'So expensive': Truck drivers are shunning large pickups for smaller, compact models
Can pickup trucks get any larger? They've ballooned in size the last few years, becoming conspicuous behemoths on the road. They're expensive too, with some pickups priced in the six-figure realm.
Bigger may not mean more desirable, though. A "white space" has emerged in the traditional truck market, and more automakers are taking notice.
"What we used to call a compact or small truck is now a midsize that absolutely dwarfs the new crop of compact trucks," Ed Loh, head of editorial at MotorTrend, told ABC News. "People want smaller trucks."
Loh pointed to the bestselling Ford Maverick, a compact truck that launched in 2021 and quickly gained a loyal following. The Maverick, which is available in five trims, costs less than $29,000 for the XL model, hauls 1,500 lbs and tows up to 4,000 lbs. It also delivers 42 mpg, an anomaly for a truck.
"The Maverick has been a phenomenon since we launched," James Gilpin, a product marketing manager at Ford, told ABC News. "We saw overwhelming interest since Day 1 ... the demand has shocked the whole industry."
Gilpin attributes the Maverick's popularity to its 2.5-liter hybrid engine and its "pleasant road manners," which Ford engineers paid special attention to when Maverick was in development.
"The chassis was tuned over the last few years and it corners great. People drive it now and go, 'Wow, this drives so nice. You forget you're in a truck,'" he said. "You're not giving up interior size and it has a similar payload to a midsize pickup. The Maverick balances affordability and value -- it hits the sweet spot."
Women, younger motorists and city dwellers are buying the Maverick, three groups that may have previously shied away from a truck, Gilpin noted.
"We looked at the truck space and there was a gap -- especially people who lived in an urban setting," he explained. "Sixty percent of Maverick customers are new to Ford and 80% are new to trucks."
Competition to the Maverick is nearly non-existent; there's the Hyundai Santa Cruz, a sport utility-like pickup that also debuted in 2021, and the upcoming all-electric Slate truck. According to Randy Parker, chief executive officer of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America, the company would build more Santa Cruzes if production allowed. The Korean automaker said last month it was working on a midsize truck for 2030.
"Santa Cruz is more niche than a true body-on-frame truck ... but it gives you a pretty good sense of what Hyundai is capable of," he told ABC News. "It's been selling quite well since we brought it to market."
He added, "'[Consumers] are gravitating more toward trucks, ruggedness, off-road capability. That's where the market is headed."
Toyota, a longtime favorite of truck-buyers, has been doing its own research on the smaller pickup trend, according to Sam De La Garza, a truck product senior manager at Toyota North America.
"We're studying the compact space all the time," he told ABC News. "It's a compelling part of the [truck] segment and it's growing. We look at the Maverick and Santa Cruz ... and stare at the [sales] numbers all the time."
To prove his point that midsize trucks have become supersized, Loh compared a 1995 Toyota Tacoma and a 2025 Tacoma SR ExtraCab. The fuel economy is roughly similar: 19 mpg combined for the 1995 Tacoma vs 24 mpg for the 2025 model.
The size difference, however, was glaring to Loh: the 2025 Tacoma is 14 inches longer, 10.4 inches wider and nearly 13 inches taller. The curb weight has also jumped from 2,890 lbs to 4,375 lbs.
The dimensions on the 2025 Maverick XL AWD, however, closely resemble the older Tacoma: 199.7 inches long, 72.6 inches wide and a curb weight of 3,856 lbs.
"Midsize trucks have gotten so big, full-size trucks are ginormous," Loh said. "Trucks back in the 1990s were under 3,000 lbs."
De La Garza agreed that the Tacoma had grown in recent decades, which he attributed to its rugged stance and thicker tires.
"We worked hard on Tacoma to make sure it didn't grow longer," he said. "We kept the doors in the same position. We study U.S. garage sizes and we wanted to make sure these vehicles fit."
According to J.D. Power, the top five trucks in terms of sales are the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tacoma. The Maverick slots in at No. 7.
Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, said more automakers could capitalize on the rising interest in compact trucks, noting that the segment is still tiny: 6% market share versus 52% for large trucks. At least 120,000 Mavericks have sold so far this year compared to 20,000 units of the Santa Cruz, according to Drury.
"The price is right in the compact space," he told ABC News. "Large trucks still comprise a big chunk of industry but we are seeing a shift toward cheaper trucks."
Drury said consumers who already drive a large SUV can easily transition to a truck. He said he's even aware of Americans who have traded in their crossovers for a small pickup -- a swap that doesn't apply to full-size pickups.
"Trucks have gotten so large and out of control expensive," he lamented. "People are asking for cheaper trucks. No one saw this coming."
He went on, "It is clear that a compact truck has a much more universal appeal than say the other extreme end of the business like an HD truck."
Moreover, 12% of truck sales this year had average transaction prices above $70,000, cementing the pickup as a status symbol for many Americans.
"The pickup, not the sports car, is the halo vehicle today," Drury said. "No one gets a regular cab on a F-150. Everyone wants everything in a truck -- all the options."
Drury argued that Ram could benefit from selling a small truck, a move that seems unlikely after the decision by CEO Tim Kuniskis to bring back the storied Hemi 5.7-liter V8 engine. The V8, along with two six-cylinder powertrains, will be available in the 2026 Ram 1500.
"We made an error in dropping the Hemi V8, but we fixed it quickly with the right team," Kuniskis told ABC News. "When the legendary engine opened for orders ... we logged 10,000 orders in the first 24 hours. Pickups are a brutally competitive segment, and Ram is in the middle of an aggressive product offensive. And while the sound and legacy of the Hemi may not be right for everyone, that’s the idea -- freedom to choose."
