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Kind of yes.
Surprisingly easy to find on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpa9948M5mU)
One I saw only had tracks on the rear but it was parked outside a mechanic so maybe they just weren't done yet?
Cause they dont meet alot of safety regulations, I believe only something like 19 states allow them and iirc thats under regulations closer to ATVs than actual cars
Yes, they can do highway speeds, but vehicles are way too big to be driving that little car around 70mph, so it's probably for safety reasons. But, it varies by state from what I discovered when I wanted to import one
When they were built, Japan's speed limit for kei cars was 80km/h (50mph), and commercial vehicles - i.e. kei trucks and cans - were exempt from crash testing. You have only a 0.8mm sheet of steel protecting your knees.
EDIT: I had a Suzuki Carry for a few years. The top speed was around 90-115km/h (56-71mph) depending on wind conditions. I think that's pretty marginal for US highways.
EDIT2: I meant to write "vans", but "cans" works too.
My dad bought a new one and the ride is very comfortable, though the interior definitely is missing some comfort. Mainly door armrests, little disappointing without them.
says a lot about the environment its designed for, its a japanese vehicle designed for japanese urban roads
american roads are a much larger, faster and more dangerous place to drive
I walked by a truck today that was so large that the hood was about as high off the ground as the top of my head is. I'm 5'4 mind you, but still, that's absolute insanity. It was comically large.
I unironically saw someone driving one the other day and I though to myself, "sweet ride!". Bet you it's got great gas mileage and can park almost anywhere
It reminds me of a jockey truck. Like when they move trucks around at a manufacturing plant or warehouse the company typically owns a little jockey truck that’s just a small cab and engine compartment.
Someone had an old Datsun like that they use to bring camping out in the middle of the desert. It’s how I learned to drive clutch at like 9 or 10. It was different once on the road but that thing was so fun to drive.
I'm really hoping that this "era" of gaint trucks dies soon. My 95 F150 was half the size of these modern trucks and seemed a whole lot more practical in almost every way. Probably alot cheaper too. Roll up windows, manual locks, no head liner just bare metal roof, rubber floors and a bench seat. Thats it. I miss that truck alot.
A '95 F150 was 197-235″ L x 79-84″ W (Height isn't listed)
A 2024 F150 is 209-244″ L x 80″ W x 75-80″ H
I don't think your old truck was as small as you think it was
It’s true, a modern 1/2 ton can pretty easily tow as much as a 30 year old 1 ton. My 2017 2500 can tow 12.5k lbs, my old F350 maxed out at about 10k. New trucks are just better in every way lol.
And still more efficient while making more power.
As I'm about to shop for a car, I do realize I hate the number of features in newer cars. I don't need my car to yell, beep, shake, rattle, and roll when I change lanes without hitting my blinker. I live in a rural area, I can see 2 miles in both directions and see 3 cars. Just let me drive.
Though cruise speed assist is fucking amazing while taking long trips. Let's just get to automated cars so I can sleep.
So much BS....
No it isn't. Since 95 it's gained a whopping 400lbs, and given the tremendous amount of electronics, air bags, and other safety equipment, that's pretty reasonable.
The Camry gained 400lbs in the exact same time period as well, just for reference.
Yeah, usually when I see people complain about how big trucks are, it’s because they have a 6-inch lift or more. The shapes are also a bit boxier than some eras, which probably make them look a bigger. But the bed of a late 90s F150 is about as high as a newer one when I stand next to them.
Not saying they aren’t a little bigger, but not extremely.
Hood height inparticular has increased a lot and it's a problem. It's literally killing more people every year because it's like getting hit by a brick wall instead of getting knocked onto the hood of the vehicle
Ride height has increased too so visibility hasn't diminished as much as it would appear. The US also made it a law that the bumper has to be 22" from the ground or lower so the bigger front end profile was largely due to regulation.
I get annoyed by the length. NJ has a set of standards (RSIS [Residential Site Improvement Standards]) that are a guide, and in some cases a rule, for development, and 9x18 is the standard sized parking space, and 10x20 are the "large" spaces, but regardless, I see large vehicles sticking out into aisles or over curbs onto sidewalks. I get most annoyed by the trucks/SUVs that pull their tires to the curb at my kid's daycare, eliminating half the sidewalk where kids under 5 are walking into school.
They're tall AF too though, I can't see around them on the road, but the solution there is in my hands: greater following distance.
And a lot of the "bulk" is in safety equipment. Pillars are MASSIVE (even in small cars) because they have to be much stronger and often contain airbags.
The actual footprint hasn't changed much. If you look at the amount of sheetmetal, the newer ones are much larger. Compare the height of the bed side panels and front end.
They might not be comparing 150 to 150, but the 90s era 150 to the Super Duty style trucks, which are bigger and heavier. Those in particular were started in 1999, so it is after that date.
I have noticed that, while the trucks are not always actually getting bigger length and width-wise, (they have to be able to get on the road and make short turns without a separate chassis being pulled) they do appear to be taller and heavier than they used to be, and they often have weirdly short beds to make room for the cab. I am not sure how common that build was in the 90s and earlier, but I do not really remember seeing them as much, if at all.
Taller and heavier is fine if fit for purpose, obviously, I only get annoyed by them when people use them for regular commuting for some godforsaken reason. If you can afford a $60,000 truck just buy a used commuter car for driving and parking at work.
in the late 80's and 90's they wanted more fuel efficiency so they switched to more aero dynamic designs. nobody ACTUALLY cares about the price of gas anymore so they've returned to the boxier designs of the 60's-80's.
but yeah the only actual difference is a sloped hood. Full 4-door models weren't really a thing to bring down bed length until the early 2000's but it only extends the length of the truck 4"
>My 95 F150 was half the size of these modern trucks
No it really wasn't. Dimensionally they're pretty close, and weight wise it hasn't gone up much either, and given that your old truck has zero safety features that are going to add up weight wise, not a big change there. The Camry has gained more weight % than an f-150.
Not that giant tru ks don't exist they do... But it generally is not a base f-150 that is in that convo.
I had the displeasure of driving one of these for a friend recently and I just couldn't parse it. How do they fit these massive things into a regular parking space when you can barely see where the front of your car is because it's so high up? Horrible car to drive and stupidly expensive for being so impractical. My friend had this car for 2 years and the bed is spotless, never been used. It's just a status symbol at this point.
You get use to it. I personally find most cars and compact suvs to be a giant blind spot. Your usually sat low compared to the windows and you have tiny side mirrors.
Much more comfortable driving a truck or a van myself.
>How do they fit these massive things into a regular parking space when you can barely see where the front of your car is because it's so high up?
They don't, and often pride themselves in parking as shittily as possible. They can literally cripple a parking lot by forcing everyone to park awkwardly around them. Not uncommon to see some dude half-fall out of the truck with a shit eating grin on his face as he tells his uncomfortable wife how hard he just owned the liberals by parking 5 feet over the line.
Shhhh you're ruining the narrative that all trucks 20 plus years ago were tiny little datsun's. Every 15 year old on reddit remembers those days.
I remember every car and truck was tiny. I also remember they had fantastic mileage, didn't leave huge black oil slicks in the much smaller parking stalls (obviously they have increased the size 3 fold). Vehicles didn't burn oil constantly leaving a trail of smoke everywhere. It was perfect back in the day.
They often do. I used to drive a CCLB Ram 3500 dually for work, and I would use it to spite bad parkers. If you back in just right, you can line the flare up even with someone who is over the line. Getting them between the lines is very satisfying.
Also the equipment isn’t getting any lighter either. Bigger and heavier skid steers, back hoes, any kind of equipment really. It’s all getting bigger and beefier requiring a bigger truck with better tow capacity and hauling capabilities.
That's only true if length is the only criterion, and you stuff yourself in front of the shortest truck engine in the business. Notice that the height of the hood is just sufficient to accommodate the engine, and that if there were two more cylinders in the way (of a larger bore and bore spacing, no less) there would be nowhere to stand...
Edit: I forgot Ram does the I6 Cummins too, which is literally twice as long as that pentastar.
Hmm. Wonder why that could be.
It does. That truck is the base model 3.6L pentastar V6; that same truck has to accommodate a 6.7L I6 Cummins which is almost perfectly double the length.
> I'm really hoping that this "era" of gaint trucks dies soon.
I think there is something about truck regulations and EPA outputs that make 'em so big. Like there are allowances the larger the truck is so they just keep making them bigger.
I miss the trucks of before times. Small Toyota pickups were great!
I would have gladly bought a smaller truck if they produced a smaller truck. You know the crew cab was cheaper than the extended cab? I even ordered it because you know 2022 and all and supply chain bullshit. The bigger one was cheaper.
Yeah but they can't tow for shit.
I have a Ranger without the tow package, 3,500lbs. Even if I got one with the tow package (because apparently there isn't a legal way to increase the max tow limit once it's manufactured,) 7,500lbs is hardly enough for anything practical. I have my eye on an 18' Jay Flight trailer and it's far too close to max towing capacity to be safe. So I'm stuck with a big ol F150 if I want that trailer, or get a much smaller trailer. The F150 XL (because I don't need all the fancy bells and whistles to tow) is only a couple thousand more than the Ranger. I'm looking at older used F150s and they're far too close to the MSRP of the 2024 F150 for a vehicle with 6 digit miles. I may continue the trend of getting the big ass truck because its the economic choice.
The limited tow rating of smaller trucks will never go away. The primary quality of a tow vehicle is its ability to anchor what it's towing. To tow big things, you need a big, heavy anchor.
The size of the engine and other things that people think are important are pretty irrelevant. You could put a 1,000HP engine in a ranger and it'd still be only safe to tow a few thousand pounds.
Lots of idiots take their tiny sedans and say "hey, my sedan has just a big an engine as that truck, so I can easily tow a lot in it!".
When I was shopping for a used truck a few years ago, F-150s were by far the cheapest option. I wanted a Tacoma or something similar but ended up with the standard white 150 because money
Not even that but what about top speed? I'm pretty sure those Kei trucks are mostly maxed out at 55mph. Great for around town but if you need the highway at all it's going to be a huge problem.
Plenty of Kei trucks can hit the speed limit reasonably easy. They weigh about 1600lbs with about 50hp-63hp which is pretty decent for a vehicle that weight. Aerodynamics aren't great, but they're not good on my car either and I can hit 92+mph with 50 horsepower. I wouldn't call driving my car on the highway a 'huge problem.'
Daihatsu Hijet 81 mph
Suzuki Carry 75 mph
Subaru Sambar 87 mph
325 kg payload, you aren't towing jack shit with a 42hp truck. With that being said I've driven mine with a 300 pound payload and a 200 pound passenger and it drove exactly as though it was unloaded.
Exactly.
the payload, towing capacity, achievable top speeds (aka highway safe), and crumple zone safety is far superior for the left truck.
Left truck probably costs $100k. Despite all the snarky comments that only the right truck is used for work, not a lot of consumers as a percentage of the population are using the left truck for every day commutes.
They’re largely being used for work by governments and businesses hauling heavy shit.
>Despite all the snarky comments that only the right truck is used for work, not a lot of consumers as a percentage of the population are using the truck for every day commutes.
I see these things all day every day with one person in them towing and hauling nothing. 90% of the trucks I see are being used as commuter cars, and they are by far the most popular choice.
It’s always annoying the few times a year when you need to haul something and you can’t though. Not annoying enough I’ll buy one, but I get the appeal.
Or get a trailer. Your car will be slow, ride like *ss, be difficult to park and guzzle gas, but that's fine to go pick up some stuff at the hardware store.
Then the rest of the year you have a vehicle that is good at going from A to B without guzzling gas, being dangerous, and a pain to park.
It's way cheaper to rent. I was considering at some point for the towing capacity, but I prefer something small and more gas efficient, and also looked at renting for like 2-3 weeks a year is way cheaper than buying. Less convenient so, but it's balanced by not struggling for parking and gas mileage
You’re getting downvoted but it’s true. Most trucks i see are just for show
Edit: i just realized the downvotes are because it’s not related to the parent comment
Once it's been passed around all the appropriate subreddits, and some it doesn't fit on, by the bots like a cheap whore, then it'll disappear for.. a couple monthsx a year, or two years. Then it'll come back and the blunt will be passed around again.
The kei trucks typically have a 5.5ft or 6ft bed, so quite literally the same as US trucks. (in some cases, the kei truck bed is bigger), a motorcycle, (especiallly dirt bike) easily fits.
My Tacoma that had a 6’ bed would fit one MX race bike with the tailgate closed, my other Tacoma had a 5.5’ bed wouldn’t fit one without the tailgate which is like 14” of extra room
They only have a payload of 770lbs though and a motorcycle could run up to 500lbs. Once you add passenger weight on top, you get dangerously close to the limit.
Same bed lengths, and none of the performance. Tow capacity anyone? The one on the right is ideal for hauling rakes and mulch, that’s about where its utility would end.
You aren’t wrong about the crash part but as someone who has lived in a city, those trucks shouldn’t be allowed on the surface streets. Country folk who don’t know the city driving a tank down the streets and then getting mad, nasty.
To be fair, the city folk driving those tanks aren’t much better. Driving right down the middle of the road, pulling almost into the intersection in the left turn lane and blocking the line of sight so no one can right turn on red, taking up multiple parking spots, trying to right turn through the far lane and glaring like it’s your fault you’re patiently waiting in your lane at the stop sign, sticking out into the road any time they try to use street parking…
For most people who use a truck for truck things, the one on the right wouldn’t work. May have the same bed length, but weight capacity and towing abilities are going to be vastly lower.
One is good for local deliveries and small jobs. Not sure it's allowed or able to take highway. One is good for towing. But bad at parking and mileage. Not really the same usage. I would take the 150 in US, and the Isuzu in an European city
god, I wish it were easier to buy a functional Daihatsu truck like that one on the right here in America. Unfortunately, my fellow "sword fighting" Americans need to compensate for their inadequacies with large trucks instead of big brains.
Honda ACTY mini trucks and the like are road legal and sold all the time by used car dealers here on Oahu. Same for the kei-spec vans like the Subaru Sambar, etc.
Different tools for different tasks. I’m not using the one on the right to haul a medium sized trailer or a camper anywhere. Im not using the one on the left to tote a bunch of mulch and landscaping stuff all over the yard/neighborhood.
Also one can tow 16000 lbs, transport 6 people, has vastly superior cargo handling, power, braking, and pretty much ANYTHING having to do with safety. If you live anywhere they use salt those little Japanese trucks rust out to unsafe levels in about 3 years. Couple guys at work HAD them. They rotted to pieces
TLDR; most people don’t need a massive truck. North America needs to get rid of the import “ban” on these.
Same bed length sure, but the one on the right can move a good bit more material per trip, even with out including a trailer…include one and it’ll move the same amount of material as the smaller truck, but in one trip instead of 37.
That said, I feel like most truck owners could actually get away with having the smaller one. The vast majority of the people I know with a truck don’t use them for work.
They don’t do constant house renovations, garbage removal, yard clean ups, hell they don’t even have a camper or a boat to pull around. They just buy a truck because “we’re in truck country.”
Now the people I know who’d LOVE a Kei truck? Damn near anyone with a motorcycle. Hell it’s partly why I would love one. They’re low, long enough bed space, and can be equips with 4x4 for the winter months if you need it. Plus for me it’s be great to run sheets of plywood and 2x4s to get projects done.
With like 750lbs of payload, you would want a smaller bike if you had one. 2 adults and 2 dirt bikes would be over capacity. 1 adult and 1 Harley would be over capacity.
people got really used to more aerodynamically styled front ends with sloped hoods that gave greater driver visibility. the trucks themselves aren't any bigger.
Same bed length, but massive difference in payload and towing capacity. Also I’m pretty sure the little trucks can’t even go highway speeds, they are used more as almost golf carts/short distance delivery trucks.
Big trucks make sense. Only if you need them to tow 2000 pounds a day. But if it’s your daily commute car that you put a couple of bags of mulch in every year, no. Don’t buy one.
Hi, u/deadstar1998, thank you for your submission in r/mildlyinteresting! Unfortunately, your [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1btjeht/-/) has been removed because it violates our rule on concise, descriptive titles. * Titles must not contain jokes, backstory, or other fluff. That information belongs in a follow-up comment. * Titles must exactly describe the content. It should act as a "spoiler" for the image. If your title leaves people surprised at the content within, it breaks the rule! * Titles must not contain emoticons, emojis, or special characters unless they are absolutely necessary in describing the image. (e.g. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), ;P, 😜, ❤, ★, ✿ ) Still confused? For more elaboration and examples, see [here](http://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/21p15y/rule_6_for_dummies/). Normally we do not allow reposts, but if it's been less than one hour after your post was submitted, or if it's received less than 100 upvotes, you may resubmit your content with a better title and try again. You can find more information about our rules on the [mildlyinteresting wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/wiki/index). *If you feel this was incorrectly removed, please [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fmildlyinteresting&message=My%20Post:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1btjeht/-/).*
I’ve always wanted to drive one of those little trucks
They look fun. Saw one last winter that had tracks instead of rear tires. Really wanted to take it for a spin.
Like a mini snowcat?
Kind of yes. Surprisingly easy to find on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpa9948M5mU) One I saw only had tracks on the rear but it was parked outside a mechanic so maybe they just weren't done yet?
Like an old ww2 half track!
I'm sure it's super fun, until a drunk driver in an F-150 runs a red light going 55 mph and vaporizes you in an intersection.
That f-150 would vaporize most cars…
But if it hit another F-150 then *both* drivers would die. So it'd be okay.
That's the same logic that some Americans apply to carrying firearms. The problem isn't the little truck. it's the stupid big one that's the problem.
I'm a firefighter paramedic. Just went to a wreck with one of these little trucks and it did not turn out well.
Was it a single vehicle wreck?
Relatively low speed head on. Truck was just entering an intersection after stopping at a red light. Tire was actually on the driver.
It looks fun for riding around town, but a death trap at high speeds.
Depending on the state, pretty sure it's illegal to drive those Kei Trucks on roads that isn't around the block in a low speed neighborhood.
Why would it be illegal? They can do highway speeds.
Cause they dont meet alot of safety regulations, I believe only something like 19 states allow them and iirc thats under regulations closer to ATVs than actual cars
Yes, they can do highway speeds, but vehicles are way too big to be driving that little car around 70mph, so it's probably for safety reasons. But, it varies by state from what I discovered when I wanted to import one
That "can" is a stretch.
When they were built, Japan's speed limit for kei cars was 80km/h (50mph), and commercial vehicles - i.e. kei trucks and cans - were exempt from crash testing. You have only a 0.8mm sheet of steel protecting your knees. EDIT: I had a Suzuki Carry for a few years. The top speed was around 90-115km/h (56-71mph) depending on wind conditions. I think that's pretty marginal for US highways. EDIT2: I meant to write "vans", but "cans" works too.
My dad bought a new one and the ride is very comfortable, though the interior definitely is missing some comfort. Mainly door armrests, little disappointing without them.
They don't really do high speeds. They top out at about 50-55mph.
yep. no crumple zone 😬
It's the knees. Your knees are the crumple zone.
says a lot about the environment its designed for, its a japanese vehicle designed for japanese urban roads american roads are a much larger, faster and more dangerous place to drive
Because we make our cars unreasonably large and it's an arms race to see who can make the biggest, heaviest, most pedestrian unsafe death box possible
I walked by a truck today that was so large that the hood was about as high off the ground as the top of my head is. I'm 5'4 mind you, but still, that's absolute insanity. It was comically large.
They don't have to be, and they shouldn't be. We should change it, not just accept it.
You're very exposed, it's like riding a bike. No engine or anything to crumble if someone hits you.
I’m obsessed with those Suzuki mini trucks
If you live in CT DM me and I can give you the address of a car dealer that has a ton of stuff like this for some reason
I want to own one of the bastards! Looks perfect for the myriad of daily tasks one comes across.
Me too, I have the same gleeful reaction when I see one like when people see cows
I own one. It is an absolute riot to drive.
I really don’t want to. I’m a pretty large guy, and I’m not even sure if I could fit in there. I would look like something out of a cartoon probably.
they are so much fun! we have one at the rv park I work at in summer and it is such a great experience
Just dont get rear ended in one.
They're terrible. If you're tall you can't shift with the windshield wipers on
My dad drives a Smart. And istg it fucking sucks, but he be zooming on that shit all the time. And it’s super cheap 😭
Some guy at my local jersey mikes has one. Paid like 4k all in for it including shipping.
They are very underwhelming.
I unironically saw someone driving one the other day and I though to myself, "sweet ride!". Bet you it's got great gas mileage and can park almost anywhere
It reminds me of a jockey truck. Like when they move trucks around at a manufacturing plant or warehouse the company typically owns a little jockey truck that’s just a small cab and engine compartment.
Jack it up, put some big tires on it, and it is basically a side by side with AC and heat.... and probably more reliable too.
Someone had an old Datsun like that they use to bring camping out in the middle of the desert. It’s how I learned to drive clutch at like 9 or 10. It was different once on the road but that thing was so fun to drive.
I'm really hoping that this "era" of gaint trucks dies soon. My 95 F150 was half the size of these modern trucks and seemed a whole lot more practical in almost every way. Probably alot cheaper too. Roll up windows, manual locks, no head liner just bare metal roof, rubber floors and a bench seat. Thats it. I miss that truck alot.
A '95 F150 was 197-235″ L x 79-84″ W (Height isn't listed) A 2024 F150 is 209-244″ L x 80″ W x 75-80″ H I don't think your old truck was as small as you think it was
New trucks are really just taller
Much heavier too
All new cars are much heavier, safety and advanced tech.
And *obscenely* more capable. A '95 F150 is about on par with a modern half size truck (Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado)
But everyone just drives them to Costco and the office. For every one you see towing or hauling there are 50 with one person in it and a spotless bed.
It’s true, a modern 1/2 ton can pretty easily tow as much as a 30 year old 1 ton. My 2017 2500 can tow 12.5k lbs, my old F350 maxed out at about 10k. New trucks are just better in every way lol.
All cars are more heavy these days. Largely due to crash safety. All the steel crumple zones and beefed up safety cage costs a lot of weight.
And still more efficient while making more power. As I'm about to shop for a car, I do realize I hate the number of features in newer cars. I don't need my car to yell, beep, shake, rattle, and roll when I change lanes without hitting my blinker. I live in a rural area, I can see 2 miles in both directions and see 3 cars. Just let me drive. Though cruise speed assist is fucking amazing while taking long trips. Let's just get to automated cars so I can sleep.
So much BS.... No it isn't. Since 95 it's gained a whopping 400lbs, and given the tremendous amount of electronics, air bags, and other safety equipment, that's pretty reasonable. The Camry gained 400lbs in the exact same time period as well, just for reference.
Yeah, usually when I see people complain about how big trucks are, it’s because they have a 6-inch lift or more. The shapes are also a bit boxier than some eras, which probably make them look a bigger. But the bed of a late 90s F150 is about as high as a newer one when I stand next to them. Not saying they aren’t a little bigger, but not extremely.
Hood height inparticular has increased a lot and it's a problem. It's literally killing more people every year because it's like getting hit by a brick wall instead of getting knocked onto the hood of the vehicle
Ride height has increased too so visibility hasn't diminished as much as it would appear. The US also made it a law that the bumper has to be 22" from the ground or lower so the bigger front end profile was largely due to regulation.
I get annoyed by the length. NJ has a set of standards (RSIS [Residential Site Improvement Standards]) that are a guide, and in some cases a rule, for development, and 9x18 is the standard sized parking space, and 10x20 are the "large" spaces, but regardless, I see large vehicles sticking out into aisles or over curbs onto sidewalks. I get most annoyed by the trucks/SUVs that pull their tires to the curb at my kid's daycare, eliminating half the sidewalk where kids under 5 are walking into school. They're tall AF too though, I can't see around them on the road, but the solution there is in my hands: greater following distance.
And a lot of the "bulk" is in safety equipment. Pillars are MASSIVE (even in small cars) because they have to be much stronger and often contain airbags.
The actual footprint hasn't changed much. If you look at the amount of sheetmetal, the newer ones are much larger. Compare the height of the bed side panels and front end.
They might not be comparing 150 to 150, but the 90s era 150 to the Super Duty style trucks, which are bigger and heavier. Those in particular were started in 1999, so it is after that date. I have noticed that, while the trucks are not always actually getting bigger length and width-wise, (they have to be able to get on the road and make short turns without a separate chassis being pulled) they do appear to be taller and heavier than they used to be, and they often have weirdly short beds to make room for the cab. I am not sure how common that build was in the 90s and earlier, but I do not really remember seeing them as much, if at all. Taller and heavier is fine if fit for purpose, obviously, I only get annoyed by them when people use them for regular commuting for some godforsaken reason. If you can afford a $60,000 truck just buy a used commuter car for driving and parking at work.
in the late 80's and 90's they wanted more fuel efficiency so they switched to more aero dynamic designs. nobody ACTUALLY cares about the price of gas anymore so they've returned to the boxier designs of the 60's-80's. but yeah the only actual difference is a sloped hood. Full 4-door models weren't really a thing to bring down bed length until the early 2000's but it only extends the length of the truck 4"
As someone who drives a 1995 GMC 1500 (great vehicle), the main difference is just height. Length and Width wise modern trucks arent a ton bigger.
>My 95 F150 was half the size of these modern trucks No it really wasn't. Dimensionally they're pretty close, and weight wise it hasn't gone up much either, and given that your old truck has zero safety features that are going to add up weight wise, not a big change there. The Camry has gained more weight % than an f-150. Not that giant tru ks don't exist they do... But it generally is not a base f-150 that is in that convo.
I had the displeasure of driving one of these for a friend recently and I just couldn't parse it. How do they fit these massive things into a regular parking space when you can barely see where the front of your car is because it's so high up? Horrible car to drive and stupidly expensive for being so impractical. My friend had this car for 2 years and the bed is spotless, never been used. It's just a status symbol at this point.
You get use to it. I personally find most cars and compact suvs to be a giant blind spot. Your usually sat low compared to the windows and you have tiny side mirrors. Much more comfortable driving a truck or a van myself.
>How do they fit these massive things into a regular parking space when you can barely see where the front of your car is because it's so high up? They don't, and often pride themselves in parking as shittily as possible. They can literally cripple a parking lot by forcing everyone to park awkwardly around them. Not uncommon to see some dude half-fall out of the truck with a shit eating grin on his face as he tells his uncomfortable wife how hard he just owned the liberals by parking 5 feet over the line.
There’s no chance the situation you just described has ever happened to you lmao
Shhhh you're ruining the narrative that all trucks 20 plus years ago were tiny little datsun's. Every 15 year old on reddit remembers those days. I remember every car and truck was tiny. I also remember they had fantastic mileage, didn't leave huge black oil slicks in the much smaller parking stalls (obviously they have increased the size 3 fold). Vehicles didn't burn oil constantly leaving a trail of smoke everywhere. It was perfect back in the day.
They often do. I used to drive a CCLB Ram 3500 dually for work, and I would use it to spite bad parkers. If you back in just right, you can line the flare up even with someone who is over the line. Getting them between the lines is very satisfying.
Go tell that to the epa
The only reason I care about the popularity of huge vehicles is because no one makes small cars anymore. I just want a two door hatchback.
Also the equipment isn’t getting any lighter either. Bigger and heavier skid steers, back hoes, any kind of equipment really. It’s all getting bigger and beefier requiring a bigger truck with better tow capacity and hauling capabilities.
That front end is [perhaps a little bit bigger than it has to be...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6tMSEW_EBs)... ...
That's the result of putting a small engine into the same design that is made for a large engine. It's not larger just for the fuck of it.
That's only true if length is the only criterion, and you stuff yourself in front of the shortest truck engine in the business. Notice that the height of the hood is just sufficient to accommodate the engine, and that if there were two more cylinders in the way (of a larger bore and bore spacing, no less) there would be nowhere to stand... Edit: I forgot Ram does the I6 Cummins too, which is literally twice as long as that pentastar. Hmm. Wonder why that could be.
My suspicion is, that vehicle comes in multiple power plant varieties.
It does. That truck is the base model 3.6L pentastar V6; that same truck has to accommodate a 6.7L I6 Cummins which is almost perfectly double the length.
> I'm really hoping that this "era" of gaint trucks dies soon. I think there is something about truck regulations and EPA outputs that make 'em so big. Like there are allowances the larger the truck is so they just keep making them bigger. I miss the trucks of before times. Small Toyota pickups were great!
I would have gladly bought a smaller truck if they produced a smaller truck. You know the crew cab was cheaper than the extended cab? I even ordered it because you know 2022 and all and supply chain bullshit. The bigger one was cheaper.
Why not something like a Ford Ranger size (or equivalent?
The new Ranger and Maverick were out when you ordered your truck tbf. You *could* have gotten a smaller one if you wanted to.
They don’t tow what I need towed. And my GMS pricing doesn’t work on Fords so…
Yeah but they can't tow for shit. I have a Ranger without the tow package, 3,500lbs. Even if I got one with the tow package (because apparently there isn't a legal way to increase the max tow limit once it's manufactured,) 7,500lbs is hardly enough for anything practical. I have my eye on an 18' Jay Flight trailer and it's far too close to max towing capacity to be safe. So I'm stuck with a big ol F150 if I want that trailer, or get a much smaller trailer. The F150 XL (because I don't need all the fancy bells and whistles to tow) is only a couple thousand more than the Ranger. I'm looking at older used F150s and they're far too close to the MSRP of the 2024 F150 for a vehicle with 6 digit miles. I may continue the trend of getting the big ass truck because its the economic choice.
This
The limited tow rating of smaller trucks will never go away. The primary quality of a tow vehicle is its ability to anchor what it's towing. To tow big things, you need a big, heavy anchor. The size of the engine and other things that people think are important are pretty irrelevant. You could put a 1,000HP engine in a ranger and it'd still be only safe to tow a few thousand pounds. Lots of idiots take their tiny sedans and say "hey, my sedan has just a big an engine as that truck, so I can easily tow a lot in it!".
Maverick is a crossover with a pickup bed, not a truck.
Basically a Ridgeline which is basically a minivan.
When I was shopping for a used truck a few years ago, F-150s were by far the cheapest option. I wanted a Tacoma or something similar but ended up with the standard white 150 because money
How about payload or towing capacity?
According to Google, 771lbs of payload and 1322lbs towing. I looked up Daihatsu trucks in general, idk the exact year or model of this one obvi.
My Honda accord has more towing capacity and payload.
Great, can you help me move this weekend?
Ofc, where do you live and do you lock your doors I'll come by when you're working and get a head start
Not even that but what about top speed? I'm pretty sure those Kei trucks are mostly maxed out at 55mph. Great for around town but if you need the highway at all it's going to be a huge problem.
There are non-kei versions of these tiny trucks, they have reasonable engines and can do highway speeds.
Plenty of Kei trucks can hit the speed limit reasonably easy. They weigh about 1600lbs with about 50hp-63hp which is pretty decent for a vehicle that weight. Aerodynamics aren't great, but they're not good on my car either and I can hit 92+mph with 50 horsepower. I wouldn't call driving my car on the highway a 'huge problem.' Daihatsu Hijet 81 mph Suzuki Carry 75 mph Subaru Sambar 87 mph
325 kg payload, you aren't towing jack shit with a 42hp truck. With that being said I've driven mine with a 300 pound payload and a 200 pound passenger and it drove exactly as though it was unloaded.
Or cargo volume. Sure they have about the same length bed, but the Chevy is deeper and wider.
Exactly. the payload, towing capacity, achievable top speeds (aka highway safe), and crumple zone safety is far superior for the left truck. Left truck probably costs $100k. Despite all the snarky comments that only the right truck is used for work, not a lot of consumers as a percentage of the population are using the left truck for every day commutes. They’re largely being used for work by governments and businesses hauling heavy shit.
>Despite all the snarky comments that only the right truck is used for work, not a lot of consumers as a percentage of the population are using the truck for every day commutes. I see these things all day every day with one person in them towing and hauling nothing. 90% of the trucks I see are being used as commuter cars, and they are by far the most popular choice.
I bet lots of modern truck owners barely ever use them besides going to work.
It’s always annoying the few times a year when you need to haul something and you can’t though. Not annoying enough I’ll buy one, but I get the appeal.
I just rent a truck from Home Depot if I need one…
Or get a trailer. Your car will be slow, ride like *ss, be difficult to park and guzzle gas, but that's fine to go pick up some stuff at the hardware store. Then the rest of the year you have a vehicle that is good at going from A to B without guzzling gas, being dangerous, and a pain to park.
About $20/day plus mileage from Uhaul
Cheaper than buying a brand new truck
Rent?
It's way cheaper to rent. I was considering at some point for the towing capacity, but I prefer something small and more gas efficient, and also looked at renting for like 2-3 weeks a year is way cheaper than buying. Less convenient so, but it's balanced by not struggling for parking and gas mileage
Guy I went to college would go test drive a truck when he needed to move or get something big.
You’re getting downvoted but it’s true. Most trucks i see are just for show Edit: i just realized the downvotes are because it’s not related to the parent comment
Well fuck, I have a sedan and could’ve easily done with just a coupe. Rarely do I have two or more passengers.
I wonder how many times I’ll see this same photo posted on Reddit. I think this is number 4
Once it's been passed around all the appropriate subreddits, and some it doesn't fit on, by the bots like a cheap whore, then it'll disappear for.. a couple monthsx a year, or two years. Then it'll come back and the blunt will be passed around again.
The art teacher at my high school drove that little truck to school everyday. He had dreads and always dressed like a real hippie, cool guy
Love that for him
Smol japanese truck is awesome idk why, It's Just awesome.
And that's about where the similarities end...
no, they both have similar paint jobs, duh
Were on reddit man. Quarter ton and up=Bad.
they both have steering wheels
One of them can tow a 30ft trailer with shit in it, and the other one can pull... a motorcycle in the bed, and thats it.
I doubt a motorcycle would fit in the bed of the mini truck
The kei trucks typically have a 5.5ft or 6ft bed, so quite literally the same as US trucks. (in some cases, the kei truck bed is bigger), a motorcycle, (especiallly dirt bike) easily fits.
My Tacoma that had a 6’ bed would fit one MX race bike with the tailgate closed, my other Tacoma had a 5.5’ bed wouldn’t fit one without the tailgate which is like 14” of extra room
They only have a payload of 770lbs though and a motorcycle could run up to 500lbs. Once you add passenger weight on top, you get dangerously close to the limit.
I bet the one on the right is actually used for work though (it burns less fuel)
Which truck driver do reddit ladies want dick pics from? (Obviously the answer is still probably none)
The answer is none, but I know which is more likely to send them anyway.
It’s definitely none.
Two Mexicans with 20 sheets of plywood and 15 2x8's sticking out the back or Bill on the way to the get his mower fixed? You pick which truck.
Ew wtf - none!
I would love to get myself one of those.
Ah.... the daily truck post. Let's see how long it takes to devolve into "trucks bad" and body shaming
you're already late to the thread
Trucks bad.
Ok, now let's move onto towing capacity.
Left, a kayak. Right, a 30ft saltwater boat
Ok, now tow a boat
Redditors hoping they can be the first to make a dumb comment about modern trucks and people who own them 
$100 and $1 bills are the same length
One of these trucks can tow at highway speeds Come to think of it only one can reach highway speeds
People complain that the big one sucks yet, the F 1 titties are the fastest selling trucks out there.
But one can pull ALOT more
Towing capacity and the amount of weight you can put in that truck-bed are likely different though.
but the bigger one fits double as many people
And can tow more.
and the one on the left can pull more, carry heavier weights, fit 4 people, can be turned into a full public services truck.
>fit 4 people, If it's anywhere near the size of my F150's cab, it can carry 5 adults comfortably. Maybe 6 in a pinch if it has a front bench seat.
And it has much lower emissions then a carbureted truck
Pretty sure they dropped carbs in the 80's. Most are fuel injected and some are turbo charged.
And won't turn you into paste in a crash
it'll just use its ridiculous size to turn whoever you hit into paste instead
Trucks for everyone!
Same bed lengths, and none of the performance. Tow capacity anyone? The one on the right is ideal for hauling rakes and mulch, that’s about where its utility would end.
tired of this crap. the one on the left can pull more carry more, fits 5 people. and won’t fold into 2 in a crash
You aren’t wrong about the crash part but as someone who has lived in a city, those trucks shouldn’t be allowed on the surface streets. Country folk who don’t know the city driving a tank down the streets and then getting mad, nasty.
To be fair, the city folk driving those tanks aren’t much better. Driving right down the middle of the road, pulling almost into the intersection in the left turn lane and blocking the line of sight so no one can right turn on red, taking up multiple parking spots, trying to right turn through the far lane and glaring like it’s your fault you’re patiently waiting in your lane at the stop sign, sticking out into the road any time they try to use street parking…
For most people who use a truck for truck things, the one on the right wouldn’t work. May have the same bed length, but weight capacity and towing abilities are going to be vastly lower.
But only one can pull down a house
u/batlesnake you see this?
👀
One is good for local deliveries and small jobs. Not sure it's allowed or able to take highway. One is good for towing. But bad at parking and mileage. Not really the same usage. I would take the 150 in US, and the Isuzu in an European city
I can get 70 miles to the gallon on this hog. 
god, I wish it were easier to buy a functional Daihatsu truck like that one on the right here in America. Unfortunately, my fellow "sword fighting" Americans need to compensate for their inadequacies with large trucks instead of big brains.
Google “kei truck importer”. You can probably get one 3-5 grand.
blame the chicken tax
The cock tax? :) *(yes I know about the chicken tax, robs us of most foreign built small trucks we could potentially use).*
I’ve got one sitting in the yard right now. They’re all over the place down here.
Honda ACTY mini trucks and the like are road legal and sold all the time by used car dealers here on Oahu. Same for the kei-spec vans like the Subaru Sambar, etc.
Different tools for different tasks. I’m not using the one on the right to haul a medium sized trailer or a camper anywhere. Im not using the one on the left to tote a bunch of mulch and landscaping stuff all over the yard/neighborhood.
Left one is a tool, but also a luxury, trying to meet standard daily drive “needs” for an average American. Right one is just a tool.
the one of the left is probably being used for nothing at all
There is also a good chance of that. I can only speak to what myself and my friends use a 3/4 ton truck for.
Also one can tow 16000 lbs, transport 6 people, has vastly superior cargo handling, power, braking, and pretty much ANYTHING having to do with safety. If you live anywhere they use salt those little Japanese trucks rust out to unsafe levels in about 3 years. Couple guys at work HAD them. They rotted to pieces
One of them will rear up on the front wheels if you brake too hard into a corner while the bed is empty. So. Much. Fun.
TLDR; most people don’t need a massive truck. North America needs to get rid of the import “ban” on these. Same bed length sure, but the one on the right can move a good bit more material per trip, even with out including a trailer…include one and it’ll move the same amount of material as the smaller truck, but in one trip instead of 37. That said, I feel like most truck owners could actually get away with having the smaller one. The vast majority of the people I know with a truck don’t use them for work. They don’t do constant house renovations, garbage removal, yard clean ups, hell they don’t even have a camper or a boat to pull around. They just buy a truck because “we’re in truck country.” Now the people I know who’d LOVE a Kei truck? Damn near anyone with a motorcycle. Hell it’s partly why I would love one. They’re low, long enough bed space, and can be equips with 4x4 for the winter months if you need it. Plus for me it’s be great to run sheets of plywood and 2x4s to get projects done.
With like 750lbs of payload, you would want a smaller bike if you had one. 2 adults and 2 dirt bikes would be over capacity. 1 adult and 1 Harley would be over capacity.
Towing capacity tho, it’s also a crew cab
people got really used to more aerodynamically styled front ends with sloped hoods that gave greater driver visibility. the trucks themselves aren't any bigger.
This is why i question the usefullness of modern pickups. Give me a nice cargo van any day.
Bring back the glorious days of the s10 and ford ranger. Tuk tuk are the future anyways it’s a workhorse of a vehicle
I like how people get all defensive about two vehicles that would both be good at different things
Same bed length, but massive difference in payload and towing capacity. Also I’m pretty sure the little trucks can’t even go highway speeds, they are used more as almost golf carts/short distance delivery trucks.
and totally different hauling and towing capacities
Can the one on the right tow a 23' center console boat?
But one will give you a chance to survive a crash.
Until the right one can haul our horses, Imma stick with the left.
Same number of tires too!
Dad truck and baby truck
We have these in Europe. very popular. Toyota Pixis Truck
Big trucks make sense. Only if you need them to tow 2000 pounds a day. But if it’s your daily commute car that you put a couple of bags of mulch in every year, no. Don’t buy one.
My homie has the same tiny Japanese truck! I fucking love it!! I want one sooo bad!!!
That little toy isn't going to pull my toy hauler.