For real dude, there’s no decent sized mid sized pickups anymore. I drove my '99 dodge Dakota forever and loved the size! It even had a V8 compared to most of the newer land yachts with 4 bangers and v6s.
I don’t need a block on wheels, I just need a smaller pickup because I camp and haul shit enough to justify needing one vs a car or suv.
So, I don’t know if it’s still an issue but I know the whole land yacht thing started because of emissions standards. The US used to (they might still) set emissions standards based on wheel base rather than vehicle type. The larger the wheel base the looser the emissions standards. The thought was that vehicles that needed a larger wheelbase like large work trucks would always have higher emissions so they wanted to take that into account. But what actually happened is manufacturers just started making larger and larger vehicles to take advantage of the more lax emissions standards.
I think the wheelbase based emissions standards thing has been fixed now, but I don’t know where I heard that so it might even still be a thing.
If you look at actual comparable bed length and cab type, you realise that outside of height, truck dimensions haven’t increased that much (especially not compared to car sizes, ex.: the mk6 Jetta is the size of the Passat from 10 years prior).
Last I’d checked, it was virtually impossible to import non-DOT-approved cars to the US. You basically had to take them apart and then assemble them here as “kit cars” to get around stupid grey market rules.
I had a '93 F150 for a few years. It was a v8 5.8L with an extended bed. Until… I let my friend borrow it and he… redlined it for several miles in first gear, (accidentally put it in 1st gear instead of into drive, and didn’t noticed the extremely loud engine and the fact that he couldn’t go over 20mph… yes, he is that stupid lmao) until it began smoking and he pulled it into a random driveway. And then as if that weren’t bad enough, the genius homeowner popped the hood and hosed down the engine which, if you know anything about cars or metal, was the dumbest thing he could’ve done. Cracked up the whole thing. 😭
But that thing was a fucking beast man. These new trucks can’t even fit a fucking 2x4 or a sheet of OSB in the bed. They are useless.
That’s why I got the Honda Ridgeline. It is basically a Honda Pilot with a bed. Small by truck standards but is great for someone that just needs to haul stuff in the suburbs and will never take it off-road. I don’t get all the people around here that think they need a lifted full sized truck to drive to work on city streets everyday.
I drove an '04 Dakota for years (last year of that body style before they started making them bigger). Loved that truck, perfect size for camping or hauling band equipment.
Sucks that the mid-sized trucks now are bigger that the full-sized trucks from back then.
Safety regulations has a lot to do with it too. They have to squeeze in airbags and all the safety tech which would leave no room to sit in that older Dakota.
For real dude, there’s no decent sized mid sized pickups anymore. I drove my '99 dodge Dakota forever and loved the size! It even had a V8 compared to most of the newer land yachts with 4 bangers and v6s.
I don’t need a block on wheels, I just need a smaller pickup because I camp and haul shit enough to justify needing one vs a car or suv.
So, I don’t know if it’s still an issue but I know the whole land yacht thing started because of emissions standards. The US used to (they might still) set emissions standards based on wheel base rather than vehicle type. The larger the wheel base the looser the emissions standards. The thought was that vehicles that needed a larger wheelbase like large work trucks would always have higher emissions so they wanted to take that into account. But what actually happened is manufacturers just started making larger and larger vehicles to take advantage of the more lax emissions standards.
I think the wheelbase based emissions standards thing has been fixed now, but I don’t know where I heard that so it might even still be a thing.
If you look at actual comparable bed length and cab type, you realise that outside of height, truck dimensions haven’t increased that much (especially not compared to car sizes, ex.: the mk6 Jetta is the size of the Passat from 10 years prior).
Buy an Aussie import ute. They’re exactly what you want and not common in the US so you have a fashion statement.
Haha never seen these things before. Reminds me of an El Camino, but trying to be a sports car instead of America muscle upfront.
Got it in one, they’re an Australian icon. It’s like the reverse mullet of cars, party in the front, business in the back.
Last I’d checked, it was virtually impossible to import non-DOT-approved cars to the US. You basically had to take them apart and then assemble them here as “kit cars” to get around stupid grey market rules.
You can either bring in a 25 year old one, or rebody a local Chevy SS or Pontiac G8 with a ute shell.
I know; it’s so easy it’s a wonder we don’t see more of them!
I had a '93 F150 for a few years. It was a v8 5.8L with an extended bed. Until… I let my friend borrow it and he… redlined it for several miles in first gear, (accidentally put it in 1st gear instead of into drive, and didn’t noticed the extremely loud engine and the fact that he couldn’t go over 20mph… yes, he is that stupid lmao) until it began smoking and he pulled it into a random driveway. And then as if that weren’t bad enough, the genius homeowner popped the hood and hosed down the engine which, if you know anything about cars or metal, was the dumbest thing he could’ve done. Cracked up the whole thing. 😭
But that thing was a fucking beast man. These new trucks can’t even fit a fucking 2x4 or a sheet of OSB in the bed. They are useless.
That’s why I got the Honda Ridgeline. It is basically a Honda Pilot with a bed. Small by truck standards but is great for someone that just needs to haul stuff in the suburbs and will never take it off-road. I don’t get all the people around here that think they need a lifted full sized truck to drive to work on city streets everyday.
I drove an '04 Dakota for years (last year of that body style before they started making them bigger). Loved that truck, perfect size for camping or hauling band equipment.
Sucks that the mid-sized trucks now are bigger that the full-sized trucks from back then.
Safety regulations has a lot to do with it too. They have to squeeze in airbags and all the safety tech which would leave no room to sit in that older Dakota.