I don't get why none of the automakers that are already established in the U.S. have come out with a mini-truck. That would be a particularly inspired move by one of the struggling third-tier brands like Suzuki or Mitsubishi. They'd have the field practically to themselves. If their truck was well-designed and reliable it would become an instant cult classic.
Alas, group think has thus far prevailed. Bigger is supposedly always better.
You raise a good point, but Mistubishi or Suzuki would need to build a small pickup in North America to be viable, not import it from overseas. There has been a 25% tariff on imported pickup trucks since 1963. The tariff was retribution for Europe tripling the tariff on chicken imported from the US - hence the name "chicken tax". Mahindra is attempting to get around the tax before selling their small pickup in the US. #1977
Thats a clown car for the shriners. Those of you who think its the nirvana hauler don't have to pull a 20+ ft fully enclosed and equiped race trailer on the weekends. And BTW, that F250 diesel gets ~20 mpg around town. #1977
@CobraGuy: If you can afford race trailer you can afford two trucks. I for one would never need anything bigger than the truck in the advert above. I know that because when I grew up we had one of those very trucks and we hauled a number of loads of wood in that thing and never had any trouble with that. Would still have it but rust is a common cruel, cruel demon anywhere with snow and ice. #1977
My dad had two of those for his construction company, as well as a couple of F-150s, in the late 1970's. I spent a lot of time riding around in them. As is typical, as you grow older you start wanting the cars your parents drove. I would love to get my hands on one of those. #1977
@f86sabre: It's too your benefit if your parents actually had cars that were cool or at least quirky and interesting. Otherwise, you end up wanting your very own gray, bottom of the line 1991 Toyota Camry. #1977
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
I would pay cash money for a Chevy Luv-sized body-on-frame pickup with a 2.0L turbo-diesel.
It would allow me to fill the bed for home improvement projects, pull a decent-sized pop-camper and still get better fuel economy than any other truck.
The Mahindra is still too big, but it may have to do. Jury is still out. #1977
lets see the Datsun King Cab tow 8 thousand pounds of wood with 2k worth of tile in the bed like I have done helping friends build their houses. There is a reason for large trucks. #1977
@zeeboid: Of course there are reasons for large trucks - no-one here is disputing that. On the other hand, why use a humongo three-ton beast with a 10,000-lb. rating just to schlep around dirty shovels and pickaxes, a few bags of Sakrete and a wheelbarrow, or a greasy rear axle from a project car? #1977
many of the automotive supercars that most of us would give our left nuts for get absolutly horse dung efficiency compaired to most 1500-2500 trucks out there... yet I never hear the same complaints about sports cars when someone sees a loan person driving one around
"Why would someone need that ferrari 430 Scuderia?"
the ferrari 430 Scuderia gets 11-16mpg after all... where as a 2009 Hemi ram gets 13-19mpg.
If some dude wants to buy a giant truck/suv that gets 10 city and 15 highway and use it to commute back and fourth to a desk job... who are any of us to bitch about it when most of us lust over less efficnet and less useful automobiles.
that dude with the giant truck... a vehicle that obviously makes that person happy... is doing it with twenty percent better mielage then the guy in the Lamborghini Murcielago (8/13). but no one cares about the lambo do they?
They see one and say "I'd kill for one" as the guy in the truck behind him gets people flicking him off and posting photos of it on bitter hippy websites (refering to FUH2.com )
Bottom line here.
If someone's choice in a vehicle makes them happy... whether it be a Murcielago or a Hummer H2... Big Deal.
Motortrend has a E92 M3 right now that is averaging 16mpg. Thats what I average in my 01 Suburban.
but guess which one gets complaints.
I'm just not a fan of Hypocrisy or bitterness about someone's choice in a vehicle that makes them happy.
When there is a website out there where bitter angery people post images of them flicking off high end euro sports cars or Gibson Custom Citations because of how wasteful they are... some of the hypocrisy will be gone, but we'll just have more bitter people who have their noese where they shouldn't be. in other people's busness.
@zeeboid: What we so often forget is that maybe that truck has a horse trailer or camper to pull every month or two, and the driver can't or doesn't want to pay for another daily vehicle. But I still shake my fist at them for making me unable to look ahead, thanks to their massive bodywork and tinted glass. #1977
@zeeboid: Who's being bitter or hypocritical here, and why the rant? Are you confusing Jalopnik with Greenpeace? As you said, automotive freedom of choice. You were the one deriding small pickups because they can't tow 8,000 pounds. I think the rest of us would like the choice of small or large pickups. Other than the very-dated Ranger, that choice doesn't exist in the US. It's big or nothing. We don't like that. #1977
@skitter: The obviously solution there is to get an equally huge vehicle that's tall enough to see around them. I for one am glad I bought a 4Runner now that I live in Middle 'o Nowhere, Georgia, because trucks/SUVs seem seem to outnumber cars by a large margin. It's bad enough that I have the only import in my whole office, at least I have a truck frame, RWD and a largish V6. #1977
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
@skitter: This is all very true. If anything, I'm even more frustrated by big trucks and SUVs I still can't see around. My rage is focused towards long-wheelbase TrailBlazers more than anything, because not only are they stupidly long and tall, but I get headaches trying to figure out why anyone would buy one. #1977
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
@tonyola: oooooooooh, I completly agree... the more choices the better.
however when it comes to capatalism, if you don't buy it... they will stop making it. which the current non-existance of the 1977 Datsun King Cab (and its 11.3 Cubic Feet Of Cab Space!) something tells me it's not around for a reason. #1977
Find a junk yard civic sedan and add 3 feet of the second rear passenger area to the middle of your hatchback and slap the trunk bed on after the rear wheels.
Trust me, it's a VERY GOOD idea and I think the commentariat would agree.
Novaload promoted this comment
Edited by The Dead Inside Grp. Co. Ltd. at 11/07/09 4:05 PM
The Dead Inside Grp. Co. Ltd. was starred
The Dead Inside Grp. Co. Ltd. was unstarred
@The Dead Inside Grp. Co. Ltd.: I'd prefer to put a truck bed on a mid-80s 4WD Tercel wagon. That way it's a Toyota truck, which means it should be Warlord Grade. #1977
@Murilee Martin: Well put - I'd hold off the Tercel for the Corolla wagons (MY 88) solely for the larger engine, electronic locking centre diff, and the space wagon tail lights.
They did rust though - mom made the mistake of sideswiping a fence with ours and the rust on the damage was instant - plus we had an exhaust manifold rust off. #1977
In the late '70s, I put in a lot of miles in '74, '77, and '79 company-owned Toyota pickups as part of my first real job (field tech/inspector/surveyor for an architecture/engineering firm). As a six-footer, I never had any problems with cab room, though the standard padded-park-bench seats were none too comfortable on long trips. All of these trucks were incredibly tough and would take heaps of abuse without complaint. The '79 was one of the first factory 4WD Toyota pickups in the area, and I got a lot of admiring looks with it - the truck was solid red (no tape stripes) with a handsome low-profile red/white topper on the bed. I hope that truly small pickups can return to the US market. #1977
Hardship? I'd rather have one of these than some bloated King Ranch, Harley Davidson, Eddie Bauer or whatever F series. I actually like the utilitarian nature of these small pickups. That's not to say I don't like big ol' American pick ups, I just dont like when they get the upscale or luxury trim options. A truck is supposed to be a purpose built no frills vehicle. But no, you all had to have your cupholders, leather interiors, and DVD backrests, didn't you? #1977
@nollid51: I've come up with a term for those vehicles. P.E.T. (Penile Extension Truck), their sole purpose is to prove how much of a Man the driver is. They are functionally useless.
Don't even get me started on the Lincoln / Denali crap... #1977
Call me stunned, but I don't understand why pick-ups have got so big, or the point of a four door truck that leaves a box you can't haul anything in. #1977
@faster, Tobias!: Agreed. I see this and go "wow, that makes sense" where as I see the new F-150 "smart truck" commercial and go "what's the freaking point of all that" #1977
@faster, Tobias!: Not only that but they've gotten so f**king tall that it's a pain in the ass to use what they do have. I should not need a ladder to get into / reach over the side of the bed! #1977
This might be small, and it might be difficult do imagine "our forefathers" to accept that. But on the other side of the world cars were even smaller. Much smaller. The original Mini and Fiat 500 were used for families. The VW beetle was considered small-midsize. And that was a time with big families, not like the current 1.6 kids per woman era (or whatever the statistic is nowadays in Europe).
And for those who have never seen an original Mini in real life; an original Mini is to a 2009 Mini what this Datsun King Cab is to a 2009 F150. #1977
What? These were fine small pickups. Hell, it's the Kin Cab version, so you know it's as huge as anyone really needs.
They weren't big, but the load-to-overall ratio was pretty high. They did their job, they were sturdy and durable. Given the amount of small PUs sold from the Japanese, forcing the US makers to introduce the Ranger, etc, there were lots of other folks that found them useful. #1977
In a time before Rap, when an automotive business wanted to make a bad commercial they were forced to resort to the only tool at their disposal: Country Western, Wolf Creek Pass trucker-banter style. In retrospect, no one ever would have bought brown vehicles if they hadn't been lulled by that folksy hairy-armed rhythm. #1977
I tried to buy one of these new in 1987 but I'm 6'2" and could not fit behind the wheel. I'm happy I didn't get one, though, because within four years every single one of them in Canada had dissolved into a heap of rust.
11/07/09
Alas, group think has thus far prevailed. Bigger is supposedly always better.
Idiots. #1977
11/08/09
You raise a good point, but Mistubishi or Suzuki would need to build a small pickup in North America to be viable, not import it from overseas. There has been a 25% tariff on imported pickup trucks since 1963. The tariff was retribution for Europe tripling the tariff on chicken imported from the US - hence the name "chicken tax". Mahindra is attempting to get around the tax before selling their small pickup in the US. #1977
11/07/09
It was just fine as a work truck, and with C4 seats, was fairly comfy for long trips, too.
"Fairly" is a relative term. I'm not about to trade either the beater E320 or my wife's RX300 for one if I need to road-trip. #1977
11/07/09
11/08/09
11/10/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
It would allow me to fill the bed for home improvement projects, pull a decent-sized pop-camper and still get better fuel economy than any other truck.
The Mahindra is still too big, but it may have to do. Jury is still out. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
many of the automotive supercars that most of us would give our left nuts for get absolutly horse dung efficiency compaired to most 1500-2500 trucks out there... yet I never hear the same complaints about sports cars when someone sees a loan person driving one around
"Why would someone need that ferrari 430 Scuderia?"
the ferrari 430 Scuderia gets 11-16mpg after all... where as a 2009 Hemi ram gets 13-19mpg.
If some dude wants to buy a giant truck/suv that gets 10 city and 15 highway and use it to commute back and fourth to a desk job... who are any of us to bitch about it when most of us lust over less efficnet and less useful automobiles.
that dude with the giant truck... a vehicle that obviously makes that person happy... is doing it with twenty percent better mielage then the guy in the Lamborghini Murcielago (8/13). but no one cares about the lambo do they?
They see one and say "I'd kill for one" as the guy in the truck behind him gets people flicking him off and posting photos of it on bitter hippy websites (refering to FUH2.com )
Bottom line here.
If someone's choice in a vehicle makes them happy... whether it be a Murcielago or a Hummer H2... Big Deal.
Motortrend has a E92 M3 right now that is averaging 16mpg. Thats what I average in my 01 Suburban.
but guess which one gets complaints.
I'm just not a fan of Hypocrisy or bitterness about someone's choice in a vehicle that makes them happy.
When there is a website out there where bitter angery people post images of them flicking off high end euro sports cars or Gibson Custom Citations because of how wasteful they are... some of the hypocrisy will be gone, but we'll just have more bitter people who have their noese where they shouldn't be. in other people's busness.
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/08/09
however when it comes to capatalism, if you don't buy it... they will stop making it. which the current non-existance of the 1977 Datsun King Cab (and its 11.3 Cubic Feet Of Cab Space!) something tells me it's not around for a reason. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
Find a junk yard civic sedan and add 3 feet of the second rear passenger area to the middle of your hatchback and slap the trunk bed on after the rear wheels.
Trust me, it's a VERY GOOD idea and I think the commentariat would agree.
11/07/09
Everything's just gotten out of hand in terms of scale to the point where they're difficult to use for actual work. #1977
11/07/09
Kings ain't what they used to be. #1977
11/07/09
11/08/09
They did rust though - mom made the mistake of sideswiping a fence with ours and the rust on the damage was instant - plus we had an exhaust manifold rust off. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
Don't even get me started on the Lincoln / Denali crap... #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
And for those who have never seen an original Mini in real life; an original Mini is to a 2009 Mini what this Datsun King Cab is to a 2009 F150. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
They weren't big, but the load-to-overall ratio was pretty high. They did their job, they were sturdy and durable. Given the amount of small PUs sold from the Japanese, forcing the US makers to introduce the Ranger, etc, there were lots of other folks that found them useful. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
from where i came, most of these things came in light blue and occasionally skin beige... and ALL construction crews had one. #1977
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
09/20/09