What You Need to Know Before Buying Compact Pickup Trucks

In 1959, compact trucks were introduced in the United States and called mini trucks. Tiny but mighty, people used them as workhorses back then.

Compact pickup trucks may not be as big as full-size models—literally and figuratively. Despite the limited space in their cab and bed, they are packed with many features. Today, compact pickups are becoming more and more popular—and they are back for good reasons.

Rise of small trucks

The majority of auto sales in the United States came from full-size pickup trucks. In 2021, the Ford F-Series (available in both mid and full-size) is currently the industry’s top-selling truck for the 45th consecutive year. It is still America’s best-selling truck for a 40th straight year.

Various manufacturers have been experiencing issues with their production and supply, such as the semiconductor chip shortage, production delay of truck accessories, extreme winter weather, and other problems on top of the ongoing pandemic. Decreased vehicle production caused low to zero supplies in dealerships. It affected the sales, but that did not impede many consumers from pre-ordering or buying brand-new trucks.

As the world progresses, automobiles will change. Long ago, we used to drive fuel-guzzling vehicles. But nowadays, fuel economy has become an integral part of modern vehicles. It is applied to all cars, including the truck vehicle class. We usually see mid- and full-size pickup trucks dominate the highways and trails, but that may soon change.

Truck trend

Driving a truck with a long bed in urban areas can be challenging, especially in tight parking spaces. Since many people live and work in cities and urban settings, owning a large vehicle can be inconvenient.

Think of a passenger car's drivability and fuel economy, fused with a pickup truck’s utility and reliability. That’s how automakers generate modern-day compact trucks. These characteristics spark the interest of the fledgling generation of consumers.

The younger consumers are enthusiastic about electric pickup trucks. However, only a few EV options are available in the market today. Electric trucks are usually in mid or full-size models, and the selections are limited.

Since the young demographic prefer a reliable and user-friendly model that also offers utility features, compact trucks are the best option. They perceived them as lifestyle vehicles and a symbol of independence. They also provide a sense of power for younger drivers.

Popular compact trucks

The body-on-frame construction on SUVs and large trucks allows increased all-terrain performance and better hauling capacity. A compact truck is made of unibody structure—more like a car-based pickup that plenty of people wants.

Ford Maverick

Maverick is different from the mini trucks that our grandfathers used to drive in the ’50s. The American market seems open for a new-age compact pickup truck.

Size: Unlike its bigger-bodied brother F-150, the Maverick is viewed as a game-changer for the compact truck segment. It is the smallest pickup truck that Ford has ever produced.

Price: The Ford Ranger is longer and several inches taller and wider than Maverick. However, with a price tag of under $30,000, the compact truck is more affordable than other products of the blue oval-badged automaker. Yet to be released, but it has already accumulated over 100,000 pre-orders.

Design: The design feels restrained and may not be particularly outstanding. It has a minimal design and chunky black bumpers. It has the traditional blue oval badging, and the grille inserts are unconventional. The stamped arc that serves as fender flares gives the illusion of larger wheels.

Drivetrain: Ford offers the Maverick to people who would like an electric powertrain because it’s a compact plug-in hybrid truck.

Hyundai Santa Cruz

Hyundai unveiled Santa Cruz as a concept car at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in 2015. They are also getting into the compact pickup game, but they're new to the American truck industry.

Obviously, this small truck model can’t crush the bigger trucks in towing and payload capacity. Instead of challenging the popular truck brands in the market, the company made an intelligent choice of competing in the segment with only a little competition.

Drivetrain: The Santa Cruz only runs on gas, while its rival is a hybrid pickup.

Design: It is based in Tucson with a quiet crossover-like ride and handling.

Size: Ford boasts that Maverick is the smallest in their lineup. However, it is about four inches longer than the Hyundai Santa Cruz, so it isn’t the smallest.

Price: Small but incredible, the Santa Cruz received excellent reviews from car critics and excelled in some areas compared to larger trucks. Priced under 25 grand, it became the best-selling vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup in August 2021. It even outsold one of the most popular vehicles in America, the Chevy Corvette.

Fuel Economy: The little truck is taking over the industry with plenty of features, safety-assist technology, and impressive fuel economy. It gets an EPA rating of 26 miles per gallon on the highway and 21 miles per gallon in the city.

Bigger chance for smaller trucks

When introduced in the United States, it's rare to see compact trucks in dealerships. Very few automakers offer them in the past, and it’s still happening now. The truck market has a considerable and favorable variety of mid-size and full-size models.

Potential buyers that do not need all the power and size will look elsewhere. They might need a pickup but not all the features and brawn of larger vehicles. Buyers can only choose from limited selections of compact trucks, Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Some people do not like large trucks because they create a blind spot for pedestrians or those who drive in smaller passenger cars. Compact trucks provide safety and convenience, so you won’t even break a sweat parking the vehicle on narrow roads.

Mid-size trucks are only a few feet and inches smaller than full-size ones. The bigger the size and power, the bigger the price tag. Though underpowered and not as powerful as other types, compact trucks are more budget-friendly. Remember, the word “affordable” is a compelling selling point.

Smaller trucks are becoming famous, especially for the young demographic. In that, you will see how the automotive industry evolves. Compact trucks have the best of both worlds made of a car platform with a truck bed.

In an interview by New York Times, Ford’s President and CEO Jim Farley Jr. said they pitch it to car buyers who would usually consider a crossover or minivan for their utility needs. Their customer profile of Maverick is marketed to those who never thought they wanted a pickup truck.

So, if you don’t need a full-size truck and want to save money, a compact truck might be the right choice for you. With increasing demand, more compact trucks will be hitting the market in the near future.