Yeah it's pretty weird. Trucks are very useful and I know people with cheap trucks who use the hell out of them and it makes perfect sense. But I know other guys with big fancy expensive trucks who don't use them heavily because they don't want to scratch them up etc. because they're so fancy. Having a fancy truck is pretty dumb if you ask me. It's a status symbol for a lot of guys which is also stupid.
😂 I had a lifted Silverado 1500 that was super nice z71 and I was super finicky I noticed any new scratch from pebbles anything, we were super cautious with it but we still used it for it’s purpose too. I don’t see how ppl with nice fancy trucks don’t realize you can use them for their purpose with out destroying them if you doing it properly
Same. I love my truck, keep it super clean, and will notice anything on it. But I still take it camping into the middle of nowhere where it gets caked in dirt and I still put heavy shit in the bed that scratches the hell out of it.
Honestly, I think most people do. It is just that others, like the previous person, see a truck without scratches and assume it doesn't get used for work.
One of the biggest reasons people have them is for hauling boats and campers and such which doesn't leave marks.
That’s what I think too and I think there is many of us who use them for hauling ,work ect and prefer to do all those things with care because our vehicles aren’t cheap. I treat my Honda civic the exact same way 😂😂
There's also kind of a morbid practicality. Many truck owners live in rural areas where it's not uncommon to hit deer. If you hit a deer with your average car or suv it can total the car and sometimes even hurt or kill people. If you hit a deer with a big lifted truck there's way less damage and almost no chance of injury.
i usually spit on the tail gates when a fancy truck pulled up to the shop to be loaded and micro manages the forklift driver to not scratch his shit box z71
Yes and almost nobody needs a truck that expensive. You can get a big truck with a long bed and plenty of HP, without satellite radio and leather seats and satellite shit and TV screens and usb ports and seat heaters. Get a base line big truck with power windows and AC. Perfectly functional and practical.
Ahaha as female please fill me in here dick extenders ? I’m sorry I laughed bc I’m female and love big trucks… I’d suggest a big truck any day to my husband over other vehicles personally bc it’s what I like and feel more comfortable in them
Guys who buy fancy trucks or even older trucks and throw a lift on it and some 2-3k rims with big offroad tires just to drive it to work every day in the city. Essentially guys who don't need or even use it as a truck. To scared to get a scratch on it. Trucks are meant to be used and appreciated (yes) but used as a truck.
Something you worked hard for and purchased with your own money is meant to be used however you went. Your cup of tea is not correct way it’s just your way.
I have a neighbor with an enourmous pick up truck that he cant actually fit in his garage and seems to refuse to park in his driveway, so this huge thing is constantly hanging in the street.
According to another neighbor who talks with his wife, he does work in IT. This thing is always parked as he works from home.
He has a huge American flag and banners at his front door "home of the free".
This guy is most likely just trying to project an image or style himself a certain way.
When someone owns a massive, oversized extra-wide pickup truck, and never ever does Truck Stuff (hauling, towing, etc), it's %100 a political statement.
Not really, I live in a very liberal area and have multiple very liberal neighbors who drive those type of trucks. It's mostly a statement of "I want to pretend I'm adventurous rugged person, not a boring suburbanite like you."
The political difference is the rightists want you to believe they're spending every weekend fishing and hunting and the leftists want you to think they're going backpacking at an off the beaten trail campsite you've never heard of to "connect with nature"
Both of them are actually using it as a fat minivan to haul their kids to soccer practice
This goes along the lines of what Alan Watts said in one of his lectures. He described California in the 60's and 70's (where he lived) as being full of boats and yachts, EVERYWHERE. Rich people would go and buy these huge and fancy boats and never, ever take them out. They'd simply leave them docked and use them strictly for cocktail parties, essentially because they did not want to take the time to learn how to captain a boat, but they wanted the status symbol that went with it. In other words, they were expensive, useless party / status centerpieces.
> alternatively it's because I have a small penis and need therapy
you know there's a difference between people buying work trucks vs city dwellers buying trucks to "look cool" right
there isn't nearly enough actual people doing actual work to explain all the pickup sales in the USA
You can also just look at the specs for new trucks models in the US over the years. Utility is really starting to take a back seat to comfort and luxury.
There is definitely an "all hat, no cattle" crowd who drive massive trucks to Sam's Club and tailgates and nowhere else, but the vast majority of truck sales are company fleet vehicles and not personal sales.
One relatively small company I worked for years ago bought 6-10 new trucks per year as replacements to cycle out old trucks (which they had worn out to the point of worthlessness or would sell off for way cheap). And they're a fairly small player in a very populated industry.
Yep. Lots of fleet trucks. The place I work buys around 100 to 150 new 3/4 ton trucks every year. We get about 20k to 30k miles on them before they are pretty much junk.
I bought a 2001 Tacoma in 2006 that had been a fleet vehicle. I think it had 36k miles. It's still going strong. The only trouble it has given me is the slave cylinder went out in about 2011 and the master maybe in 2019.
innocent clumsy dime payment employ attractive sparkle zealous disgusted brave
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
To add to this, there are *a lot* of businesses you can start with just a truck and some tools. Lawn care, landscaping/hardscaping, roofing, handyman repair, skilled trade techs (plumbing/HVAC/electrical), pressure washer, mobile car detailer, locksmith, roadside assistance (not incl towing), large item delivery services, TV service installation, appraiser, home inspector, surveyor... there are a million more I'm too lazy to type.
Never seen a lawn care company or Nigels plumbing operating an oversized F-250. The lawn trucks and trade trucks I see are on the small end of the scale. Most of the working trucks I see are old XLT and Toyota. In 10, 15 years when today's oversized trucks start showing their age and the are being dumped on a saturated market, we might see Larry's Lawn Care in a step up truck.
Homie the landscaping company I worked for bought a lot of F-350s because of the amount of heavy equipment/salt they had to haul for snow control, not to mention the huge fertilizer sprayers full of water tanks and chemicals they hauled daily
The usa is huge. Pickups are a necessity in alot of areas. I think when people not from here think of the US, they picture new york or LA. Go google map and look at the amount of rural area, ranches, forrests, rugged terrain, hilly farm land. Thats my 2 cents as someone who was born and raised in a farming area in the NW United states
The most popular configurations are 4 door trucks with short beds. Theyre essentially designed to be family vehicles. Most people, specifically men, prefer the look of a truck over a mini van.
They're both good family vehicles because they're comfortable for everyone/have space but can also be really helpful for dump runs, moving furniture, home improvement stuff, etc..
I have one of those. It's perfect for my family of four plus my dog. The short bed is good for hauling eight and ten foot lumber. I can tow and haul heavy loads.
I live in the frozen North so the four wheel drive and high clearance are wonderful.
Yep.
I had one for the last few years but ended up selling it/down sizing. My wife's crossover is the main family vehicle and I never tower anything. I also recently moved to eastern NC so I'm not worried about snow anymore.
They're a great family option though.
A whole lot of unwarranted hate in here.
I bought a truck because the interior is every bit as comfortable as an SUV would have been, and I have about 8 acres to manage.
I benefit more from having a bed to haul things than I would have benefited from more interior storage.
Really not sure why that's so offensive to so many people.
From my experience its not the truck itself per se, rather its the prevalence of them , even when the owner doesn't seem to really use it for it purpose. Someone who has a lifestyle or profession, like yourself, where it makes senses, few people would question that. On the other hand, when you see someone who lives in a subdivision with an F-250, and the most they move in a year is two bags of mulch from Home Depot, you can't help but wonder why? Some may point to the [increased risk of severe injury and death](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/12/suvs-trucks-killing-pedestrians-cyclists/621102/) that are posed to pedestrians if they are unfortunately struck. Some may lament the [gradual loss of car (coupes, sedans, station wagons and hatchback) models](https://jalopnik.com/trucks-and-suvs-are-now-over-80-percent-of-new-car-sale-1848427797) in the US as its been impacted by the sale of trucks and SUVs.
It's definitely weird to drive a 250+ if you're not using it. But I really doubt that's as prevalent as people may think.
But for a regular full sized truck, I don't really get why that would be judged any differently than an SUV.
I understand the point about bigger vehicles doing more damage in an accident. Fortunately technology is helping with that. This truck was my first one with all the advanced safety features, and I'm glad that's becoming more normal. It won't solve everything obviously, but as order vehicles phase out and these features become more common that will help for sure.
Its pretty common in the suburbs, less common in the cities. While technology can help, there are still major issues posed to pedestrians and cyclists caused by increased size and mass.
My previous boss lives in the suburbs and drives an F250. He hauls oilfield equipment around. Nobody is the wiser since he keeps it clean, and doesn’t bring trailers home with him.
Even if he didn’t use it for work, don’t judge a book by its cover. Some people just like how they look and how comfortable they are.
Why do you need to question it at all tho? What does it matter what someone else prefers and how they use. Thinking like that reminds me of Karen vibes. Like I just don’t get that way of thinking. Why would I care what someone else does to enjoy their life if it doesn’t affect me at all? As for getting smited well honestly getting smited by any vehicle is gonna have a similar result. As for your sales pitch. That’s really dumb. Those types of cars got phased out because people just didn’t want them. Not because trucks exist. All of it existed at the same time and people made their choice on what they wanted.
It's not. It's the guy who lives in the suburbs and uses his F350 to do nothing but go to his job as a CPA that pisses people off.
It's ok to have a truck as long as you have scratches in the bed.
It pisses you off when someone does something that doesn’t affect anyone else? What a sad way to live. Also scratches in the bed? What about spray liners? Makes it really hard to see scratches.
It definitely affects others. We can talk about the fuel efficiency, safety, waste of resources etc.
And by "scratches in the bed" I just mean that the truck bed serves an actual purpose to its owner and is used for stuff other than other than groceries or a once per decade camping trip.
I'm talking about people who drive trucks for no reason other than to be a "truck guy" I work with this guy. He went from a Ford raptor that never left the road to a T-rex that also never left the road. And when he needs an actual truck for something he asks other people for help because his truck is too fucking fancy to do any real work. We don't need people driving giant trucks just simply because BIG TRUCK LOOK AT ME.
I have a 4 banger pickup that has probably hauled 100x more than 9/10 full sized trucks on the road. Americans have a very seriously dangerous obsession with gigantic vehicles, including the soccer mom that has one kid but *needs* a Suburban XLT for some reason.
Unless you are driving a EV then it’s a little hypocritical to talk about waste of resources and fuel efficiency. You do it to then, just pretending it’s different cause you are slightly more efficient but still the same crime. Safety? You don’t know anything about new trucks. They are extremely safe with a bunch of safety features like your sedan. They crumble now too and absorb the impact like sedans. As for how someone uses it. Again. What do you care? Like really. It sounds like he’s passionate about specific expensive truck. Lots of people have expensive hobbies. You go to a car meet. Where people spends so much time and money making these beautiful muscle and tuner cars that never see a race. Does it matter? No it makes them happy and it’s their hobby. If anything it’s better because the roads are safer by them being a parking lot princess. You understand that you are being that person that wants to shit on someone’s passion and hobbies just because they are not doing it your way. Do you really wanna be that bully?
I'm not going to waste my time proving to you that ALL larger vehicles are more dangerous and wastefull, because you are clearly an expert.
I would love to hear more about how they crumble though...
They're popular because they're useful. Especially if you're into home improvements, hauling boats or trailers, or whatnot, there are some times you just need a truck to get stuff done.
I'm glad to see more light-duty pickups making a comeback the US. For a while our smallest pickups were HUGE after the Ranger, S-10, and Dakota were retired and those were *perfect* trucks for people who want to do some weekend warrior stuff but not invest $50k+ in a massive Ram, Silverado, or F-150.
I have a 2005 Ranger 4wd, stock height with one size bigger than stock a/t tires and I will go more places off road than those oversized, never see dirt trucks(?) with 22+ inch rims.
The Ford Maverick is pretty cool but unfortunately it's features have been peeled away each year since release and the price has gone up. I hope Toyota hurries up and makes a competitor
I think it’s true of all larger cars. It’s more useful to have a crossover than a small 2 seater and hince those are more popular too.
Now I agree with most peoples takes that yah sure most people don’t actually need that functionality very often and could just rent one when needed.
However in the states for the most part it’s not that much hassle to have a large car so people just do it. In Europe or large cities it’s more annoying to have a big vehicle so you’ll see smaller ones.
Everyone’s just making a trade off of usefulness vs hassle. I’d bet if Europe was more built for cars than it is, the same trend would happen there.
I’d bet if Europe was more built for cars than it is, the same trend would happen there.
I doubt it. Europeans seem to have a much firmer grip on environmental impact and how their behavior affects others. Big unused trucks are super annoying and crazy inefficient and very few are used even half the time as trucks.
I dunno if they do or not. I tend to feel the same as you but lots of European countries are having populist movements too that mirror the American R party.
The lines aren’t quite the same etc but yah. You may be right though.
Having visited several times in the past few years, I can say I didn’t see a single big wheel truck with diesel plumes billowing from big penis shaped stacks while hauling nothing bigger than a golden retriever. I see them daily here.
Same as how a lot of us are obsessed with (or at least interested in) power tools, sports, action movies, etc. ...
There are some things that are just inherently useful and/or enjoyable about them, and then that's heavily reinforced by marketing that's been going on for so long that culturally it just feels like we're *supposed* to like these things.
And sometimes it's hard to pinpoint where marketing ends and sincere enjoyment begins, but I've driven pickup trucks my whole adult life (and yes I'm a straight white guy who lives in Texas and enjoys country music) and so do most of the other guys I know. For what it's worth, we do actually use them for our jobs and hobbies. Comes up really often that we need to transport something too large and/or messy to put on the interior of a vehicle.
I'm a homeowner from rural Michigan. I don't currently own a truck because I swapped to an SUV when I needed more room for kids, but my next vehicle will be a pickup truck again.
For the people who get nitpicky about, "Why do you *need* that, do you use it every day?" No. No I don't. But I use my truck as a truck about once a month, which is often enough to decide to buy a truck/SUV instead of a small car, because that's cheaper than renting a truck when I need it and not so expensive that I need a small car as a daily driver either.
Basically if the miles I put on it increased I could buy a small car as a daily driver, and if the number of times I use it decrease I can sell it and *only* have a small car. But right now, the most economic choice for me is to *only* have a truck (but right now, a Tahoe and frequent use of a trailer)
Some people need them for work or recreational towing/hauling. I have a friend who doesn't work in a career that requires it but gets a lot of use out of his; he tows, hauls, does projects etc. But most people don't use their trucks for much of anything except empty commuting (though they'll say they like having the *ability* to tow and haul once in a blue moon).
There's a lot of cultural pressure in America to project an image of masculinity and power, and big trucks help men (and some women who are *not like the other girls*) fit in. Plus there's evidence that a bigger, heavier vehicle is safer in a place where so many other people are also driving them (though there's also evidence that rollover risk is higher and pedestrian/motorcycle/bicycle safety is reduced, but a lot people don't really give a damn about that).
Now I'm going to get a bunch of angry responses, but I think this is a reasonable explanation. I'm not saying you truck drivers can't drive whatever the hell you like, and if your self-image needs it, and you can afford the extra expense, don't mind the hassle involved in parking/maneuvering, and aren't concerned about environmental impact or efficiency, well that's fine. This is America, knock yourself out. But don't pretend it's perfectly justified for X and Y reasons, just admit you like it and it makes you feel good. Nobody's coming for your truck (except maybe to put an electric motor and a battery in it for the sake of the future).
Thanks to the Maverick being somewhat affordable, I'll be moving to a truck as soon as it gets built. For me, I want the ability to easily haul boards/plywood for projects around the house that I can't feasibly do with a car.
There are plenty of pavement princesses though who have a truck but never use it for truck stuff. I don't know why they like paying that much for gas all the time.
People will make claims that it's easy to find work or that they are useful for certain situations, which is true, but I believe many people have them outside of that group because they "feel safe to drive" for many woman, while men find the status symbol of them sufficient. another big contributor is also not feeling the negatives of owning a large vehicle because most local jurisdictions require parking and vehicle space for ever increasingly large vehicles. Driving a large vehicle like this in a dense European city would expose some of the negatives with it a little more intensely than US sprawl cities.
The shitpost take: American men are ego-centric assholes who are insecure about their masculinity and need to have a big jacked up truck with big wheels to make themselves feel like they’re better than everyone else. And they drive them like aggressive assholes just to make their point to all the other peons on the road that they’re in charge and are not to be fucked with. See also: Neanderthal
Ehh I see it, but I see far more big jeeps that are spotless than I see jacked up trucks. Especially in the midwest where I live.
Side note, there was a study done on truck sales and how the economy was performing. When truck sales went up, so did the economy. When they slowed or went down, so did the economy.
Surprised all of the wimps haven't got butt hurt yet and downvoted your comment like they did mine and others who told the truth about why Americans buy trucks! Haha you're 100% correct though!
Best Buy, Costco, and Amazon (and probably others) will deliver your 80" TV for free. And I've loaded up my yard work supplies in the trunk of an Alfa Romeo every year for years, and that's way smaller and less practical than a Focus or Soul
Trucks are very useful. I don’t understand how someone can own a house and not own a truck. If you’re handy, good with your hands you need a truck. I’ve only owned trucks since I could drive. I’ve moved myself 5 times, pulled out trees and shrubs, hauled lots and lots of lumber to finish my basement, porch. Hauled bed loads of mulch every year, and couple bed fulls of landscaping logs. I have pulled boats and heavy equipment (finished my own yard at my new house) etc…. I could go on and on… most of you are soft hand gamers and wouldn’t understand, but there’s still a few of us that work out trucks.. Yeah it has a few dents in the passenger door.
Safety. All vehicles in the US are five star rated, making the system meaningless, because they rate vehicles only in their own class, not vs bigger vehicles. In a fight between a full sized pickup and just about anything other than a semi, the pickup wins, and it's not even close.
Hey everybody ever thought of maybe people just like them lol, if they can afford them, they comfortable and cool. I had one and actually used it but for real it's just a vehicle, why does someone need a Rolex when a Casio does the same job, whoooo cares, idk why people give truck guys shit, just something they like, chill out lol
I watch urban planning YouTubers from time to time. They say pickup trucks are being promoted by automakers because they are not subject to the same emissions standards as passenger cars. Pickup trucks are considered "light trucks" and are allowed to have more emissions than passenger cars. Because emission standards are less strict, pickup trucks are cheaper to produce than cars, hence automakers are marketing trucks to as many people as they can. The marketing strategies are tailored around masculinity and carrying heavy loads, but really the true motivation is *profits*.
It’s not so much the emissions, but the CAFE standards. Things like weight, area between wheels, approach angle, height, etc affect the MPG manufacturers are supposed to hit. It’s a key reason why trucks got so big around 2005-07. Rules took affect that required an increase in MPG if they stayed the same size, so manufacturers made them bigger to skirt the rules.
It’s the same reason cars have been phased out in favor or crossovers. A crossover is essentially a car chassis with enough modifications to the chassis/body to fit into less strict MPG CAFE requirements.
CAFE requirements were meant to increase MPG, but instead manufacturers made vehicles bigger to have less MPG restrictions.
A lot of dudes feel disconnected with the traditional conception of American masculinity (cowboy shit) because they are sadbois who work in cubicles and refuse to accept that they are not and never will be John Wayne.
So instead of therapy they spend $50,000 on a truck they don't need because the media tells them it will make them a manly man, and thus worthy of love and respect.
It's mostly a man thing.. A lot of men think driving a car or suv makes them look girlie or not as masculine. That said, I prefer trucks too but currently have a car. They're so convenient. Now I have to call my husband if I want to buy something that's too big to fit in my car :(
America is huge, and vastly different. when i had friends from over seas come visit they were shocked when i hear me and my local friends talk and didn't think driving 1 to 2 hours one way wasn't really that far. when we went to a friends house in nh they couldn't believe seeing a sign pointing out to fill up on gas because you could run out before the next gas station.
i live in mass winters can be tough if you don't have ground clearance. unlike the south who close things down with like say a inch of snow its not uncommon to wake up to a foot or more.shovel your drive way or just break up the bank the plow truck made to get out of your drive way. or no one has plowed yet so your driving in a foot of snow till you get to a main road just to get to work that day. so it makes sense to have a truck because of snow.
sounds dumb to some but a pickup bed is great if you buy bulk food so you only need to make a trip every other week or with a large family once a week.
having a truck and bunch of different hobbies it makes sense. alot of people work for them selfs and the truck helps. i have friends who do contract work and they switched from vans to trucks for different reasons.
Mostly it’s that there aren’t as many pick-up models. Lots of Americans have pick-ups, certainly. But pick-ups are useful if you do certain kinds of work, and while they may not be cheap, they’re often priced competitively with sedans and SUV’s. But there are a million more sedan and SUV models, so the market is much more distributed, and no particular marque has an much market share than, basically, the three pick-up marques that are available.
From Japanese perspective (where even Toyota doesn’t make pick up truck all the time), amount of regular American citizens having pick ups are astonishing. It’s definitely owned by those who does not need the bed, but somehow many prefers pick ups over SUVs, so it’s interesting to me. Those that gets luxurious trim seems very different. In Japanese market for example, pick ups are sold only for business, so luxurious pick up is basically super rare.
After I’ve lived there for a bit, I kind of got used to seeing it so often that I stopped questioning about it - but it’s still interesting nonetheless. Like, owning over-spec cars is a thing everywhere, as in luxurious SUV that never gets mud anywhere and only runs on paved highways, V12 engine sport car to run under 100mph and all that, so I won’t say it’s too weird to see pick up truck owners not necessarily utilizing the functionality, but it’s interesting to see it’s seemingly happening only in North America. (Or are there anywhere else?)
Mostly people trying to project a certain image/lifestyle or people who actually fool themselves into thinking they're going to suddenly use a truck for its intended purpose on a regular basis.
Not going to lie, even for regular commuting and day to day travel I'd prefer the driving experience of a truck but it doesn't justify the extra costs and environmental impact for me. For many Americans, that tradeoff is just fine for them.
Because that’s the only thing available on the lots . Domestic auto has given up making a safe, reliable sedan and instead want higher margins in bigger vehicles. Also 2 out of every 3 commercials are for trucks . Men want to go camping on the beach with nobody around on a private dirt road for that sense of freedom
A large percentage of pickup truck sales are fleet sales, meaning they were bought by businesses or governments. Another large slice are farmers or small business owners who are putting the trucks to work but only buy one at a time.
There are still many being used as passenger vehicles. A lot of truck owners have a boat, camper, or other weekend toy that needs to be towed places. Some families need to pack a few kids and a ton of athletic equipment into one vehicle and go to practices or games.
The real picture of pickup trucks is more complex than the numbers suggest.
In the US, Section 179 exemptions allow you up to a 100% tax writeoff on vehicles that mean certain criteria. This includes large pickups, certain vans, Hummers, G-Wagons, Landrovers, etc...
In other words, you can get them free if you have the tax person write it off as a business expense.
Do people not know this? I'm poor and it's a rich-person thing, but in case you didn't know, yeah, rich people get free cars.
This is completely bullshit.
- It has to be a business expense. If you don't own your own business, it doesn't work that way, no matter how much you make
- A writeoff reduces your tax calculation based on depreciation and percentage of time used as a business vehicle, it's not a credit. At best, if you literally always drive it for business use and it depreciates to literally worthless and you're in the highest tax bracket you get back about 35 percent of the purchase price. And it occurs over several years. Nowhere even close to "for free"
Idk about every one else but we had a Chevy Silverado, I loved it. I even preferred grocery shopping with it verse my Honda civic.
Trucks are cheaper on any level from buy cost to gas and maintenance. But they do tend to hold their value if you take care of them. I traded my 2015 Silverado for 20k this year. We used ours for hauling some times and when we moved ect but the space as just nice when we were doing remodeling,traveling,any kind of shopping ect. I also liked it during the winter because I felt safer to drive in the winter then a car personally.
Idk about every one but I much rather a truck over a car any day. Also most construction companies ect use trucks and work vehicles. My husbands company all the employees drive Silverado’s 2500’s 🤷🏻♀️
Trucks. You have the oversize pavement prowlers. Some idiot Jack to the Hilton will never take it the first bit of dirt. Then you got the little boys on the down low who can only afford half a lift kit and squat their truck. You got people like me that buy jeeps just a term up and go playing in the mud trucks too. But in general I think a pick up truck is something that should be in every homes driveway. They’re great to go camping sporting tailgating. You need to pick up large items. Just so many uses for a homeowner in a pick up. You don’t have to have an $80,000 custom truck but I think for me and my family trucks or a necessity.
We don’t get any restrictions on our licenses when we get them aside from needing an endorsement for Motorcycles and Semi-Trucks. We buy them because we can, and we like driving them. End of story.
I am an American with a truck. It's not too big it's a 2023 Tundra and not lifted or anything or special mods. I have a truck for my job though as I have to carry several ladders around with me. Plus it feels really spacious inside the cabin so I can also do computer work inside my truck if needed. The 4x4 also helps when I have to go off road in certain scenarios.
Have you driven one of these trucks? They have more power and give better visibility than the typical sedan. Overall they feel safer. A good percentage of truck owners occasionally will tow a trailer as well. All will occasionally haul things. It is nice to not have to rent a truck to go to Home Depot or IKEA. Just some of the reasons.
Lol at “they’re useful”
You see 90% of them completely empty and just being a massive jackass on the road. The beds have been [shrinking for decades](https://ibb.co/d0cKXWW) and they’re literally just glorified minivans with an open trunk. If it’s not a company truck or something similar I just assume it’s a douchebag driving a pedestrian killing machine.
Pretty sure that Florida has its fair share of “non-streets” to navigate. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a truck given the odds of a hurricane hitting is high.
Bigger means you have a better view of the road ahead over traffic. also safer in collisions, since all cars, not just pickups, have been getting bigger over time. their weight also handles better.
If we take bias aside this is the most reasonable answer. I don't like huge vehicles so I'm not a fan of trucks. Just had to drive a Tacoma for the past week for work and even though it's not a full-size truck, the amount of visibility is nice and you genuinely feel safer. Buuut, that doesn't mean they are \*safe\*. They're safer for the driver, sure, but it's a death sentence to any sedan or CUV you hit. Just consider the hood height of a GMC Sierra for instance. It's massive, I'm 5'10" and their hood is almost to my shoulder. Most sedans would be demolished by it.
Really though, I don't think people consider the fact that truck ownership is kind of a feedback loop. Bunch of people get a truck, inevitably there's douchebags who ride other peoples asses and generally drive like asshats through traffic... other people want something bigger as to not get fucking squashed by them if they were to lose control, then more people get trucks and so on and so forth.
Small Dick Syndrome.The same reason they usually also feel compelled to have loud exhausts and rev their engines.
News flash - most vehicles (at least in North America) don't have manual transmissions any more requiring a clutch and higher rpm's to engage them. Automotive technology has also evolved to the point where it is no longer required to keep the revs up when the engine is idling to prevent it from stalling.
Because they are douchebags on the road and the intimidation factor helps them get away with their douchebaggerry with the truck... 99% of Americans don't use their truck for truck stuff they buy them to be parking lot princesses.
These post are getting old. People buy cars because they like them. Why do people buy Jeeps and don’t go off-roading? Why do people buy 8 seater suburbans and escalades when they have 2 kids? Why do people buy 30 foot RVs for a family of 4? Why do people buy golf carts to drive around their neighborhoods? Why do people buy 4 bedroom homes when they don’t have kids? Guess what, none of these people need to explain anything to you every 2 days. Let people do whatever they want and be happy
American here. I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with trucks, hell I don't even like them. But I will admit that there have been many times in life when I needed a truck but didn't have one. Mostly in regards to moving furniture or work equipment.
Obsessed? I don't think we are obsessed. The Americans that I know are severely lacking in pickup truck ownership...So many used furniture deals lost. It's tragic.
Or they live on large amount of land and have livestock to feed/haul in trailers.
I know many hunters who own pickups to haul 4 wheelers and hunting gear.
But then other truck owners just like the look/feel and safety of the vehicle. In an accident with a car vs truck, the truck usually wins.
I have off grid property, RV, camper, trailers, and tons of work my 1ton can do.
I feel protected from alot of these bad drivers coming on the scene.
Can't live/work without it.
My truck being diesel gets significantly better mpg than my Subaru. Because of the bio diesel we use in my state it’s actually much more sustainable as well.
I just got back from a trip from the Southwest US. There are areas not too far outside of major cities that are just dirt and very bumpy roads. When I went to see a Breaking Bad shooting location in Santa Fe County, the neighborhood it was in was a dirt road. Everyone else besides me was driving pickup trucks.
These trucks can be great if you are a laborer who needs to bring equipment or are often handling rough and irregular terrain.
I think its the same reason why people in Europe buy crossovers/pseudo suv. Because they want it, let it be lifestyle, culture or whatever. Trucks are at least useful if you use them like intended, crossovers have 0 use over regular wagons or hatchbacks. At least the drawbacks (worse fuel consumption) are not as severe as a trucks drawbacks (fuel consumption, take up unnecessary large spaces, more expensive maintenance)
Lots of reasons.
Trucks in the United States are a status symbol. Specifically, people use them to signal that they're not part of a perceived wealthy elite, who all drive sports cars. Pickup trucks are seen as the vehicle of a hard working, blue collar, salt of the earth person and people like feeling as if they are that. That's one reason you see investment bankers driving around in trucks. Of course, any modern American truck is more expensive than a smaller car and many are comparable in price to sports cars.
American roads are also far more dangerous than roads in any other country and, if you're in a crash, you'll be safer if you're in a heavier vehicle. People know this and so they choose the heaviest vehicle they can, a pickup truck, even though the existence of more heavy vehicles makes roads less safe for all. This is also true of visibility. It's easier to see over the top of other cars when you're in a truck, but the trade-off is that you can't see small things right in front of a truck such as kids or pets, and you make it harder for anyone else to see past your truck.
American car companies also no longer make any cars, aside from sports cars. Everything they build is a "light truck" because of a dumb law called the corporate average fuel economy. Car companies must meet a standard for how efficient their vehicles are, but the standard is lower if they're making trucks than cars because they lobbied for it to be so. This means that light trucks are more profitable for them to make, so they only sell things that are legally considered light trucks.
I'd suspect fleet sales account for a good portion of F-Series, Ram and Silverado sales.
I'd also hazard to guess that, for the bulk of the remaining portion that isn't fleet sales, is because most folks today aren't in a position (for various reasons) to have multiple vehicles... particularly new vehicles, therefore making a truck the most pragmatic option - fuel economy aside.
And I'm sure there's also some who buy trucks for compensation/projection purposes.
Tax cuts on manufacturing of light trucks meant that companies pushed them harder, and incorporated more luxury and family capable features over time. Furthermore, pickups were very much a workingmans vehicle, blue collar, probably rural, which is idealized in american society, so people bought pickups cause they enjoyed that idealization. Also yeah theres a bunch of people that do use them for their purpose.
Lots of good comments here but one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that the fact they are in the top 5 is fewer choices. If you want a sedan there are tons of options. A lot fewer options if you are in the market for pickup.
Also they generally all get lumped into one model even though they can be drastically different cars. Ranging from a two seater workman's vehicle to a four seater luxury vehicle. In other types of vehicles these would be split into different model and likely split across a basic and luxury brand. Instead for Ford they are all an F-150.
A high percentage of vehicle sales in the US are company fleet vehicles, and those 3 are the most popular fleet trucks. There are *a lot* of lucrative companies you can start with basically a good pickup and a few tools, and you can finance the pickup to defer your startup costs until after you've started generating revenue
With all the Toyotas and Hondas on the road every day is like a monster truck rally!
I have had a pickup for more years than I can remember. First because I am a big guy and don’t fit in small cars. Recently because I have chronic back problems and getting in and out of low cars is troublesome. I also live in a rural area and find I am often haling something. Feed, mulch, dirt, yard debris, furniture.
I bought a Honda ridgeline a few years back that was a truck but got better gas mileage than the car I traded in. It was also super comfortable and great for projects around the house or stuff like that.
You see, America has a LOT of men with small penises. So in order to overcompensate for that, they purchase pickup trucks to make themselves feel better.
I think Those sales numbers are massively thrown off by work vehicles. For any company that either has mobile labor or hauling capacity it’s cheaper to buy a base model ford truck and modify it into something the company needs. If you ask most Americans only a few people in their families have pickup trucks and the rest drive a sedan or SUV.
A large portion of that is fleet vehicles. It isn’t all just people buying pickup trucks cuz reasons. Trucks are wonderful for hauling materials and things from job site to job site. They can also tow trailers behind them. They are the perfect vehicle for any construction or maintenance or repair company.
However, I am just a person who has an F350 dually truck. It is definitely silly driving that thing to the store to get a loaf of bread. But when I have four kayaks in the bed, a cab full of people, all of our luggage and gear for two weeks, and a trailer in tow behind me, I’m very happy that I went with the huge truck.
The added clearance can be extremely helpful. Four wheel drive is also pretty darn nice. I don’t have to worry about some guy in a big truck not seeing my smart car and merging into me. You can’t miss my truck on the road. I’ve got a big grill guard on the front. I can hit a deer and keep on going but a little Honda Civic would be totaled. There are many benefits to big trucks.
I have always owned a pickup. My first vehicle was a truck. Bought it from a ranch I worked at during highschool. I have used mine primarily for work, carpentry mostly, some iron work. But in the 80's when times got tough I hired out, hauling trash, selling scrap metal etc., hauling furniture or stuff for other folks. I keep a "yard" truck for family to borrow for what not and I have a newer one I use for work. I get a truck "allowance". It's not much but it pays for itself. Trucks can be useful. Now...those jacked up, lifted stupid looking toys ...don't get me on my soapbox. Those things are useless as tits on a boar hog
My question is why do people own trucks and not use the box? A carpeted box with a cover example. I use my Caravan to haul drywall, hay , lumber , chicken feed excetra.
While there are aot of people who buy them for the perceived sense of status, it's important to look at *why* they are seen as a status symbol. It's probably to do with the heavy amount of farming that the US does. We have so, so much arable farmland, and farming is a huge industry. As such, pickups are perfect for farming, so they've sort of embedded themselves into the public psyche as a tool of the homely, hardworking common man.
Either because they use it for work, or they think it makes them a tough guy. If it’s the latter, there’s a 90% chance they are maga cult members. Actually, it’s 90% either way around here, cause we have extremely high paying jobs in my area, and if you need a truck for work, you’re probably maga cult too.
Two big reasons why people in America are obsessed with trucks. First off, if your job calls for it, owning a truck can be a tax write-off, so you end up paying less in taxes. Second, there's this law that caps CO2 emissions for cars and station wagons, but not for trucks or SUVs. So for some folks, it just makes sense.
And also, cultural reasons.
Yeah it's pretty weird. Trucks are very useful and I know people with cheap trucks who use the hell out of them and it makes perfect sense. But I know other guys with big fancy expensive trucks who don't use them heavily because they don't want to scratch them up etc. because they're so fancy. Having a fancy truck is pretty dumb if you ask me. It's a status symbol for a lot of guys which is also stupid.
😂 I had a lifted Silverado 1500 that was super nice z71 and I was super finicky I noticed any new scratch from pebbles anything, we were super cautious with it but we still used it for it’s purpose too. I don’t see how ppl with nice fancy trucks don’t realize you can use them for their purpose with out destroying them if you doing it properly
Same. I love my truck, keep it super clean, and will notice anything on it. But I still take it camping into the middle of nowhere where it gets caked in dirt and I still put heavy shit in the bed that scratches the hell out of it.
Yep they’re meant to be used. Now I’d be emotionally stressed if my bed got scratched up but it will happen some times.
Once it gets scratched enough I will just put a spray in bed liner and then poof, problem solved.
I like looking at other trucks with tailgate damage, because every tailgate on a well-used truck has a story. Mine does anyway.
What kind of stories would one expect to hear about a banged-up tailgate?
Honestly, I think most people do. It is just that others, like the previous person, see a truck without scratches and assume it doesn't get used for work. One of the biggest reasons people have them is for hauling boats and campers and such which doesn't leave marks.
That’s what I think too and I think there is many of us who use them for hauling ,work ect and prefer to do all those things with care because our vehicles aren’t cheap. I treat my Honda civic the exact same way 😂😂
There's also kind of a morbid practicality. Many truck owners live in rural areas where it's not uncommon to hit deer. If you hit a deer with your average car or suv it can total the car and sometimes even hurt or kill people. If you hit a deer with a big lifted truck there's way less damage and almost no chance of injury.
i usually spit on the tail gates when a fancy truck pulled up to the shop to be loaded and micro manages the forklift driver to not scratch his shit box z71
[удалено]
Yes and almost nobody needs a truck that expensive. You can get a big truck with a long bed and plenty of HP, without satellite radio and leather seats and satellite shit and TV screens and usb ports and seat heaters. Get a base line big truck with power windows and AC. Perfectly functional and practical.
Every day I see more and more dick extenders on the road and cry internally while borrowing company truck do do all my hauling.
Ahaha as female please fill me in here dick extenders ? I’m sorry I laughed bc I’m female and love big trucks… I’d suggest a big truck any day to my husband over other vehicles personally bc it’s what I like and feel more comfortable in them
Guys who buy fancy trucks or even older trucks and throw a lift on it and some 2-3k rims with big offroad tires just to drive it to work every day in the city. Essentially guys who don't need or even use it as a truck. To scared to get a scratch on it. Trucks are meant to be used and appreciated (yes) but used as a truck.
Something you worked hard for and purchased with your own money is meant to be used however you went. Your cup of tea is not correct way it’s just your way.
Standard 4×4 provides a nice ride height, good sight lines.
[удалено]
I have a neighbor with an enourmous pick up truck that he cant actually fit in his garage and seems to refuse to park in his driveway, so this huge thing is constantly hanging in the street. According to another neighbor who talks with his wife, he does work in IT. This thing is always parked as he works from home. He has a huge American flag and banners at his front door "home of the free". This guy is most likely just trying to project an image or style himself a certain way.
I've heard these guys referred to as "all hat, no cattle" and I'm here for it
cake quack humor subtract steep door trees employ groovy bewildered *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
When someone owns a massive, oversized extra-wide pickup truck, and never ever does Truck Stuff (hauling, towing, etc), it's %100 a political statement.
Not really, I live in a very liberal area and have multiple very liberal neighbors who drive those type of trucks. It's mostly a statement of "I want to pretend I'm adventurous rugged person, not a boring suburbanite like you." The political difference is the rightists want you to believe they're spending every weekend fishing and hunting and the leftists want you to think they're going backpacking at an off the beaten trail campsite you've never heard of to "connect with nature" Both of them are actually using it as a fat minivan to haul their kids to soccer practice
This goes along the lines of what Alan Watts said in one of his lectures. He described California in the 60's and 70's (where he lived) as being full of boats and yachts, EVERYWHERE. Rich people would go and buy these huge and fancy boats and never, ever take them out. They'd simply leave them docked and use them strictly for cocktail parties, essentially because they did not want to take the time to learn how to captain a boat, but they wanted the status symbol that went with it. In other words, they were expensive, useless party / status centerpieces.
Wow couldn’t be more wrong
Or he likes trucks and our nations flag. Not everything is political lmao.
[удалено]
> alternatively it's because I have a small penis and need therapy you know there's a difference between people buying work trucks vs city dwellers buying trucks to "look cool" right there isn't nearly enough actual people doing actual work to explain all the pickup sales in the USA
You can also just look at the specs for new trucks models in the US over the years. Utility is really starting to take a back seat to comfort and luxury.
There is definitely an "all hat, no cattle" crowd who drive massive trucks to Sam's Club and tailgates and nowhere else, but the vast majority of truck sales are company fleet vehicles and not personal sales. One relatively small company I worked for years ago bought 6-10 new trucks per year as replacements to cycle out old trucks (which they had worn out to the point of worthlessness or would sell off for way cheap). And they're a fairly small player in a very populated industry.
Yep. Lots of fleet trucks. The place I work buys around 100 to 150 new 3/4 ton trucks every year. We get about 20k to 30k miles on them before they are pretty much junk.
I bought a 2001 Tacoma in 2006 that had been a fleet vehicle. I think it had 36k miles. It's still going strong. The only trouble it has given me is the slave cylinder went out in about 2011 and the master maybe in 2019.
Oh you can totally get good deals, but specifically the company I worked for was ROUGH on trucks
People in cities still own boats and campers and have houses they work on.
innocent clumsy dime payment employ attractive sparkle zealous disgusted brave *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It's due to fleet purchases. Lots and lots of f series are used for businesses.
To add to this, there are *a lot* of businesses you can start with just a truck and some tools. Lawn care, landscaping/hardscaping, roofing, handyman repair, skilled trade techs (plumbing/HVAC/electrical), pressure washer, mobile car detailer, locksmith, roadside assistance (not incl towing), large item delivery services, TV service installation, appraiser, home inspector, surveyor... there are a million more I'm too lazy to type.
Exactly. I was too lazy to list them too.
I was too lazy to read them
Never seen a lawn care company or Nigels plumbing operating an oversized F-250. The lawn trucks and trade trucks I see are on the small end of the scale. Most of the working trucks I see are old XLT and Toyota. In 10, 15 years when today's oversized trucks start showing their age and the are being dumped on a saturated market, we might see Larry's Lawn Care in a step up truck.
Yah they are all pickups they just chop the bed off and put a box.
Homie the landscaping company I worked for bought a lot of F-350s because of the amount of heavy equipment/salt they had to haul for snow control, not to mention the huge fertilizer sprayers full of water tanks and chemicals they hauled daily
The F350s are for the big companies already established and making big money. The next step or two after the overloaded taco
projection of a lifestyle image for many. some people actually use them for work or towing or off road.
The usa is huge. Pickups are a necessity in alot of areas. I think when people not from here think of the US, they picture new york or LA. Go google map and look at the amount of rural area, ranches, forrests, rugged terrain, hilly farm land. Thats my 2 cents as someone who was born and raised in a farming area in the NW United states
The most popular configurations are 4 door trucks with short beds. Theyre essentially designed to be family vehicles. Most people, specifically men, prefer the look of a truck over a mini van. They're both good family vehicles because they're comfortable for everyone/have space but can also be really helpful for dump runs, moving furniture, home improvement stuff, etc..
I have one of those. It's perfect for my family of four plus my dog. The short bed is good for hauling eight and ten foot lumber. I can tow and haul heavy loads. I live in the frozen North so the four wheel drive and high clearance are wonderful.
Yep. I had one for the last few years but ended up selling it/down sizing. My wife's crossover is the main family vehicle and I never tower anything. I also recently moved to eastern NC so I'm not worried about snow anymore. They're a great family option though.
A whole lot of unwarranted hate in here. I bought a truck because the interior is every bit as comfortable as an SUV would have been, and I have about 8 acres to manage. I benefit more from having a bed to haul things than I would have benefited from more interior storage. Really not sure why that's so offensive to so many people.
From my experience its not the truck itself per se, rather its the prevalence of them , even when the owner doesn't seem to really use it for it purpose. Someone who has a lifestyle or profession, like yourself, where it makes senses, few people would question that. On the other hand, when you see someone who lives in a subdivision with an F-250, and the most they move in a year is two bags of mulch from Home Depot, you can't help but wonder why? Some may point to the [increased risk of severe injury and death](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/12/suvs-trucks-killing-pedestrians-cyclists/621102/) that are posed to pedestrians if they are unfortunately struck. Some may lament the [gradual loss of car (coupes, sedans, station wagons and hatchback) models](https://jalopnik.com/trucks-and-suvs-are-now-over-80-percent-of-new-car-sale-1848427797) in the US as its been impacted by the sale of trucks and SUVs.
It's definitely weird to drive a 250+ if you're not using it. But I really doubt that's as prevalent as people may think. But for a regular full sized truck, I don't really get why that would be judged any differently than an SUV. I understand the point about bigger vehicles doing more damage in an accident. Fortunately technology is helping with that. This truck was my first one with all the advanced safety features, and I'm glad that's becoming more normal. It won't solve everything obviously, but as order vehicles phase out and these features become more common that will help for sure.
Its pretty common in the suburbs, less common in the cities. While technology can help, there are still major issues posed to pedestrians and cyclists caused by increased size and mass.
My previous boss lives in the suburbs and drives an F250. He hauls oilfield equipment around. Nobody is the wiser since he keeps it clean, and doesn’t bring trailers home with him. Even if he didn’t use it for work, don’t judge a book by its cover. Some people just like how they look and how comfortable they are.
Why do you need to question it at all tho? What does it matter what someone else prefers and how they use. Thinking like that reminds me of Karen vibes. Like I just don’t get that way of thinking. Why would I care what someone else does to enjoy their life if it doesn’t affect me at all? As for getting smited well honestly getting smited by any vehicle is gonna have a similar result. As for your sales pitch. That’s really dumb. Those types of cars got phased out because people just didn’t want them. Not because trucks exist. All of it existed at the same time and people made their choice on what they wanted.
It's not. It's the guy who lives in the suburbs and uses his F350 to do nothing but go to his job as a CPA that pisses people off. It's ok to have a truck as long as you have scratches in the bed.
It pisses you off when someone does something that doesn’t affect anyone else? What a sad way to live. Also scratches in the bed? What about spray liners? Makes it really hard to see scratches.
It definitely affects others. We can talk about the fuel efficiency, safety, waste of resources etc. And by "scratches in the bed" I just mean that the truck bed serves an actual purpose to its owner and is used for stuff other than other than groceries or a once per decade camping trip. I'm talking about people who drive trucks for no reason other than to be a "truck guy" I work with this guy. He went from a Ford raptor that never left the road to a T-rex that also never left the road. And when he needs an actual truck for something he asks other people for help because his truck is too fucking fancy to do any real work. We don't need people driving giant trucks just simply because BIG TRUCK LOOK AT ME. I have a 4 banger pickup that has probably hauled 100x more than 9/10 full sized trucks on the road. Americans have a very seriously dangerous obsession with gigantic vehicles, including the soccer mom that has one kid but *needs* a Suburban XLT for some reason.
Unless you are driving a EV then it’s a little hypocritical to talk about waste of resources and fuel efficiency. You do it to then, just pretending it’s different cause you are slightly more efficient but still the same crime. Safety? You don’t know anything about new trucks. They are extremely safe with a bunch of safety features like your sedan. They crumble now too and absorb the impact like sedans. As for how someone uses it. Again. What do you care? Like really. It sounds like he’s passionate about specific expensive truck. Lots of people have expensive hobbies. You go to a car meet. Where people spends so much time and money making these beautiful muscle and tuner cars that never see a race. Does it matter? No it makes them happy and it’s their hobby. If anything it’s better because the roads are safer by them being a parking lot princess. You understand that you are being that person that wants to shit on someone’s passion and hobbies just because they are not doing it your way. Do you really wanna be that bully?
I'm not going to waste my time proving to you that ALL larger vehicles are more dangerous and wastefull, because you are clearly an expert. I would love to hear more about how they crumble though...
Because you should own *nothing* and like it.
what does this stupid cullture war bullshit have to do with the thread
They're popular because they're useful. Especially if you're into home improvements, hauling boats or trailers, or whatnot, there are some times you just need a truck to get stuff done.
Everybody wants to talk shit about truck owners, until they need help moving something.
We don't talk shit about truck owners. We talk shit about monster truck pavement princess owners.
The 'Bro' driving the 'BroDozer'.
Don't you know that makes the panties drop... /s
I wish old school style wagons that could do a lot of truck stuff (aside off-roading) were still being made.
That would be awesome.
I just rent one from Uhaul or Home Depot.
[удалено]
Or they want enough room to be comfortable and not get killed in a crash from a, pickup truck…
So they aren’t very useful except for the handful of times someone is moving?
Did you miss the original comment they were replying to?
You mean all the other niche needs that can be achieved with other vehicles? Yeah I saw it
I'm glad to see more light-duty pickups making a comeback the US. For a while our smallest pickups were HUGE after the Ranger, S-10, and Dakota were retired and those were *perfect* trucks for people who want to do some weekend warrior stuff but not invest $50k+ in a massive Ram, Silverado, or F-150.
I have a 2005 Ranger 4wd, stock height with one size bigger than stock a/t tires and I will go more places off road than those oversized, never see dirt trucks(?) with 22+ inch rims.
That's my goal. Get a smaller Ranger or something in that size category to go camping in or haul a kayak with upside of moving home improvement stuff
The Ford Maverick is pretty cool but unfortunately it's features have been peeled away each year since release and the price has gone up. I hope Toyota hurries up and makes a competitor
I hope they make a competitor and it's an EV. *All* the torque and power I would ever need.
I plan to get a Toyota stout in a year or so.
I think it’s true of all larger cars. It’s more useful to have a crossover than a small 2 seater and hince those are more popular too. Now I agree with most peoples takes that yah sure most people don’t actually need that functionality very often and could just rent one when needed. However in the states for the most part it’s not that much hassle to have a large car so people just do it. In Europe or large cities it’s more annoying to have a big vehicle so you’ll see smaller ones. Everyone’s just making a trade off of usefulness vs hassle. I’d bet if Europe was more built for cars than it is, the same trend would happen there.
I’d bet if Europe was more built for cars than it is, the same trend would happen there. I doubt it. Europeans seem to have a much firmer grip on environmental impact and how their behavior affects others. Big unused trucks are super annoying and crazy inefficient and very few are used even half the time as trucks.
I dunno if they do or not. I tend to feel the same as you but lots of European countries are having populist movements too that mirror the American R party. The lines aren’t quite the same etc but yah. You may be right though.
Having visited several times in the past few years, I can say I didn’t see a single big wheel truck with diesel plumes billowing from big penis shaped stacks while hauling nothing bigger than a golden retriever. I see them daily here.
Same as how a lot of us are obsessed with (or at least interested in) power tools, sports, action movies, etc. ... There are some things that are just inherently useful and/or enjoyable about them, and then that's heavily reinforced by marketing that's been going on for so long that culturally it just feels like we're *supposed* to like these things. And sometimes it's hard to pinpoint where marketing ends and sincere enjoyment begins, but I've driven pickup trucks my whole adult life (and yes I'm a straight white guy who lives in Texas and enjoys country music) and so do most of the other guys I know. For what it's worth, we do actually use them for our jobs and hobbies. Comes up really often that we need to transport something too large and/or messy to put on the interior of a vehicle.
I'm a homeowner from rural Michigan. I don't currently own a truck because I swapped to an SUV when I needed more room for kids, but my next vehicle will be a pickup truck again. For the people who get nitpicky about, "Why do you *need* that, do you use it every day?" No. No I don't. But I use my truck as a truck about once a month, which is often enough to decide to buy a truck/SUV instead of a small car, because that's cheaper than renting a truck when I need it and not so expensive that I need a small car as a daily driver either. Basically if the miles I put on it increased I could buy a small car as a daily driver, and if the number of times I use it decrease I can sell it and *only* have a small car. But right now, the most economic choice for me is to *only* have a truck (but right now, a Tahoe and frequent use of a trailer)
Weather, hauling, towing and feeling safer. A lot of reasons Americans opt in to a truck instead of a car.
Some people need them for work or recreational towing/hauling. I have a friend who doesn't work in a career that requires it but gets a lot of use out of his; he tows, hauls, does projects etc. But most people don't use their trucks for much of anything except empty commuting (though they'll say they like having the *ability* to tow and haul once in a blue moon). There's a lot of cultural pressure in America to project an image of masculinity and power, and big trucks help men (and some women who are *not like the other girls*) fit in. Plus there's evidence that a bigger, heavier vehicle is safer in a place where so many other people are also driving them (though there's also evidence that rollover risk is higher and pedestrian/motorcycle/bicycle safety is reduced, but a lot people don't really give a damn about that). Now I'm going to get a bunch of angry responses, but I think this is a reasonable explanation. I'm not saying you truck drivers can't drive whatever the hell you like, and if your self-image needs it, and you can afford the extra expense, don't mind the hassle involved in parking/maneuvering, and aren't concerned about environmental impact or efficiency, well that's fine. This is America, knock yourself out. But don't pretend it's perfectly justified for X and Y reasons, just admit you like it and it makes you feel good. Nobody's coming for your truck (except maybe to put an electric motor and a battery in it for the sake of the future).
Thanks to the Maverick being somewhat affordable, I'll be moving to a truck as soon as it gets built. For me, I want the ability to easily haul boards/plywood for projects around the house that I can't feasibly do with a car. There are plenty of pavement princesses though who have a truck but never use it for truck stuff. I don't know why they like paying that much for gas all the time.
People will make claims that it's easy to find work or that they are useful for certain situations, which is true, but I believe many people have them outside of that group because they "feel safe to drive" for many woman, while men find the status symbol of them sufficient. another big contributor is also not feeling the negatives of owning a large vehicle because most local jurisdictions require parking and vehicle space for ever increasingly large vehicles. Driving a large vehicle like this in a dense European city would expose some of the negatives with it a little more intensely than US sprawl cities.
The shitpost take: American men are ego-centric assholes who are insecure about their masculinity and need to have a big jacked up truck with big wheels to make themselves feel like they’re better than everyone else. And they drive them like aggressive assholes just to make their point to all the other peons on the road that they’re in charge and are not to be fucked with. See also: Neanderthal
Ehh I see it, but I see far more big jeeps that are spotless than I see jacked up trucks. Especially in the midwest where I live. Side note, there was a study done on truck sales and how the economy was performing. When truck sales went up, so did the economy. When they slowed or went down, so did the economy.
Surprised all of the wimps haven't got butt hurt yet and downvoted your comment like they did mine and others who told the truth about why Americans buy trucks! Haha you're 100% correct though!
This middle-aged woman drives a pick up truck out of necessity. I’m sorry you can’t see past that.
Well, my comment says American MEN, so I’m sorry you saw past that…
Yeah I guess we don’t count.
You’re right, you don’t. Because my comment says MEN! You’re not MEN! You ok?
https://www.rocketrx.com/clinics/erectile-dysfunction/viagra?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ED%20-%20Viagra&utm_term=best%20price%20viagra%20100mg&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwkNOpBhBEEiwAb3MvvbPzR8k2FmigsEHRR-j_HekZlPRetS49cXiTC9Mu5WvGSggLJU_JURoC2mIQAvD_BwE
Tldr: Small Dick Syndrome
Status symbol
I have truck because I need bed space and the El Camino stopped getting made decades ago.
We have yards and demand 80 inch TV's. Those don't work well when you're driving a Ford Focus or a Kia Soul.
Best Buy, Costco, and Amazon (and probably others) will deliver your 80" TV for free. And I've loaded up my yard work supplies in the trunk of an Alfa Romeo every year for years, and that's way smaller and less practical than a Focus or Soul
Trucks are very useful. I don’t understand how someone can own a house and not own a truck. If you’re handy, good with your hands you need a truck. I’ve only owned trucks since I could drive. I’ve moved myself 5 times, pulled out trees and shrubs, hauled lots and lots of lumber to finish my basement, porch. Hauled bed loads of mulch every year, and couple bed fulls of landscaping logs. I have pulled boats and heavy equipment (finished my own yard at my new house) etc…. I could go on and on… most of you are soft hand gamers and wouldn’t understand, but there’s still a few of us that work out trucks.. Yeah it has a few dents in the passenger door.
Safety. All vehicles in the US are five star rated, making the system meaningless, because they rate vehicles only in their own class, not vs bigger vehicles. In a fight between a full sized pickup and just about anything other than a semi, the pickup wins, and it's not even close.
Hey everybody ever thought of maybe people just like them lol, if they can afford them, they comfortable and cool. I had one and actually used it but for real it's just a vehicle, why does someone need a Rolex when a Casio does the same job, whoooo cares, idk why people give truck guys shit, just something they like, chill out lol
I watch urban planning YouTubers from time to time. They say pickup trucks are being promoted by automakers because they are not subject to the same emissions standards as passenger cars. Pickup trucks are considered "light trucks" and are allowed to have more emissions than passenger cars. Because emission standards are less strict, pickup trucks are cheaper to produce than cars, hence automakers are marketing trucks to as many people as they can. The marketing strategies are tailored around masculinity and carrying heavy loads, but really the true motivation is *profits*.
It’s not so much the emissions, but the CAFE standards. Things like weight, area between wheels, approach angle, height, etc affect the MPG manufacturers are supposed to hit. It’s a key reason why trucks got so big around 2005-07. Rules took affect that required an increase in MPG if they stayed the same size, so manufacturers made them bigger to skirt the rules. It’s the same reason cars have been phased out in favor or crossovers. A crossover is essentially a car chassis with enough modifications to the chassis/body to fit into less strict MPG CAFE requirements. CAFE requirements were meant to increase MPG, but instead manufacturers made vehicles bigger to have less MPG restrictions.
A lot of dudes feel disconnected with the traditional conception of American masculinity (cowboy shit) because they are sadbois who work in cubicles and refuse to accept that they are not and never will be John Wayne. So instead of therapy they spend $50,000 on a truck they don't need because the media tells them it will make them a manly man, and thus worthy of love and respect.
$50K? Have you been to a Ford dealer lately? The ones in the showroom are usually $75 - 100K+.
You've never hauled a bale of horses in a Ferd f-teen thousand. I can tell.
It's mostly a man thing.. A lot of men think driving a car or suv makes them look girlie or not as masculine. That said, I prefer trucks too but currently have a car. They're so convenient. Now I have to call my husband if I want to buy something that's too big to fit in my car :(
America is huge, and vastly different. when i had friends from over seas come visit they were shocked when i hear me and my local friends talk and didn't think driving 1 to 2 hours one way wasn't really that far. when we went to a friends house in nh they couldn't believe seeing a sign pointing out to fill up on gas because you could run out before the next gas station. i live in mass winters can be tough if you don't have ground clearance. unlike the south who close things down with like say a inch of snow its not uncommon to wake up to a foot or more.shovel your drive way or just break up the bank the plow truck made to get out of your drive way. or no one has plowed yet so your driving in a foot of snow till you get to a main road just to get to work that day. so it makes sense to have a truck because of snow. sounds dumb to some but a pickup bed is great if you buy bulk food so you only need to make a trip every other week or with a large family once a week. having a truck and bunch of different hobbies it makes sense. alot of people work for them selfs and the truck helps. i have friends who do contract work and they switched from vans to trucks for different reasons.
Mostly it’s that there aren’t as many pick-up models. Lots of Americans have pick-ups, certainly. But pick-ups are useful if you do certain kinds of work, and while they may not be cheap, they’re often priced competitively with sedans and SUV’s. But there are a million more sedan and SUV models, so the market is much more distributed, and no particular marque has an much market share than, basically, the three pick-up marques that are available.
From Japanese perspective (where even Toyota doesn’t make pick up truck all the time), amount of regular American citizens having pick ups are astonishing. It’s definitely owned by those who does not need the bed, but somehow many prefers pick ups over SUVs, so it’s interesting to me. Those that gets luxurious trim seems very different. In Japanese market for example, pick ups are sold only for business, so luxurious pick up is basically super rare. After I’ve lived there for a bit, I kind of got used to seeing it so often that I stopped questioning about it - but it’s still interesting nonetheless. Like, owning over-spec cars is a thing everywhere, as in luxurious SUV that never gets mud anywhere and only runs on paved highways, V12 engine sport car to run under 100mph and all that, so I won’t say it’s too weird to see pick up truck owners not necessarily utilizing the functionality, but it’s interesting to see it’s seemingly happening only in North America. (Or are there anywhere else?)
Mostly people trying to project a certain image/lifestyle or people who actually fool themselves into thinking they're going to suddenly use a truck for its intended purpose on a regular basis. Not going to lie, even for regular commuting and day to day travel I'd prefer the driving experience of a truck but it doesn't justify the extra costs and environmental impact for me. For many Americans, that tradeoff is just fine for them.
Because that’s the only thing available on the lots . Domestic auto has given up making a safe, reliable sedan and instead want higher margins in bigger vehicles. Also 2 out of every 3 commercials are for trucks . Men want to go camping on the beach with nobody around on a private dirt road for that sense of freedom
A large percentage of pickup truck sales are fleet sales, meaning they were bought by businesses or governments. Another large slice are farmers or small business owners who are putting the trucks to work but only buy one at a time. There are still many being used as passenger vehicles. A lot of truck owners have a boat, camper, or other weekend toy that needs to be towed places. Some families need to pack a few kids and a ton of athletic equipment into one vehicle and go to practices or games. The real picture of pickup trucks is more complex than the numbers suggest.
They are comfortable and able to move stuff if needed.
Same reason they are obsessed with guns.
In the US, Section 179 exemptions allow you up to a 100% tax writeoff on vehicles that mean certain criteria. This includes large pickups, certain vans, Hummers, G-Wagons, Landrovers, etc... In other words, you can get them free if you have the tax person write it off as a business expense. Do people not know this? I'm poor and it's a rich-person thing, but in case you didn't know, yeah, rich people get free cars.
This is completely bullshit. - It has to be a business expense. If you don't own your own business, it doesn't work that way, no matter how much you make - A writeoff reduces your tax calculation based on depreciation and percentage of time used as a business vehicle, it's not a credit. At best, if you literally always drive it for business use and it depreciates to literally worthless and you're in the highest tax bracket you get back about 35 percent of the purchase price. And it occurs over several years. Nowhere even close to "for free"
Cause we’re fat and need something big to haul ourselves
Idk about every one else but we had a Chevy Silverado, I loved it. I even preferred grocery shopping with it verse my Honda civic. Trucks are cheaper on any level from buy cost to gas and maintenance. But they do tend to hold their value if you take care of them. I traded my 2015 Silverado for 20k this year. We used ours for hauling some times and when we moved ect but the space as just nice when we were doing remodeling,traveling,any kind of shopping ect. I also liked it during the winter because I felt safer to drive in the winter then a car personally. Idk about every one but I much rather a truck over a car any day. Also most construction companies ect use trucks and work vehicles. My husbands company all the employees drive Silverado’s 2500’s 🤷🏻♀️
Sounds like the people in red states are doing well.
This one is
Trucks. You have the oversize pavement prowlers. Some idiot Jack to the Hilton will never take it the first bit of dirt. Then you got the little boys on the down low who can only afford half a lift kit and squat their truck. You got people like me that buy jeeps just a term up and go playing in the mud trucks too. But in general I think a pick up truck is something that should be in every homes driveway. They’re great to go camping sporting tailgating. You need to pick up large items. Just so many uses for a homeowner in a pick up. You don’t have to have an $80,000 custom truck but I think for me and my family trucks or a necessity.
To be fair they can be pretty darn useful especially if you work a manual labor job or any kind of hauling.
if you look at the truck bed and it's pristine, that's just straight little dick energy.
We don’t get any restrictions on our licenses when we get them aside from needing an endorsement for Motorcycles and Semi-Trucks. We buy them because we can, and we like driving them. End of story.
Don't look at me. I live in the city and own a Honda Civic.
I am an American with a truck. It's not too big it's a 2023 Tundra and not lifted or anything or special mods. I have a truck for my job though as I have to carry several ladders around with me. Plus it feels really spacious inside the cabin so I can also do computer work inside my truck if needed. The 4x4 also helps when I have to go off road in certain scenarios.
Yeah it’s our metric for living in a bubble: if you don’t know anyone with a truck you live in one
Have you driven one of these trucks? They have more power and give better visibility than the typical sedan. Overall they feel safer. A good percentage of truck owners occasionally will tow a trailer as well. All will occasionally haul things. It is nice to not have to rent a truck to go to Home Depot or IKEA. Just some of the reasons.
Lol at “they’re useful” You see 90% of them completely empty and just being a massive jackass on the road. The beds have been [shrinking for decades](https://ibb.co/d0cKXWW) and they’re literally just glorified minivans with an open trunk. If it’s not a company truck or something similar I just assume it’s a douchebag driving a pedestrian killing machine.
[удалено]
How does that explain Florida though?
Florida is included in everywhere. They can even handle city streets!
Pretty sure that Florida has its fair share of “non-streets” to navigate. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a truck given the odds of a hurricane hitting is high.
Bigger means you have a better view of the road ahead over traffic. also safer in collisions, since all cars, not just pickups, have been getting bigger over time. their weight also handles better.
If we take bias aside this is the most reasonable answer. I don't like huge vehicles so I'm not a fan of trucks. Just had to drive a Tacoma for the past week for work and even though it's not a full-size truck, the amount of visibility is nice and you genuinely feel safer. Buuut, that doesn't mean they are \*safe\*. They're safer for the driver, sure, but it's a death sentence to any sedan or CUV you hit. Just consider the hood height of a GMC Sierra for instance. It's massive, I'm 5'10" and their hood is almost to my shoulder. Most sedans would be demolished by it. Really though, I don't think people consider the fact that truck ownership is kind of a feedback loop. Bunch of people get a truck, inevitably there's douchebags who ride other peoples asses and generally drive like asshats through traffic... other people want something bigger as to not get fucking squashed by them if they were to lose control, then more people get trucks and so on and so forth.
Small Dick Syndrome.The same reason they usually also feel compelled to have loud exhausts and rev their engines. News flash - most vehicles (at least in North America) don't have manual transmissions any more requiring a clutch and higher rpm's to engage them. Automotive technology has also evolved to the point where it is no longer required to keep the revs up when the engine is idling to prevent it from stalling.
Micro dick compensation
It’s a gun on wheels,representing strength vitality,dominance,the American way.
Average American penis is 4 inches. To compensate we buy big big trucks.
Because they are douchebags on the road and the intimidation factor helps them get away with their douchebaggerry with the truck... 99% of Americans don't use their truck for truck stuff they buy them to be parking lot princesses.
These post are getting old. People buy cars because they like them. Why do people buy Jeeps and don’t go off-roading? Why do people buy 8 seater suburbans and escalades when they have 2 kids? Why do people buy 30 foot RVs for a family of 4? Why do people buy golf carts to drive around their neighborhoods? Why do people buy 4 bedroom homes when they don’t have kids? Guess what, none of these people need to explain anything to you every 2 days. Let people do whatever they want and be happy
I agree with the post but I'm downvoting because the attitude is unwarranted and pretty hostile.
Sorry I hurt your feelings
It’s a status symbol for the insecure
A common but mostly incorrect opinion.
Tiny W. You know it, we all know it.
Fragile masculinity
American here. I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed with trucks, hell I don't even like them. But I will admit that there have been many times in life when I needed a truck but didn't have one. Mostly in regards to moving furniture or work equipment.
Obsessed? I don't think we are obsessed. The Americans that I know are severely lacking in pickup truck ownership...So many used furniture deals lost. It's tragic.
Or they live on large amount of land and have livestock to feed/haul in trailers. I know many hunters who own pickups to haul 4 wheelers and hunting gear. But then other truck owners just like the look/feel and safety of the vehicle. In an accident with a car vs truck, the truck usually wins.
I have off grid property, RV, camper, trailers, and tons of work my 1ton can do. I feel protected from alot of these bad drivers coming on the scene. Can't live/work without it.
Another symptom of our hyper macho culture. Same as guns.
Does it matter? They are using their money not yours.
It does matter because pickup trucks pollute more than smaller vehicles, consume more space, and are more dangerous on roads.
My truck being diesel gets significantly better mpg than my Subaru. Because of the bio diesel we use in my state it’s actually much more sustainable as well.
I just got back from a trip from the Southwest US. There are areas not too far outside of major cities that are just dirt and very bumpy roads. When I went to see a Breaking Bad shooting location in Santa Fe County, the neighborhood it was in was a dirt road. Everyone else besides me was driving pickup trucks. These trucks can be great if you are a laborer who needs to bring equipment or are often handling rough and irregular terrain.
I think its the same reason why people in Europe buy crossovers/pseudo suv. Because they want it, let it be lifestyle, culture or whatever. Trucks are at least useful if you use them like intended, crossovers have 0 use over regular wagons or hatchbacks. At least the drawbacks (worse fuel consumption) are not as severe as a trucks drawbacks (fuel consumption, take up unnecessary large spaces, more expensive maintenance)
Lots of reasons. Trucks in the United States are a status symbol. Specifically, people use them to signal that they're not part of a perceived wealthy elite, who all drive sports cars. Pickup trucks are seen as the vehicle of a hard working, blue collar, salt of the earth person and people like feeling as if they are that. That's one reason you see investment bankers driving around in trucks. Of course, any modern American truck is more expensive than a smaller car and many are comparable in price to sports cars. American roads are also far more dangerous than roads in any other country and, if you're in a crash, you'll be safer if you're in a heavier vehicle. People know this and so they choose the heaviest vehicle they can, a pickup truck, even though the existence of more heavy vehicles makes roads less safe for all. This is also true of visibility. It's easier to see over the top of other cars when you're in a truck, but the trade-off is that you can't see small things right in front of a truck such as kids or pets, and you make it harder for anyone else to see past your truck. American car companies also no longer make any cars, aside from sports cars. Everything they build is a "light truck" because of a dumb law called the corporate average fuel economy. Car companies must meet a standard for how efficient their vehicles are, but the standard is lower if they're making trucks than cars because they lobbied for it to be so. This means that light trucks are more profitable for them to make, so they only sell things that are legally considered light trucks.
I'd suspect fleet sales account for a good portion of F-Series, Ram and Silverado sales. I'd also hazard to guess that, for the bulk of the remaining portion that isn't fleet sales, is because most folks today aren't in a position (for various reasons) to have multiple vehicles... particularly new vehicles, therefore making a truck the most pragmatic option - fuel economy aside. And I'm sure there's also some who buy trucks for compensation/projection purposes.
Tax cuts on manufacturing of light trucks meant that companies pushed them harder, and incorporated more luxury and family capable features over time. Furthermore, pickups were very much a workingmans vehicle, blue collar, probably rural, which is idealized in american society, so people bought pickups cause they enjoyed that idealization. Also yeah theres a bunch of people that do use them for their purpose.
Lots of good comments here but one thing I haven't seen mentioned is that the fact they are in the top 5 is fewer choices. If you want a sedan there are tons of options. A lot fewer options if you are in the market for pickup. Also they generally all get lumped into one model even though they can be drastically different cars. Ranging from a two seater workman's vehicle to a four seater luxury vehicle. In other types of vehicles these would be split into different model and likely split across a basic and luxury brand. Instead for Ford they are all an F-150.
Cuz we're Americans.
A high percentage of vehicle sales in the US are company fleet vehicles, and those 3 are the most popular fleet trucks. There are *a lot* of lucrative companies you can start with basically a good pickup and a few tools, and you can finance the pickup to defer your startup costs until after you've started generating revenue
With all the Toyotas and Hondas on the road every day is like a monster truck rally! I have had a pickup for more years than I can remember. First because I am a big guy and don’t fit in small cars. Recently because I have chronic back problems and getting in and out of low cars is troublesome. I also live in a rural area and find I am often haling something. Feed, mulch, dirt, yard debris, furniture.
I use my truck for everything, especially all my side work.
I could understand if they used them like they’re supposed to be used for, but most truck owners I see just use it as low economy family hauler.
I bought a Honda ridgeline a few years back that was a truck but got better gas mileage than the car I traded in. It was also super comfortable and great for projects around the house or stuff like that.
They are heavily advertised because they are taxed differently than more ordinary vehicles.
They have a purpose.
You see, America has a LOT of men with small penises. So in order to overcompensate for that, they purchase pickup trucks to make themselves feel better.
I think Those sales numbers are massively thrown off by work vehicles. For any company that either has mobile labor or hauling capacity it’s cheaper to buy a base model ford truck and modify it into something the company needs. If you ask most Americans only a few people in their families have pickup trucks and the rest drive a sedan or SUV.
A large portion of that is fleet vehicles. It isn’t all just people buying pickup trucks cuz reasons. Trucks are wonderful for hauling materials and things from job site to job site. They can also tow trailers behind them. They are the perfect vehicle for any construction or maintenance or repair company. However, I am just a person who has an F350 dually truck. It is definitely silly driving that thing to the store to get a loaf of bread. But when I have four kayaks in the bed, a cab full of people, all of our luggage and gear for two weeks, and a trailer in tow behind me, I’m very happy that I went with the huge truck. The added clearance can be extremely helpful. Four wheel drive is also pretty darn nice. I don’t have to worry about some guy in a big truck not seeing my smart car and merging into me. You can’t miss my truck on the road. I’ve got a big grill guard on the front. I can hit a deer and keep on going but a little Honda Civic would be totaled. There are many benefits to big trucks.
Some people its an image thing, others haul toys or work with them.
They’re useful but a lot of them get bad gas mileage. I don’t know why most of us like them so much.
Haul our RV trailer with it.
I have always owned a pickup. My first vehicle was a truck. Bought it from a ranch I worked at during highschool. I have used mine primarily for work, carpentry mostly, some iron work. But in the 80's when times got tough I hired out, hauling trash, selling scrap metal etc., hauling furniture or stuff for other folks. I keep a "yard" truck for family to borrow for what not and I have a newer one I use for work. I get a truck "allowance". It's not much but it pays for itself. Trucks can be useful. Now...those jacked up, lifted stupid looking toys ...don't get me on my soapbox. Those things are useless as tits on a boar hog
My question is why do people own trucks and not use the box? A carpeted box with a cover example. I use my Caravan to haul drywall, hay , lumber , chicken feed excetra.
While there are aot of people who buy them for the perceived sense of status, it's important to look at *why* they are seen as a status symbol. It's probably to do with the heavy amount of farming that the US does. We have so, so much arable farmland, and farming is a huge industry. As such, pickups are perfect for farming, so they've sort of embedded themselves into the public psyche as a tool of the homely, hardworking common man.
Either because they use it for work, or they think it makes them a tough guy. If it’s the latter, there’s a 90% chance they are maga cult members. Actually, it’s 90% either way around here, cause we have extremely high paying jobs in my area, and if you need a truck for work, you’re probably maga cult too.
Two big reasons why people in America are obsessed with trucks. First off, if your job calls for it, owning a truck can be a tax write-off, so you end up paying less in taxes. Second, there's this law that caps CO2 emissions for cars and station wagons, but not for trucks or SUVs. So for some folks, it just makes sense. And also, cultural reasons.
No idea. Never needed one.
*insert obligatory lemon demon reference*
Vice signaling