"there is not a person in North America that has cross shopped the Focus and F-150 for the same purpose."
True but -
I've had minivans and cargo vans that I bought to haul goods not to cruise around in. My freight hauling is reduced but I've made it a real point to become much more efficient.
I pull a trailer with the Echo if needed and the Echo by itself holds an amazing amount as do all hatchbacks. Once you master the art of front passenger seat removal, capacity becomes amazing.
When absolutely necessary, I'll rent a cargo van but those occasions are fewer now that I've maximized the use of what I have.
Let's face it, very, very few people use the capacity of the vehicles they have whether it be pickups or vans or 300hp commuter cars. $3/L gas will resuscitate the efficiency neurons and we'll all learn to get by with less excess. On the rare occasions when capacity is needed, rental is an easy solution.
Cheers,
John M.
