodge owned that market for many years. My 97 Dakota access cab and my 16 Tacoma access cab share very similar footprints.

The mid size access cab pickup is as close to perfect as I ever care to get, size and functionality wise.

Maybe little tin box simple trucks will come back some day, but they won't have driver/ passenger compartments, lol.

Autonomous all electric vehicles will be taking over the roads someday (soon)- Damm relentless industrial revolution!

 

We had a 81 Rabbit Diesel back in the day -- that thing saved us a lot of money on fuel --that was back when diesel was cheaper than gasoline.
Problem was on cold mornings the darned little fellow would almost shake you out of the drivers seat when it was warming up!
WE took it and our 3 young kiddos to Disneyworld in Orlando. It was the opposite of the "family truckster" in Vacation.
Also we brought about a thousand extra passengers back with us -- SAND FLEAS! Along about Atlanta we all started itching and scratching-- later figured out that the oldest daughter kept getting in and out of the car while we were sitting on the beach at New Symerna Fl .
Got home (finally) and set off a couple of bug-bombs off in the car.
WE could probably have wrote a comedy movie about that trip!

 

They are just sizing cars proportionately to our asses.

 

Not just vehicles....

Today’s new homes are 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973, and the living space per person has doubled over last 40 years

http://www.aei.org/publication/toda...ce-per-person-has-doubled-over-last-40-years/

 

That is not really accurate as its comparing different kinds of hamburgers, I would be curious how much the current version of the original weighs, usually they give you less.