Survival of the Fittest
I am not a truck person. Trucks, like the half-mesh hats named after them, manual labor, and hauling around planks of wood
To have a better pickup truck is to have more - more payload capability, more towing capacity, more bed volume and of course more power. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
But therein lies the problem: in the world of automobiles, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Advancements in engineering allow cab-forward design and miniscule overhangs to turn even surprisingly small cars into roomy people-movers. But this kind of logic doesn't exactly work for pickup trucks, where the focus is on capability.
To have a better pickup truck is to have more - more payload capability, more towing capacity, more bed volume and of course
The Dodge Dakota is the pioneer of the midsize truck segment, bridging the gap between weedy four-cylinder import pickups and traditional half-ton pickups. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
But for the remaining few compact trucks that haven't evolved, my hopes and wishes are now directed towards the latest adaptation, the midsize truck. With a change of heart, I put myself in the shoes of its target market. I find myself thinking that bigger is better, and in a bid (which does not include ego-inflation) I go for the granddaddy of them all, the Dodge Dakota.