# Whither the small pickup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057 "2005-02-26T22:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/1 "2005-02-26T22:35:06Z")
I’m watching Motorweek and they’re test driving a Nissan Frontier. It’s now a midsize. There was a time up to the late 80s/early 90s when you could get a small pickup from nearly all the major manufacturers. Does anybody make them anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/2 "2005-02-26T22:47:27Z")
Chevy still makes the [S-10](http://www.google.com/search?q=chevy+s-10&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/3 "2005-02-26T23:07:47Z")
> [@Oat1957](#): > > Chevy still makes the [S-10](http://www.google.com/search?q=chevy+s-10&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official) [Not according to Chevy’s website.](http://www.chevrolet.com/trucks/) ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/4 "2005-02-26T23:13:07Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > [Not according to Chevy’s website.](http://www.chevrolet.com/trucks/) :smack: I need to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/5 "2005-02-26T23:20:46Z")
Try the [SSR](http://www.chevrolet.com/ssr/) :eek: , but I’d really make sure you tie things down. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/6 "2005-02-26T23:24:01Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Try the [SSR](http://www.chevrolet.com/ssr/) :eek: , but I’d really make sure you tie things down. I’ve been watching this since the concept came out. No way would I pay that much money for so little value. ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/7 "2005-02-27T00:47:06Z")
I drive an exteded cab F-150. Was thinking “gawd, what a big road hog, I should downsize”. Looked briefly at the Ranger… nearly the same price and gas mileage as my F-150. Seemed significantly smaller cargo space. Figured I’d just hold on to my f-150 for a couple more years (like another 7-10 ). ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/8 "2005-02-27T15:23:56Z")
What engine and transmission ya got in that F150, meanoldman? My Ranger gets 21-to- 25 mpg in town, and about the same on the highway. I didn’t know an F150 could equal that. I have the 2.3 litre 4 and the 5-speed manual. Regular cab. 6’ box. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/9 "2005-02-27T15:38:02Z")
How about the Ford Ranger? [http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/ranger/](http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/ranger/) ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/10 "2005-02-27T15:39:37Z")
:smack: Damn, I did a page search for ‘Ford’, maybe I should’ve done the same for ‘Ranger’. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/11 "2005-02-27T16:33:41Z")
There’s the [Toyota Tacoma](http://www.toyota.com/tacoma/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/12 "2005-02-27T17:24:07Z")
I love my Ford Ranger. I got a topper for it that exactly matches. Gets good milage, hauls all of my stuff. The Dodge Dakota is a good truck too, it has an awesome towing capacity, as much as a full size truck. A friend of mine has one with a V-8 engine. Of course the larger engine means it uses more gas. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/13 "2005-02-27T17:46:24Z")
My last truck was a 2000 Dakota Regular cab with a V8 and a 5 speed. Lousy on milage but damn fun to drive. Nice balance of weight in four wheel drive and excellent in the snow. I’m 6’2" and it felt like my knees were in my armpits on a long drive but OK to work and back. /hijack/ I’m back to a full size with a regular cab and 6’ box. Those are getting harder and harder to find. Everything seems to be a huge extended cab. /end of micro-rant/ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/14 "2005-02-27T18:33:55Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Try the [SSR](http://www.chevrolet.com/ssr/) :eek: , but I’d really make sure you tie things down. Give it dualies, paint it purple, and drop it, and we’ll have a new winner for the most ridiculous car I’ve ever seen. The current winner being a dualie, purple, and dropped huge pickup (think F-350 or something like that.) That thing was literally about one inch off the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/15 "2005-02-27T18:50:48Z")
I’ve seen these suggestions, but they still appear to be bigger if not bulkier than their predecessors. I guess you’d call it automotive evolution. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-small-pickup/292057/16 "2005-03-04T15:53:02Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I’ve seen these suggestions, but they still appear to be bigger if not bulkier than their predecessors. My dad had a '74 Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up. Ex-fiancée has a 2000 Toyota Tacoma Extended Cab. I looked at Tacomas a couple/three years ago (I like the Extended Cab with a 4-cylinder engine, five-speed standard transmission, and the SR5 package) and I saw some of the non-ECs on the lot. They appeared to be the same size as dad’s old Hi-Lux. They do appear to have beefier fenders, but they still have the same size bed, cab, and bonnet. However, I noticed that several trucks on the lot (notably the Pre-Runner, which I didn’t want because of their 6-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions) looked bigger because of their higher suspensions.