Explain why white collar people buy pickups

[Plutonic Panda]

I was pretty disappointed when I saw how large the new Ford ranger was I was hoping we were going to get a smaller truck hell it would be nice if they even offered a two door.

[MikeLucky]

I've always been a bit baffled by this too. Especially with how much they cost. We have an Infiniti QX60 which is the luxury version of the Nissan Pathfinder. It's perfect for almost all of our homeowner hauling needs and it's an awesome luxury vehicle. And, people are out there paying just as much for a pickup truck. Lol.

The death of the sedan really makes me sad. I have a Lexus GS350 All Wheel Drive. I love it because it's not only part of a lost breed being a sedan, but being a performance sedan makes it even more rare. Of course Lexus isn't going to make the GS anymore either and it really is a sad thing.

[SouthOfTheVillage]

I think part of it is Toby Keith’s fault. The guy made the truck seem a lot sexier than it actually is.

As for me, I only drive Japanese or Korean Peninsula cars. Wife has a loaded Telluride, and I ended up with a late model Genesis G80 3.3T and tuned it for 450hp to the wheels.

The Genesis can smoke just about anything with the exception of Teslas and Hellcats. I’d feel like a dork driving a Tesla, honestly.

[Ward]

I have a 1999 Chevy S10 pickup I purchased new. At the time I couldn't afford a larger pickup and I didn't think the S10 would be anything more than a hunk of junk that would fall apart quickly.

It hasn't fallen apart. It still looks really good, excellent paint, nice wheels, etc. It now has 153,000 miles on it and starts at the 1st turn of the key. It just won't quit and die, it still runs like the day it did new.

I only keep it because I just can't justify the cost of a new truck. It does everything I need it to do, which is basically trips to Home Depot and Lowes and the plant nursery greenhouse centers. I probably gets 300-400 miles a year on it.

My daily driver is a Camry which is extremely dependable yet boring to drive. It's like driving an appliance.

My main big bitch about todays giant pickups is they're so dang high up from the ground and their dang blasted headlights shine right into my mirrors and blind me. That really chaps my hide.

[Celebrator]

I don't understand owning one as a daily driver if you don't need it for your work, either. I can understand though why a homeowner would have one, as I bought one (1978 Chevy C-10 formerly used as a ranch truck) when I moved here 12 years ago to have just for hauling stuff when needed, like Ward described above with his 1999 S-10. I put, probably a couple hundred miles (maybe) on it per year, but it sure is nice to have.

It has never been more handy than after the ice storm this year. I think I made 18 round trips to my buddy's rural property several miles north of me dropping off debris in his burn pile. I had no giant piles on my lawn in front of my place because I hauled off my own. Plus I was able to help haul off some neighbors' debris as well.

And rumbling around in it on the weekends is a bit of fun, too! Guys young and old seem to love it!

[dford2]

There is a lot of discussion about how SUV's have almost completely supplanted cars in sales over the last couple of decades.

The shift has been so profound that Ford will soon only make one car: the Mustang.

But lost in that focus is the fact that the three highest-selling vehicles in the U.S. are pickups: Dodge Ram, Chevy Silverado and Ford F150. Also in the top 10 are the GMC Sierra and the Toyota Tacoma.

Why???

I fully understand the practicality for people who work with their hands. But clearly, both by the sheer number of sales and just all the lawyers and accountants I personally know who drive pickups, the majority of these very large trucks are sold to people who do not buy them for anything work-related.

And these things are BIG. The mid-sized and compact trucks have almost vanished.

I get SUV's, even if you don't need to haul a lot of people and/or stuff on a regular basis. I have one myself and have found all types of situations when it has been invaluable (mainly taking my dogs with me, transporting my bike in a safe place, camping and runs to Home Depot).

But even though I do a ton of home improvement and other projects, I've never needed a truck. In fact, I own one through the Gazette. And in nearly 3 years I've never bothered to use it. I've hauled all types of things in my modest mid-sized SUV's which has been more than sufficient.

And for really huge home-improvement things, you can have an unlimited amount delivered for $50. I did this recently where I bought a sliding door, a huge amount of gravel and a picnic table. They dropped it in my garage the next day.


Is it just an image thing?

They drive/ride badly, get terrible gas mileage and don't hold much inside.

I'm not judging, just trying to understand the appeal.

I driver a 2021 Chevy Silverado because I just prefer a truck over a car. The ride is as smooth as most cars and I get an average of 23.8 miles to a gallon.

[corwin1968]

Personally, I like to be able to see my surroundings when I drive and these days, you need an SUV or pickup to accomplish that. Driving around in our old Civic was like being a hobbit walking around in a crowd of elves in Rivendell.

I drive a CRV, which is perfect for my needs. Pickups are fun but like Pete said, they are getting bigger and bigger. Sometimes we come out of a store and our CRV, which we consider to be a "big" vehicle, is sitting next to a truck that literally makes it look like mini cooper.

[jerrywall]

I can't really judge the truck drivers, even though they're not my thing. My two main vehicles are a Challenger RT (V8) and a Harley Ultra Classic with stage 3 mods. Nothing about what I drive is especially practical or cost effective (or environmentally sound). It comes down to taste and preferences.

I will say, for some people, size and comfort may be the driving factor. But I find a large sedan can accommodate me as well as a truck.

[Roger S]

I don't get it either... Being a part time farmer with a need for a truck... I'm still driving the Dodge Ram V6 I bought in 97..... But I also refuse to make car payments and I live within my means. And I have the means to buy a fancy new truck but I don't have the need to buy one when the 97 still runs great and I usually spend less than $1000 a year to maintain and repair.

Only reason I have to need a bigger truck is the once or twice a year I would need to haul the tractor to town and the dealer will pick it up and deliver it for a way smaller fee than a monthly truck payment would be.

[Bill Robertson]

I was pretty disappointed when I saw how large the new Ford ranger was I was hoping we were going to get a smaller truck hell it would be nice if they even offered a two door.

Me too. If some one would build a truck the size of the 70s Toyotas, Datsuns, Rangers or LUVs I'd buy one in a minute.

[T. Jamison]

I grew up in a family of blue collar workers driving to job sites, hauling tools, materials etc. Everyone had a truck, and it was like a tool in your tool belt. Had to have one, and it was a big personal expression. My thought is that a lot of people buy these trucks like people buy a Lexus, Mercedes, or BMW. It's a status symbol (or just a vehicle they aspire to), but in their neck of the woods a King Ranch is better than a Lexus.

[jerrywall]

I was pretty disappointed when I saw how large the new Ford ranger was I was hoping we were going to get a smaller truck hell it would be nice if they even offered a two door.

This is largely due to CAFE standards IMO, which incentivizes more efficient small cars and larger trucks, thanks to the footprint calculations.

[David]

^

Here are reasons to be bothered by people buying them for no practical reason:

1. Very bad for the environment
2. The weight and bumper height means any sort of collision with a non-monster truck can result in serious damage/injury to the other party
3. They block views of the road and parking lots
4. Most don't fit in garages so they litter driveways and streets
5. They can be viewed as the ultimate expression of excess

I am very judgemental of people driving around giant trunks for exactly these reasons, particularly if they are always shiny and clean. If you have a dirty truck I assume that probably means you have been hauling stuff in it and that is fine.

[OKCretro]

] I have several lawyer friends who live in Nichols Hills and who only commute 3 miles a day, but for some reason they buy these hilariously large trucks as their commuter vehicles. You can almost always tell by how clean it is whether they use it for work or just to commute.

I believe NH had a law at least up until 2000 that did not allow pick up trucks to be parked in the driveway at night. Pickups had to be in the garage. I think NH repealed that law.

I think NH still has the law that you can't park on the street overnight, you get a ticket if you do.

[Jersey Boss]

Me too. If some one would build a truck the size of the 70s Toyotas, Datsuns, Rangers or LUVs I'd buy one in a minute.

Ford will be releasing a truck smaller than the Ranger for 2022.

2022 Ford Maverick: Everything We Know About The Blue Oval's Baby Truck | Carscoops
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.car...aby-truck/amp/

[oklip955]

I owned a car for a month, totally worthless to me. I always had to turnaround and drive home and get my full size truck. I will never buy another car again. Way too hard to get in and out of. No way can you haul anything. How do you take your mowers to the shop if you cannot fix it? How do you haul bags of top soil? How do you haul fire wood? Currently have a Tacoma but have the issue of not being able to tow my 16 ft flat bed trailer or move my horse trailer around my place. Ugh. I am going to get a smaller flat bed trailer to be able to haul my riding mower, just got to get the bumper fixed from the kid who though it was better not to try to stop then to try to stop before running into my bumper.

[Pete]

^

For my next car, I really, really want to buy a sport sedan but I actually think they are unsafe here because 1) you can't see through or around all those huge SUV's and trucks; and 2) if you ever tangle with one, you are going to pass under their bumper and sheer the top right off your car.

This wasn't an issue when I lived in L.A. but just yesterday I drove down to Moore and it felt like 90% of the vehicles were trucks and massive SUV's.

[Anonymous.]

I think it is just an American suburban lifestyle thing. Kind of like dad's flexing on each other like lawn mower comparisons.

Like you said, it is basically unsafe to be on the road in anything smaller than an SUV or another truck. I have a sedan that is low to the ground and when a truck is next to me, I can basically only look over and see their door panel. Any type of collision with one of these and my head is going to be bumper level. It is a luxury sedan, so at least it has many safety features that would hopefully help out. But still scary because you know, physics.

I would hate having to park and maneuver a truck all the time, it seems parking lots are getting way too crowded for these things. This weekend I saw an F-650 or whatever it is called parked at Cajun Corner on 23rd. Not too knowledgeable on truck models, but it had smoke stacks and double axel in the back. That parking lot is too small for 10 bicycles.

[jedicurt]

i have never understood the large full sized trucks. i had a tacoma for years, and i mostly had it for camping, and i am the son and brother who always helps family and friends when they buy something larger. but since i live in norman and work up off of memorial, when it came time for a new vehicle, i had to get something that was better for driving in traffic and more fuel efficient. it really is crazy, i just walked outside and looked on my street, and there are 7 large pickups just sitting there in their driveways, that i don't think i have ever seen anything even put in the bed. atleast my bed was scratched to hell like a truck bed should be, when i got rid of it.

[PaddyShack]

As a modest truck driver, I do take issue with the trucker bros that have the ridiculous lifts and wheels that stick out halfway from the fenders. My truck is stock except for some super springs to increase my payload capacity (installed from previous owner). I use my truck quite a bit for someone who works a desk job. My wife has a newer explorer which we often take for city stuff, but it doesn't have the ability to tow without causing havoc on the tranny. My main issue with a lot of the newer vehicles is the lack of capability. My truck can fit our family, haul stuff from lumber yards, pack up for camping, gets me from point a to point b with comparable gas mileage for a 16 year old vehicle. I bought it used about 8 years ago and didn't finance. I like some of the features of the newer trucks, but I agree the pricing has gotten out of hand due to market forces. I do have an old mustang in my shop that will become my daily once it runs on its own power, but I suspect the gas mileage will be lower than my truck.

[Pete]

^

In the driveways because they can't fit in a garage, which in my mind is massive drawback.

A car is the second most expensive physical asset in any household, yet people park them outside because they either can't fit in a garage or the garage is jammed with generally useless junk while you leave a $50K truck/car sitting outside.

[FighttheGoodFight]

^

In the driveways because they can't fit in a garage, which in my mind is massive drawback.

A car is the second most expensive physical asset in any household, yet people park them outside because they either can't fit in a garage or the garage is jammed with generally useless junk while you leave a $50K truck/car sitting outside.

When I see neighbors with the garage full of junk and both cars parked outside it hurts me. I keep my cars a long time and in the garage. My resell value is always very high as the paint looks great at the end.

We have to SUVs and I usually keep a third two seater for fun. Sold my s2000 not long ago but already jonesing for something fun for the summer but these used cars prices are stupid high right now. Good when I sold but I guess I'll hold out.

[Pete]

^

My garaged SUV is now 17 years old and for people who don't pay attention to model years, it's often mistaken for new.

In fact, it's in such great shape I can't justify replacing something that is essentially free with a new, expensive vehicle.

My auto insurance is $50/month, my tag is less than that every year. And of course, I haven't had a car payment for 15 years.

[catch22]

I am one of those people that park my car outside. My two motorcycles have the privilege of sitting inside. (I have a small garage)

It's insured for natural disasters and cars are built to be outside their entire life, although I agree it is ideal to have them protected. I also live a semi-desert environment, so no rust decay or sitting in puddles for long periods of time.

[Roger S]

^

My garaged SUV is now 17 years old and for people who don't pay attention to model years, it's often mistaken for new.

That's how my 97 Dodge has made it 24 years.... Even today when it has been turned into a farm truck it spends it's non-use time parked in a 2400 SF shop.

I think a lot of people look at vehicles as disposable... They will drive it a few years and then get a new one.

I know people that get a new vehicle every 1-2 years