14. Dodge Dakota
Years ago, there was also a mid-size class of trucks led by the Dodge Dakota. As one of the industry leaders, Dodge noticed that some buyers of full-size trucks didn’t need all that power and space.
They also observed how buyers of compact size trucks often wanted more power and usability. Their solution was to produce a smaller pickup than a full-size Dodge Ram. It also featured optional all-wheel drive and had a respectable towing capacity and larger payload.
Dodge decided to price it between their big and small models so it could appeal to a wider audience. Dodge was right. After they introduced the Dakota, sales went up significantly. It was the first mid-size truck on the market. It was affordable, usable and had better fuel economy than bigger models.
Even though the Dakota wasn’t the only model on the market, it was the most successful. Unfortunately, Dodge retired it in 2011 and has offered no replacement for it yet.