pickup truck size

[ptsg]

I'm thinking you meant mpG .... Is that a stick shift, or automatic ? We've never had those Mitsu's here.....

Like houses, closets, garages..... humans tend to use up whatever space they're given, and then some. We mostly have big wide roads here, but much of the world doesn't.

Big trucks are popular here, including with many who don't really use the "truck" functions much/at all.

To each his own...... Wave my magic wand, and I'd probably roll with an olde school Land Cruiser or Rover, or slightly more modern, the VW tdi p/u that much of the world outside of Can/USA got......

Rgds, D.

Opss my bad. Yes MPG. Thanks! I fixed it now.

Actually, I believe you had some of these Mitsu's available there. Although, they were called Dodge 1200 but it was just a Mitsubishi L200 with a Dodge emblem on it.

These Mitsubishi's have a very cool feature. It's the Super Select transfer case. Basically you can have 4x4 with center diff open to drive on the road with rain, snow, etc, 4x4 with center diff locked and 4x4 with center diff locked in low range.

We do have trucks the size of your pickups. But they are made entirely for work. With a wide variety of cabs, wheel base, gross weights, beds and so on. From single cab, to triple cab. Dump bed, flat bed, crane, you name it.

 

[Moxie 15]

@Jchonline I think your numbers, although correct, are a bit skewed by married couples purchasing the truck. Many times the husband's name is alone on the loan and title or the first of the two. This could show as a man purchasing the truck even though the woman is the 'owner' of the truck, just ask her.

 

[Hay Dude]

Opss my bad. Yes MPG. Thanks! I fixed it now.

Actually, I believe you had some of these Mitsu's available there. Although, they were called Dodge 1200 but it was just a Mitsubishi L200 with a Dodge emblem on it.

These Mitsubishi's have a very cool feature. It's the Super Select transfer case. Basically you can have 4x4 with center diff open to drive on the road with rain, snow, etc, 4x4 with center diff locked and 4x4 with center diff locked in low range.

We do have trucks the size of your pickups. But they are made entirely for work. With a wide variety of cabs, wheel base, gross weights, beds and so on. From single cab, to triple cab. Dump bed, flat bed, crane, you name it.

We have similar trucks to those here. I once had a conversation with an owner of a 4WD Isuzu 12’ dumping flatbed truck. He and I were both dropping off hay. I really liked the truck. Had better visibility, 4 wheel drive and an exhaust brake like my Ram. He said the drawback is power. His truck was about 250HP from a smaller displacement engine. “Loaded, You lose speed on hills, but I save on fuel”.
I could see owning one. They are very practical.

 

[strantor]

I agree with you, but...
My opinion, this is an example of that principle (I don't know what it's called or if there's a name for it) which describes that thing the internet does where it amplifies dissenting voices and makes them seem like majority opinions instead of the minority opinions that they actually are, and further makes society as a whole seem to "say one thing and do another."

Truth is, the overwhelming majority of truck buyers DO WANT their trucks bigger, more HP, more passenger room, less cargo room, more bells, more whistles, higher lift, bigger tires, less accessible bed, etc. and that's why trucks have evolved into what they are. "You can't rape the willing" as some say. The market delivers what consumers demand (as determined by what they buy). The manufacturers couldn't have done this to us against our will. If they could, we would all be driving Chevy Avalanches.

I agree with you, and I'm sure most people who reply here will also agree with you, but keep in mind that we are the vocal minority on this topic and most folks got what they wanted and have little incentive to voice their affirmations.

 

[MoKelly]

The silent majority? ^^^^

MoKelly

 

[big bubba]

I agree with you, but...
My opinion, this is an example of that principle (I don't know what it's called or if there's a name for it) which describes that thing the internet does where it amplifies dissenting voices and makes them seem like majority opinions instead of the minority opinions that they actually are, and further makes society as a whole seem to "say one thing and do another."

Truth is, the overwhelming majority of truck buyers DO WANT their trucks bigger, more HP, more passenger room, less cargo room, more bells, more whistles, higher lift, bigger tires, less accessible bed, etc. and that's why trucks have evolved into what they are. "You can't rape the willing" as some say. The market delivers what consumers demand (as determined by what they buy). The manufacturers couldn't have done this to us against our will. If they could, we would all be driving Chevy Avalanches.

I agree with you, and I'm sure most people who reply here will also agree with you, but keep in mind that we are the vocal minority on this topic and most folks got what they wanted and have little incentive to voice their affirmations.

well spoken. buying options for pickups today are far more diverse than in the past. please note, in my original post, i am not bashing bigger & better, nor am i advocating unrealistic return to old school. just observing the full size truck phenomon on the market today.
sure am glad i don't have a payment book on a new vehicle today. but i'm retired & keeping things simple. it's all about life stage as well
best regards

 

[Hay Dude]

Frankly, Im really happy with “we can build it (him) bigger, stronger, faster”... (cheap reference to the “Six Million Dollar Man”).
Having my Ram 5500 so strong it’s GCWR is 44,000lbs keeps me from having to own and haul with a tractor trailer.
No I KNOW a tractor trailer will haul substantially more, but todays small-medium truck like mine with a 40’ trailer can haul 12 tons of hay. I can drive home at the end of the day, and park it in my garage. I can also do smaller jobs.
A tractor trailer with a 54’ trailer can haul about 18 tons of hay, but I can’t use it for much else.
I say keep on going. Make them bigger, stronger & faster.
The new GM 4500-6500 trucks show promise. Just need higher towing ratings.

 

[tibadoe]

My thinking of personal trucks are a bit different than most. Purchased a 2017 F350XL Super Cab, 4x4 with the 8' bed - nothing fancy. This is to be my last truck purchase so I went for everything I wanted in a truck. No flash, fluff, or show for me. I wanted a big truck with plenty of room that looked like a truck and rode like a truck - not a pimp mobile. Didn't want electronic everything under the sun - have other vehicles for that. Wanted to stay away from diesel emissions, something less complex, so the 6.2L gasser was an easy pick. When my must have/wish list was complete, I ordered a base model XL with 18" steel wheels, manual transfer case & manual hubs, vinyl seats, rubber floor/carpet delete, and base radio but added all that I could or might need in the future: dual battery with XXHD alternator, block heater, upfitter switches, gooseneck & 5th wheel hitch, brake controller, snowplow prep (no plowing but wanted beefier front suspension), running boards, spray in bed liner, . For my convenience I did go for the power windows / door locks, boxlink, LED bed lighting, bluetooth, and rear camera.

It's a hoss and I love the truck. After 3 1/2 years of ownership I would not have changed a thing. Not my daily driver so only 7500 smiles so far.

 

[ruffdog]

The gen 2 Colorado p/u matches closer to the size of the 1990 c/k than the new silverado does. The new truck weighs 1000lbs more than the old one too.

Pickups on Steroids: 1990 Silverado Versus 2015 Colorado

 

[check]

My 2019 F150 dwarfs my '87 Ram 250, carries more, tows more, has at least 150 more hp and gets 50%-60% better mpg while riding better and has a functioning AC.


I still love my old Ram more..

Blasphemy!

 

[ruffdog]

The brakes are much bigger on the new 1/2 t trucks than the old 3/4 t ones too.

 

[jjp8182]

Frankly, Im really happy with “we can build it (him) bigger, stronger, faster”... (cheap reference to the “Six Million Dollar Man”).
Having my Ram 5500 so strong it’s GCWR is 44,000lbs keeps me from having to own and haul with a tractor trailer.
No I KNOW a tractor trailer will haul substantially more, but todays small-medium truck like mine with a 40’ trailer can haul 12 tons of hay. I can drive home at the end of the day, and park it in my garage. I can also do smaller jobs.
A tractor trailer with a 54’ trailer can haul about 18 tons of hay, but I can’t use it for much else.
I say keep on going. Make them bigger, stronger & faster.
The new GM 4500-6500 trucks show promise. Just need higher towing ratings.

Very true -- though it also makes it easier to start unknowingly treading into areas requiring a CDL (either by federal minimums or in states that may go beyond the minimum). Which can be a problem for those of use with arms thick enough we'll always measure as having "high blood pressure."

One of those things that both frustrates and amuses me is how much bad/incorrect science is present in modern medicine ....and even more so when it ties into regulation. Of course when it hits that latter point of tying into regulations it's just about futile to even try correcting the flawed understanding of physics/science (e.g. wall thickness and composition do make a difference on crush resistance despite that fact being ignored in taking blood pressure measurements) even though going with the flow can create hazardous situations.

(might just be me, but I'd rather have people with "high blood pressure" operating heavy equipment/trucks than someone with too low of blood pressure given the latter can cause fainting)

So bigger, stronger, faster and much safer to operate ....yet the regulations aren't likely to change or recognize that any time soon.

BTW I'd suspect some of the growth in size may also be driven by the need to create more space for crumple zones in order to get better crash testing results.....

 

[dodge man]

If it was up to me I’d like a more basic truck but my wife wants more options, in my case an XLT vs an XL. One thing I always wish for is rubber floor mats. I end up buying floor mats to cover up the carpet that mimics rubber floor mats.

 

[TractorTYMe]

I still use my 2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 W/T with crank windows and vinyl floors, it hit a deer square on - rebuilt it. Got a log across the hood - rebuilt it. Still only has 96k miles on it and runs like a champ

 

[PuffyC]

I've often wondered in recent years how is it that American (& foreign) full size pick up trucks have become so large, luxury laden, and overwhelmingly expensive almost requiring a 2nd mortgage to purchase. (i'm not talking about those who make a living from their pickups, just everyday owners who cruise the country, malls, & trips to Lowes...)

You can option out a Honda Accord to over $40,000 so an F150 Lariat stickering around $50,000 seems pretty much inline considering the difference in capability. Vehicles in general are just more expensive than they were 40 years ago.

What is your take? this is observation only, we all have our preferences. I'm talking sheer size & price. I travel narrow dirt roads almost daily, & drive very defensively around blind curves knowing most current pickups almost aggressively consume 2/3 or more of the road while insulated with power & luxury. That's ok, but puts me at risk. Most of the time i just pull off to the side...

30 years ago a standard F150 was 79 inches in width. Today it's 79.9 so that's less than an inch wider. Newer trucks are significantly longer and higher though so it makes them seem much bigger compared to an older pickup. IMO that's due to most trucks being 4 door people haulers today. That's just added foot and head room for occupants.

So has it been the result of 1) modern owners actually needing all if it? 2) or is it Americans love affair with bigger, better, & more technology laden? I also note that the size of the payload bed continues to shrink all the while. (some 4 full size door models can't even carry a sheet of ply)

Once people figured out how awesome it was to sit up high versus dragging your rear end on the ground where you can't see anything, the utility of the pickup became a no-brainer for many. Today the manufacturers are simply making them with the same luxury and tech options you could always get on sedans. And honestly, the weekend warrior types don't need an 8 foot bed because all they're hauling is bicycles and fertilizer. Those types largely weren't buying trucks 30-40 years ago but they're most definitely the majority of the market now which is why the shorter beds are so common.

To add a personal anecdote, 4 years ago I bought an XLT off the dealer lot for less than $30,000. That's the equivalent of $12,000 in 1985 dollars which was about the base price of an F150 at the time. However, I guarantee you the newer model is lightyears better in every way than that 1985 model. You don't have to get all those expensive, fancy options if you don't want to

 

[Gee Ray]

bringatrailer.com I really shouldn't torment myself with that site.....

Spend a little time there, and it's clear that many people share your thoughts on clean classic trucks...... certain ones close for big (at least to me) $.

Then again.... vs. the cost of new trucks.....

Rgds, D.

I hate you ! I got drool all over the keyboard.

 

[big bubba]

PuffyC: in depth & well thought out reply & shows today's market is more diverse than my thinking in my original post statement.

 

[Hay Dude]

Very true -- though it also makes it easier to start unknowingly treading into areas requiring a CDL (either by federal minimums or in states that may go beyond the minimum). Which can be a problem for those of use with arms thick enough we'll always measure as having "high blood pressure."

One of those things that both frustrates and amuses me is how much bad/incorrect science is present in modern medicine ....and even more so when it ties into regulation. Of course when it hits that latter point of tying into regulations it's just about futile to even try correcting the flawed understanding of physics/science (e.g. wall thickness and composition do make a difference on crush resistance despite that fact being ignored in taking blood pressure measurements) even though going with the flow can create hazardous situations.

(might just be me, but I'd rather have people with "high blood pressure" operating heavy equipment/trucks than someone with too low of blood pressure given the latter can cause fainting)

So bigger, stronger, faster and much safer to operate ....yet the regulations aren't likely to change or recognize that any time soon.

BTW I'd suspect some of the growth in size may also be driven by the need to create more space for crumple zones in order to get better crash testing results.....

Oh I am way into CDL territory. Got mine 30+ years ago
I would suggest getting one if youare on the fence. One of the best moves I ever made

 

[CalG]

I bought a Tonka truck the first of this year (Toyota Tacoma)
It seemed large to me for a mid sized pickup truck.
Looking into it, the Tacoma is pretty much the same dimensions as a 90's C-10 GMC. Length Width and height. Big difference is there are no "cab only" models.

It's either Access cab and a 6 foot bed, or dual cab and a 5 foot bed. Gone are the 8 foot beds ....

A reflection of our times.

 

[3930dave]

I hate you ! I got drool all over the keyboard.

That is a seriously dangerous site if you have the slightest issue with impulse control .

It's the other site (second after Jay's garage) that reminds me that there is still plenty I don't know about vehicles, and I'm still coming across vehicles I never knew existed....

Rgds, D.