[jrs235]

>I sometimes wish I had a small dumpy pickup so I could put bulk stuff in (and full 4x8 sheets)

Minivans are so much more versatile and many can take full 4x8 sheets. You can carry more passengers and or have a fully covered cargo area. If utilizing for the versatile "pickup" needs try and find one with the stow and go seats (absolutely for the back seat, and preferably for the middle row).

[tonyarkles]

I have a 95 Dodge Caravan for exactly that: it’ll move full sheets of plywood no problem. It has about 350,000 km on it and is slowly dying, but man is it great for hauling stuff around.

[zwayhowder]

I grew up with our family 'car' being a Toyota Hiace van (Australia, no idea what it was called in the US). We lived in the country and needed something that could carry us two kids plus a small animal or 5 (dogs, sheep, a shetland pony once), or bales of hay, or bags of feed. It could take 4x8 sheets at an angle and when we road tripped to family it could fit a king single mattress in the back to sleep on.

[mywittyname]

Also, since regular vans the vehicles actually driven by people who use vehicles for work, they've largely remained the same size as they've always been.

Plus, they are cheap used because they are the anti-status symbol: nobody is going to daily drive a "___-van" unless absolutely necessary.