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I’d recommend doing a Tesla test drive. I did it for giggles and immediately bought one. Im actually a big truck person but I put my identity on pause (so to s

I’d recommend doing a Tesla test drive. I did it for giggles and immediately bought one. Im actually a big truck person but I put my identity on pause (so to speak) because I loved the car so much. Everyone who knows me can’t seem to process that I don’t have a truck. (Also the test drive was very low key. Schedule online, Just greet the guy, and he sends you off on your own for a drive. No pressure when you come back either.)

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y ago
Silly question but if you're okay with the low ride height and small cargo capacity of a sedan, what is it you like about trucks?
- askafriend 2y ago
  Sometimes it's just a vibe - doesn't necessarily need to be practical.
  - thinkingtoilet 2y ago
    I live in a rural area. It's 95% insecurity and 5% usefulness. Other countries workers can erect skyscrapers, build houses, and fix the heater just fine without these behemoths. Are American workers so much worse that they need all that extra space? The answer is no. It's about being a REAL man. Are you driving a reasonable car that gets good gas mileage? What are you, a pussy? These things aren't often said, but they are heavily implied. And I live in a relatively liberal rural area.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - evantbyrne 2y ago
      Sounds like confirmation bias. I see people pulling heavy trailers all the time. In fact, I don't think I actually know anyone with a large truck that doesn't haul at least sometimes.
      - vel0city 2y ago
        I see people pulling trailers all time as well. It is still far less than 10% of the trucks I see on the road.
        evantbyrne 2y ago
        Well yeah they aren't pulling trailers to the grocery store. I'm not saying that nobody drives a truck just for vanity, but if you want to see people use trucks for their intended purpose, then you have to put yourself in a context where you'll actually be able to see that. Casual observation around town won't tell you whether someone periodically hauls a cargo trailer, boat, camper, farm equipment, or any number of other things.
        vel0city 2y ago
        The majority of people I know who daily drive trucks have never once pulled a trailer in their life. I get more usage from my tow hitch on a midsize SUV than most of those truck owners do. Hell I used the hitch on my Focus more than most truck owners I know. Are you suggesting a high percentage of truck owners actually do tow? I'd be surprised if it was even as high as 50% of US truck owners have towed anything in the last 10 years.
        evantbyrne 2y ago
        Individual experiences may vary. I live in Northern Michigan where people are frequently towing things related to summer activities. If you live in a city or a rural community where people can't even afford to have things to tow, then you might not see it as much. People who work on farms or do construction may also use their trucks a lot but not necessarily a lot of heavy towing.
        vel0city 2y ago
        You seriously do think that most truck owners own boats or campers or bought them because they do construction or farm work or are just too poor to buy a boat at the moment huh? Go walk around in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, St Lous, Denver, Kansas City, or loads of other cities like that. Prepare to have your eyes opened to excessive truck culture. Go see all the pavement princesses modified to excessive levels that make them impractical for towing or doing farm or construction work. Compare the trucks actually used for work compared to their pristine fancy paint jobs and spotless beds and geometry that would cause the suspension to snap if you tried pulling even a couple thousand pounds behind it. According to some surveys something like 63% of truck drivers tow rarely to never. https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history Easily half of the trucks on the road today will never have towed anything in their lives. And chances are a lot will see payloads in their beds that would have comfortably fit in a minivan or hatchback. I don't mind someone driving a big truck if its actually something they use as a truck. I'm contemplating getting a truck and camper trailer eventually myself. I get annoyed seeing all the wastefulness of all these trucks that aren't used as trucks. That wastefulness does affect me. It makes the air I breathe worse, it makes the streets my children play around less safe, it makes the parking situation worse, it makes traffic worse, it makes everything worse for zero damn reason other than "truck culture".
    - josefresco 2y ago
      > I live in a rural area. It's 95% insecurity and 5% usefulness. Are you sure? Maybe you live in the south, which from my last visit was "lifted truck land"? I'm from a rural area that gets snow and I'd say the breakdown of insecurity vs usefulness is the exact opposite. No serious person lives in this area without a truck, or SUV capable of getting them around in the winter time and shlepping stuff to their home/farm/ranch (there's also a culture of self reliance). We also don't see lifted "shiny" trucks. Lifted? Sure. Shiny? That's for people "from away".
      - vel0city 2y ago
        > I'm from a rural area that gets snow Ah yes, because that's where 99% of truck owners in the US live. Are you suggesting there's more truck owners in your rural area of Michigan than Dallas?
      - thinkingtoilet 2y ago
        I live in Massachusetts. I literally live on a mountain. My 2007 Honda Fit with snow tires handles any blizzard just fine. No truck needed.
  - ryandvm 2y ago
    My problem with the "truck as a vibe" concept is that it's also "inconveniencing other people as a vibe" too. I don't mind work trucks, but the lifted, massive, shiny emotional support truck is: * Blocking other drivers' view * Has a deadly amount of kinetic energy * Takes up tremendous amount of parking space * Has an outsize environmental footprint
    - bryanlarsen 2y ago
      > "inconveniencing other people as a vibe" which of course is exactly the point for some people. "rolling coal" is admired by a significant minority of the truck culture.
    - josefresco 2y ago
      >* Has a deadly amount of kinetic energy Agree overall but electric cars/trucks are super heavy.
- bilsbie 2y ago
  Great question. It’s not that I’m ok with that stuff it’s just that I didn’t want the fun to stop after the test drive. It turns out being excited about driving is worth a whole lot to me. (It used to feel like a chore) Also with the model y, It doesn’t look that high but it rides high enough to not bother me. I can get into the seat instead of get down into the seat. And the hatchback and fold flat seats give a bit more cargo room than a sedan.
  - damnesian 2y ago
    You want driving excitement, try an old manual transmission roadster with your ass mere inches from the pavement. Now that is driving excitement. Every truck I've been in feels like a space capsule. And it's about as easy to park one as a literal space capsule. I have no idea why people like trucks. I've been in a Tesla and it is rather sterile, but fine. I can't say much more about them, honestly. Having one would be fine.
- 7thaccount 2y ago
  Not addressing OP in particular, but in the South, a truck is a cultural thing more than a need anymore. If your great grandfather, grandfather, and father all drove a truck...then you get used to that being what a vehicle is supposed to be. It doesn't matter than your grandfather was a farmer and you now live in a suburb and write JavaScript from home. It doesn't matter that it costs a fortune and has terrible gas mileage. It's part of your identity. Source: lots of conversations with friends and neighbors with giant trucks that have no need.
  - inamberclad 2y ago
    That and they're heavily marketed towards their target demographic now instead of being meant for work. It's like a designer handbag for men, except that handbags actually appreciate in value.
    - 7thaccount 2y ago
      It's frustrating as I wouldn't mind a small cheap truck. They don't like making that anymore though....mostly just $70k-$100k monstrosities. There are exceptions, but nothing like the Chevy S-10 or Ford Rangers of old. A modern Ford Ranger is the size of the old F-150s.
- nunez 2y ago
  The first thing I did when I moved to Texas was finance a RAM 1500. It is difficult to understate just how deeply the pickup truck is embedded into the Texan ethos. I loved the plush ride and miss the extra space (but not enough to get a Model Y). The seat height was nice, but I don't miss it. I definitely don't miss the super low end tech that most trucks come with. In retrospect, I feel bad about my carbon footprint. The truck chugged gas, which I spent roughly $200/mo on. Like OP, I test drove a Model 3 via Turo completely on a whim (I wonder what Teslas are about...) and immediately financed one. I immediately financed the refreshed Model 3 when it released also. Absolutely incredible cars.
_ZeD_ 2y ago
truck is your identity?
- executive 2y ago
  truck yeah brother
- rchaud 2y ago
  At least he's honest about it.
- bilsbie 2y ago
  I was exaggerating for effect but everyone who knows me actually seemed to think that. People can’t stop bringing it up. Kinda weird actually. I guess the main truck things I liked: I like feeling more like sitting in a regular chair. Low Cars feel like sleds to me. I like the high ground clearance so I don’t worry about curbs and can park off-road if needed. It’s nice to be able to throw things in the back. Kayaks, bikes, furniture. They also hold their value really well. And prior to 2020 trucks were pretty cheap compared to equivalent SUVS. I got a new 2017 tundra for around 30K.
- DougN7 2y ago
  Don’t know if you are an American, but it’s not unusual to see a scrotum decoration hanging from the tow hitch of a pickup. It’s absolutely an identity thing with some people.
AlotOfReading 2y ago
I had one for a week while my car was in the shop. Can't say my experience was as positive as yours, but it gave me a newfound appreciation for my actual vehicle. The infotainment crashed twice and needed a hard reboot once. The latch got stuck during charging and I had to walk halfway across the lot to reset the unlatch procedure. The rear windscreen visibility went to 0 every time there was too much rain.
r00fus 2y ago
Same energy when I did a test drive for a Nissan Ariya. Was surprised (last time I test drove a car was 12 years ago when we bought our Sienna) - was a totally different experience. We even took the car home and ensured it could park in our garage :)

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 2y ago

Silly question but if you're okay with the low ride height and small cargo capacity of a sedan, what is it you like about trucks?

askafriend 2y ago
Sometimes it's just a vibe - doesn't necessarily need to be practical.
- thinkingtoilet 2y ago
  I live in a rural area. It's 95% insecurity and 5% usefulness. Other countries workers can erect skyscrapers, build houses, and fix the heater just fine without these behemoths. Are American workers so much worse that they need all that extra space? The answer is no. It's about being a REAL man. Are you driving a reasonable car that gets good gas mileage? What are you, a pussy? These things aren't often said, but they are heavily implied. And I live in a relatively liberal rural area.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - evantbyrne 2y ago
    Sounds like confirmation bias. I see people pulling heavy trailers all the time. In fact, I don't think I actually know anyone with a large truck that doesn't haul at least sometimes.
    - vel0city 2y ago
      I see people pulling trailers all time as well. It is still far less than 10% of the trucks I see on the road.
      - evantbyrne 2y ago
        Well yeah they aren't pulling trailers to the grocery store. I'm not saying that nobody drives a truck just for vanity, but if you want to see people use trucks for their intended purpose, then you have to put yourself in a context where you'll actually be able to see that. Casual observation around town won't tell you whether someone periodically hauls a cargo trailer, boat, camper, farm equipment, or any number of other things.
        vel0city 2y ago
        The majority of people I know who daily drive trucks have never once pulled a trailer in their life. I get more usage from my tow hitch on a midsize SUV than most of those truck owners do. Hell I used the hitch on my Focus more than most truck owners I know. Are you suggesting a high percentage of truck owners actually do tow? I'd be surprised if it was even as high as 50% of US truck owners have towed anything in the last 10 years.
        evantbyrne 2y ago
        Individual experiences may vary. I live in Northern Michigan where people are frequently towing things related to summer activities. If you live in a city or a rural community where people can't even afford to have things to tow, then you might not see it as much. People who work on farms or do construction may also use their trucks a lot but not necessarily a lot of heavy towing.
        vel0city 2y ago
        You seriously do think that most truck owners own boats or campers or bought them because they do construction or farm work or are just too poor to buy a boat at the moment huh? Go walk around in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, St Lous, Denver, Kansas City, or loads of other cities like that. Prepare to have your eyes opened to excessive truck culture. Go see all the pavement princesses modified to excessive levels that make them impractical for towing or doing farm or construction work. Compare the trucks actually used for work compared to their pristine fancy paint jobs and spotless beds and geometry that would cause the suspension to snap if you tried pulling even a couple thousand pounds behind it. According to some surveys something like 63% of truck drivers tow rarely to never. https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history https://www.axios.com/ford-pickup-trucks-history Easily half of the trucks on the road today will never have towed anything in their lives. And chances are a lot will see payloads in their beds that would have comfortably fit in a minivan or hatchback. I don't mind someone driving a big truck if its actually something they use as a truck. I'm contemplating getting a truck and camper trailer eventually myself. I get annoyed seeing all the wastefulness of all these trucks that aren't used as trucks. That wastefulness does affect me. It makes the air I breathe worse, it makes the streets my children play around less safe, it makes the parking situation worse, it makes traffic worse, it makes everything worse for zero damn reason other than "truck culture".
  - josefresco 2y ago
    > I live in a rural area. It's 95% insecurity and 5% usefulness. Are you sure? Maybe you live in the south, which from my last visit was "lifted truck land"? I'm from a rural area that gets snow and I'd say the breakdown of insecurity vs usefulness is the exact opposite. No serious person lives in this area without a truck, or SUV capable of getting them around in the winter time and shlepping stuff to their home/farm/ranch (there's also a culture of self reliance). We also don't see lifted "shiny" trucks. Lifted? Sure. Shiny? That's for people "from away".
    - vel0city 2y ago
      > I'm from a rural area that gets snow Ah yes, because that's where 99% of truck owners in the US live. Are you suggesting there's more truck owners in your rural area of Michigan than Dallas?
    - thinkingtoilet 2y ago
      I live in Massachusetts. I literally live on a mountain. My 2007 Honda Fit with snow tires handles any blizzard just fine. No truck needed.
- ryandvm 2y ago
  My problem with the "truck as a vibe" concept is that it's also "inconveniencing other people as a vibe" too. I don't mind work trucks, but the lifted, massive, shiny emotional support truck is: * Blocking other drivers' view * Has a deadly amount of kinetic energy * Takes up tremendous amount of parking space * Has an outsize environmental footprint
  - bryanlarsen 2y ago
    > "inconveniencing other people as a vibe" which of course is exactly the point for some people. "rolling coal" is admired by a significant minority of the truck culture.
  - josefresco 2y ago
    >* Has a deadly amount of kinetic energy Agree overall but electric cars/trucks are super heavy.
bilsbie 2y ago
Great question. It’s not that I’m ok with that stuff it’s just that I didn’t want the fun to stop after the test drive. It turns out being excited about driving is worth a whole lot to me. (It used to feel like a chore) Also with the model y, It doesn’t look that high but it rides high enough to not bother me. I can get into the seat instead of get down into the seat. And the hatchback and fold flat seats give a bit more cargo room than a sedan.
- damnesian 2y ago
  You want driving excitement, try an old manual transmission roadster with your ass mere inches from the pavement. Now that is driving excitement. Every truck I've been in feels like a space capsule. And it's about as easy to park one as a literal space capsule. I have no idea why people like trucks. I've been in a Tesla and it is rather sterile, but fine. I can't say much more about them, honestly. Having one would be fine.
7thaccount 2y ago
Not addressing OP in particular, but in the South, a truck is a cultural thing more than a need anymore. If your great grandfather, grandfather, and father all drove a truck...then you get used to that being what a vehicle is supposed to be. It doesn't matter than your grandfather was a farmer and you now live in a suburb and write JavaScript from home. It doesn't matter that it costs a fortune and has terrible gas mileage. It's part of your identity. Source: lots of conversations with friends and neighbors with giant trucks that have no need.
- inamberclad 2y ago
  That and they're heavily marketed towards their target demographic now instead of being meant for work. It's like a designer handbag for men, except that handbags actually appreciate in value.
  - 7thaccount 2y ago
    It's frustrating as I wouldn't mind a small cheap truck. They don't like making that anymore though....mostly just $70k-$100k monstrosities. There are exceptions, but nothing like the Chevy S-10 or Ford Rangers of old. A modern Ford Ranger is the size of the old F-150s.
nunez 2y ago
The first thing I did when I moved to Texas was finance a RAM 1500. It is difficult to understate just how deeply the pickup truck is embedded into the Texan ethos. I loved the plush ride and miss the extra space (but not enough to get a Model Y). The seat height was nice, but I don't miss it. I definitely don't miss the super low end tech that most trucks come with. In retrospect, I feel bad about my carbon footprint. The truck chugged gas, which I spent roughly $200/mo on. Like OP, I test drove a Model 3 via Turo completely on a whim (I wonder what Teslas are about...) and immediately financed one. I immediately financed the refreshed Model 3 when it released also. Absolutely incredible cars.

_ZeD_ 2y ago

truck is your identity?

executive 2y ago
truck yeah brother
rchaud 2y ago
At least he's honest about it.
bilsbie 2y ago
I was exaggerating for effect but everyone who knows me actually seemed to think that. People can’t stop bringing it up. Kinda weird actually. I guess the main truck things I liked: I like feeling more like sitting in a regular chair. Low Cars feel like sleds to me. I like the high ground clearance so I don’t worry about curbs and can park off-road if needed. It’s nice to be able to throw things in the back. Kayaks, bikes, furniture. They also hold their value really well. And prior to 2020 trucks were pretty cheap compared to equivalent SUVS. I got a new 2017 tundra for around 30K.
DougN7 2y ago
Don’t know if you are an American, but it’s not unusual to see a scrotum decoration hanging from the tow hitch of a pickup. It’s absolutely an identity thing with some people.

AlotOfReading 2y ago

I had one for a week while my car was in the shop. Can't say my experience was as positive as yours, but it gave me a newfound appreciation for my actual vehicle. The infotainment crashed twice and needed a hard reboot once. The latch got stuck during charging and I had to walk halfway across the lot to reset the unlatch procedure. The rear windscreen visibility went to 0 every time there was too much rain.

r00fus 2y ago

Same energy when I did a test drive for a Nissan Ariya. Was surprised (last time I test drove a car was 12 years ago when we bought our Sienna) - was a totally different experience. We even took the car home and ensured it could park in our garage :)