Small trucks are slowly getting bigger and bigger

Ok, gotcha. Here in the states the Courier was a rebaged Mazda with a slightly different front end to give it a bit of distinction over the Mazdas. Some of the later models actually had the Ford 2.3 as an option...though most were Mazda powered. They ran from the early 70's to around '82. By '83 Ford had introduced it's own Ranger.

GM did the same thing with the Chevy LUV. It was a rebaged Isuzu Pup. It took Ford and GM several years to develop their own compact trucks. But around '83 the Ranger and S-10 had finally appeared

 

MPGs are a factor as well. The larger a vehicle’s foot print is, the less stringent the federally mandated MPG requirements are.

 

I wanted a full size truck, but got the Tacoma with the access cab so it would fit in the garage. It barely fits, but is big enough for me due to the size of the newer trucks. I do like the smaller price of the Tacoma...especially in SR trim.

 

NerdTaco,
Thank you for the info. Notice I compared my Tacoma with the length of my Tundra (yr 2000). If you own/use a Tundra, post your q.d. driving and handling experience addressing the main issue, "Smaller trucks are slowly getting...," as I did. Folk would like to read your opinion. However, CPT Obvious could search for factual size comparisons, if needed.