Is There a Future for Midsize Pickups?

The future for mid-sized trucks is great! The auto industry is completly wrong to be getting out of them. What do they know....

 

Got the info directly from their website, adding it to the base vehicle, it was just shy of 5k, a couple hundred bucks isn't going to change the final outcome.

 

Look what happened to cars after the arab oil embargos and insurance adjustments of the early 1970s. There had been a horsepower war, reaching silly (but oh so satisfying) levels, and sales crashed (looked a lot like the published chart in this thread, actually). Next thing you know, most of those lines of cars were either dropped outright (Barracuda, Javelin) or redesigned with smaller engines or even an overall smaller vehicle design (Mustang II, Camaro, Firebird, etc.).

Looking at what's happening in the market now...lines being dropped (Dakota, Ranger), or redesigned (Frontier?) to be smaller/more economical. The market is resetting this segment. It might very well go back to something more like the situation in the 1980s/1990s, with clear distinction in size, power, and price between full size trucks and the mini/utility/lifestyle trucks.

 

meannnn

 

I had a project in Minneapolis last winter and Emerald started stocking full size pickups at the airport. I got to drive all of the full size pickups on a regular basis. I loved driving them all until I got down town or in a parking lot, they're freakin' huge in tight quarters. The real gas mileage seemed quite a bit lower than advertised, especially if you're driving to have a little fun. If I had a lifetime supply of free gas, I'd pick the RAM in an instant.

I really like my Tacoma though, it's a nice compromise between giving me a fun to drive truck and truck capabilities. I'd actually prefer it if it was a little smaller with better gas mileage (and better rear leafs).

I'd definitely buy a mid-size again ... I could never see going full size unless I was doing a lot of heavy towing or for the load carrying capability.

On a side note, one week I had a Prius and it was the week that I was driving all over the freeways doing some shopping. After 4 days I went to fill up with gas and could only get about $3.50 in the tank when the trucks were usually taking $15-20 with far less driving. I thought something was wrong so I kept trying to put more in and the pump kept kicking off so it really was full. Couldn't believe it ... what a difference.