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In Sydney I've seen utes and SUVs become more popular because of the image they project I suppose. There is one ute owner in my building with a pristine vehicle

In Sydney I've seen utes and SUVs become more popular because of the image they project I suppose. There is one ute owner in my building with a pristine vehicle. I know another person that went from a Mercedes hatch to a ute. I imagine the US also has the same phenomenon of people picking cars to project an image and not to actually use. Are trucks the in thing now? Can this list simply correlate to the current fashion?

BoorishBears 5y ago
Trucks are in but not like these S10 is in for example, as a workhorse. It also hasn't produced since 2004, so it's not a show off purchase. F150 is an example of in as a more showy-off purchase (but also gets used as a workhorse by some)
crooked-v 5y ago
Trucks have been the "in" thing among certain demographics in the US for a long time. More recent is the continual size inflation of them. Trucks that are considered "tiny" now by US standards were the standard size for a personal truck two decades ago, and "normal" trucks now in the US are absurdly large and tall [1]. [1]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-11/the-dangerous-rise-of-the-supersized-pickup-truck https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-11/the-dange...
- itsoktocry 5y ago
  What do you mean by "certain demographics"? American built trucks are literally ranked 1, 2, 3 of best-selling vehicles in the country. So, can you please expand on what "types" of people are buying and driving these vehicles? Because it seems to me they are incredibly popular.
  - blunte 5y ago
    Well, the US in general has become a "certain demographic". And by that, I mean "less thinking, more led by television advertising and social competition". Unless you're hauling stuff or towing stuff, a truck is impractical. It takes more physical space, uses more fuel, weighs more (and thus wears brakes and tires faster, turns more poorly, accelerates more poorly, brakes more poorly), and increasingly costs more. But it projects an image: You are tough. You belong. You are a man. You are patriotic. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a Rivian. But a Dodge truck is loud, fuel inefficent, unreliable, and aesthetically crude. In October 2021, Ford trucks were the most sold vehicles in the US. By the end of the year, Dodge actually surpassed that with the RAM. Prior to 2021 it was much more a Ford dominance. So why is there no Ford truck in the top 10? It would appear that people who buy Dodge vehicles make poorer choices regarding driving drunk, or perhaps they're just worse drivers and get caught more than drunk Ford drivers do.
  - 2muchcoffeeman 5y ago
    Can this be explained by where the majority of the population lives or their work? In Sydney you see utes everywhere but the majority are still used by tradies. And I could see how some ute model is the single most sold vehicle. The majority may still be not buying utes, but we have far more choices. The rise in popularity amongst people who aren't tradies is newish though. The guy in my building that owns a ute is a youngish guy who - not to type cast - looks very white collar. I've only ever seen him drive it alone.

BoorishBears 5y ago

Trucks are in but not like these S10 is in for example, as a workhorse. It also hasn't produced since 2004, so it's not a show off purchase. F150 is an example of in as a more showy-off purchase (but also gets used as a workhorse by some)

crooked-v 5y ago

Trucks have been the "in" thing among certain demographics in the US for a long time. More recent is the continual size inflation of them. Trucks that are considered "tiny" now by US standards were the standard size for a personal truck two decades ago, and "normal" trucks now in the US are absurdly large and tall [1]. [1]: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-11/the-dangerous-rise-of-the-supersized-pickup-truck https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-11/the-dange...

itsoktocry 5y ago
What do you mean by "certain demographics"? American built trucks are literally ranked 1, 2, 3 of best-selling vehicles in the country. So, can you please expand on what "types" of people are buying and driving these vehicles? Because it seems to me they are incredibly popular.
- blunte 5y ago
  Well, the US in general has become a "certain demographic". And by that, I mean "less thinking, more led by television advertising and social competition". Unless you're hauling stuff or towing stuff, a truck is impractical. It takes more physical space, uses more fuel, weighs more (and thus wears brakes and tires faster, turns more poorly, accelerates more poorly, brakes more poorly), and increasingly costs more. But it projects an image: You are tough. You belong. You are a man. You are patriotic. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a Rivian. But a Dodge truck is loud, fuel inefficent, unreliable, and aesthetically crude. In October 2021, Ford trucks were the most sold vehicles in the US. By the end of the year, Dodge actually surpassed that with the RAM. Prior to 2021 it was much more a Ford dominance. So why is there no Ford truck in the top 10? It would appear that people who buy Dodge vehicles make poorer choices regarding driving drunk, or perhaps they're just worse drivers and get caught more than drunk Ford drivers do.
- 2muchcoffeeman 5y ago
  Can this be explained by where the majority of the population lives or their work? In Sydney you see utes everywhere but the majority are still used by tradies. And I could see how some ute model is the single most sold vehicle. The majority may still be not buying utes, but we have far more choices. The rise in popularity amongst people who aren't tradies is newish though. The guy in my building that owns a ute is a youngish guy who - not to type cast - looks very white collar. I've only ever seen him drive it alone.