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You Don't Need a Full-Size Pickup Truck, You Need a Cowboy Costume (2019)
- alamortsubite 2y agoFrom now on, every time I see someone driving one of these things, I'll be reminded of Roberto Benigni belting out the line from Oklahoma! in Night on Earth. Perfect!
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- legitster 2y ago> “When asked for attributes that are important to them,” Edwards says, “truck owners oversample in ones like: the ability to outperform others, to look good while driving, to present a tough image, to have their car act as extension of their personality, and to stand out in a crowd.” This same attitude is everywhere in the economy - not just cars. People are over-consuming like crazy. How many people with an RTX 4090 are using it exclusively on Fortnite? How many times have you seen someone use an ice-crusher on their fridge? Their backup generator? Their $3000 tablesaw, their home NAS, their boat?
- AnimalMuppet 2y agoBackup generators are like insurance. How many times have you used your homeowner's insurance? That had better be a very small number. But I agree with your overall point. People are looking for an identity in what they can buy. But any identity that was made in a factory is a very flimsy identity. First, you know it's not really your identity - it's something you bought. Second, the factory made a bunch of them. You're not "the guy who owns the F-150", you're "one of the many guys who owns..."
- legitster 2y agoI don't actually think it's an identity thing for most people - I think it's a failure of properly determining value. "Ah, I need a new car with AWD because once a year I drive up to the mountains to go snowboarding!" And never stop to realize that the cost of an AWD car during its lifetime is more than you would pay on snow tires or even renting a car whenever you need it.
- floxy 2y agoIn this age of big data, are there any stats on snow tire purchases that show what percentage of people purchase them for 2WD vehicles vs. 4WD/AWD vehicles? Also, I'd guess that most people consider AWD vehicles a form of insurance against unpredictable traction conditions.
- ungreased0675 2y agoI suspect the purchasers of trucks are not paying the full cost of ownership. In other words, there are negative externalities saddled on people who don’t own trucks. Perhaps giant vehicle used for a single person to commute with should be taxed like the extravagance it is.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- matt3210 2y agokei trucks are illegal in the USA because they would destroy the market for massive American (but not American made) pickups like the f-150.
- legitster 2y agoKei trucks: a) Not illegal b) Were not sold in the US because they would never pass US safety requirements c) Can be legally imported and registered after the mandatory 25 year period d) Are being legally imported and not destroying the market for new trucks in any meaningful way
- alamortsubite 2y ago> d) Are being legally imported and not destroying the market for new trucks in any meaningful way This hardly seems like a reasonable point to try to make, given the unlikeliness of any 25 year old vehicle destroying the market for any new one.
- Kon-Peki 2y agoEven so, there are just as many models of "mid-size" trucks for sale in the US as "full-size". Ford has something like 5 different sizes of trucks, and size #3 is their best seller. If a size #0 suddenly showed up at the dealership, there is no reason to believe that it would destroy the market for size #3. But there is every reason to believe that it would be popular!
- floxy 2y agoI've already got a pretty good cowboy costume setup. Does this mean I should buy a pickup? >The most potent, the Ford, has a twin-turbocharged V6 that makes 450 hp. Pfft. The Chevy Silverado EV makes 760 hp. https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-ev/2025/features-specs/ https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-ev/2025/features...
- alamortsubite 2y ago> Pfft. The Chevy Silverado EV makes 760 hp. Well it sure didn't make that kind of horsepower in 2019 (when the article was written), pilgrim. Just imagine, though, how did any of us manage to get by?
- jkmcf 2y agoHey, you never know when you might need to lift your house off its foundation and move it around the block!
- alamortsubite 2y agoThe article was written in 2019. Since then, it seems Americans' need for whimsical cowboy costumes has gotten even worse.
- toomuchtodo 2y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_BE5KPp18 ("Rural Cosplay is, Unfortunately, A Thing")