For those keeping score, 2014 represents a low point for compact pickups in the U.S. With the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon on hiatus, only Honda, Nissan, and Toyota currently offer vehicles in this class.
What’s more, there’s reason to question just how “compact” the current crop of small trucks really is. The current Nissan Frontier, for example, stretches as long as 220 inches, and weighs in at a substantial 4400 pounds in long-bed crew-cab guise.
A quarter century ago, Nissan’s compact pickup—then dubbed simply Pickup—stretched no more than 190 inches, and came in under 3200 pounds in its heaviest trim.
Here we’ll travel back 25 years to a time before small trucks were sold in crew-cab body styles, to a time when shoppers had no fewer than 11 choices in the category. If you’ve owned or spent time with one of these honest little machines, we’d love to hear about it.
The Japanese Luxury SUVs of 1996
5 Discontinued Trucks You’ve Completely Forgotten About
Chevrolet S-10
Base price: $7874
Base engine: 92-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 125-horsepower 2.8-liter V6
Optional engine: 160-horsepower 4.3-liter V6
Fun fact: Rear antilock brakes became standard for 1989
Dodge Dakota
Base price: $7879
Base engine: 100-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 125-horsepower 3.9-liter V6
Fun fact: The Dakota Sport convertible was introduced in 1989, and remained available through 1991.
Dodge Ram 50
Base price: $7919
Base engine: 90-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 109-horsepower 2.6-liter 4-cylinder
Fun fact: Assembled for Dodge by Mitsubishi, the Ram 50 was a mechanical clone of the Mighty Max (see below)
Check out all of our used pickup reviews
Ford Ranger
Base price: $8093
Base engine: 100-horsepower 2.3-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 140-horsepower 2.9-liter V6
Fun fact: Extended-cab “Supercab” Rangers started at $10,749
GMC S-15
Base price: $7927
Base engine: 92-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 125-horsepower 2.8-liter V6
Optional engine: 160-horsepower 4.3-liter V6
Fun fact: Apart from a $53-higher base price, very little separated the S-15 from its corporate cousin Chevrolet S-10
Isuzu Pickup
Base price: $7908
Base engine: 96-horsepower 2.3-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 120-horsepower 2.6-liter 4-cylinder
Fun fact: The Isuzu Pickup boasted standard 4-wheel disc brakes
Jeep Comanche
Base price: $8111
Base engine: 121-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 177-horsepower 4.0-liter 6-cylinder
Fun fact: Comanche shared its basic architecture with the Jeep Cherokee
Mazda B-Series
Base price: $8068
Base engine: 85-horsepower 2.2-liter 4-cylinder (B2200)
Optional engine: 121-horsepower 2.6-liter 4-cylinder (B2600)
Fun fact: Mazda B2200 models came only with rear-drive, B2600 models only with 4WD
Mitsubishi Mighty Max
Base price: $7864
Base engine: 90-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 109-horsepower 2.6-liter 4-cylinder
Fun fact:Extended-cab versions of the Mighty Max were officially branded “Macrocab”
More on used Mitsubishi trucks
Nissan “Hardbody” Pickup
Base price: $7799
Base engine: 106-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 145-horsepower 3.0-liter V6
Fun fact: The Nissan Pickup was available with power sliding rear glass and a pop-up sunroof
More on compact Nissan pickups
Toyota Pickup
Base price: $8248
Base engine: 103-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 116-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
Optional engine: 150-horsepower 3.0-liter V6
Fun fact: With an available 150 horsepower, the Toyota Pickup was the must muscular of the Japanese-built pickups