Fucking CAFE standards… Basically, the larger the truck, the less aggressive the mandatory improvements in fuel economy. So, manufacturers have eliminated the old, compact trucks from the 90’s and early 2000’s, like the Ranger or the S10. Their modern equivalents are now as large as full-size trucks from that era. Fuel economy has worsened considerably, because CAFE standards pushed manufacturers to abandon their most efficient vehicles and focus on their least efficient.
Don’t get me wrong, I love big trucks. I’m hauling 9 people and a 2-ton trailer every evening, in a 2000’s suburban. But aside from that, an old S10-sized truck would be the perfect daily driver for me, and I can’t get one.