5 ms·

I'm a city boy so mind the ignorance, but who is buying up all the trucks? I get the allure of a nice SUV/crossover, my next car will probably be one since I th

I'm a city boy so mind the ignorance, but who is buying up all the trucks? I get the allure of a nice SUV/crossover, my next car will probably be one since I think the space is useful for when thinking about starting a family, but a truck never seemed that feasible for non-commercial use.

bunderbunder 8y ago
TBH, I think a lot of it is just about presenting an image. I grew up in a rural area, and a lot of the trucks in town rarely carried anything of note in the bed, because their owners didn't want the paint to get scratched.
- projektfu 8y ago
  I see lots of pickup trucks (which are common in urban Atlanta) slowing to 3mph before a speed bump that can easily be taken at 12 in a sedan. It's obvious that the truck can handle the bump with alacrity, but the drivers are very cautious about risking the slightest damage.
  - stonogo 8y ago
    The suspension is much stiffer in an underloaded pickup. That speed bump will launch your head into the ceiling if you take it too fast.
    - EADGBE 8y ago
      This. Suspensions in trucks aren't as forgiven with their solid axles and all... Bumps are rougher.
    - projektfu 8y ago
      So you have to soften the suspension before taking it on a rutted road?
      - stonogo 8y ago
        No, you have to drive slower.
- EADGBE 8y ago
  I don't get truck owners who don't have a bed liner. It's really a sanity saver if you're ever going to put anything in the bed (And you should, that's the whole point).
tspike 8y ago
Username does not check out. :-) If you go 60 miles outside a metro area anywhere, pickups start dominating. Southern metro areas have a lot even within the city.
trustfundbaby 8y ago
> I'm a city boy so mind the ignorance, but who is buying up all the trucks? Visit the south and you'll have your aha moment.
mtnGoat 8y ago
I live in what most would consider rural America. Most people are buying the midsized SUVs, not necessarily the full size. Once you leave the city things change... things aren't on top of each other when you leave the city, so driving a big vehicle isn't as frustrating. we have big parking lots(parking spaces are bigger and not full, making it easier to park further out), no underground parking(height isn't an issue), real estate isn't as expensive so developers leave more parking and wider driveways, etc. I dread taking my truck into the city, but for average day to day life its much better then what id choose as a daily drive if i lived in the city full time. About the only thing a small car has an advantage on is parking and getting into and out of tight places, and MPG.
- HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
  Pretty much this. I live out in the country and when I mentioned to a suburban friend who owned a Yukon Denali that we were going to buy an F250 (3/4 ton full size pickup), he said, "OK, just tell her that it's hard to find a parking garage it fits in." My wife's response was "when am I ever in a parking garage?" Once you leave the city/suburbs, there's essentially infinite free space for vehicles, so these things cease to be issues.
  - war1025 8y ago
    What are you planning to haul that you need an F250 for?
    - Alupis 8y ago
      Campers, trailers, wooden planks, dirt or rocks... ... and sometimes "need" isn't the right question... why do people "need" a Tesla model S when a 3 will do just fine (or a Volt/Bolt/Leaf/Fusion!)? Why do people need a Mustang GT when the v6 or inline 4 would be just fine...?
      - war1025 8y ago
        As I commented in a reply to the parent's response, I misread the comment and thought it was someone who lived in the city and was buying an F250 as an alternative to an SUV.
draw_down 8y ago
I live in a city too. A city which every weekend gets quite a few goofballs navigating their giant trucks through narrow streets with cars parked on both sides.
matwood 8y ago
Once you get out of the city, people actually use those trucks. SUVs may work, but how do you think people get all the stuff home they buy at Lowes/Home Depot every weekend? I know people who drive cars, but have an old beater truck for hauling. It's just a different life style. Personally, I prefer the room and higher ride of SUVs to sedans, but own a truck b/c no SUV is tow rated high enough to trailer my boat.
twblalock 8y ago
The 4-door F-150, and the Tahoe/Yukon Denali/Escalade variants, are the modern American luxury vehicles. They aren't all that much more excessive than the giant Cadillacs and Lincolns that were the standard of American luxury until the 1970s.
gwbas1c 8y ago
A 4 door truck with a cover on the bed is basically a GIANT sedan: Wide comfy back seat with lots of leg room, giant trunk, very luxurious... And handles well in snow!
notJim 8y ago
I have the perception that trucks are better for rough driving (dirt, potentially muddy roads.) I have no idea if this perception matches reality, and would be curious to hear if it's true. I'm always a little jealous when I see a truck tearing up a dirt road when I'm driving forest roads on the way to go hiking. A lot of people in the country live off dirt roads or have dirt driveways that might get muddy in the rain or when snow is melting, so I imagine that could be a factor too.

bunderbunder 8y ago

TBH, I think a lot of it is just about presenting an image. I grew up in a rural area, and a lot of the trucks in town rarely carried anything of note in the bed, because their owners didn't want the paint to get scratched.

projektfu 8y ago
I see lots of pickup trucks (which are common in urban Atlanta) slowing to 3mph before a speed bump that can easily be taken at 12 in a sedan. It's obvious that the truck can handle the bump with alacrity, but the drivers are very cautious about risking the slightest damage.
- stonogo 8y ago
  The suspension is much stiffer in an underloaded pickup. That speed bump will launch your head into the ceiling if you take it too fast.
  - EADGBE 8y ago
    This. Suspensions in trucks aren't as forgiven with their solid axles and all... Bumps are rougher.
  - projektfu 8y ago
    So you have to soften the suspension before taking it on a rutted road?
    - stonogo 8y ago
      No, you have to drive slower.
EADGBE 8y ago
I don't get truck owners who don't have a bed liner. It's really a sanity saver if you're ever going to put anything in the bed (And you should, that's the whole point).

tspike 8y ago

Username does not check out. :-) If you go 60 miles outside a metro area anywhere, pickups start dominating. Southern metro areas have a lot even within the city.

trustfundbaby 8y ago

> I'm a city boy so mind the ignorance, but who is buying up all the trucks? Visit the south and you'll have your aha moment.

mtnGoat 8y ago

I live in what most would consider rural America. Most people are buying the midsized SUVs, not necessarily the full size. Once you leave the city things change... things aren't on top of each other when you leave the city, so driving a big vehicle isn't as frustrating. we have big parking lots(parking spaces are bigger and not full, making it easier to park further out), no underground parking(height isn't an issue), real estate isn't as expensive so developers leave more parking and wider driveways, etc. I dread taking my truck into the city, but for average day to day life its much better then what id choose as a daily drive if i lived in the city full time. About the only thing a small car has an advantage on is parking and getting into and out of tight places, and MPG.

HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
Pretty much this. I live out in the country and when I mentioned to a suburban friend who owned a Yukon Denali that we were going to buy an F250 (3/4 ton full size pickup), he said, "OK, just tell her that it's hard to find a parking garage it fits in." My wife's response was "when am I ever in a parking garage?" Once you leave the city/suburbs, there's essentially infinite free space for vehicles, so these things cease to be issues.
- war1025 8y ago
  What are you planning to haul that you need an F250 for?
  - Alupis 8y ago
    Campers, trailers, wooden planks, dirt or rocks... ... and sometimes "need" isn't the right question... why do people "need" a Tesla model S when a 3 will do just fine (or a Volt/Bolt/Leaf/Fusion!)? Why do people need a Mustang GT when the v6 or inline 4 would be just fine...?
    - war1025 8y ago
      As I commented in a reply to the parent's response, I misread the comment and thought it was someone who lived in the city and was buying an F250 as an alternative to an SUV.

draw_down 8y ago

I live in a city too. A city which every weekend gets quite a few goofballs navigating their giant trucks through narrow streets with cars parked on both sides.

matwood 8y ago

Once you get out of the city, people actually use those trucks. SUVs may work, but how do you think people get all the stuff home they buy at Lowes/Home Depot every weekend? I know people who drive cars, but have an old beater truck for hauling. It's just a different life style. Personally, I prefer the room and higher ride of SUVs to sedans, but own a truck b/c no SUV is tow rated high enough to trailer my boat.

twblalock 8y ago

The 4-door F-150, and the Tahoe/Yukon Denali/Escalade variants, are the modern American luxury vehicles. They aren't all that much more excessive than the giant Cadillacs and Lincolns that were the standard of American luxury until the 1970s.

gwbas1c 8y ago

A 4 door truck with a cover on the bed is basically a GIANT sedan: Wide comfy back seat with lots of leg room, giant trunk, very luxurious... And handles well in snow!

notJim 8y ago

I have the perception that trucks are better for rough driving (dirt, potentially muddy roads.) I have no idea if this perception matches reality, and would be curious to hear if it's true. I'm always a little jealous when I see a truck tearing up a dirt road when I'm driving forest roads on the way to go hiking. A lot of people in the country live off dirt roads or have dirt driveways that might get muddy in the rain or when snow is melting, so I imagine that could be a factor too.