Last week I published a review of the new 2025 Ram 1500, which is different from the 2024 model primarily because it has a straight-six engine in place of the legendary HEMI V8, and because it can be had in a new $87,000+ “Carbide” trim. That’s a lot of money for a pickup truck, and a number of commenters made it clear that it was too much money. Luxurious pickup trucks, you see, are completely absurd, these detractors say. I disagree.
“87k for a half-ton?? No, just no,” reads one comment on our Instagram post published just before the truck review. “87k for any truck is too much” reads another.
“There is zero reason for this exist. Just buy an Escalade or Yukon Denali. This will never be used as a ‘truck,'” writes Instagrammer ziltoid_attax, only to be followed up by user dirkmcdougal, who writes: “Leather wrapped luxury PICKUP TRUCK. These things should all be destroyed. Just a testament to how dumb the American consumer has become.”
This is not an uncommon sentiment towards fancy, expensive pickup trucks. Building a luxury truck is a bit like someone putting Armani seats and a Tiffany crystal-shifter in a tractor. Even though folks have been daily driving pickup trucks for 100 years, the reality is that pickup trucks are still seen as work implements. And it makes sense; take one peek at a truck, and you’ll see that half the vehicle (though an increasingly smaller proportion) is a bed that’s not meant to seat any passengers — it’s meant solely for folks to throw stuff into. A humongous element of the truck’s styling communicates “haul things.” Add to that the fact that every single pickup truck manufacturer markets their pickup trucks as hard-working tools, and it’s easy to see pumping luxury into something meant to get dirty and smudged and torn and dinged as a complete waste of time.
Hell, this Ram commercial literally starts with the narrator saying: “A truck is a tool.”
But as the later parts of that commercial clearly show, a truck is no more a tool than aviator glasses are military eye-protection, than Timberlands are work boots, than a fancy Carhartt jacket is thermal protection for factory workers, or than a Mercedes G-Wagon is a military off-road machine. These former tools can still mostly do what they were initially designed to do — and in fact, that’s key to making them so marketable — but their primary usage has evolved.
Pickup trucks were initially work machines, sure, and while some folks did daily drive them in the early days, only in the past 30 or so years — and especially in the last 10 — did they truly evolve into daily-cruisers, with many of them becoming rather swanky. I’m OK with that.
Why must someone who enjoys driving a pickup truck have to pilot a sedan or SUV if they want luxury? Why is a Mercedes S-Class, Rolls Royce Continental GT, or Cadillac Escalade somehow acceptable, but a Ram 1500 Carbide or a Ford F-150 King Ranch or a Chevy Silverado High Country or even a high-end Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger isn’t? These are all wallowy, beautifully-riding luxury machines that cost a ton; in some ways you could argue that the trucks represent a less silly way to spend money given that they also offer a versatility that the others don’t.
I think part of the reason why folks dislike fancy pickups is that they are perceived as a threat to the cheap, basic trucks that so many people yearn for. I’m not entirely convinced that that’s fair; a basic 1998 Dodge Ram started at $16,335; that’s about $31,000 in modern bucks. A 2023 Ram Classic costs $32,345 — sure, it’s up a little, but it’s also stuffed with way, way more mandatory safety features and standard content.
To be clear: I would never buy a luxury pickup truck. In fact, the main reason why I purchased my 1985 Jeep J10 pickup was that it was the simplest version of my favorite truck, and in my eyes that makes it the ultimate. It came from the factory with an unkillable AMC straight six, a stickshift, a bench seat, vinyl floors, a stamped tailgate, a regular cab, a long bed, manual locking hubs, and not a whole lot more.
I love a no-frills pickup because I love a vehicle that rarely breaks, and that I can fix easily (I rebuilt the transmission in my kitchen for $150). Still, despite my own personal preferences, I have no issue with folks who love driving pickup trucks — and that’s a huge portion of the American population; head into the country, and you’ll see that pickups are used just like normal sedans or crossovers are in other parts of the country — wanting a bit of luxury in their lives.
There’s no reason why a pickup driver should have to buy an SUV or sedan just because they want nice seats or a magic-carpet suspension. Let these folks continue driving in the type of vehicle they love, but with air springs and massaging leather and big screens. No need for them to have to buy a Yukon Denali. As long as this doesn’t jack up the prices of a bare-bones truck too much, I think it’s time to chill on all the luxotruck hatred.
[Quick Note:
This article applies to all pickup trucks, including the Ford Maverick and Ranger and Nissan Frontier. The issue of trucks and SUVS and crossovers being too damn big is a different topic, but it’s worth noting that the effects that has on pedestrian protection are very real. Having more full-size truck and large SUV/CUV offerings does encourage more people to drive big vehicles, so having a problem with BIG luxury trucks and SUVS/crossovers for that reason makes sense. Though this article is more about the issue so many people have with pickups being fancy since pickups are “supposed to be” tools. There are luxury versions of pretty much every car type (including SUVs, which were also mean to be tools — off-roadesr), so slathering leather and screens inside a pickup cab isn’t that big of a deal. (And in fact, adds pedestrian protection via cameras and pedestrian protection).
Also: Please accept my apologies for my Sunday “David’s Takes” Op-Ed being a bit shorter and later than it has been in the past. I’m currently in a lounge in Las Vegas, celebrating my youngest brother’s 30th birthday:
I’m walking around with a backpack, blogging in casinos and lounges. Some say I look like a nerd; that’s fine (and true), because you all deserve blogs. -DT]
Lol I drive a King Ranch F350 and I won’t buy anything made in China.
But mostly I agree with you.
If you really don’t buy anything made in China, I applaud you – that’s quite difficult. Unless you’re only talking about cars.
I have been alone (or close to it) on this island for a long time.
Great take and defense of what I consider the best all-around vehicles for sale now or ever.
Sure, for YOU.
For everyone not in there with you not so much.
Imagine if all the R&D that was put towards pickups in the past 15 years went into making better cars and *gasp* wagons? I can dream. I’d have less of a problem if they were not huge hulks for no reason other then posturing. The new Silverado has a turbo 4cyl, yet the hood is up near my shoulder and I’m 5’10”. My son drives a Miata. There is no way that works out if ever the two shall meet. Also, we know some of it was to evade CAFE regs. Trucks are also simple, and equal more profit. Greed, evasion and laziness is what I see on wheels. Why can’t we have an Audi RS6-camino instead?
These pickups also offset some of the costs to research and develop EVs.
I’ve seen it argued that the stupid sizes of modern pickups are tied to stupidly extreme capability. In other words, it was the capability pissing-contest among the truck manufacturers that dictated the ever-increasing sizes, rather than the inverse.
Like maybe if we didn’t insist that our daily-driver pickups have the same capabilities as a heavy-duty from 10 years ago, then maybe they wouldn’t all need to be so big & tall. I still think that a Honda Ridgeline is enough truck for 90% of buyers.
David, you of all people should know why they’re pushing pickup trucks so hard. It’s 3/4s of an SUV built on the same platform. Costs less to manufacture, is less useful to the consumer, and pushes the buyer to purchase another vehicle that’s actually useful.
The truth is these things are pavement princesses that do nothing but clog up cities and contribute to the skyrocketing pedestrian death rates. While helping automakers dodge taxes and fleet mileage.
Having had a large SUV and now a Crew Cab pickup, I found the SUV to be less useful.
They’re both really not that useful honestly. If you want a useful truck you get the base model, hah.
I’ve found my Crew Cab 1500 to be more useful than the single cab trucks I’ve owned in the past. It’s more comfortable on long trips even if you’re the only person, and it can haul 5 people comfortably. Also, mine isn’t a fancy Limited, it’s a fairly low trim level Bighorn. For all the winging from people about not being able to haul 4×8 sheets with the tailgate closed, luckily my tailgate opens and the 4×8 sheets fit in there just fine, plus hauling them 2 miles from Lowes to my house represents a very small portion of my truck usage.
David, is it really “unkillable” if you just refuse to let it die?
As a cyclist it makes no difference to me if I get run over by a fancy pickup or a bare bones stripper pickup, I’m just as mangled a mess of dead flesh either way. With a Prius I might have pulled through or maybe even not been hit at all.
As a pedestrian I am equally invisible to a driver in a massive jacked up luxotruck as I am to the driver in the base bones version of that same truck. I am much more likely to be seen by the driver of a car.
As someone trying to navigate a street choked with these behemoths it again does not matter to me if they are SUVs or trucks, luxurious or basic, they all equally impair my safe passage. I can see around and over most cars.
As someone trying to park it makes no difference to me if the bloated behemoths I’m trying to squeeze between are luxurious or not. I also don’t care if I’m parked between Corollas or BMWs unless the BMWs park like BMWs.
As a driver my view is equally blocked by massive jacked up luxotruckbutt as it is by massive jacked up stripper truckbutt. I am also blinded equally by their headlights shining right into my eyes.
My only real issue with luxury trucks is that they displace safer and saner alternatives. Like using nice economy cars for doing economy car stuff like going to the mall, solo commuting to the office, or driving to the hardware store for a box of nails, and saving the trucks for actual truck stuff like hauling manure or towing a trailer with a bobcat on it.
I’ll just say this. You, should VERY MUCH prefer the fancy truck. The sensors and lane assist will save your life.
The work truck will think you’re a porcupine and keep cruising.
Sight line issues persist either way.
Maybe, if they work and if the driver bothers to use them. I think there are enough oversized behemoths with them by now to see if they make a significant real world impact on the safety of those outside the behemoths. If so I’d expect the “good” features to be mandated on lower trims as backup cameras already are.
As you correctly point out those gizmos can’t overcome oversized truck physics though. They don’t help fix oversized trucks blocking my view of traffic nor fancy trucks displacing safer and saner alternatives.
Only solution is to stop being such a baby and put a 6-8 inch lift and some trail armor on that bike!
(I have a robust comment history so please note this is sarcasm)
Co-sign and add that road design to accomodate trucks and full size SUVs being as popular as they are has destroyed the livability of our neighborhoods.
I don’t have a problem with trucks being fancy or comfortable with convenient technology – people who spend a lot of time in trucks deserve to spend their money on comfort and convenience.
I do have a problem when trucks in general become a nuisance because there are just so dang many of them for no good reason.
You’re forgetting the family that owns either a good-sized travel trailer, cruising boat, or multiple toys (Maybe even a race car). They deserve to own pickups too.
As for a commuter car; most people don’t want the hassle of insuring, maintaining, and shuffling multiple cars around in their driveway. One vehicle to rule them all.
I’m so glad my safety is less important than having those toys.
If you have space and budget for a race car/boat/travel trailer you have space and a budget for a cheap commuter car too.
Perceived safety is subjective. Ask any motorcycle rider.
Actual safety as risk OTOH is measurable:
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicles-with-higher-more-vertical-front-ends-pose-greater-risk-to-pedestrians
If we’re going to use that measure, we better get rid of the 13,500,000 trucks; 11,200,000 RVs (38% of which are Millennials); plus all 939,000 public busses and 450,000 school busses because they all are vehicles with higher, vertical front ends. That’s 26,089,000 vehicles with high front ends on the road any day of the week even if you got rid of big pickup trucks.
I’ll keep this simple: No matter what you say, how you feel, or what you do, large pickup trucks are here to stay. Why? Because midsized trucks are now roughly the size of old full sized trucks. No way is any manufacturer going to downsize their full sized truck and have their customers ask why spend more for it when the midsized is almost the same size for less. This is also why Ford and GM don’t offer the Colorado/Canyon/Ranger in anything but short bed crewcabs; extended cabs and regular cab long beds would takes all important sales numbers from the big boys.
Whether you like it or not, large trucks are here to stay.
Links:
Trucks – Trucking Industry Trends, Statistics, & Forecast – 2023 Edition (truckinfo.net)
Motorhomes – 61 RV Industry Statistics & Trends (2022) (getonedesk.com)
Public Busses – U.S. bus registrations | Statista
School Busses – FOTW #1320, December 11, 2023: Number of U.S. Electric School Buses More than Doubled from March 2022 to June 2023 | Department of Energy
Don’t be ridiculous. Commercial trucks are constantly being used to do truck things, and are only driven by professional drivers. Nobody is cosplaying in them, nor using them to do a job better done by an economy car. Modern society cannot function without them. The same is true for pickups when used by trademen for trademen things. They are a necessary evil and as such can be tolerated. The same is true of the other vehicles you mentioned; however same is not true for a full sized pickups used almost exclusively to go back and forth to the office or the mall and occasionally to Home Depot for a single box of nails and an 8′ 2″x4″
I’ll keep this simple: No matter what you say, how you feel, or what you do, large pickup trucks are here to stay.
You may not remember but pickup truck sales fell off a cliff in 2008 when the economy also fell off a cliff and gas hit $4/gallon.
https://www.cars.com/articles/2008-year-end-truck-sales-wrap-up-453724/
Imagine what will happen when gas hits $10/gallon. Or more.
This points out the bias problem succinctly. They are not evil; they are just machinery. People should be able to enjoy what they buy to reward themselves for the work they do and the sacrifices they make to get that enjoyment.
As for the gas price spike, it will probably hit as hard as the $5.00 a gallon but that’s it and it will bounce back. You forgot that CAFE has forced better mileage of these pickups. (And even the electric trucks from Ford and GM are Full Sized. Those owners don’t care how high the gas prices get.)
People should be able to enjoy what they buy to reward themselves for the work they do and the sacrifices they make to get that enjoyment.
Hardly. Your right to throw a punch ends at my nose. If your choice of vehicle puts me and mine at a higher risk of death or injury I have every right to complain.
I’m willing to tolerate commercial and work vehicles as the capability of these vehicle sis essential for such work but using big pickup trucks as commuters and mall crawlers is ridiculous.
You forgot that CAFE has forced better mileage of these pickups. (And even the electric trucks from Ford and GM are Full Sized. Those owners don’t care how high the gas prices get.)
I have not forgotten but $4/gallon gas in a 12 MPG truck is less of a hit than $10/gal gas in a 24 MPG truck.
(And even the electric trucks from Ford and GM are Full Sized. Those owners don’t care how high the gas prices get.)
Oh jut come visit us in PG&E country and you’ll see how expensive electricity can get. Out here you’re often better off with an equivalent gas car.
Hardly. Your right to throw a punch ends at my nose.
What an odd statement. How many people are throwing punches at you? Do you have to avoid Boxing Gyms and Dojos?
If your choice of vehicle puts me and mine at a higher risk of death or injury I have every right to complain.
Oh hell yeah! You HAVE the right to complain. It’s the great American Pastime. What you can’t do is tell someone they can’t buy something that is legal to buy just because you don’t like it. (Same for me.)
using big pickup trucks as commuters and mall crawlers is ridiculous.
As are Corvettes, Lamborghinis, Miatas, Hell Cats, Crotch Rockets, or BMW i7s. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun for their owner.
I have not forgotten but $4/gallon gas in a 12 MPG truck is less of a hit than $10/gal gas in a 24 MPG truck.
12 MPG? Not every truck owner is driving a TRX. 24MPG is a good average for what they are getting now, but they’re already working on getting higher mileage out of them. GM is rushing to get PHEV Silverados and Sierras out on the market. I’m sure Ram and Ford have plans to compete against this too. That’ll take the sting out of possible $10 a gallon gas.
Oh jut come visit us in PG&E country and you’ll see how expensive electricity can get. Out here you’re often better off with an equivalent gas car.
I had to Google “PG&E” country. Sounds like a fun trip! You are invited to visit my hometown of Highland Park, Michigan. It would be equally educational.
What you can’t do is tell someone they can’t buy something that is legal to buy just because you don’t like it. (Same for me.)
Nobody is telling people they CAN’T buy these trucks. They are telling people they SHOULDN’T buy these trucks, at worst they shouldn’t be allowed to buy these trucks without a demonstrated and frequent need for such a truck but nobody is saying “can’t”.
As are Corvettes, Lamborghinis, Miatas, Hell Cats, Crotch Rockets, or BMW i7s. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun for their owner.
The difference of course is the exact opposite of all the safety and visibility complaints is true for those cars, especially in the case of the Miata. Those cars increase visibility thanks to being lower and shorter. Are they safer? Given they weigh so little and don’t have walls for grills, probably.
12 MPG? Not every truck owner is driving a TRX.
I was referring to the relative cost of MPG to gas prices of 2008 to now. 12MPG was pretty typical for a full sized truck in 2008.
I had to Google “PG&E” country. Sounds like a fun trip!
Its super. Just leave the BEV at home. And the truck. Gas runs about $4.50/gal here
You are invited to visit my hometown of Highland Park, Michigan. It would be equally educational.
I’ve have been to Detroit, about 24 years ago. It was certainly….educational.
So was Toledo. The Toledo stare was something else!
they shouldn’t be allowed to buy these trucks without a demonstrated and frequent need for such a truck but nobody is saying “can’t”.
Sounds like a “Can’t unless permitted” to me. Nope.
The difference of course is the exact opposite of all the safety and visibility complaints is true for those cars
I wasn’t comparing their safety, but their practicality as a commuter.
12MPG was pretty typical for a full sized truck in 2008.
My 2002 Silverado 1500 Z-71 4WD with 5.3 liter V-8 and 32inch tires got 16 city and 22 on long freeway jonts consistently. It was my 2005 3/4 ton Dodge Ram 2500 4×4 with Hemi and 35 inch tires on a lift with the mileage improving air dam removed got 12 city. If it has regular sized tires, no lift, and the air dam, I’d wager it would’ve gotten 14. (That truck weighed 7,000 pounds where the Silverado weighed just 5,000.)
Gas runs about $4.50/gal here.
Doesn’t scare me. I expect that from all the extra taxes in your area that pays for extra programs that were voted for. No big deal. I would expect the same driving the Dempster Highway in Alaska.
I’ve have been to Detroit, about 24 years ago. It was certainly….educational.
So was Toledo. The Toledo stare was something else!
Then you have learned where tall pickup truck front ends rate in the hierarchy things that are truly dangerous and life threatening. PS: Highland Park makes Detroit look good!
Sounds like a “Can’t unless permitted” to me. Nope.
I guess you don’t approve of drivers licenses either.
I wasn’t comparing their safety, but their practicality as a commuter.
A sports car is also a much better solo commuter than a truck. It takes up less room on the roadway. It can zip into tighter spaces and gets better gas mileage. Even a C5 corvette can get 40 MPG highway. Better acceleration, better braking, better handling, just better.
Then you have learned where tall pickup truck front ends rate in the hierarchy things that are truly dangerous and life threatening. PS: Highland Park makes Detroit look good!
So because WMDs exist a slingshot is as dangerous and life threatening as a fully auto M14?
I guess you don’t approve of drivers licenses either.
I definitely approve of the current system if getting a driver’s license. Not only can you drive a vehicle all the way up to a Class A motorhome, but you can renew it while pushing an oxygen tank at age 85!
A sports car is also a much better solo commuter than a truck.
When it comes to blizzard conditions, heavy rain, light flooding, heavy flooding, and such a pickup beats a sportscar any day of the week to commute to work. It’s even better when you have to move people. You can car pool with a pickup. Just throw then in the bed!
So because WMDs exist a slingshot is as dangerous and life threatening as a fully auto M14?
So you agree that when it comes to danger, the front end of a pickup is akin to a slingshot. Awesome! (Didn’t the military replace the M14 with the M16 because the recoil of the 7.62×51 MATO round was uncontrollable under full auto while the 5.56 NATO round was easily handled?)
PS: Did you know that while we have been debating these three days, roughly 18,000 full sized pickups have been sold in the United States? (Based on the 4th quarter sales numbers of 2023.)
We both know the the front end of a pickup in that analogy was the M14.
And the reasoning I heard for the smaller round had to do with weight and cost. The 5.56 did the job just fine, was lighter and thus easier to carry. It was cheaper too which was good since a whole lot of pricier 7.62×51 rounds were being wasted on nothing.
Hmm, maybe the M14 is a better analogy to a full sized pickup than I thought!
When it comes to blizzard conditions, heavy rain, light flooding, heavy flooding, and such a pickup beats a sportscar any day of the week to commute to work.
Funny how you go to other parts of the world folks make do just fine without pickups in weather just as fierce, maybe even worse.
Maybe Americans are just wussies.
PS: Did you know that while we have been debating these three days, roughly 18,000 full sized pickups have been sold in the United States? (Based on the 4th quarter sales numbers of 2023.)
Which is fine by me as long as those pickup trucks were bought by folks who can park them on their own property and live in thinly populated areas where they are less likely to ever see a pedestrian or cyclist. Like Alaska.
Happy Friday!
We both know that the front end of a pickup in that analogy was the M14.
Yeah, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.
And the reasoning I heard for the smaller round had to do with weight and cost. The 5.56 did the job just fine, was lighter and thus easier to carry. It was cheaper too which was good since a whole lot of pricier 7.62×51 rounds were being wasted on nothing.
This sounds like the same reason why the 1/2 ton full sized pickup is so popular. It’s lighter than a 3/4 ton, more maneuverable, more versatile, and gets better mileage so thus cheaper.
That’s it! The 1/2 ton is 5.56; the 7.62 x 51 is a 3/4 ton; and the 7.62 x 63 (30-06) is the 1 ton. Great analogy you made!
Funny how you go to other parts of the world folks make do just fine without pickups in weather just as fierce, maybe even worse.
Or it could just be that their roads weren’t designed for the dimensions of full sized American cars and trucks. Or maybe the taxes based on engine sizes that are used instead of property taxes? (Ireland)
But they are in Europe.
French Mopar Owner’s Club – The website of the club for Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, DeSoto, Imperial, AMC, Jeep enthusiasts (mopar-owners-club.com)
Here’s a guy testing one in Sweden. Check out the comments.
https://youtu.be/1lGfy3trAcU?si=IZO9dRMkvZFed2X8
The Netherlands.
https://youtu.be/Y1CbqP2Jvb4?si=jtm9Yg1kfqnbqwAJ
And don’t forget the popular full sized American vans racing in Japan!
https://youtu.be/7U2BC5sOltU?si=ucSyYZ4Ag97GLf3Q
Yeehaw! Or Banzaii!
Which is fine by me as long as those pickup trucks were bought by folks who can park them on their own property and live in thinly populated areas where they are less likely to ever see a pedestrian or cyclist. Like Alaska.
Looks like they are more popular than you expected.
Dude I’ve been there. I have family there. My parents own homes there. I’ve driven there. So yeah, I’ve seen what’s on the roads there with my own eyes.
While full sized trucks do exist in Europe – I even saw a stupidly lifted Cummins in Sweden – they are much more the exception than the rule.
Corvettes OTOH OMG. Swedes for whatever reason do love Corvettes. I saw more Corvettes there than I do here. Plenty of other vintage American iron as well. Their roads are very much like ours too with similar speed limits. And Biltima is a thing as are Dollar stores. For whatever reason Sweden has Dollar stores even though their currency is decidedly not dollar based.
So its not a lack of red neck culture, gas prices or medieval roads holding them back from owning truckbutt; however, from what I saw they’re not nearly as into bigass vehicles as Americans are.
Dude I’ve been there. I have family there. My parents own homes there. I’ve driven there. So yeah, I’ve seen what’s on the roads there with my own eyes.
Nice! What country and city? I was lucky enough to do a tour of Ireland. That’s how I found out about automotive yearly tax based on engine size while not having home property taxes.
While full sized trucks do exist in Europe – I even saw a stupidly lifted Cummins in Sweden – they are much more the exception than the rule.
I expect that. I don’t think there are many factories in Europe that build full sized pickups from GM, Ford, Ram, or Toyota. (There is the Unimog though.)
Corvettes OTOH OMG. Swedes for whatever reason do love Corvettes. I saw more Corvettes there than I do here. Plenty of other vintage American iron as well.
I can see that. It’s like the Kei car, JDM, and European fan clubs here, just not as spread out.
So its not a lack of red neck culture, gas prices or medieval roads holding them back from owning truckbutt; however, from what I saw they’re not nearly as into bigass vehicles as Americans are.
I think it’s a mix of culture, logistics, taxes, and prices. Since you’ve been there more than me, how many Home Depots and Lowe’s are there? How more accepted is public transportation for commuting compared to the United States? How large are the dealer lots? When it comes to travel trailers and boats? How big are they compared to us? I’d wager that they are smaller since they don’t have the big trucks to pull them. What about import fees?
What’s the percentage of duties to overall price? 10%? 20%? Do other countries have annual taxes based on engine size? If so, owners of 5.3 liter, 6.3 liter, and other engine sizes are paying a lot! (Now that I think about it, I bet the GM 2.7 TurboMax is getting some attention over there.)
Getting the truck also requires a lot of jumping through loopholes, like getting a JDM car or Skoda imported here. That’s just the truck. What about parts availability or getting it fixed/maintained? Are there even lifts strong enough to handle the weight and size of these vehicles at the local dealership, let alone an indie shop? Just like we complain about EVs, the infrastructure just isn’t there.
But all this might be starting to change. I found this on the Ford of Norway website.
Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford UK
Who knows? Maybe in 20 – 40 years Europe will have as many full sized rigs as the US does.
Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve also been around France. Other places to but not recently.
Home Depots and Lowe’s are there?
They have Bauhaus which is as close to HD as you can get right down to the orange shelving. Dunno about a Lowes equivalent as we shopped at Bauhaus.
If you ever find yourself that way do check out Biltima. Its like a cross between Autozone and Harbor Freight with an ultra cheap food court. Seriously, last time I was there I paid 5SEK or $0.50 for a cinnamon roll and a coffee. Hot dogs were the same price. They’re not top notch but they hit the spot.
Go for the stuff and food but stay for the people watching.
When it comes to travel trailers and boats? How big are they compared to us?
Dunno. I didn’t see a lot of folks pulling boats. Or anything else. My uncle owned a good sized boat that he had a (slip?dock?) for. We went sailing in the archipelago so if there were a lot of folks hauling boats I think I’d have seen them. Not a lot of camping trailers or RVs either. Swedes just buy or rent cottages in the summer.
Last I heard sales tax was 20% which sounds like a lot but I heard the overall taxation rate is closer to typical US rates than you’d expect. And you get actual healthcare for that.
Side story: Just a few years ago my mother slipped and fell onto a cobblestone curb. She was taken to the Karolinska Institute for care. This is considered one of the top 10 hospitals in the world. Its also the institute that decides who gets the Nobel Prize for medicine.
Her injuries weren’t horrible, she had dislocated her shoulder and suffered some minor nerve damage. A few months later she was fine. On her way out she got the bill. The person giving it to her was embarrassed to explain the reason it was so high because of her lack of insurance.
It was $237! Well, that’s #%^& socialism for ya!
Gas was about double that of California but my rentals got double the MPG so I paid about the same for my miles. Had I been driving a pickup I definitely would have noticed that.
A pulse and the ability to fog a mirror is not enough to score a DL there either and it shows.The test is hard and expensive, last I heard the equivalent of 1000 to get a DL. Can’t recall if that was SEK or USD. Still, it’s not cheap and the actual driving test was on a special test track that simulated winter driving. You have to earn that licence. Visitors on a VISA are granted a courtesy recognition of their home country’s license for 90 days.
I don’t recall hearing anything about tax on engine displacement. As I said Swedes love their vintage American iron so I don’t think importing large displacement vehicles is particularity hard or expensive. If anything I think its harder to get a non US market car into the US.
Pump price of gas is expensive so that tends to motivate folks to buy smaller, more efficient vehicles. They do now have steep fees to drive into Stockholm so most folks leave the cars at home.
Public transit is excellent. It might not always be the fastest option but it will get you there. I was shocked to find there was a public bus that could have brought me from Arlanda, the main airport of Stockholm to our island summer cottage 300+ miles away pretty much door to door. Unfortunately the time it would have take made that option impractical. The commuter trains are fast, quiet and smooth. The parking lot ticketing is vicious so don’t “forget” to buy the permit.
I’ve often heard the argument that Americans need big trucks because of weather, rural living, whatever. Sweden shows the flaws in those arguments. Its a country larger than California with a population of 10M with real winter weather and city/suburban folks owning or renting country cottages for the summer. So there is a lot of of rural/small town living. Tradefolk typically drive small vans. Other folks do just fine without massive SUVs or pickup trucks. Again that is not to say they don’t exist, there just aren’t anywhere near as many of them.
Had a family meeting today. Didn’t want you to think I was ignoring you. I’ll reply tomorrow.
No worries.
First – I’m glad your Mom is ok. I’m also glad about her bill. (We definitely agree about the medical system here.)
Gas was about double that of California but my rentals got double the MPG so I paid about the same for my miles. Had I been driving a pickup I definitely would have noticed that.
Trust me, all pickup owners notice the prices at the pump. They just begrudgingly accept it.
A pulse and the ability to fog a mirror is not enough to score a DL there either and it shows. The test is hard and expensive, last I heard the equivalent of 1000 to get a DL.
That will never happen here. Hell, you don’t even need to fog a mirror now. Just ask all those pseudo autonomous cars that are allowed licenses in California and other states. (Mainly with Millennials and Gen Z have to budget hard and they have the biggest voting block now, so that’s why I don’t see a change.)
They do now have steep fees to drive into Stockholm so most folks leave the cars at home.
I see more cities doing this, not Detroit of course, and it becoming another playing piece in the political “Culture war”.
Public transit is excellent. It might not always be the fastest option but it will get you there.
Public transit is definitely not excellent here. In fact, it’s barely adequate and has a stigma attached.
I’ve often heard the argument that Americans need big trucks because of weather, rural living, whatever. Sweden shows the flaws in those arguments. Its a country larger than California with a population of 10M with real winter weather and city/suburban folks owning or renting country cottages for the summer. So there is a lot of of rural/small town living. Tradefolk typically drive small vans. Other folks do just fine without massive SUVs or pickup trucks.
This is where the difference in culture comes in. Obviously, for most of the population, the United States is a “young country” so we hold hard to our romanticized eras hard. Pickup are woven into the fabric of that and are a tangible connection to it. It’s not just “Cowboys and Westers” It’s camping down a dirt road, hunting during the fall, or fishing that hidden stream. It’s building that cabin in the woods or that shed in the back yard. It’s hauling that rusty hulk of a car or motorcycle home for a full restoration or it’s that one of a kind find at a roadside antique shop that completes the addition you’ve been working on.
Most of all, it’s the opportunity to do any of this when the moment happens. Even if you are living in a 20 square foot apartment in New York City. Possibilities are the biggest romance of all. I know of a woman whose minivan had broken down. She thought it was terminal and looking to replace it with a full-sized Ram 1500 crew cab pickup truck. She was really excited about it and said it had BDE! – Big Dinosaur Energy for any kids in the room. The minivan was fixable and she was happy for the smaller bill, but was disappointed not getting the truck. Another woman just texted me with pictures of her boyfriend’s new to him GMC. They already have a Ram 1500 that she drives to work with daily and to haul their quad runner into the countryside on weekends. The new pickup will be his commuter and used for camping out in the country as it has a cap on it.
Sweeden’s culture is older and different. It is every bit as rich, but calmer in mind and action. The best way I can compare the two is with knives.
Sweden has a great bushcraft/camping knife for the general public. It’s made by Mora. The Mora Companion HD has a scandi grind, four inch blade, and is a great for detailed work but weak at chopping.
America’s great knife is the Bowie. Flat grind, clip point, sharp and heavy. It’s a great chopper and gives you extra reach but has a hard time with detail work.
Both can get the job done but have different ways of going about it. The same for cars and trucks. To each their own.
“Pickup are woven into the fabric of that and are a tangible connection to it. It’s not just “Cowboys and Westers” It’s camping down a dirt road, hunting during the fall, or fishing that hidden stream. It’s building that cabin in the woods or that shed in the back yard. It’s hauling that rusty hulk of a car or motorcycle home for a full restoration or it’s that one of a kind find at a roadside antique shop that completes the addition you’ve been working on.”
Pish! I’ve done all that in sedans, shooting brakes and minivans without ever having owned a pickup. I’ve hauled large appliances, fruit presses, a winters worth of scrap lumber firewood, junk, 6 full beer kegs and lots of other stuff in a 150 hp 4 cyl microvan most Americans would insist demanded at a minimum a 300 hp truck.
“This is where the difference in culture comes in. Obviously, for most of the population, the United States is a “young country” so we hold hard to our romanticized eras hard.
…
Sweeden’s culture is older and different. It is every bit as rich, but calmer in mind and action.”
You know what I think it is?
I think Swedes watch less TV. A LOT less! When I visited as a kid in the 80s there were I think 4 state run channels. And no commercials. And what they do watch now isn’t as godawfully brain damaging as is most American TV.
It wasn’t always this way. Once, long ago I used to love things like History/Animal Planet/Discovery/SciFi channels until those were ruined with alien autopsy and alternate history crap. The ever increasing commercials got to be too much too. I had a ReplayTV that automatically cut out most of the commercials for me but it couldn’t do widescreen.
In response I cut the cord a decade ago and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Now my tolerance for commercials is zilch.
A few years ago there was a “special tv event” that was only on network TV. I wasn’t about to pay for it so I rigged up a temporary tin foil antenna on my TV and got that channel OTA. To make sure the antenna worked I watched a few minutes of daytime TV.
Just that little bit was enough to show me just how awful American daytime TV is. It was one of those girlfriend talk shows that spends the whole time promoting junk. It was INSIDIOUS! Even paying just enough attention just often enough to gauge picture and sound quality was too much nonsense for me.
The “special event” turned out to be a disappointment as well. So the next day I pulled down the antenna and trashed it. I’ve never looked back.
Plenty of folks do watch lots of TV though. Those I think are the ones who buy trucks they don’t actually need like those women you mentioned and/or sportsball fans. I think they are all brainwashed victims of TV advertising.
Pish! I’ve done all that in sedans, shooting brakes and minivans without ever having owned a pickup. I’ve hauled large appliances, fruit presses, a winters worth of scrap lumber firewood, junk, 6 full beer kegs and lots of other stuff in a 150 hp 4 cyl microvan most Americans would insist demanded at a minimum a 300 hp truck.
Microvans didn’t get started until the 60’s here. At that point, Full Sized pickups had been a part of the landscape for fifty years and three generations. (Never mind the heavy influence they had on men during WW-II)
The microvans/minivans actually petered out after a few years and it took Chrysler to bring them back in the early 80’s before they became popular. That’s another generation and twenty years for pickups to get into our blood here.
I think Swedes watch less TV. A LOT less! When I visited as a kid in the 80s there were I think 4 state run channels. And no commercials. And what they do watch now isn’t as godawfully brain damaging as is most American TV.
I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s with roughly 6 Channels if you include CBC Canada and an Independent Channel. Yeah, there was some truly bad stuff but never underestimate the power of Star Trek!
Plenty of folks do watch lots of TV though. Those I think are the ones who buy trucks they don’t actually need like those women you mentioned and/or sportsball fans. I think they are all brainwashed victims of TV advertising.
I can guarantee you that those two women don’t watch that much TV. One is too busy raising her kids, leading Zumba classes three times a week, and reading. The other lady is either on her phone researching various repairs for her truck (It’s a rescue from a collision) cooking, cleaning as a second job, or hanging out with her friends in the country.
Other’s do watch a lot of TV and most skip the commercials these days.
My personal pickup passion hit its stride from articles in magazine. The Turtle Expedition. They Travelled the world in their pickups with slide in campers.
Turtle Expedition
Micro video of their visit to Baja
https://youtu.be/kPyDHpMK9O0?si=b5Bx00j0bkzRyrZL
Here’s the thing. Pickups are so ingrained into the American culture (United States, Canada, and Mexico) That even people who visit here want to explore while driving a full sized pickup.
https://youtu.be/azJVrvmOJKk?si=DeT13QRVte75eJHJ
Pickups have been around for a long time. I expect them to continue to be after we’ve gone.
If what you were saying was true I don’t think manufacturers would spend God knows how many millions every year to constantly reinforce that view through a barrage of advertising. Trucks should just sell themselves. After all Tesla famously sold every car – and in the process became one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world – with no advertising whatsoever until 2023.
Trucks should just sell themselves.
They pretty much do. I didn’t see a single ad for a pickup truck while my wife was watching TV. (It was the Hallmark channel, so there’s that.) There also wasn’t a single pickup ad when I watched YouTube. In fact, I didn’t even see an ad for pickup trucks over at the Pickup Truck + SUV Talk website. You’d think I’d see one there. Check it out and tell me what you see.
Pickup Truck +SUV Talk (pickuptrucktalk.com)
I think the big push for ads is not for recognition of their existence but to steal sales from the competitor. A Coke/Pepsi thing. I’d bet their ad budget is comparable.
Tesla famously sold every car – and in the process became one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world – with no advertising whatsoever until 2023.
This is a great idea! Tesla drive a strong wedge into the mid/upper end of the passenger car segment; can their Cyber Truck do the same to the pickup market? Personally, I doubt it. It may be the size of a 3/4 ton pickup instead of a 1/2 ton, but it has too much going against it. Mainly the design and the fact that full sized pickup owners are the most brand loyal owners out there.
Scroll down and check out the numbers.
2023 Q4 truck sales: Ford F-Series on top, Tacoma steady (pickuptrucktalk.com)
If we look at the EV truck sales, Rivian sold the best at 57,232 for the year. And that’s a flubbed number as it includes their SUV and van in those numbers while the others are just for pickup trucks.
Even at that, Rivian sales are less that the Nissan Frontier which sold 58,135 for the year and that is far less that Toyota’s Tundra numbers at 125,185. Can Tesla reach even the Tundra’s numbers? I doubt it. High front end, heavy weight, and all.
Your thoughts?
I have no idea what the actual interest is in the Cybertruck. It seems like a silly, impractical “lifestyle” vehicle to me, not a truck to do truck things. Silly lifestyle vehicles have their own customer base. But if it follows the trend set by other Tesla product they will sell every. single. one.
And I’m sure it won’t be long before we start seeing videos of them squatting in Carolina, rigged with thick, black smoke generators, blocking gas pumps, taking up multiple parking spaces in crowded lots, intimidating others on the freeway and doing all the other jerk moves that give all pickup drivers a bad name.
It seems like a silly, impractical “lifestyle” vehicle to me, not a truck to do truck things.
We both agree on this.
they will sell every. single. one.
That’s not that hard when there is no independent dealer network that guestimates their inventory (using their personal previous sales data and other analytics) and keeping the production numbers low. Case in point for the second half. Honda sold roughly 52,000 Ridgelines last year and they are ecstatic about it. Honda shares that factory with the Pilot and I believe their minivan. Like the Cyber Truck the Ridgeline is what I consider a “boutique truck”.
And I’m sure it won’t be long before we start seeing videos of them squatting in Carolina, rigged with thick, black smoke generators, blocking gas pumps, taking up multiple parking spaces in crowded lots, intimidating others on the freeway and doing all the other jerk moves that give all pickup drivers a bad name.
You forgot fake diesel sounds piped in from hidden speakers.
It’s gonna be fun when the Cyber Bros meet up against the Dozer Bros in a parking lot on a Saturday night somewhere. Full on Florida Man.
That’s the best difference with regular, full sized pickups. The original owner can spec it up to the stupidly high $100,000 Tungsten package or Raptor package but eventually, that third or fourth owner is going to use it as a work truck or a fishing truck. That’s something less that 1% of the Cyber Trucks will ever experience.
Here’s another interesting issue with large pickups. Owners are going over the tow rate with them without even knowing!
We didn’t expect THIS from a Ford F350 and 5th wheel RV (don’t make this mistake) (youtube.com)
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
First LA, then praise for Lexus, now cocktails in Vegas. What’s next, a certified pre-owned 2022 Camry with no dent?
How I Dented My New-To-Me Certified Pre-Owned 2022 Toyota Camry at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari.
Wait, I thought Camrys came pre-dented from the factory.
It’s a common myth!
So then just a dealer-installed option?
Hahahahaha
I don’t care as long as they don’t stop making work trucks. My family’s business survives off the efforts of a team of regular cab, long bed work trucks, and having to move to short beds, or invest in chassis cabs, would have a not-insignificant impact.
While I own Fleet White ex fleet trucks and daily drive a sedan, if I had to have only one vehicle it would be a luxury 1/2 ton crew cab.
Yeah, I mean people could have a Luxo sedan or SUV and the massive ute in bog spec. Or just a massive ute. I think one vehicle is better than two.
Said from the point of view of someone with 3x cars and a motorbike…
I don’t begrudge the truck/suv/cuv owner any more than the bmw/audi/merc or mclaren/lambo et-al. I do absolutely detest the size of the truck and truck like contingent. The sheer physical bloated size of the things has imo gotten completely out of hand. I drove a f150 work truck when I worked autobody and it was a reasonable size. The trucks of today carry about the same load, can pull more but have grown like roided up gym rats, bulky and plainly silly to my eye. Rant at clouds over and out..
(Courtesy wave from my 98’ Ranger)
Mine was a 74, 351 Windsor two tone brown over gold. Great work truck for hauling car parts, engines and other crap. Do recall it being real tail happy which made winter driving in ‘why plow, the snow will melt in the spring’ Saskatchewan.
As the owner of a ‘17 F150 crew cab, it annoys me that I need running boards to climb into the cab, I can’t see into the engine compartment without a 2 step stool and I need the old-man tailgate-step to climb into the bed.
i feel like a lower to the ground truck, with lower bed sides and a much lower hood should have the same capability to haul my travel trailer while carrying my motorcycle and the other detritus that goes w/ riding and camping ????️. After all, I don’t need 2’ high bedsides to exceed the payload capacity with a half yard of rock.
My partner and I own our own building company. We finally decided it was time to buy a pickup truck. Why? To carry nasty shit like garbage bags of construction waste, scrap metal, gas cans, light equipment like plate compactors/ jumping jacks, scaffolding etc.
We ended up buying a used but current F150 Lariat with the 2.7. Oh boy, what a life upgrade. The heated and ventilated leather seats are fucking amazing. The Bang & Olufsen sound system is a revelation- and we only got the ‘basic’ version. The first time I heard it I was like, ‘So this is what music sounds like?’ The ride is so quiet and pleasant, I always feel recharged after even multi hour drives. Lane keeping and radar cruise helps. We get the same gas mileage as our Subaru while making about 3x the horsepower.
Don’t assume all “fancy” trucks never see work. Sure, many don’t, but plenty do, and the people who drive them are a lot more comfortable. We don’t drive that much, but for many working people, their truck is their office, and spending an extra 5k to get leather seats is kind of a no brainer.
Anyways. I’m not really a ‘truck guy’- Im into Volvo wagons, bicycles, art & design and left wing politics. All I can say is having spent time with a decent truck, I ‘get it’.
So you’re getting decent real-world mileage out of the 2.7?
Our total average is about 10l/100km, or 23mpg, which includes local trips, some trailer hauling, etc. Road trips are more like 8.5/100km or 27mpg. We have a lot of smooth 80km two lane highways around here, which helps, and the 2.7 definitely rewards a light foot. I wish they’d build a hybrid version!
He’ll, I got 15mpg towing our old travel trailer between Jackson Hole and Yellowstone w/ our Tacoma. The speed limit was like 45mph. Normally, the combo got 11-12 mpg at 55-60 (maybe an occasional spurt to 65) mph.
The 3.5 EcoBoost F-150 gets 9-10 mpg towing a travel trailer w/ more frontal area, 1-1/2x the length and 1-1/2X the weight at 55 mph.
The Taco would get 17-20 mpg empty at 70-75, the EcoBoost gets 17-19 at 75-80. And it’s much quieter.
Woah woah woah, but you’re supposed to be othering those people!
The real people getting othered these days are trans people- us pickup truck owners are going to be OK, but yeah it’s funny seeing the animosity towards nice trucks in the comments, and praising Toyota single cabs that get 18mpg like they’re some sort of Christ figure.
I always smile when you write/say this, since you’ve made so much of your career writing about your misadventures repairing AMC inline-six engines that have spectacularly failed. 😉
True. I’ve cracked multiple heads and even hydrolocked one… you have a point.
I’ve cracked my head multiple times. I have no point.
While reading this, I finally solved it in mind. What are witnessing is the same phenomenon that created the Crossover. That was the merging of the sedan with the older true SUVs. These luxury liners are just the evolution of pickups doing the same, but handling the body on frame duties. They may get used as daily drivers, but their justification is family play. That’s why the big cab, short bed has appeal. Haul the cheap huge travel trailer with the pricey luxo barge. Should we call them PUSUVs? 😀
I think a much more valid critique is that they’re not subject to crash test safety regulations and normalizing pick-ups that are ridiculously high off the ground straight from the factory is an actual safety hazard to pedestrians and other cars now that hood heights are over five feet.
Agreed. Even a lot of comments are conflating the two issues. I don’t care what luxury features the truck has. I just don’t want the hood to be taller than my shoulder.
I feel like the luxury truck thing blew up after the lincoln lt died. I remember working in Dearborn and a college student I was working with just got a job at the F-150 plant. He told me about the F-150 platinum, I had to remind him that he could buy a decent house in Detroit for the same price at that time
The only acceptable fancy truck we should like is the Lincoln Blackwood.
Incorrect. That truck was utterly ruined as a truck due to the bed liner and the tonneau cover that barely opened. It was everything that’s bad about the Aviator/Navigator and nothing that’s good about a truck.
Didn’t the Blackwood have a carpeted bed?
Yeah, that’s what I meant by the bed “liner” negating the Blackwood’s truckness. 😀
I thought “bed liner” sounded far too practical for that thing!
The Escalade EXT, just for giving us John Phillips’s review of it?
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15137235/2002-cadillac-escalade-ext-archived-test-review/
Rolling luxo-barges that default to killing pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists setting off an arms race of ever bigger, even more inviting luxo-barges to avoid being killed by last generation’s luxo-barges?
I’m fine hating them, even on the basis that the increasing luxury is a byproduct or self-reinforcement of wider product penetration up and down market strata.
Bring back the goddamn sedans and wagons. It doesn’t offend my sensibilities that people want to posture with and around the potential of utility when it’s harmless, but this isn’t that. They’re wasteful and dangerous, and they’re only remotely able to exist because of the truck sized hole in CAFE standards and complete disregard for human beings on or near the road that are not completely enclosed in enormous vehicles.
This applies to all sorts of vehicles, including non-luxury pickups.
But yeah, bring back the sedans and wagons. From an engineering standpoint, they are superior!
Some of my points, yes, but a 3-series will take out your legs where an f-150 will just take you out:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/01/higher-vehicle-hoods-significantly-increase-pedestrian-deaths-study-finds/
The absence of difference of licensure and taxation, and building a luxury vehicle with a hood height roughly as tall as the average human, makes luxury trucks especially a problem versus a similarly luxurious but lower and/or smaller vehicle.
The trucks themselves aren’t to blame for poor pedestrian infrastructure, so I’ll try to keep my argument on track. But CAFE standards are completely backwards on this, and there’s no apparent interest in the safety of anyone sharing the road with the drivers of these vehicles.
(SUVs/Crossovers/non-luxury pickups).
The headline and the article refer to “fancy pickup trucks” so even if your argument only touched on the fancy part, like your review, others can respond to the hate of the whole vehicle. It’s not the reader’s job to only respond to the very narrow argument presented.
Yep, you can reply to any part of the article that you like! Including my J10 if you want!
https://x.com/barrettjoneill/status/1758483549345259934?s=20
America: Bigger is better.
It doesn’t help that safety standards all focus on surviving crashes, not avoiding, or pedestrian safety, and the whacky Section 179 tax deduction that allows pretty much any vehicle over 6000 gross vehicle weight to be a tax write off if you have a business. Encourages the purchase of big, luxury SUVs and trucks.
Good luck with changing CAFE and then getting a marketing system setup to change everyone’s minds.
It used to be well known that if you wanted a vehicle for less than what a car costs, you could always buy a truck… the downside being that then you’d have a truck.
People hate luxury pickup trucks not just because they’ve made it harder to get inexpensive honest work trucks (especially if you want one that’s small), but because of what they represent: The public’s desire to appear hardworking, tough, self-reliant, and masculine, without putting in any of the effort to genuinely earn that image or experience any of the potential discomfort of doing hard things. They want to be coddled in luxury while cosplaying as cowboys. This is the true appeal of luxury trucks – playing a character without building character.
And the real cost of that fake image is public safety and the health of the planet. These trucks often give their drivers a false sense of security and superiority that results in more reckless and aggressive driving. Their height also blinds drivers of regular cars due to the headlights being too freaking high, makes it difficult to see children and even full grown adults in front of the trucks, and even causes accidents because it can be hard to see smaller cars beyond the unnecessarily huge grille. As a bonus, the height combined with the sheer size makes them tricky to park, so owners who just don’t care become the menace of all parking lots.
And then on top of all that, they are the chosen gas guzzlers of the types of people who actively bully/harass environmentalist types and think coal-rolling a cyclist is funny.
To be clear, I don’t hate pickup trucks. Not even luxury ones, really. If you’re actually a hardworking individual whose truck is a tool you earn a living with for example, and you’re making enough money to buy a really nice truck to make your job more pleasant, then more power to you – you’ve earned it, don’t let anyone shame you for buying your ideal vehicle. But I absolutely understand why people do hate them and a lot of the reasons are legitimate.
Yep. I’ve been coal-rolled while riding more than once. Fuck those people.
I drive a Miata and I know it’s just a matter of time before someone coal-rolls me too when I’m driving with the top down. I’ve already been nearly shoved into the curb by a few trucks and SUVs…
I used to know a guy who was a proud coal-roller. He was a menace when not driving as well.
I put those jerks in the same class as those that take over streets and do burnouts with their fart can Fast & Furious wannabe compacts.
I think we both know that the coal rolling crowd is both small, and also not the ones buying the luxury trucks. They’re all beater shit Rams
Yeah that’s definitely an attitude problem that the existence of leather seats and CarPlay aren’t the cause off. Those people will find a way to be jerks in any vehicle.
Yeah, these serve as the modern land yachts. The truck functionality isn’t necessarily the focus as much as it is on cheaper models, but it’s there if it’s needed and who needs a luxury or muscle car or SUV with 800hp instead of “only” 400 or whatever and a shitty ride from unnecessary low profile tires and stupid “Nurburgring tuned” suspension bullshit nobody utilizes? What’s really the difference between the sets of different douchemobiles? Oh, the fancy trucks are actually cheaper, more reliable, more versatile, and easier to fix. But, the environment! Anyone take a look at the mileages or the weights of these overpowered tiny-wang alternatives? Not much better, if at all, which is all the more embarrassing IMO. Of course, I hate almost everything out there from what is popular to what is mandated by The Man, so I don’t like any of these kinds of vehicles.
Yes yes, but the trucks are bought and driven by “those people,” and as you well know, we cannot like them!
I was waiting for this comment. Are trucks ever truly luxury cars? No. Are the hyper expensive “sporty” SUVs ever truly Sports Cars? Absolutely not. But like you put, the trucks are more comfortable than normal and still do the work if needed. They’re both pretending, but the sports SUVs are far worse and more vapid.
Counterpoint: No it’s not.
A fine take. I don’t disagree with any particular point. I’m not sure, however, that you covered my reasons to hate on them.
First, luxury trucks have come at the cost of the sedan market. And before you try to claim this is the work of the invisible hand, I’ll remind you that’s not real.
Second, it’s the size. I’m not going to say I’m terrified of the fact that every fourth vehicle I pass is a 6500 pound monster that would crush my car. But it does cross my mind from time to time. I do notice their headlights being four feet off the ground on a daily basis and I hate it. And most parking lots don’t support their size very well at all, so I have to deal with more door dings because these things barely fit in the spots.
Third, and this one is totally on me, I admit, I hate the 5 and half foot bed size. The proportions are stupid and the truck just looks wrong.
All that applies to big SUVs, too.
This ain’t a truck issue.
To be fair, I think most of the people who hate big luxury trucks hate big luxury SUVs too.
Quite a few folks specifically hate luxury pickups. More so than basic pickups. More so than big luxury SUVs. It’s about the reasons I mentioned above; trucks are tools in many folks’ minds.
I wish that were the case, but I think it’s much more classist than that. You’ll find many an auto writer who hates ont he pickup truck drivers then wants desperately a Cayenne Turbo or something of the like…
Your whataboutism is strong in your replies.
I think most of the responses have been against normalizing pickups as ‘regular vehicles’, and while that argument has a fair stab towards all the other ever-increasing hoodlines – pickups represent a very visible target when most don’t use the last 5-1/2 feet of its length except to take up space.
I don’t know about “whataboutism,” but in any case, I admire your passion and thank you for commenting on this site.
(And I agree that vehicles overall have gotten too big).
Yeah, the size, I didn’t mind trucks when they were only slightly taller than sedans and about the same footprint and mostly used for truck things.
But when half the world drives them to commute, they have gotten heavier and so crazy tall. As you stated, I don’t live in terror but it crosses my mind. I can’t see in traffic, especially when one gets stuck waiting in the left turn lane directly across from you. I can’t see to pull out of parking spots, just back up slowly and hope no fast moving cross traffic. Unsafe for peds. The damn blinding headlights.
People tell me I have a “tiny” 3300 pound car (that seats four quite comfortably). The size standards are ridiculous. The problem fuels itself, I won’t do it, but with so many big vehicles on the road more people want big vehicles to feel safer and see over the other big vehicles. It is a no win nuclear arms race of trucks and SUVs getting bigger and bigger.
So getting back to the hate on luxury trucks, yes, because you don’t have to have 6500 pounds plus of vehicle six feet off the ground to have luxury.
Arguing that a luxury truck shouldn’t exist is the same as saying a Rolls-Royce or Mercedes or BMW shouldn’t exist because the Honda Civic exists. Or big houses shouldn’t exist because small houses exist.
Yeah exactly, if people bought just what they need we would all be driving Nissan Versa’s
And time to start hating on fancy vehicles of all types.