• SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      4 months ago

      And I can’t legally drive my kids around in one of those, so yeah it’s like they are different trucks for different purposes or something…. I don’t know…. Maybe…?

      • over_clox@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        66
        ·
        4 months ago

        In my opinion, it should be illegal to drive any vehicle so tall you can’t see kids in front of you anywhere near a school zone. Unless it’s a fire truck or other service vehicle, for obvious reasons.

        • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          I fucking hate what’s happened to hood shape on modern pickups. You mention firetrucks, but most of those that I’ve seen are cabover and have great visibility.

          Just give me an 80’s square body shape and ride height with a modern drive train.

        • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          It’s funny, kids aren’t getting run down in school zones in other places, we don’t let them run indiscriminately across the road. They’re taught to walk to a a crosswalk to cross the road.

          In fact, lots of places ban school buses using flashing red lights inside urban areas since it’s more dangerous, it’s only allowed on rural roads.

          • grue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            30
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            …we don’t let them run indiscriminately across the road. They’re taught to walk to a a crosswalk to cross the road.

            Really? You’re actually going to defend this classist, corporate-astroturfing bullshit, the theft of the public street away from the People for the exclusive benefit of irresponsible drivers?

            • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              4 months ago

              Yeah and oddly enough this isn’t a problem where jaywalking is legal like the EU, so what point do you think that’s making here….?

            • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              Yeah the amount of people who think the problem exists outside the US is astonishing.

              Flashing red lights in urban areas is dangerous since people don’t follow the rules and it provides a false sense of security to the kids.

              They’re literally lining the kids up and know people don’t follow the rules, it’s silly they haven’t thought to adjust the laws yet. Places in Canada did, decades ago.

        • Sumdood64209@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          4 months ago

          Because the modern truck has crash safety in mind due to crumple zones and other shit. I bet if a small truck were to be redesigned today with modern collision technology it would be just as safe as the truck without being multiple tons heavy to the point you nearly need a cdl license to drive a behemoth

          • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 months ago

            Huh, both are dead from the videos I just watched. Any particular source I should be looking at?

            It’s funny that pedestrians aren’t being hit at the same rates as in the US, so it’s like it’s not actually a concern since it doesn’t happen enough…?

        • A7thStone@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          So are motorcycles. Maybe we should have a special license requirement for them, just like motorcycles.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      4 months ago

      But nowhere near the same driver comfort, crash test rating, towing capacity, top speed, tongue weight, or max load weight. Bed length alone is a poor measurement for a truck’s usefulness.

    • SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      4 months ago

      Obviously not the same width or depth though. I think truck culture is dumb, but spreading obviously misleading memes isn’t going to help with that.

  • hperrin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    29
    ·
    4 months ago

    What sucks is you can’t even buy a truck like the second from the left anymore. I mean, you can buy a used one from a few decades ago, but nobody makes small utility trucks like the old Rangers. The new Ranger is basically just an old F150 (maybe even F250).

    • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      4 months ago

      The Maverick seems like a reasonable size to me, but by the time I need to replace another car, I’m sure its size will have inflated beyond what I want.

      • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        4 months ago

        Reasonable footprint, but still a very short bed and 4 door cab. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Maverick and expect to buy a 5 year old model in 5 years, but that’s because I’ll probably still be neck deep in home projects while still trying to commute. It does have great features in the bed and is known to have perfectly acceptable capability hauling full 4x8 sheets with the tailgate tilt. But most of the market is locked away in fullsize crew cabs with 6ft beds at best. 8ft beds typically require utility trims, so you can’t get a smaller-footprint nice pickup with full capacity.

        I’ve had a 99 ranger regular cab 7ft bed for about 2 months. It works great for me, but I can barely get a nicer home reno/commuter vehicle. I can go 10 years newer, but not much nicer comparatively speaking from 2024.

    • ChocoboRocket@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      4 months ago

      I love my 09 ranger, one of the last years before they scrapped it and went with the Goliath model.

      Honestly don’t see the appeal to the huge trucks unless they’re for work, but it’s not surprising that automakers in North America don’t really care to offer what consumers actually want to drive.

  • flop_leash_973@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    4 months ago

    Every time I think about the kind of car I want the next time I need to replace mine I am reminded that I miss my old 1994 Chevy S10, and options for something like that these days is rather limited.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      4 months ago

      I really miss my tiny 1986 Toyota Corolla. My 2016 Prius is not supposed to be a big car and yet it is still bigger than that Corolla. Both sedans. If anything, the Prius should be smaller because it’s a hatchback and those used to be the smaller cars.

      At the time, the Corolla didn’t feel small either. Every car is too big now except maybe Minis and Fiats.

      My imaginary dream car would be an EV Nash Metropolitan. It’s got 2 doors, a front and a back seat and a decent-sized trunk. I don’t haul stuff, there’s only three people in my family, I really don’t need anything else.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        4 months ago

        Small cars have poor crash test ratings, and the ratings are much stricter than they used to be. That’s why you can’t really find small cars any more.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          4 months ago

          Except, like I said, there are Minis and Fiats. And, of course, all the small cars in practically every other country on the planet. If Fiat can sell the 500 in the U.S., any U.S. company could sell a similar small car.

          • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            Doesn’t meet standards dude, wheter it’s crash rating or fuel economy, bumper height or whatever.

            They aren’t here since they can’t sell them, but claim It’s possible I guess? It’s weird you think they just aren’t selling them because they don’t want to….

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              ·
              4 months ago

              Yet again, there are Minis and Fiats sold legally in the U.S.

              Do you think the Fiat 500 is a big car or something? There are smaller cars, but it’s not exactly an SUV.

              And then there is the Smart FourTwo. I don’t believe they are selling new models in the U.S. anymore, but they were not very long ago- 2019. I seriously doubt safety standards have changed so much since 2019 that they can’t sell newer models. Daimler doesn’t sell them.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  I didn’t say they were safe. I have no idea how safe they are. You claimed they can’t sell small cars in the U.S. because of safety standards. I have literally told you about three small cars which are (or were recently in the case of the Smart FourTwo) being sold in the U.S.

                  I’m not sure why you won’t acknowledge that fact, but it’s still a fact.

                  If I had the money, I could go out right now and buy a brand new 2024 Fiat 500 legally from a legal Fiat dealer right here in Indiana.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      4 months ago

      I looked for a small truck several years ago and nobody makes one any more. I did see an S10 on the road a few days ago though, which I thought was neat.

  • Makeitstop@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    4 months ago

    I just want a reasonably sized two door electric truck with a decent sized bed and only minimal space taken up by the frunk. I haul enough stuff that I could really use the cargo space, but I don’t want to drive an aircraft carrier on wheels that doesn’t fit into parking spaces. And I don’t want it collecting as much data as possible on me, but that’s not just a truck thing.

    So, my options are basically leave the country, drive a 30+ year old ICE truck, or start my own car company. Because despite the fact that there is clearly demand for a smaller truck that’s actually a truck, no one is interested in making them for the US market. Not when you can make a big useless luxury truck that has a much larger profit margin.

    • grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      Get a Ford Econoline pickup and an electric conversion kit. No frunk at all!

    • Wrench@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 months ago

      I’m also in the market for a truck to enable a woodworking hobby. Basic requirement is being able to haul sheet material (4’ wide) with no fuss.

      Even 20 year old beaters are going for over 10k in my area.

      Anything in the last 10 years or so is bloated. Even the smallest models like Tacomas are ridiculously sized, yet have tiny beds.

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        4 months ago

        Basic requirement is being able to haul sheet material (4’ wide) with no fuss.

        I hate to say it, but what you actually want is a minivan.

        • Wrench@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          I’ve borrowed my parents minivan for this in the past, but their newer Odyssey (~8yr old) doesn’t even fit sheet goods without going diagonal, which causes problems. Plus even with care, it inevitably scratches up the interior.

          I’d rather have a medium to small sized truck with a standard to extended bed. I don’t care about scratches or dents, so can just toss things in without a worry, and can load without even lowering the tailgate.

          • grue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            TIL Odysseys are inferior minivans.

            The Aerostar I had two decades ago and the Sedona I have now both fit sheet goods just fine.

            Also, I don’t think you’ve been able to buy a regular cab/8’ bed pickup easily since about the '90s.

            • Wrench@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              Yeah, their older 2000s Odyssey could fit sheet goods fine. The newer models are slightly narrower, just enough to cause me grief.

              8’ bed would be ideal for me, but even 6’ is fine with the wood resting on the raised tailgate for an easy tie down + flag.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        4 months ago

        Also a small woodworking hobby and it’s a pain with my economy car sedan. When my kids grow up I will see if the market will sell me an old school pickup form factor but EV.

  • exanime@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    4 months ago

    I guess proving (again) so many pick up truck owners do not really need a pick up, they just need to feel manly for a change

  • CaptSatelliteJack@lemy.lol
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    4 months ago

    My dream car was a Subaru Baja. Failing that, it’s now either a Ford Maverick or a Honda Ridgeline. Those are the closest I can find to the “ute” style I’m looking for, just by virtue of having a 4 door cabin and a small bed.

  • kitnaht@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    4 months ago

    The problem with this infographic is that they aren’t depicting the size of the trucks in proportion. That 37%er is probably 3x as large as the 64%er (the whole truck itself)

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 months ago

      Bed size is measured in feet. There’s never been a light-duty truck with more than an 8’ box, which is probably what the first one depicts. The last one might be a 5’ box but way more 6’ boxes get sold. So yah, they’re smaller, but they sure as hell aren’t half the size. Putting it terms of overall length is disengenuous at best.

      I have an 8’ box because I want a toolbox and still be able to get a lot of undesirable stuff in the box besides. I wouldn’t have a shortbox.

    • Wrench@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      4 months ago

      No, it’s an extended cab model, which have tiny beds. Like, you can’t even fit standard construction material (8ft) in it with the tailgate down without it sticking out well past the tailgate.

      Yes, trucks are longer than they used to be, but extended cabs are far more common than they were. Living in a city, the vast majority of trucks are extended cabs with tiny beds.

      They’re basically SUVs with an open trunk. Enough room for a tool chest and a cooler, and you’ll need to hitch a trailer if you actually want to haul anything.

  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    4 months ago

    I’d like to see a similar infographic of the height of the truck beds. Putting a tiny bed way up high is a sure sign the bed is ornamental.

  • qarbone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    4 months ago

    Really should be comparing the volume of pickup bed, not just the % of its total length

        • RagingRobot@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          Because there isn’t really anything saying people don’t like trucks here. It’s saying that the design of trucks has changed to not be as useful. People still love and need trucks. Trucks are fucking awesome!