AC

They're practical and fun, and would seem right for the times. But somehow, midsize pickups just aren't taken seriously. Their sales are just 20% of full-size models', according to sales tracker Autodata. Roughly 300,000 were sold last year, vs. 1.5 million full-size trucks. To figure out why they are still around, and which is best, Cars.com's PickupTrucks.com website and USA TODAY tested seven models for the Midsize Pickup Truck Shootout. The smallest pickups really have grown into midsize machines, though sometimes they still are called compacts. Seven trucks were tested, quite a few for a segment so small — and a reason it's hard to make money selling midsize pickups, having to split a modest market so many ways. All trucks were 2012s, except for the 2011 Ranger. Ford killed it after the 2011 model, but it was in production at the time of the Shootout, so it was included. The judges were USA TODAY's Chris Woodyard; PickupTrucks.com editor Mark Williams; Dan Sanchez,...