3 ms·

I agree that it's a disease, but I believe it's simply a disease of luxury. Americans are wealthy enough to buy the most convenient car possible and afford the

I agree that it's a disease, but I believe it's simply a disease of luxury. Americans are wealthy enough to buy the most convenient car possible and afford the gas costs that go with it. I drive small cars and once in a while with passengers we feel cramped, or I have to borrow my dads truck to haul some wood for a project or some plants from the nursery.

ajmurmann 8y ago
I think it must be more than that though. People in central and northern Europe have plenty of money as well and spend a fair amount on cars. Those cars tend to be very different though. You'll likely see more luxury sedans, tuned Golfs etc. Pickup trucks are almost entirely non-existent. Business would get a sprinter that actually keeps stuff dry. I think at least part of it is feeling unsafe in a sedan with these giant trucks around you. There also might be a uniquely American affection for that type of vehicle and the image that goes with it, as well as a ignorance for climate concerns. More often than not when I see a vehicle with a American flag on it it's a pickup and certainly never a Prius.
- briandear 8y ago
  > ignorance for climate concerns. And the EU has demonstrated ignorance for actual air pollution. Their obsession for CO2 reduction has resulted in some of the worst air quality. Particulate and NO pollution is far more dangerous to human health than CO2. In trying to “save the world,” Europe has managed to poison itself through years of misguided policy objectives. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118300182 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403211...
bronco21016 8y ago
I think it’s mostly a cultural thing but the pickup is just so dang convenient. I have two dogs and a young child and it’s just so convenient to plan a trip where we question what we might need and can just say ‘Oh well, we have room. Just toss it in the bed.’ Do I need this vehicle? No. I survived just fine without it. However it’s the same payment as the small SUV we owned prior with 10x the utility. Why wouldn’t someone own one? It seemed to me that when I visited Australia many people drove smaller variations of the pickup. I’m not sure why they do not have full size pickups but, if they were a financially viable option, it seemed like they would sell extremely well there. Point is, a pickup is super convenient. US just seemed to be the place where cost, affluence, and utility hit the sweet spot and they sell like crazy.
- MRD85 8y ago
  I'm Aussie, we call them "utes". Our taxation systems don't reward large vehicles. We have taxes on purchasing them, yearly tax on registration and compulsory insurance, high fuel taxes, etc. Even the "smaller" pickups are quite expensive to own and operate. The large ones wouldn't sell well here due to the cost.
  - Amezarak 8y ago
    US taxation works the same way. It does very somewhat from state to state, but generally there is a sales tax assessed as a percentage of the sale price and an annual registration fee commensurate with the assessed value of the vehicle. For expensive trucks and SUVs, the latter can reach into the thousands. Since most people are not buying a 35k+ vehicle with cash money, instead taking out loans, they are required by the bank to carry expensive full coverage insurance on top of the state-mandated liability insurance - and generally a more expensive vehicle will have more expensive insurance, since a tota loss requires a higher payout. Gas prices in the US are lower than in many countries, but there are state and federal excise taxes, generally (nominally) used to fund road maintenance. Combining a large tank with long commutes and poor gas mileage, it’s not uncommon for people to be spending $200 (with the current low prices) a month per vehicle on gas. This is a significant fraction of post tax income for most Americans. Americans are spending a ton of money on large vehicles. They know they’re spending a ton of money on them. For whatever reason, they really think it’s worth it.
    - MRD85 8y ago
      Here it's a bit different. We have special taxes that only apply to utes/vans/trucks and our annual fees are based on the engine size of the vehicle (with a bonus fee for utes/vans). I traded my ute in for a smaller car about a year ago and my yearly fees have halved, my on-road costs have halved, etc. I do agree that you have an odd cultural fascination with them, that's why I don't think they'd sell well here. We are trending smaller nowadays.

ajmurmann 8y ago

I think it must be more than that though. People in central and northern Europe have plenty of money as well and spend a fair amount on cars. Those cars tend to be very different though. You'll likely see more luxury sedans, tuned Golfs etc. Pickup trucks are almost entirely non-existent. Business would get a sprinter that actually keeps stuff dry. I think at least part of it is feeling unsafe in a sedan with these giant trucks around you. There also might be a uniquely American affection for that type of vehicle and the image that goes with it, as well as a ignorance for climate concerns. More often than not when I see a vehicle with a American flag on it it's a pickup and certainly never a Prius.

briandear 8y ago
> ignorance for climate concerns. And the EU has demonstrated ignorance for actual air pollution. Their obsession for CO2 reduction has resulted in some of the worst air quality. Particulate and NO pollution is far more dangerous to human health than CO2. In trying to “save the world,” Europe has managed to poison itself through years of misguided policy objectives. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118300182 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403211...

bronco21016 8y ago

I think it’s mostly a cultural thing but the pickup is just so dang convenient. I have two dogs and a young child and it’s just so convenient to plan a trip where we question what we might need and can just say ‘Oh well, we have room. Just toss it in the bed.’ Do I need this vehicle? No. I survived just fine without it. However it’s the same payment as the small SUV we owned prior with 10x the utility. Why wouldn’t someone own one? It seemed to me that when I visited Australia many people drove smaller variations of the pickup. I’m not sure why they do not have full size pickups but, if they were a financially viable option, it seemed like they would sell extremely well there. Point is, a pickup is super convenient. US just seemed to be the place where cost, affluence, and utility hit the sweet spot and they sell like crazy.

MRD85 8y ago
I'm Aussie, we call them "utes". Our taxation systems don't reward large vehicles. We have taxes on purchasing them, yearly tax on registration and compulsory insurance, high fuel taxes, etc. Even the "smaller" pickups are quite expensive to own and operate. The large ones wouldn't sell well here due to the cost.
- Amezarak 8y ago
  US taxation works the same way. It does very somewhat from state to state, but generally there is a sales tax assessed as a percentage of the sale price and an annual registration fee commensurate with the assessed value of the vehicle. For expensive trucks and SUVs, the latter can reach into the thousands. Since most people are not buying a 35k+ vehicle with cash money, instead taking out loans, they are required by the bank to carry expensive full coverage insurance on top of the state-mandated liability insurance - and generally a more expensive vehicle will have more expensive insurance, since a tota loss requires a higher payout. Gas prices in the US are lower than in many countries, but there are state and federal excise taxes, generally (nominally) used to fund road maintenance. Combining a large tank with long commutes and poor gas mileage, it’s not uncommon for people to be spending $200 (with the current low prices) a month per vehicle on gas. This is a significant fraction of post tax income for most Americans. Americans are spending a ton of money on large vehicles. They know they’re spending a ton of money on them. For whatever reason, they really think it’s worth it.
  - MRD85 8y ago
    Here it's a bit different. We have special taxes that only apply to utes/vans/trucks and our annual fees are based on the engine size of the vehicle (with a bonus fee for utes/vans). I traded my ute in for a smaller car about a year ago and my yearly fees have halved, my on-road costs have halved, etc. I do agree that you have an odd cultural fascination with them, that's why I don't think they'd sell well here. We are trending smaller nowadays.