>I'd love to be able to buy a new Chevy S-10 or a, small not midsized, Ford Ranger with a modest 4 cylinder engine. Remember those?
Yes, I also wish they were still being made. I do see quite a bit of old Toyotas and Rangers still on the road. Apparently some of the reason is the EPA regulation. I think this is a lesson in unintended consequences, but it has been years now with no change.
Modern, full size trucks seem very over the top to me, they are just marginally functional.