Are small pickup trucks extinct? (luxury, vehicles, 2015, manual transmission)
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With volatile gas prices, will there be any renewed demand for small pickup trucks like the pre-2009 Ford Ranger? For people who want more cargo space than a car but not a behemoth?
if you mean small is an how tiny the ole nissan 'hardbody' was, the original ford ranger, the original s10, the D50 mitsu dodge sold, even the old SR5, its like everything else - it grew
memba when you could just about drive a civic into the back of a full size pickup? all that was little is now big, and all that was big, is now much smaller (impala anyone?)
New Ford Maverick might be the closest to the old ranger (199" long vs 189"), but it's still pretty big when you stuff in all the modern creature comforts, sound insulation, safety items and electrical, etc..
older cars were smaller because there just wasn't much to them.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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With the incredible demand for the new Ford Maverick, I expect that others will follow with a new, small and probably hybrid truck in the next couple of years. The manufacturers are always copying each other, that's why they all offer so many SUVs, there are no more station wagons, and the number of choices for a sedan are next to nothing.
With volatile gas prices, will there be any renewed demand for small pickup trucks like the pre-2009 Ford Ranger? For people who want more cargo space than a car but not a behemoth?
Or will that simply never be a thing again?
Yes, Ford has sold out of the Maverick. It's inexpensive and it gets good mileage. Hyundai Santa Cruz, I havent' heard much about but its out there. Tacomas can be ordered in a base trim smaller and with a 4 cylinder engine.
With volatile gas prices, will there be any renewed demand for small pickup trucks like the pre-2009 Ford Ranger? For people who want more cargo space than a car but not a behemoth?
Or will that simply never be a thing again?
Everything small in automotive has been phased out or soon will be, I'm finding. I don't get it. We're all supposed to want big vehicles or monster trucks? The only (really) small model still holding its own (so far) is the Mazda Miata. Those nice, practical Euro-wagons have morphed into SUV's, and some of the hatchbacks are going, going, gone, too.
I got a promotion at my workplace, and it required me to sometimes be "on call", 24/7, winter or summer. At the same time, the "winter beater" that I had was pretty much "toast", so I started looking for an upgrade. I wound up buying a new, '97 Chevy S-10 4x4, regular cab. It was a good truck, overall, great in the snow, and I appreciated the ability to carry "stuff" for around the house repairs. I kept it for 8 years.
In 2005, I bought a GMC Canyon 4x4, also a regular cab. It, too, was a good truck, and I kept it for 10 years. In 2015, I wanted something new, but one critical part of the criteria for it's replacement, was that it had to fit in the "assigned spot" in the garage. However, the regular cab, "compact" pickups had disappeared, and I didn't have the room for something larger.
Believe it or not, I wound up with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, because it fit in the available space, but I sure miss having a pick-up.....
Yes, Ford has sold out of the Maverick. It's inexpensive and it gets good mileage. Hyundai Santa Cruz, I havent' heard much about but its out there. Tacomas can be ordered in a base trim smaller and with a 4 cylinder engine.
Their pricing structure is such that they cant produce the small trucks for price that people that want them, will pay. Yes some of us want basic utilitarian, manual transmission, simple engine, etc. But we arent going to spend $50k on such. That plus all the requirements govt put on them. Same reason we cant find affordable houses. Its whole lot more profitable to build luxury housing people will buy and use as some sort tax write off that nobody will ever live in. Greed and this second Gilded Age will be the death of USA.
Can an economy that only caters to wealthy survive? Guess we will shortly find out. Pretending everybody is wealthy doesnt make it so. Some things you cant just fake it until you make it. And clapped out luxury entertainment center kinda vehicles simply arent practical for those trying to keep them running on a budget.
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