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why are trucks so big???

ghostcivic

New Member
Im sure others here will agree, car makers today dont make any good small trucks....or any small trucks really.

Look at the current small pickups, the chevy, the ranger and dakota. They are all pretty big trucks, at least compared to out toyotas or the old nissan hardbody or even the older s10's and rangers.


on top of that, they are loaded with crap you dont need in a truck. I dont want bluetooth, satnav or other useless crap. And if I do want it I can buy the one I want and install it later on.

I dont see why a truck should have carpet either. Trucks are for work. I think car makers have forgoten this.

Why should small trucks have traction control (which sucks) or TCS or other silly control systems (other than anti lock brakes, those are benifitial)

I was looking at the base model, smallest chevy 2wd truck. It was about 25k!

Looking at the orignal price of my '87 4wd yota, it was just under $10,000. Even with inflation, the same truck should cost us around 20k today. Thats a 4wd truck with a engine that will do well over 200k miles for 5k less than a modern 2wd with a engine that will be lucky to do 200k. And the same is true of the modern ranger and dakota's.

I know some people want/need a big truck with a huge engine that has an interior and rides like a car. But what about us that would much prefer a lower cost-rugged and simple truck. Just a cab sitting on a frame with a torque 4cyl engine connected to a basic 4wd transmission. A radio and AC is nice, but anything else is a waste of my money.

Care makers claim they build what consumers want....but in reality they keep making stuff with more gear/features so that people will want to buy the new model. Plus, they make money on every stupid feature....both in the initial sale and in the repair cost down the road.
 

tbplus10

Moderator
Staff member
1000 Posts
Community Leader
Yea I agree mfgrs are missing the mark by not offering a true baseline work truck, rubber floor mats, vinyl seats, roll up windows, manual locking doors, no extra flashy chrome or trim just 1 solid color.
Mfgrs add on the xtras and ramp up the price knowing you have no choice because bare bones isnt offered.
My first new truck was a 1982 Toyota 4x4, the only options available for that yr/model were A/C, SR5 pkg which included cloth seats, carpet, chrome styled wheels, pwr steering, am/fm cassette stereo, and auto lock front hubs.
The truck was base priced around $6000, and being a broke U.S. Navy E-2 that broke the bank right ther so I couldnt afford the extra $1700 for the SR5 pkg.
4 yrs later my fortunes had changed and I bought a new 1986 Toyota xcab SR5 fully loaded w/sunroof full pwr, tilt, cruise, auto trns, v6, and every other option for $12,500.
6 months later we bought a new base line 2wd toyota truck with rubber/vinyl, 4cyl 4spd no frills at all for $6200. Both trucks served our family well for yrs while we were stationed in the P.I., Guam, and Japan.
 

ghostcivic

New Member
Baseline... thats a good word for what is needed in the market.

The other issue with many trucks as well as cars is that they got FAT. Heavy bodies means you NEED a better engine to get the power and fuel milage expected these days. The toyota is pretty small/light. You wont find a thinner door on a car...LOL. I just patched my fenders with 22 gauge sheet metal...pretty much the same thickness the fenders themselves were. But thats all thats needed.
As you mentioned, the power windows, locks ect just are not needed on a truck. All those things add weight as well!

My boss bashed my trucks saying "those toyotas rust out like crazy"
I said, show me a 25+ year old truck thats not rusty! Many of the newer trucks show body rust in just 10 years. My buddy has a 2002 dodge ram...rust on the rear fenders and on the bottom of the tail gate. Tell me that truck wont be just as rusty in 15 more years.

The truck isnt my only toyota. The familly car is a 06 scion XB. IMO, its the best compact car ever made. The tall roof line means that even with its short wheel base it has TONS or room. The toyota 1.5 VVTi motor wont win any drag races, but it gets the job done and isnt hard on gas. We have had that car for 3+ years...the longest I have owned any car. And I dont intend to sell it in 2 years when Im done paying it off. Its a car that doesnt nothing special, but does everything well. Thats what I want out of a truck. I dont need something that can tow a house, or go 0-60 in 7 seconds. I dont need it to be as comfortable on the inside as a lazyboy recliner. I just need it to hual the trash, go threw mud/snow/dirt and not get stuck, not eat my money in gas and go for long periods without needing repair. The simpler the truck, the less that can break.

Oh, how I wish companies would build some of the great models again today. Id own a new toyota 22re 4wd, a 89 honda accord LXI (only sedan with flip up headlights!) and a 91 volvo 740 turbo(rwd tank that will go anywhere for 300k miles)
Its fun to daydream :)
 

tbplus10

Moderator
Staff member
1000 Posts
Community Leader
Ill admit my daily driver is a 2011 Chevy C/C Silverado LT with almost every option, I bought it after 12 years of commuting my 1999 Tacoma. I wanted something comfortable for my 70+ mile a day commute since I drive a bobtail Peterbuilt about 60% of the day. Toyota's and Peterbuilts just arent comfortable for a lot of driving. I had a chance to buy a new Tundra but after a week long test drive I just couldnt get attached to the truck and since I tow 5th wheel trailers a lot on my off days another Tacoma just wouldnt work.
I still own my 99 and a 91 Toyota 4x4 truck I bought new, the 91 has been transformed into a tube frame rockcrawler so not much is original anymore. While I was on active duty in the Navy I always bought new Toyota trucks before every move overseas because I knew it was a vehicle I could depend on to run problem free during our stay in another country.
The one time I bought a new Chevrolet truck while stationed in Germany it brokedown after 2 months and didnt get repaired for 6 months untill GM shipped it to England for repair. Meanwhile I bought a Toyota truck from a sailor transferring back to Virginia that wanted to ship back a German spec Porsche instead of his Toyota.
 

ghostcivic

New Member
Ill admit my daily driver is a 2011 Chevy C/C Silverado LT with almost every option, I bought it after 12 years of commuting my 1999 Tacoma. I wanted something comfortable for my 70+ mile a day commute since I drive a bobtail Peterbuilt about 60% of the day. Toyota's and Peterbuilts just arent comfortable for a lot of driving. I had a chance to buy a new Tundra but after a week long test drive I just couldnt get attached to the truck and since I tow 5th wheel trailers a lot on my off days another Tacoma just wouldnt work.
I still own my 99 and a 91 Toyota 4x4 truck I bought new, the 91 has been transformed into a tube frame rockcrawler so not much is original anymore. While I was on active duty in the Navy I always bought new Toyota trucks before every move overseas because I knew it was a vehicle I could depend on to run problem free during our stay in another country.
The one time I bought a new Chevrolet truck while stationed in Germany it brokedown after 2 months and didnt get repaired for 6 months untill GM shipped it to England for repair. Meanwhile I bought a Toyota truck from a sailor transferring back to Virginia that wanted to ship back a German spec Porsche instead of his Toyota.
I feel there are certainly places for the big, comfortable and well equiped trucks. I drive hardly more than 3 miles per day...so comfort and gadgets matter little to me. The problem I have is that the companies seem to forget that there are those of us who want a bare bones truck. My dad has a 06 tundra crew cab and he likes it alot. Kinda pricey to get stuff fixed, but then it doesnt need work done often.
It just seems the range of small-base trim trucks has been dropped from the lineup of all the car makers.

I recently saw a 87 isusu Pup...mint shape with just 35k miles on it. Cant get much less of a truck than that, little 4 banger with a body made of tin. But if what you need is simple transportation that also has a bed to carry stuff, then it works very well. The owner of the truck said he had an offer of 4k for the truck! Shows that even a 2wd old truck that is simple is desired by people.

Just got done patching my fenders, painting them and painting the sides of the bed. A little paint goes a long way toward making my rig not look so much like a rust bucket. :)
 

toyotafan

Toyota Truck Club Founder
Staff member
1000 Posts
I was always a big truck guy my entire life, but over the past decade two or three times I drove compact cars for my daily commute just because it was much cheaper and easier to drive, easier to park, I had to stop for fuel half as often and I just didn't need all of the extra room when I was just taking myself, a computer and my work bag with me to the office.

When it comes to trucks, I think the same thing applies. The IT director at the company I'm finishing some contracts with just downsized to a new 2013 Tacoma. He outfitted it with a few more gadgets and a locking hard tonneau cover and a cargo management system so he can load it up with some electronic goodies and head down to the various offices that he needs to service without many worries.
 

yesIcan

New Member
If any manufacturer offered a pickup of similar dimensions and similar quality to my 1991 Toyota 4X4, I would place an order tomorrow. But they don't, so the old truck and I drive on.
 

toyotafan

Toyota Truck Club Founder
Staff member
1000 Posts
If any manufacturer offered a pickup of similar dimensions and similar quality to my 1991 Toyota 4X4, I would place an order tomorrow. But they don't, so the old truck and I drive on.
Let's see pics of your truck. Create a new photo album in the gallery and let's take a look! :)
 

BR789

Member
Have to agree on this. The target market seems to be for the bigger line of trucks now days.
 

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