> but a car is crap in places with poor roads and snow. That's a false dichotomy. 4x4 cars often do better on poor roads and snow, lower center of gravity is

> but a car is crap in places with poor roads and snow. That's a false dichotomy. 4x4 cars often do better on poor roads and snow, lower center of gravity is better if you don't need ground clearance, and weight distribution of a pickup isn't great for snow etc. unloaded. Of course this assuming actual roads, not off-road. The whole 4x4 truck things is even more complicated - good off-road performance and good freeway performance are in many ways at cross purposes. The real intrinsic value of a pickup is open air bed space (easier access than a van, but less protected), I don't mean they don't do other things well, just that is what the form factor gets you. The way the market developed they have also turned into the vehicle of choice for towing, but that's not intrinsic, just useful. Outside of 5th wheels, I suppose, where you need the platform. That isn't most towing in that size. The % of light pickups is more a regulatory incentive and marketing phenomena than a reflection of real utility.