Scientific Proof that Americans are Completely Addicted to Trucks

There is a ton of "utility" left in SUV's. They can hold a ton of stuff, tow things, drive through snow, etc. Just because they have luxury items as well doesn't mean they are less capable. The luxury items make them more capable to entertain kids, keep you comfortable on long drives and to be used as a vehicle you want to drive more often. I'm not a big fan of these vehicles either, but I don't understand how adding heated leather seats and carpet makes them less capable? Throw some seat covers and floor mats in your lexus SUV thing and do whatever you want.

In reply to bmwbav:Throw some seat covers and floor mats in your Lexus and now you have a ride with cheap upholstery. Why spend all the bucks in the first place?

BTW: I have nothing against those utility vehicles for those who need them. When I lived on a big place I always had a truck, a Ranger. (Never know when you're going to need to haul brush, feed, or whatever.) But I never bought bigger than I needed, or drove it like a DD.

My local elementary school lot is packed everyday with moms in their Rovers, Suburbans, Expositions, Lexus SUVs, etc., and even the occasional Diesel 4X4 crewcab pickup. They're typically picking up or dropping off their 1.5 kids who could have ridden both ways in the provided school buses. I've never seen any evidence that 90%+ of those rides went further off road than the end of the Mall parking lots.

I believe these are the rides being addressed in this thread.

Trackmouse wrote: One word-smithed word: brodozer. I'm glad I'm not alone in this thought. I hate all big trucks. If I were king, trucks would be sold only if you had a license for a job requiring them. Like a carpenter, or repair guy. And SUV's and not-so-minivans would require a certificate that shows just how many kids you have and what cumulate you live in. Seven kids and a house in Montana? Tahoe for you. Two kids and live in the city of portland? Kei car for you. Also- no studded snow tires unless there is solid ice on the ground. That make all those wimps that can't swing a tire iron learn how to. (Yes, my vision of automotive paradise is more like automotive soviet Russia)

I don't need a job to require a large truck. Being a massive car whore is reason enough. My truck enables my habit, which is all the reason I need to own it.

I currently daily drive a 3/4 ton 2008 GMC 2500HD. I used to own a civic hatchback as well, but recently sold it.

After everything is all said and done, the civic saved about $1k a year all in. Which is nothing to sneeze at, but the HASSLE of having two vehicles (above and beyond the multiple race cars) was awful.

Now I just daily drive the truck. New trucks (especially the 1/2 tons) get pretty damn good mpg compared to a decade ago. I don't particularly like it, but my aggravation has gone down in day to day life so that is worth the <$100/month added expense.

Trackmouse wrote: One word-smithed word: brodozer. I'm glad I'm not alone in this thought. I hate all big trucks. If I were king, trucks would be sold only if you had a license for a job requiring them. Like a carpenter, or repair guy. And SUV's and not-so-minivans would require a certificate that shows just how many kids you have and what cumulate you live in. Seven kids and a house in Montana? Tahoe for you. Two kids and live in the city of portland? Kei car for you. Also- no studded snow tires unless there is solid ice on the ground. That make all those wimps that can't swing a tire iron learn how to. (Yes, my vision of automotive paradise is more like automotive soviet Russia)

Wow.

Trackmouse wrote: I'm glad I'm not alone in this thought. I hate all big trucks. If I were king, trucks would be sold only if you had a license for a job requiring them.

LOL at your entire post (no personal offense intended)

It's really hard for me to wrap my head around words like "hate" in a thread about freakin' trucks.

Why do so many people give a crap? Do you not have anything else to concern yourselves with? Geeze!

I'm mystified at all the thought and hand-wringing that goes into railing about what other people choose to drive.

I couldn't care less whether you drive a Prius, an F350 or a minivan. I don't care if you're a Christian, a Jew or a Hindu either for that matter. If you earn the money, spend it on whatever the hell you feel like, it's yours.

Sure, it's fun to poke fun at the BroDozer guys with thier stacks etc. but stuff that goes on in all walks (rides) of life.

I'm very opinionated but I have a house, a wife, three children, two aging parents, take medical care of four disabled patients and everything else we deal with today. Hating trucks or whatever else takes too much time and energy for me.

I don't have any issues with folks driving trucks, I just hate that truck owners drive a political demand for cheaper oil so those same folks can afford to drive their trucks. Instead, truck owners should be demanding better efficiency out of their trucks (like smaller diesels available overseas.)

I need a truck for work, but I prefer driving a car. The money saving logic fails for me, since at the very best, I might save, in gas, about half of what I need to spend to insure the second car.

I wish there were more Dakota sized trucks...or any Dakota sized trucks now.

Rupert wrote: In reply to bmwbav:Throw some seat covers and floor mats in your Lexus and now you have a ride with cheap upholstery. Why spend all the bucks in the first place? BTW: I have nothing against those utility vehicles for those who need them. When I lived on a big place I always had a truck, a Ranger. (Never know when you're going to need to haul brush, feed, or whatever.) But I never bought bigger than I needed, or drove it like a DD. My local elementary school lot is packed everyday with moms in their Rovers, Suburbans, Expositions, Lexus SUVs, etc., and even the occasional Diesel 4X4 crewcab pickup. They're typically picking up or dropping off their 1.5 kids who could have ridden both ways in the provided school buses. I've never seen any evidence that 90%+ of those rides went further off road than the end of the Mall parking lots. I believe these are the rides being addressed in this thread.

I was replying to the statement that these luxury features somehow reduce the capability of SUV's/Trucks. I was getting at the fact that these things are still capable, just nicer. You spend the bucks because you want a nice car that can also tow, carry stuff, etc. You can also cover up the nice stuff when you need to do something dirty, then take out the same SUV for a nice dinner. Again, I'm not a big fan of these and don't own one because it's not practical for me. But, I get the attraction.

I drive for a living. The majority of people I see are driving the wrong vehicle for them. I see the single marketing agent that lives in the suburbs and commutes two miles a day driving MASSIVE SUV's that could house a small East Indian family for life. Wasting fuel, hogging the roads, droning on like a good lil' sheeple. Then said asshat decides to park his ford expedition on 30" dubs in three parking spots at the mall, as he leaves he makes a turn onto the highway cutting off cars and then flips them the bird.

Why do I hate trucks? Not trucks. Suv owners. Or any clown that thinks he's gonna be a "baller" cause he bought that expedition at the dealership for cheap and slapped some Craigslist chrome on it.

The other day I drove through a parking lot with a row of spaces clearly labled compact on the ground yet it was filled with suvs crammed door to door, of 15 spaces only two were compacts. As idiotic as it was it made me wonder if thats why all parking lots are cramped and highways too for that matter. Too bad theres nothing we can do about it but move to a country that doesnt afford us the liberties we have here in the united states of trucks

chiodos wrote: The other day I drove through a parking lot with a row of spaces clearly labled compact on the ground yet it was filled with suvs crammed door to door, of 15 spaces only two were compacts.

I drive my patients to medical appointments in a hadicapped van with side ramp. Every single time I try to find a reserved space (the ones clearly labeled VAN PARKING ONLY) that has the 6' space to the side, they're filled with compacts. A full 12' spot with a tiny import in it.

It goes both ways. Most things do.

Trackmouse wrote: The majority of people I see are driving the wrong vehicle for them.

That's seriously an amazing ability! Do you have X-ray vision too?

Isn't there a thread just like this on a Sierra Club forum saying people shouldn't drive cars at all when they should be riding a bicycle. Think of the lower health costs!

I don't care what people drive. I'm kinda sad panda that smaller trucks have gone the way of the dido bird and small diesel pickups aren't available here in the states. I'd drive one of those in a heartbeat. Make mine crew cab, cloth seats, manual windows/vinyl floors, stick shift please

As long as I don't have pink or purple HIDs in my face, I have zero reasons to care what others are driving.

Trackmouse wrote: I drive for a living. The majority of people I see are driving the wrong vehicle for them. I see the single marketing agent that lives in the suburbs and commutes two miles a day driving MASSIVE SUV's that could house a small East Indian family for life. Wasting fuel, hogging the roads, droning on like a good lil' sheeple. Then said asshat decides to park his ford expedition on 30" dubs in three parking spots at the mall, as he leaves he makes a turn onto the highway cutting off cars and then flips them the bird. Why do I hate trucks? Not trucks. Suv owners. Or any clown that thinks he's gonna be a "baller" cause he bought that expedition at the dealership for cheap and slapped some Craigslist chrome on it.

So... You have a problem with shiny happy people, not SUVs or trucks? Got it.

Buy whatever you like and enjoy it. Who am I to determine what someone should or should not like or does or does not need. I'm too busy running my own life for that kind of horse manure.

It would be an interesting thought experiment, though, to consider having different licensing requirements. I'm not sure if I'm pro- or con- or if it would be a GVWR- or displacement-based system, but I am generally a fan of a more thorough licensing process. I also wonder what it would look like to tax heavier vehicles more, even for personal use, assuming that those funds would be used only for road repair and maintenance.

In reply to wae:

Don't trucks already contribute increased revenue in the form of buying more taxed fuel?

And Diesel is taxed higher than gasoline so there's that.

trucke wrote: There are two types of people in the world. 1) Those that own trucks; 2) Those that borrow trucks. I am a trucke-borrow. Don't own one, but have friends with trucks. Pick-up trucks, box trucks, and a dump truck.

Wrong.

There are two types of people in this world:
Those that own trucks
Those who don't want to marry their sister

I am in the latter

Please note a Ford F150 Raptor is NOT a truck, it's an off road sports car

Good God. I'm glad some of you in this thread don't hold any real power. Please do the rest of us a favor and let us know if you ever run for political office so that the rest of us can vote against you.

Yes, I daily drive a truck. Yes, I use it as a truck, though not every day. I also like the comfort and interior space it has. But it has leather seats and satellite radio, so I guess I'm an awful person.

I have a 2008 dodge one ton duallie laramie. I use it mostly as a sales call vehicle and occasionally pull something with it. berkeley you if you don't like it. A v12 powered mgb or whatever is just as stupid.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Good God. I'm glad some of you in this thread don't hold any real power. Please do the rest of us a favor and let us know if you ever run for political office so that the rest of us can vote against you.

What, don't tell me this is the first time you've thought that on here?

92dxman wrote: I'm kinda sad panda that smaller trucks have gone the way of the dido bird

I'm not (new Colorado rear leg room):

Most people don't need a "light" utility vehicle such as a compact truck. They aren't useful. Might as well have a car with a trailer hitch and a small utility trailer. Cheaper, better mpg, more comfortable, just as easy to put to work.

Maybe if you live in the boonies on gravel roads I could buy into it, but small trucks just serve no purpose.

Haha, theres two types of limeys in the world, those that adore inbreds for their ruling class and those that have never seen a dentist.......ya know?