Then it is pretty sad and embarassing that that “disguised minivan” has a higher payload than most mid-sized trucks and some full-sized trucks. It has more utility and workability than most “real” mid-size trucks.

You are being too presumptuous here...

Actually, IIHS classifies it as a large truck because the base model exceeds 4000lbs. That is what they use for their cutoff.

If Honda offers this in the U.S., it will likely be available only in black, white, grey or silver. That will kill half of the sales right there....

It can be a great improvement if done properly. Imagine never having blinding lights in your side mirrors at night. Imagine night-vision enhanced images at night. Imagine informative overlays on that display screen. You should be able to tweak it for the best color, clarity and least glare...something you can’t really…

I really like Tom Petty’s (R.I.P.) cover of this song (from “She’s The One” soundtrack)...some excellent guitar work from Mike Campbell (yeah, he does the guitar on Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer”, too!).

RamCharger.  Rarer and looks cooler.  And i know how to mod it...

That’s not a lawn tractor, that is a Compact Utility Tractor (CUT). Below that, you have Garden Tractors (GT), then Yard Tractors (YT), and then the lowly Lawn Tractors (LT).

The mythical Dodge Marlin.

“Had one at 17, can confirm.”

A college buddy had one back in the late 80s. It was either ‘81 or ‘82, but had the little Isuzu diesel in it. Boring beige color. Back when the speed limit was 55mph, i believe that thing got close to 55mpg. It was a manual, 4-spd, i think.

Back in the 70s, the mantra was that the best vehicles would be GM bodies with Chrysler powertrains (yes, the MoPar V8s were better engines than the venerable GM 305/350, but that’s a topic for another day).

I’d rather have the Ridgeline.

That’s why you don’t see mfrs calling their trucks “half-ton” or “three-quarter-ton” anymore. They simply call them 150/1500 series, 250/2500 series and 350/3500 series. It is the media and general public that refers to them in the old nomenclature, not the mfrs.

Too bad Honda doesn’t make/sell a lawn tractor in the U.S.  It’s one of the few pieces of outdoor power equipment they don’t have.

So, you are implying that driving this Beat is akin to waking up in the Matrix?

Edit: you can see the Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial Park on Google Maps / Earth, on south side of Columbus, NE, across from the Ramada.

And now the rest of the story...

It’s not so much that full-size trucks have gotten larger, but:

I’d rather an XJS convertible in deep emerald green with tanned interior and the european headlights. I’d swap in a fuel-injected MoPar 383 with an RV cam and true dual exhaust (small pipes) and mate it up to a 6AT or 8AT, or maybe even a 6MT. Engine would be smooth, reliable, cheap and easy to repair, and should net…