3 ms·

New minitrucks should be legal here! If you don't need a huge truck, you should be able to buy something smaller.

lastofthemojito 4y ago
You do see new minitrucks in certain non-road settings in the US, but yeah, they aren't street legal. Some folks import them for use as UTVs: https://usminitrucksales.com https://usminitrucksales.com It's the same somewhat bizarre logic that makes it fine to register say, a 1969 VW Beetle in the US, but not a 2004 Mexican Beetle that's no less clean or safe. The older stuff gets grandfathered in because at that age there's hardly anyone willing to bother. But if new minitrucks were road legal, they'd be everywhere, and there might be an epidemic of minitruck highway deaths, etc.
- gedy 4y ago
  Owner of a 69 Beetle here, and similarly frustrating that I can't buy and bring home a Suzuki Jimny across the nearby border with Mexico
- angry_octet 4y ago
  There's a bit of confusion here: there are modern small cars/vans/trucks that are safe (e.g. https://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/euro-ncap-announces-safest-commercial-vans-of-2022/ https://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/euro-...) but efficient and well designed, and then there are new vehicles built for a slightly lower price with safety features like crumple zones entirely absent, commonly sold in Mexico. These are death traps. Many of the Chinese trucks (e.g. Great Wall) were like that too, but they do make safer ones now.
- LucasBrandt 4y ago
  I'll take the theoretical chance of an "epidemic of minitruck highway deaths" over the current reality of an epidemic of traffic fatalities made worse by cars and trucks getting heavier, taller, and deadlier.
rco8786 4y ago
It’s completely insane. A new Ford Ranger is considered a “compact” pickup truck. Nothing significantly smaller exists. But it is the exact same size as a 2004 F150.

You do see new minitrucks in certain non-road settings in the US, but yeah, they aren't street legal. Some folks import them for use as UTVs: https://usminitrucksales.com https://usminitrucksales.com It's the same somewhat bizarre logic that makes it fine to register say, a 1969 VW Beetle in the US, but not a 2004 Mexican Beetle that's no less clean or safe. The older stuff gets grandfathered in because at that age there's hardly anyone willing to bother. But if new minitrucks were road legal, they'd be everywhere, and there might be an epidemic of minitruck highway deaths, etc.

gedy 4y ago
Owner of a 69 Beetle here, and similarly frustrating that I can't buy and bring home a Suzuki Jimny across the nearby border with Mexico
angry_octet 4y ago
There's a bit of confusion here: there are modern small cars/vans/trucks that are safe (e.g. https://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/euro-ncap-announces-safest-commercial-vans-of-2022/ https://www.euroncap.com/en/press-media/press-releases/euro-...) but efficient and well designed, and then there are new vehicles built for a slightly lower price with safety features like crumple zones entirely absent, commonly sold in Mexico. These are death traps. Many of the Chinese trucks (e.g. Great Wall) were like that too, but they do make safer ones now.
LucasBrandt 4y ago
I'll take the theoretical chance of an "epidemic of minitruck highway deaths" over the current reality of an epidemic of traffic fatalities made worse by cars and trucks getting heavier, taller, and deadlier.

rco8786 4y ago

It’s completely insane. A new Ford Ranger is considered a “compact” pickup truck. Nothing significantly smaller exists. But it is the exact same size as a 2004 F150.