Americans and pickup trucks

einsteinboricua · Mon Oct 24, 2016 4:48 pm

Something I haven't been able to understand is Americans' affection with the pickup truck. Even when they're not hauling stuff and it's not treated as the family van, it seems almost every household has one.

Where does this affection come from? What does it do for them?

To each their own, really. I just haven't been able to wrap my head around the fact that a lot of people have a pickup truck, live in the suburbs, and work desk jobs.

ContentCreator · Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:07 pm

Because they are useful when needed. Need to move some furniture? Go to the store to get some 8 foot posts? Drive up in the mountains? If you do any sort of home improvement or your own landscaping they are so worth it. .

I have a small truck in addition to my daily driver. Its an F-150 and I paid 8,500 used. I use it weekly to haul things from the home improvement store, landscaping work, driving to/from the mountains to hike and camp, help out friends when they need to move, etc. Its also 4-wheel drive so its great to use in snow. I probably put 3000 miles a year on it.

Calder · Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:26 pm

Rural truck owner here. ContentCreator hit on most of my personal reasons for having a pick up truck (house projects, moving things, etc.). I also have a few friends who have cabins in the woods that are inaccessible to anyone without 4wd and a generous amount of ground clearance. The ~4/5 months of winter I experience also make for occasionally difficult driving, and in that case, a heavy 4wd vehicle with good tires has an advantage.

My truck is my DD, and in the summer I tend to get ~20mpg. In the winter with the different blend of gasoline and cooler air, I tend to average ~17.5mpg.

KFLLCFII · Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:40 pm

My personally-owned vehicle and daily driver is a mid-size pickup truck. It gets me wherever I need to go just as well as any other passenger vehicle, plus it can haul whatever I need it to in the back (whether a "clean" or "dirty" load), or tow up to a 4,500 pound trailer. I also own a jet ski, so the hitch gets frequent use...And when I'm back on land after a day on the water, I can throw all the rinsed "wet" stuff (flotation jacket, dock lines, fenders, towels, anchor, etc) in the truck bed to begin to dry out on the way back from the ramp.

(Most) pickup trucks generally have the ability to do everything an average car buyer would need a vehicle for, yet offer much more utility for not much more in purchase price. (And depending on models, can actually cost less under certain instances/dealer incentives, etc.) They're also not nearly as fuel-inefficient as they used to be.

Pickups are generally just the best bang for the buck, whether you routinely push the limits of their utility or only a few times a year.

einsteinboricua · Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:43 pm

My manager knows I'm on the hunt for a new car and he's pitched a pickup truck to me. The thing is: I just commute to/from work and leave it there.

And I've been to his house and that's what he does too (they have a family van for their two kids, though). So I just don't get the whole "it's there for when needed" argument for them, especially when they have lower mileage when compared to a regular car.

The best case I've read so far in favor: you're high enough to see above cars and you're tough enough to make your way through roads knowing people will yield to you. But for a 10 minute drive to/from work, I find it's too much of a vehicle for me. The winter argument is another good reason (especially after the Snowpocalypse earlier this year...my Rio was stuck until snow melted enough).

cjg225 · Mon Oct 24, 2016 5:47 pm

einsteinboricua wrote:
My manager knows I'm on the hunt for a new car and he's pitched a pickup truck to me. The thing is: I just commute to/from work and leave it there.

And I've been to his house and that's what he does too (they have a family van for their two kids, though). So I just don't get the whole "it's there for when needed" argument for them, especially when they have lower mileage when compared to a regular car.

The best case I've read so far in favor: you're high enough to see above cars and you're tough enough to make your way through roads knowing people will yield to you. But for a 10 minute drive to/from work, I find it's too much of a vehicle for me. The winter argument is another good reason (especially after the Snowpocalypse earlier this year...my Rio was stuck until snow melted enough).

If all you're doing is commuting, then, yeah, it makes not a lick of sense.

But as all the posters above said, if you need to haul around bags of flowerbed soil or tools, if you go camping a lot, if you have a small business and move bulky objects around, etc. then pickup trucks are extremely useful. I know a few people who have them just for their weekend endeavors. You don't need the top of the line for that.

Kiwirob · Mon Oct 24, 2016 6:24 pm

ContentCreator wrote:
Because they are useful when needed. Need to move some furniture? Go to the store to get some 8 foot posts? Drive up in the mountains? If you do any sort of home improvement or your own landscaping they are so worth it. .

I do all that and don't need a pickup to do it, I have a station wagon and can hire a trailer whenever I need one.

Calder · Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:00 pm

einsteinboricua wrote:
...The best case I've read so far in favor: you're high enough to see above cars and you're tough enough to make your way through roads knowing people will yield to you...

This is also a good reason that I forgot to mention. My mother (who turned 60 this year) much prefers driving my truck to her econobox (Chevy Cruz) because of the increased ride height, and larger size. According to her it "inspires confidence".

PacificBeach88 · Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:04 pm

I live now in Minnesota, so many of us choose AWD or 4Wheel drive vehicles for a very good reason. I don't need a pickup myself, but I will never not have AWD or 4Wheel drive be it an SUV, Subaru, or similarly capable driver.

DocLightning · Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:07 pm

Also, the auto makers have done a good job at marketing the pickup as a manly man's vehicle.

But as someone who does not own a home and uses his vehicle primarily for commuting, I would not recommend one for you. When you do need one, you can rent one from U-Haul for pretty inexpensive.

ContentCreator · Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:12 pm

Kiwirob wrote:
ContentCreator wrote:
Because they are useful when needed. Need to move some furniture? Go to the store to get some 8 foot posts? Drive up in the mountains? If you do any sort of home improvement or your own landscaping they are so worth it. .

I do all that and don't need a pickup to do it, I have a station wagon and can hire a trailer whenever I need one.

I'd like to see a station wagon on some of the forest service roads I drive on, ha. Its still more convenient having a truck though. I wouldn't like to haul a bunch of brush, wet dogs or a thousand pounds of mulch in a station wagon. And renting a truck 2-3 times a month would be a total pain for me. If you don't really do a lot of serious yard work or have to haul big/awkward things a truck doesn't make sense at all but for the small cost of insurance a year and the minimum cost of maintenance I can hardly justify renting a couple times a month.

Hillis · Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:32 pm

See pickup trucks everywhere here, and at least 50% of them have been jacked up really high on their shocks that you can barely see in the cab. And, perhaps for me, it's not surprising that most have "TRUMP" stickers on them. I guess it's a macho thing. :mrgreen:

afcjets · Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:55 pm

I would say most households do not have them, but have SUVs instead. Every guy in high school in South Orange County, CA has one though, for a while it was the F150, then the Toyota Tacoma, not jacked up though but not the baby Tacomas either. Great for hauling surfboards.

dfwjim1 · Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:07 pm

I used to own a 1995 Ford Ranger pick up truck that ran great and lasted a long time. Did I need a truck to carry things around and go off road? No, I just liked the looks and the style of the Ranger and enjoyed using it for my daily commute.

The popularity of pick up trucks really varies between state-to-state. When I lived in Texas it seemed like every other vehicle I saw was a pick up truck and likewise when I visited Alaska this year I noticed that there were many pickup trucks on the road. On the flip side it seems like pick up trucks are less common in California and Florida, two other states where I have lived.

casinterest · Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:10 pm

Trucks are awesome when you need them . The work I do in my yard sometimes makes me wish I had one, but I make do with a van and crossover suv. As posted above, when I get desperate for one, I go to Uhaul and rent. However part of me wants to get a boat, and if I do, I will probably either hitch up the van, or go get a truck.

If you are just commuting and renting though, a truck makes little sense. However if you are inclined to take up camping, kayaking, or buy a house with lots of landscaping, it might be time to think about a truck.

Revelation · Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:16 pm

afcjets wrote:
I would say most households do not have them, but have SUVs instead. Every guy in high school in South Orange County, CA has one though, for a while it was the F150, then the Toyota Tacoma, not jacked up though but not the baby Tacomas either. Great for hauling surfboards.

Most current SUVs have lost their truck DNA are really just mini-vans with different body shapes, mainly because men don't want to admit to other men that they bought a mini-van.

I'd say around here in suburbia about 80% of pickup trucks are bought for vanity, but then again, a large fraction of other vehicle purchases are done for vanity too.

If that's what floats their boat, why not? It's not like the rest of the world purchases cars on a strict egalitarian basis.

afcjets · Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:50 pm

It's all regional
Moms drive a luxury SUV Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover or Porsche Cayenne (thank God the days of them driving blinged out Hummers is over)
Dad drives the BMW 5 6 or 7 series
Divorced Dad drives something more exotic
Trophy wives and/or Dad's new gf drives the Mercedes SL (or CL if the new gf doesn't know there's a difference)
Junior drives the Toyota Tacoma or Ford F150
Single guys drive a black 3 series
Single women drive a white 3 series
The young Loan officer (always a dude) buys the M series the first month he closes a jumbo loan

ContentCreator · Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:03 pm

afcjets wrote:
It's all regional
Moms drive a luxury SUV Cadillac Escalade or Porsche Cayenne (thank God the days of them driving blinged out Hummers is over)
Dad drives the BMW 5 6 or 7 series
Divorced Dad drives something more exotic
Trophy wives and/or Dad's new gf drives the Mercedes SL (or CL if the new gf doesn't know there's a difference)
Junior drives the Toyota Tacoma or Ford F150
Single guys drive a black 3 series
Single women drive a white 3 series
The young Loan officer (always a dude) buys the M series the first month he closes a jumbo loan

I also notice wealthy black women almost always drive Mercedes while rich black men drive 7 series. Weird.

afcjets · Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:15 pm

ContentCreator wrote:
afcjets wrote:
It's all regional
Moms drive a luxury SUV Cadillac Escalade or Porsche Cayenne (thank God the days of them driving blinged out Hummers is over)
Dad drives the BMW 5 6 or 7 series
Divorced Dad drives something more exotic
Trophy wives and/or Dad's new gf drives the Mercedes SL (or CL if the new gf doesn't know there's a difference)
Junior drives the Toyota Tacoma or Ford F150
Single guys drive a black 3 series
Single women drive a white 3 series
The young Loan officer (always a dude) buys the M series the first month he closes a jumbo loan

I also notice wealthy black women almost always drive Mercedes while rich black men drive 7 series. Weird.

I think of Mercedes as more of a car for women and BMW for men, probably because of the racing element.

A long time ago in certain areas I noticed more blacks driving Nissan while more whites driving Toyotas. The Pathfinder seemed to be an exception though.

ContentCreator · Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:44 pm

afcjets wrote:
ContentCreator wrote:
afcjets wrote:
It's all regional
Moms drive a luxury SUV Cadillac Escalade or Porsche Cayenne (thank God the days of them driving blinged out Hummers is over)
Dad drives the BMW 5 6 or 7 series
Divorced Dad drives something more exotic
Trophy wives and/or Dad's new gf drives the Mercedes SL (or CL if the new gf doesn't know there's a difference)
Junior drives the Toyota Tacoma or Ford F150
Single guys drive a black 3 series
Single women drive a white 3 series
The young Loan officer (always a dude) buys the M series the first month he closes a jumbo loan

I also notice wealthy black women almost always drive Mercedes while rich black men drive 7 series. Weird.

I think of Mercedes as more of a car for women and BMW for men, probably because of the racing element.

A long time ago in certain areas I noticed more blacks driving Nissan while more whites driving Toyotas. The Pathfinder seemed to be an exception though.

That Pathfinder reference is spot on! Its amazing how certain cars can attract such a specific type of person. Why is that? Why the Pathfinder and not the 4Runner. So strange.

afcjets · Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:55 pm

PacificBeach88 wrote:
afcjets wrote:
It's all regional
Moms drive a luxury SUV Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover or Porsche Cayenne (thank God the days of them driving blinged out Hummers is over)
Dad drives the BMW 5 6 or 7 series
Divorced Dad drives something more exotic
Trophy wives and/or Dad's new gf drives the Mercedes SL (or CL if the new gf doesn't know there's a difference)
Junior drives the Toyota Tacoma or Ford F150
Single guys drive a black 3 series
Single women drive a white 3 series
The young Loan officer (always a dude) buys the M series the first month he closes a jumbo loan

WTF are you yammering on about? Racist much? Did you want to blather on about a BLM's rally? Seriously. Just STFU.

Where is race mentioned anywhere in what you quoted?

rfields5421 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:12 am

Ok - I've lived in Texas for over 30 years - and have a pickup truck. We do not have another vehicle.

We use that truck to pull our home - a 36 foot long, 10,000 lb travel trailer as we travel across the country - so we definitely need a big truck. Mine is a 2500 Ram.

Some advantages to pickups
- Excellent visibility when on the road (of course the size of the pickup blocks the view of smaller cars)
- Many people feel the pickup provides better safety for the driver and passengers in a crash than smaller cars
- Many trucks get an excellent ride - as well as many very high end luxury sedans
- The ability to use the bed to haul something - those two or three times a year it is used
- Modern models get excellent fuel mileage - some V-6 and Eco-Diesel models get above 25 mph
- In Texas - the size of a pickup isn't an issue with streets, parking, etc. (Last year we volunteered in Connecticut - and the size of my pickup - 22 ft long, 7'8 in wide body - was an issue)

Purchasing a car / truck - if you can afford it - is all about personal preferences. Some people choose small sports cars, some people choose a nice family van, some people choose to spend what I consider outrageous amounts of money for a status symbol.

Trucks can be affordable in some situations than a traditional van or sedan.

af773atmsp · Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:26 am

PacificBeach88 wrote:
afcjets wrote:
PacificBeach88 wrote:

WTF are you yammering on about? Racist much? Did you want to blather on about a BLM's rally? Seriously. Just STFU.

Where is race mentioned anywhere in what you quoted?

Your bullshit, completely unprofessional, nonsense about who drives / buys, what. It's stupid. it really is. Just STFU.

Welcome to the internet. Just relax and ignore anything you don't like.

Anyways, my dad used to have a pickup truck. We used it for camping trips, going to the cabin, and hauling large cargo (usually wood chips). That was destroyed by a large tree limb and we have gone to CUVs instead. For the times when we need to haul something large we use the minivan (Chrysler Town & County). We don't camp anymore and the cabin was sold as well so there was no need for a pickup truck anymore. We also live in Minnesota and get through winter fine with just FWD.

einsteinboricua · Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:28 am

rfields5421 wrote:
Purchasing a car / truck - if you can afford it - is all about personal preferences. Some people choose small sports cars, some people choose a nice family van, some people choose to spend what I consider outrageous amounts of money for a status symbol.

Oh I agree with you there. But there are way more pickup trucks on the road than there are sports cars and luxury vehicles (depending on the city you live in, too). There's always some sort of reference when you buy a car that's not your standard sedan/hatchback:
-Minivan: I have kids. I need the space.
-SUV: I want space
-Luxury vehicle: I have money
-Sports car: I love cars
-Hybrid/electric: I care about fuel economy
-Pickup...???

Again, if I saw all pickup trucks hauling something, I'd say "worker" or "outdoorsman". But again, I point to personal experience in MO and MD where the parking lot would be full of pickup trucks with one driver in a place where they're just sitting in front of a desk. I will say, again, that newer models are comfortable (especially those with the row on the back), that it IS an advantage to be higher on the road, and it's good to have power during the snow months. But I can get that from an SUV as well...so what compels an American to choose a pickup over an SUV?

Maybe it's a cultural thing. Back in PR pickups were rare. You'd still find them, but folks would use them as tools for jobs, not as their commuting cars. You'd find lots of minivans and SUVs, and if you were in the SJ Metro Area, luxury vehicles were not uncommon.

BMI727 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:39 am

einsteinboricua wrote:
Where does this affection come from? What does it do for them?

They are incredibly useful.

einsteinboricua wrote:
What does it do for them?

Pretty much anything you want. And often many things at the same time.

Anyway, if I were you I'd try it. Quite frankly modern pickup trucks have come a very long way in mitigating all of the reasons to not have a pickup truck even in just the last decade.

cjg225 wrote:
If all you're doing is commuting, then, yeah, it makes not a lick of sense.

People who commute still have weekends. Buying furniture, home improvement, offroading, boat towing, camping, etc...

afcjets wrote:
Anyhow, I am so glad to know you will NOT be voting for Hillary now since she admitted pandering to blacks by saying she carries Hot Sauce with her to a black audience.

Hot sauce is a black thing?

einsteinboricua wrote:
-Pickup...???

Could be anything. What do you want it to be?

einsteinboricua wrote:
But I can get that from an SUV as well...so what compels an American to choose a pickup over an SUV?

I think the question is actually the opposite. Unless you really need three rows of seats (at least one of which will be rather uncomfortable) a pickup truck will get nearly as good mileage, be just as comfortable, have similar performance and be potentially more useful.

afcjets · Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:53 am

BMI727 wrote:
Hot sauce is a black thing?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyl ... story.html

incitatus · Tue Oct 25, 2016 2:58 am

Many people do need a pick up truck for work or their personal projects. Many people try to justify one for the same reason, but reality is that another type of vehicle would do just fine. On the rare occasions a truck would be needed, it is easy to rent one. I renovated and added to a house driving a BMW sedan. In the majority of cases, a truck / SUV / or a car, any car, is an emotional purchase.

Boeing717200 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:09 am

einsteinboricua wrote:
Something I haven't been able to understand is Americans' affection with the pickup truck. Even when they're not hauling stuff and it's not treated as the family van, it seems almost every household has one.

Where does this affection come from? What does it do for them?

To each their own, really. I just haven't been able to wrap my head around the fact that a lot of people have a pickup truck, live in the suburbs, and work desk jobs.

I drove a truck forever, then bought a sedan. I regretted it the first time I had a yard project. Needless to say, I drive a truck again.

I look at it this way, if you can't change your oil or replace a toilet, you don't need a truck because you'll never do anything on your own that actually requires one. You'll drop your car at the dealer or call a plumber.

usflyer msp · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:10 am

Hillis wrote:
See pickup trucks everywhere here, and at least 50% of them have been jacked up really high on their shocks that you can barely see in the cab. And, perhaps for me, it's not surprising that most have "TRUMP" stickers on them. I guess it's a macho thing.

Ironically, the last time my car was in the shop I got a LIFTED Chevy Silverado as the loaner. My work colleagues looked at me so strange that day until one them asked me "so what are you doing with that Redneck truck?". I hated it and you have not experienced pain until you have tried to parallel park one of these huge trucks"

Not for city drivers...

LOT767301ER · Tue Oct 25, 2016 4:44 am

I do all that and don't need a pickup to do it, I have a station wagon and can hire a trailer whenever I need one.

Your station wagon would break in half at the first hint of serious hauling. I love how youre one to talk, you had a thread a few years back about a crappy and totally useless Audi A3 you had and were inquiring about putting rims on it...

You wouldnt understand how much a pallet of sod weighs even if one was dropped onto your lap. Have fun towing a full sized camping trailer or a 24ft+ boat on a joke of a hitch that is the Euro gooseneck.

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:58 am

LOT767301ER wrote:
I do all that and don't need a pickup to do it, I have a station wagon and can hire a trailer whenever I need one.

Your station wagon would break in half at the first hint of serious hauling. I love how youre one to talk, you had a thread a few years back about a crappy and totally useless Audi A3 you had and were inquiring about putting rims on it...

You wouldnt understand how much a pallet of sod weighs even if one was dropped onto your lap. Have fun towing a full sized camping trailer or a 24ft+ boat on a joke of a hitch that is the Euro gooseneck.

I've never owned an A3, I own an A6 and an A1, my thread was about rims for the A1; as far as I can tell most Americans own pickups because they can, it's an ego trip, when the rest of the planet can get by just as easily without one.

BTW why the heck would I want to haul a pallet of sod, if I was going to get a pallet of sod I'd call the garden centre and get them to deliver it, I don't camp, I use hotels. I can tow up to 2000kg, which is easily more than a 24ft boat will weigh and it's still more than the 10m camper I towed for a friend a few weeks back, on my joke of a hitch. I never needed to tow 3500kg, so why would I buy something I'll never use.

I'd rather have something that handled and stopped well, that was safer in the event of a crash, pickups don't do well in crash testing. I also enjoy driving, you don't buy a pickup if you like to drive.

seahawk · Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:18 am

In the US pick-up works, because they are not too big for the rest of the infrastructure. In Europe the commercial users prefer vans and for private use the Pick-ups are just too big.

I personally think Pick-ups are great vehicles. You have space, can carry a lot and have AWD for off-road or winter.

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:24 am

seahawk wrote:
In the US pick-up works, because they are not too big for the rest of the infrastructure. In Europe the commercial users prefer vans and for private use the Pick-ups are just too big.

I personally think Pick-ups are great vehicles. You have space, can carry a lot and have AWD for off-road or winter.

That's not quite true the VW Amorak lead too a resurgance in pickup sales, I know a few people who own them or the Toyota, Nissan, Ford or Mitsuibishi version, vehicles this size are not too big, they comfortably fit within European parking spaces and vehicle infrastructure, whereas the US sized pickups just don't work well here.

When I was back home in NZ this year the numbers of pickups on the road is amazing, sales have exploded, most are top of the range, driven by urban cowboy types, according to my cousin, he's Ford NZ's marking manager, they've moved out of the V8 Holden/Ford sedans and into pickups.

seahawk · Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:38 am

Well, I must say I rarely see an pick-up here and the Amorak hardly fits the parking spaces at the VW dealer.

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:47 am

seahawk wrote:
Well, I must say I rarely see an pick-up here and the Amorak hardly fits the parking spaces at the VW dealer.

I have no idea where in Europe your here is, I see a lot of them in Norway, the Baltics, the UK and Germany.

cjg225 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:55 am

BMI727 wrote:
People who commute still have weekends. Buying furniture, home improvement, offroading, boat towing, camping, etc...

What part of "if all you're doing is commuting" do you not understand?

The OP said he just commutes to/from work. I replied as such.

Calder · Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:43 pm

I know plenty of people who don't need pickups and still have them. As for why one would spend 50k+ on a top trim level F-150 and then not ever use it for pick-up things is beyond me.

Then again, I drive a midsize (Nissan Frontier). Even with an added leaf-spring and airbags throwing a loaded pallet in the back is sketchy.

longhauler · Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:50 pm

I drive an F150 and a Roush Mustang, which is parked in the winter.

The F150 is not a great communter, but ...

I was in a bad accident on the way to work on day and was vehicle number 12 of about 20. I pushed right into the back seat of a Mazda 3, (luckily unoccupied) and the mini-van that hit me sideways in the back left his engine on the road. There were a lot of injuries. When vehicles were pulled apart it was apparent that my truck, other than cosmetic damage, was still largely undamaged.

I was towed (as a precaution) to the Ford dealership where they said the same. New bumper, new tailgate, some paint touch-ups ... good to go. One of the mechanics laughed when I told him how the other vehicles looked, and said "The only thing 16 air bags gives you is an open casket funeral". And THAT is why I drive a 6000 lbs pickup truck, so that I am the one that walks away muttering, "son of a bitch", not being carried away in the back of an ambulance.

mad99 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:24 pm

longhauler wrote:
I drive an F150 and a Roush Mustang, which is parked in the winter.

And THAT is why I drive a 6000 lbs pickup truck, so that I am the one that walks away muttering, "son of a bitch", not being carried away in the back of an ambulance.

what if the redneck who hits you is driving a 6000 lbs truck? Is that when you find out that the marginal safety rating is marginal?

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:51 pm

longhauler wrote:

I was in a bad accident on the way to work on day and was vehicle number 12 of about 20. I pushed right into the back seat of a Mazda 3, (luckily unoccupied) and the mini-van that hit me sideways in the back left his engine on the road. There were a lot of injuries. When vehicles were pulled apart it was apparent that my truck, other than cosmetic damage, was still largely undamaged.

I was towed (as a precaution) to the Ford dealership where they said the same. New bumper, new tailgate, some paint touch-ups ... good to go. One of the mechanics laughed when I told him how the other vehicles looked, and said "The only thing 16 air bags gives you is an open casket funeral". And THAT is why I drive a 6000 lbs pickup truck, so that I am the one that walks away muttering, "son of a bitch", not being carried away in the back of an ambulance.

And that is exactly why people like you who doen't really need them shouldn't be driving them on public roads, they are a danger to other road users, I'm pretty sure you would have felt like crap if you'd killed the person in front or if they had had children in the back seat and you crushed them. Which is also why I'm pretty happy that American sized pickups are not sold over here.

pvjin · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:03 pm

Here in Finland people who want a big car for safety reasons go for SUV's, pickups are very much utility vehicles bought by those who really need them (farmers, some entrepreneurs, hunters and such), and are typically seen only in the countryside. Perhaps higher fuel prices are the reason why people aren't buying pickups unnecessarily like in the US.

blueflyer · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:04 pm

Americans love pick up trucks because genius marketeers have convinced them it's the symbol of open frontiers, male roughness, the American dream. The message has been so popular manufacturers get twice the profit margin on trucks they do on cars. Outside of trucks bought for professional use, half of truck beds are nothing but unused dust collectors. Truck buyers choose a truck for the same reasons car buyers choose a car: the "right" combination of vanity, ego, and price.

Light pickup trucks are the worst at pretending to have any utilitarian purpose. What they seem to carry with the most frequency are bags of sand, not because their owners need sand, but because the back is so light it wouldn't go anywhere on icy or slippery roads without the added weight.

mayor · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:22 pm

Kiwirob wrote:
longhauler wrote:

I was in a bad accident on the way to work on day and was vehicle number 12 of about 20. I pushed right into the back seat of a Mazda 3, (luckily unoccupied) and the mini-van that hit me sideways in the back left his engine on the road. There were a lot of injuries. When vehicles were pulled apart it was apparent that my truck, other than cosmetic damage, was still largely undamaged.

I was towed (as a precaution) to the Ford dealership where they said the same. New bumper, new tailgate, some paint touch-ups ... good to go. One of the mechanics laughed when I told him how the other vehicles looked, and said "The only thing 16 air bags gives you is an open casket funeral". And THAT is why I drive a 6000 lbs pickup truck, so that I am the one that walks away muttering, "son of a bitch", not being carried away in the back of an ambulance.

And that is exactly why people like you who doen't really need them shouldn't be driving them on public roads, they are a danger to other road users, I'm pretty sure you would have felt like crap if you'd killed the person in front or if they had had children in the back seat and you crushed them. Which is also why I'm pretty happy that American sized pickups are not sold over here.

Well, here in the states, we let the owners decide what they do or do not need. It's a little thing called "freedom of choice".

What IS a danger to other road users are people texting or talking on their cell phones and that's not limited to pickup truck drivers but most anyone that drives, including the police.

LOT767301ER · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:40 pm

I've never owned an A3, I own an A6 and an A1, my thread was about rims for the A1; as far as I can tell most Americans own pickups because they can, it's an ego trip, when the rest of the planet can get by just as easily without one.

BTW why the heck would I want to haul a pallet of sod, if I was going to get a pallet of sod I'd call the garden centre and get them to deliver it, I don't camp, I use hotels. I can tow up to 2000kg, which is easily more than a 24ft boat will weigh and it's still more than the 10m camper I towed for a friend a few weeks back, on my joke of a hitch. I never needed to tow 3500kg, so why would I buy something I'll never use.

I'd rather have something that handled and stopped well, that was safer in the event of a crash, pickups don't do well in crash testing. I also enjoy driving, you don't buy a pickup if you like to drive.

My bad, I already forgot that you bought a bigger piece of useless crap that is the A1.

This just goes to show that you rant about crap you have no idea about. A 24-25ft center console is usually around 5000-6000lbs, add another 1000-2000lbs for the trailer and outboard variation. No Audi A6 can tow that amount, and if you put that amount of load on your hitch you would drive the rear right into the ground. But dont let the facts get in your way.

And who cares that you dont haul sod around? Plenty of homeowners including myself do as well along with stuff like trees, mulch, hedge plants etc. I dont need to order up delivery or wait around wasting time when I can put it all in the back then hose it down in my driveway.

Get over it dude, you do nothing on here other than whine in car threads about how stupid something is and question peoples decisions what they do with their money. I'd rather have Americans spend money on quality trucks than buy cramped econo boxes like the A1 and waste money putting rims on them, if for nothing else than to annoy people like you who dont understand the idea of versatility and think that a POS small sized Euro pickup is even half as versatile as a 1/2 ton.

To the rest who are constantly blabbering about not seeing pickups with half a ton of sand in the bed, what a load of garbage, everytime I drive past a M3 or Corvette I dont see it doing 140mph or tearing up a curve sideways either.

seahawk · Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:57 pm

Kiwirob wrote:
seahawk wrote:
Well, I must say I rarely see an pick-up here and the Amorak hardly fits the parking spaces at the VW dealer.

I have no idea where in Europe your here is, I see a lot of them in Norway, the Baltics, the UK and Germany.

Ruhr area in Germany.

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:04 pm

LOT767301ER wrote:
I've never owned an A3, I own an A6 and an A1, my thread was about rims for the A1; as far as I can tell most Americans own pickups because they can, it's an ego trip, when the rest of the planet can get by just as easily without one.

BTW why the heck would I want to haul a pallet of sod, if I was going to get a pallet of sod I'd call the garden centre and get them to deliver it, I don't camp, I use hotels. I can tow up to 2000kg, which is easily more than a 24ft boat will weigh and it's still more than the 10m camper I towed for a friend a few weeks back, on my joke of a hitch. I never needed to tow 3500kg, so why would I buy something I'll never use.

I'd rather have something that handled and stopped well, that was safer in the event of a crash, pickups don't do well in crash testing. I also enjoy driving, you don't buy a pickup if you like to drive.

My bad, I already forgot that you bought a bigger piece of useless crap that is the A1.

This just goes to show that you rant about crap you have no idea about. A 24-25ft center console is usually around 5000-6000lbs, add another 1000-2000lbs for the trailer and outboard variation. No Audi A6 can tow that amount, and if you put that amount of load on your hitch you would drive the rear right into the ground. But dont let the facts get in your way.

And who cares that you dont haul sod around? Plenty of homeowners including myself do as well along with stuff like trees, mulch, hedge plants etc. I dont need to order up delivery or wait around wasting time when I can put it all in the back then hose it down in my driveway.

Get over it dude, you do nothing on here other than whine in car threads about how stupid something is and question peoples decisions what they do with their money. I'd rather have Americans spend money on quality trucks than buy cramped econo boxes like the A1 and waste money putting rims on them, if for nothing else than to annoy people like you who dont understand the idea of versatility and think that a POS small sized Euro pickup is even half as versatile as a 1/2 ton.

To the rest who are constantly blabbering about not seeing pickups with half a ton of sand in the bed, what a load of garbage, everytime I drive past a M3 or Corvette I dont see it doing 140mph or tearing up a curve sideways either.

You can absolutely buy a 7/8m center console boat that weighs under 2000kg on a trailer, its pretty damn common in Norway, and all over Europe, next thing you'll be saying Europeans can't build boats.

I bought a small second car because I don't need a big pickup to drive the 30km per day to work and back, it gets great mileage, and I doubt you've ever driven one, let alone seen one. I don't need to haul sod, or grass clippings, or any of that crap, I'm not into manual labor, you pay people to do that, but if ncessary I own a trailer, which I can haul sod, grass clippings and trees, if I need to then the rest of the time I own two much better vehicles that do the daily grind far better than your pickup ever could.

Just think how many people idiots like you have killed driving US pickups when they really have no reason to own them other than they can, it probably runs into the hundreds of thousands.

But what can people expect from an entire country where nobody gives a damn about anyone else, full of its all about me people, it's no wonder the US is in the poo!

cjg225 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:28 pm

Kiwirob wrote:
And that is exactly why people like you who doen't really need them shouldn't be driving them on public roads, they are a danger to other road users, I'm pretty sure you would have felt like crap if you'd killed the person in front or if they had had children in the back seat and you crushed them. Which is also why I'm pretty happy that American sized pickups are not sold over here.

There are no words to really get to the heart of how ridiculous that comment is.

rfields5421 · Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:14 pm

einsteinboricua wrote:
But I can get that from an SUV as well...so what compels an American to choose a pickup over an SUV?

One is visibility. The visibility out of a pickup especially to the sides is much better in a pickup than an SUV.

Pickups often have the most superior mirrors of any vehicle on the road.

With my truck, I can see both of my rear tires - see exactly where my rear bumper is, see any vehicle up even with my truck bed, and see a clear two lanes behind me. My 8,000 lb 3/4 ton pickup with four doors gives me much better visibility than my daughter's Honda Pilot. My brother-in-law recently traded a Chevy Tahoe for a Chevy 1500 pickup. He complained the whole time he had the Tahoe about the lack of visibility (and that his kids kept borrowing it to take the grandkids places - it seated 8 - the new pickup only has very small seats behind the main two).

Another is that an SUV has a 'soccer mom' image in the south/southwest region. A pickup is a working person's vehicle.

My granddaughter and a friend recently moved into their first apartment. Offering a case of beer to helpers - they got five guys with pickups from the junior college to move their stuff, carry it up two flights of stairs and such. Probably three of the five had never carried anything more than a couple small items in the bed of their truck until that day. (Probably being two hot looking 20 year old females has as much to do with the response as the case of beer).

I've carried stuff up to and including 4x8 sheets of plywood flat on the floor of a couple mini-vans we owned - Chevy Venture & Chevy Uplander. But I couldn't carry a washer or dryer in them. As a home owner with a yard and typical maintenance, a pickup is a hundred times more useful than an SUV.

Again - a matter of personal tastes.

I should mention along that line - one of our friends has a 39' Jayco Travel Trailer (10,000 lb) that they live in full-time. He tows it with a 3/4 ton, 8,000 lb Chevy Suburban. He likes that body style rather than a pickup like I use.

Redd · Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:26 pm

LOT767301ER wrote:
I do all that and don't need a pickup to do it, I have a station wagon and can hire a trailer whenever I need one.

Your station wagon would break in half at the first hint of serious hauling. I love how youre one to talk, you had a thread a few years back about a crappy and totally useless Audi A3 you had and were inquiring about putting rims on it...

You wouldnt understand how much a pallet of sod weighs even if one was dropped onto your lap. Have fun towing a full sized camping trailer or a 24ft+ boat on a joke of a hitch that is the Euro gooseneck.

Because every Tom, Dick & Harry load up their pick-up with a pallet of sod in the morning while towing a 24+ft strapped to the top of an extendable full size camping trailer.... You just gawn darn ahead an deescribed every there darn gosh pick up owner you dids.

Kiwirob · Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:29 pm

cjg225 wrote:
Kiwirob wrote:
And that is exactly why people like you who doen't really need them shouldn't be driving them on public roads, they are a danger to other road users, I'm pretty sure you would have felt like crap if you'd killed the person in front or if they had had children in the back seat and you crushed them. Which is also why I'm pretty happy that American sized pickups are not sold over here.

There are no words to really get to the heart of how ridiculous that comment is.

Just imagine how many people have been killed by other people driving pickups that would have survived if the other vehicle in the crash has been a standard car not an oversized pickup. I'm pretty happy we don't have crap like this on our roads, Polish truck drivers are more than enough menace on Norwegian roads without adding these as well.

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