...why 1/2 ton pickups are so HUGE these days. Is it because of Government safety requirements, or simply a "mine's bigger than yours" corporate mindset? And I laugh at the attempts to create a grille to fill all that vertical space. I think Ford wins in this case for 2022. And why not just build a ladder into those grilles so a guy could actually get up there to check the oil, etc??
Was thinkin that today when I got behind a newer GMC Colorado. A supposedly smaller pickup bigger than full sized early 2000s.
My Dad was never locked into one brand of car, having Fords, Chevys and Mopars (a REALLY nice '67 Plymouth convertible and a '65 Barracuda 273 Hurst 4-speed)). But he always bought Chevy pickups for the farm from 1965 to 1989, half tons and 3/4 tons. We travelled all over in them, camped with them, hauled feed in them, and towed horse trailers with them. They did the same job the newer ones do at about half the size. And not just pickups- we hauled travel trailers behind old Ford wagons too. I just don't get it.
It's like what Denis Leary said: "Americans are never satisfied. We have to make things bigger, and stronger, and faster."
On the same page as you BB . Most people here that own them , and here we largely have the Ranger sized ones although there are a fair few of the larger pickups around now , just use them as cars. A lot even have the hard lids that don’t open very high thereby restricting what will fit on the tray. Damn nuisance when beside one at an intersection wanting to turn left. It’s like sitting beside a wall , just have to wait till they move off. Denis.
So true Denis. If they continue at this rate, we'll be able to see under them at intersections & parking lots.
I own a 2004 F-350 four door with a long bed. It's just a baby with just turning 70K miles. While it is excellent for towing car trailers, any time you need to use the tray it becomes a pain in the rear because of the height of the bed floor. I grew up with one ton trucks that you could easily reach into to load or unload whatever you needed to haul. My 1979 F-350 was one of those easy to reach into and I miss that truck. While sitting at a red light, a new F-350 pulled up beside my my 04 and I noticed the new truck stood a full foot taller than my already too tall truck. Are people getting taller ? Is this something like going into an old house and having to duck down to keep from bonking your head on the door frames ? Whatever the real reason, I think the newer trucks are ridiculously too tall. It puts them on my do not want list.
It's the fricking fashion of the day. And yes, I wanted to use harsher language. Too many dunderheads want tall trucks, because it's the style of the day. My late brother Fred, referring to the 'punk' look of the mid-80s, said that "The more they try to look different, the more they look the same."
I tend to agree Andy. I also think there could be a case or two of if you can’t beat them ( or see around them ! ) then join them !! Denis
I find myself driving my truck more than I wanted to because I can see over those damndable SUV fake station wagons that have those sooo dark privacy windows.
My son has an F-350 extended cab, long bed dually. Wheelbase is 15 feet! But they haul 3 kids and a dog, and a 42' 5th wheel trailer when camping, almost every weekend April to November. But I've seen a lot of trucks like that only making an occasional home depot run.
My friend Steven has a 2020 F150, Coyote 5.0, pretty darned stout half-ton. We just hauled a '77 Mark V on a 16(?) foot trailer the other day. The truck felt every pound, but it certainly handled it.
I think Toyota/Lexus is seeing who can make the biggest/ugliest grille and then convince everybody that it makes an attractive looking vehicle. Maybe they're expecting cooling issues with all the crap that is stuck in front of radiators.