> people would be better off if they bought a smaller/cheaper/more fuel efficient car and using those savings to rent a truck for the occasional need. I don't

> people would be better off if they bought a smaller/cheaper/more fuel efficient car and using those savings to rent a truck for the occasional need. I don't know, it is hard to square the depreciation on cars. I bought both a car and a truck around a decade ago. The car is now worthless. The truck is still worth about what I paid for it. The deprecation cost alone on that car has exceeded the cost of operating the truck over its lifetime thus far. Trucks are the most popular type of vehicle around these parts because they are, frankly, cheaper to operate in most cases. Certainly you can buy junkers that have already had their depreciation fully realized, but that is not a free lunch, it's just a different trade. Depreciation isn't some magical force. You're trading something for the lower initial cost, such as your time. If you have the money, money is no doubt what you will be most willing to part with. The other things you could trade are quite likely more valuable.