wanting to dd a gas guzzler

[whip]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
I pass alot of of people around here that have big diesels and stuff and have 1 passenger inside and an empty bed. The cost to own one of those just seems silly to me.

How often does it have to be used as truck, to be considered justified?

 

[Chris142]

I need a truck to haul stuff to the dump,home improvement projects and atvs out into the desert. I also need 4x4 to get to and from my house in bad weather.

2wd will not climb my rutted and off camber driveway in snow. Btdt. A 2wd truck wont haul toys out into the sandy desert

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
You didn't mention the type of person. Typically tall or overweight people like them as they don't fit too well in regular cars. I prefer a midsized car as small cars are somewhat of a death trap if you're in an accident. Lots of bad drivers around here, normally you just get rear ended or t-boned. Probably why people also prefer SUV's, bigger size is safer. It seems like the bigger the SUV, the smaller the person behind the wheel sometimes.


the drivers FEEL safer in a big honkin vehicle.

Personally, I love small cars, but most of them sit too low for me. I'm only 5'9" but weigh 320lbs. if it sat a couple inches higher, i'd still be driving my Neon. but it got to the point i felt like i was squatting to get into it, and having to hoist myself out. once in there, not cramped at all, handles like a dream.
but, that being said,my Current Sable is a deal bigger, has more modern safety features(ABS,Traction Control, 6 airbags vs 2), twice the power(130hp 2.0l 4Cyl Vs 263hp 3.5lV6), for a minimal drop in economy(4speed auto vs 6 speed auto). around town i get the same, on the hwy, the sable gets 29mpg, where they neon was closer to 35.
and my insurance actually went down when i switched from the neon to the sable.

My Next Car may well be either a Fiat 500, or a Smart. (but there's also a certain appeal in a Subie Wagon...)

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
You didn't mention the type of person. Typically tall or overweight people like them as they don't fit too well in regular cars. I prefer a midsized car as small cars are somewhat of a death trap if you're in an accident. Lots of bad drivers around here, normally you just get rear ended or t-boned. Probably why people also prefer SUV's, bigger size is safer. It seems like the bigger the SUV, the smaller the person behind the wheel sometimes.


Bigger is safer? Not necessarily. Plenty of mid size, and yes even economy cars are safer than some trucks and SUV's. I would much rather be in my Accord than my fathers Silverado in an accident.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: gregk24

Bigger is safer? Not necessarily. Plenty of mid size, and yes even economy cars are safer than some trucks and SUV's. I would much rather be in my Accord than my fathers Silverado in an accident.


Generally I would prefer to be in the car with more mass. If we're talking the same year Silverado and Accord, I will always pick the Silverado.

Now Fit v. Accord? I want the Accord.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
I personally have a better time driving a nimble car. I wouldnt want to take a truck on a long drive because the fuel mileage alone.


I would tend to agree with you.
My brother on the other hand, if he drives the 1100mi home to visit instead of flying, will almost always drive his lifted '07 Dakota Quad cab 4x4 , vs his DD's (either his '06 Mustang GT, or his '13 Hemi Challenger R/T+ Blacktop )
granted none of them get stellar MPG's anyway...

he says the Truck is more comfortable on long trips. fwiw...

 

[Panzerman]

I think the truck market has shifted. Trucks are so nice now, I am on the other side of the fence wondering why have a car, except for costs. Trucks cost more and hold their value better. My Dodge easily seats 6, has 4 wheel drive, I can tow with it, haul with it and it is built better than any car, so I will probably survive any crash and last for 300,000 miles. Did I mention its under driveline warranty until 2077. If your a home owner you probably should own a truck. If your a city dweller and live in a studio apartment or condo, I don't expect you to understand. Trucks do so much more than a car, its no reason they are popular. They aren't the single cab Farm trucks from the 50's anymore.

 

[Nate1979]

More mass is always safe as long as you are a careful driver. Always.

 

[hattaresguy]

I put up with the fuel burn on my truck because it makes me money.

If I didn't need a truck I'd probably buy a Tesla or another diesel Mercedes.

Fuel in general is a waste of money, its a good expense to minimize.

I believe the vast majority of people from what I have seen pulling credit reports make very, very poor vehicle financial decisions. This is one of the reasons the average person has almost no or negative net worth.

People complain about college and I remember reading the average student graduates with $28k in debt. BUT the average new car loan balance is $32k!

OTOH I don't really care either way, its just an observation. Personally I wouldn't buy a $50k luxury pickup unless my net worth was in the solid 7 figure range, they are a millionaires toy along the lines of a luxury car like an SL Mercedes.

The average income for a family in the US is $50,500, the average pickup truck in 2014 sold for $40,696. IMHO that's insane, if you sacrifice one entire year of your working life for a vehicle its pure financial folly. Its even more insane since most people buy a new vehicle an average of what 6 years something like that? So over a 30 year working career your buying 5 vehicles! Throw in additional fuel that trucks burn. Pretty much WOW their is one heck of a healthy retirement fund balance being spent on wheels!

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: oldhp
I bought my truck that I drive to work because of full frame, sits up high, beefier and safer, so when the texting, drinking, putting on makeup, eating or reading newspaper idiot comes into my lane, I'll have the advantage.


I get this, and I bet someone who was raised/ learned to drive in a truck would find a low riding sedan "dangerously blind". But if we keep building Towers of Babel up higher and higher to see over each other, how can this sensibly end?

There's some Buick Cute-ute (Encore) that's shaped like a Fez hat. The whole point of it appears to be to sit up high.

There's also the status symbol truckers. They have a boat, don't you know. They drive it up to the lake 4x a summer and save those darn marina storage costs by having it in their dooryard all winter. Yup, and they're working on a garden trellis and need to go to Home Depot.

I have a 95 F150. Its bed side rails are a good foot lower than a new truck. I like to, you know, approach it from the side and toss a trash can in. It would throw out my back doing the same stunt with a new truck.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I personally have a better time driving a nimble car. I wouldnt want to take a truck on a long drive because the fuel mileage alone.


I would tend to agree with you.
My brother on the other hand, if he drives the 1100mi home to visit instead of flying, will almost always drive his lifted '07 Dakota Quad cab 4x4 , vs his DD's (either his '06 Mustang GT, or his '13 Hemi Challenger R/T+ Blacktop )
granted none of them get stellar MPG's anyway...

he says the Truck is more comfortable on long trips. fwiw...


My friend prefers his diesel F-250 4x4 over his wife's Charger R/T for a long trip.

 

[BubbaFL]

The vast majority of stuff people "need" a big truck for could be accomplished with a minivan at half the acquisition and fuel cost.

But minivans don't tell the world, "the guy who's driving me has a giant wiener!"

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
the drivers FEEL safer in a big honkin vehicle.


Highway loss data institute would disagree. Way more deaths in small cars than large cars. Pickups and SUVs are safer, but that doesn't mean nobody dies in them. Death rate of about 66 in mini cars, 35 in midsized. SUV's are safer than pickups.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/vehicle-size-and-weight/fatalityfacts/passenger-vehicles

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Bigger is safer? Not necessarily. Plenty of mid size, and yes even economy cars are safer than some trucks and SUV's. I would much rather be in my Accord than my fathers Silverado in an accident.


I don't think the data really supports you on that. Midsized and larger cars have a lower death rate than some pickups and Suv's. Just different factors at work, pickups and suv's have more of a rollover risk and that's more dangerous as they have a higher center of gravity. Harder to roll a car with low CG. Plus greater weight means longer stopping distances. And if you like driving, cars outperform pickups and Suvs.

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
If your a home owner you probably should own a truck.


That's what you keep saying to support ownership of one. I have a car that has a back seat that folds down. I can get a 10' pipe in my car, granted the top of the pipe is on the dash, but it also fits 32x80" doors. I also have about 10+ rental properties. If I have a big project, I just get the materials delivered from Home Depot, they charge an extra $60 or I can rent their truck for $20 and not worry about making mine dirty. I only do that a couple times a year if that, haven't had to rent one in a while. For appliances, I just have them delivered, Lowes does free delivery.

As for why they're not for me, they use more gas, handling is worse than a car (if you like cornering a truck or SUV isn't for you), they have longer stopping distances and are more likely to roll over due to high CG, and the suspension is worse.

 

[Panzerman]

When I say homeowner duties, I am thinking more like loads of top soil, bags of cement and things that you really need to hose out of a bed. I have trailers too, so another thing a car wouldn't suit me for, yet a truck would fill both bills. If you go with a SUV, your still with the bad gas, so just get a truck. I agree the cost of new trucks is high, but I lack to see the overall savings if you buy a truck for twice as much and keep it twice as long. What you don't mention is they hold their value better.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
When I say homeowner duties, I am thinking more like loads of top soil, bags of cement and things that you really need to hose out of a bed. I have trailers too, so another thing a car wouldn't suit me for, yet a truck would fill both bills. If you go with a SUV, your still with the bad gas, so just get a truck. I agree the cost of new trucks is high, but I lack to see the overall savings if you buy a truck for twice as much and keep it twice as long. What you don't mention is they hold their value better.


Why are you hauling so much top soil all the time? Have you thought about planting some shrubs or trees to keep all of it from washing away?

/sarcasm

Why not just keep the car twice as long, too? If you as an owner keep cars for a long period of time, then it's an apples to oranges comparison to say that the finances make sense because you keep your truck twice as long as some other person keeps their car. You will never save money buying a truck over car, unless you actually need a truck day-to-day.

Do trucks actually hold their value? Why? I ask because I don't know, not to be a pain.

//

If safety or driving position is a concern, it has been mentioned that there are many very safe vehicles that are reasonably-priced and get really good gas mileage. My Subie averages high 20's, has AWD, and has plenty of room to haul anything I'd personally need for any home repairs I might need to make.

Not only that, but, as has been mentioned, some people who justify the purchase of a truck for when they DO need it very often don't need it. Renting a truck or having materiel delivered would always cost less for the people around here who own a truck for pleasure.

FWIW, my dad drove a utility van around when I was a kid. It got slightly better gas mileage than a truck, had a TON of useable space, and was pretty economical, for what it was. We also towed a small boat every single weekend of the summer to go fishing or crabbing. It was 2WD and worked just fine.


FWIAW, I drive a Subaru because I like it. My Civic does pretty well in the snow with snow tires on, so it's not a requirement that I have something with AWD, but it's nice. I chose it, because it was what I wanted and what I could afford. I don't begrudge anyone who drives a big honkin' truck for pleasure. I only begrudge them when they do something despite others, such as drive around dangerously, because they feel that we're figuratively (and literally) beneath them or roll coal or anything else that directly negatively effects me. For the majority of truck lovers, I couldn't care less.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
I personally have a better time driving a nimble car. I wouldnt want to take a truck on a long drive because the fuel mileage alone. I like my 36 mpg i agree taking out a car payment to save fuel is dumb but I can't see buying a truck when i have no use for one. I pass alot of of people around here that have big diesels and stuff and have 1 passenger inside and an empty bed. The cost to own one of those just seems silly to me.


You can't just drive by trucks with empty beds and assume it isn't used as a truck.

My dad had a 2004 Silverado Duramax 4x4 with 33" tires. Almost every weekend it pulled a 10,000 pound gooseneck trailer out to the desert. During the week it drove him to work, didn't make any sense to have another car to drive to work at all.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I personally have a better time driving a nimble car. I wouldnt want to take a truck on a long drive because the fuel mileage alone. I like my 36 mpg i agree taking out a car payment to save fuel is dumb but I can't see buying a truck when i have no use for one. I pass alot of of people around here that have big diesels and stuff and have 1 passenger inside and an empty bed. The cost to own one of those just seems silly to me.


You can't just drive by trucks with empty beds and assume it isn't used as a truck.

My dad had a 2004 Silverado Duramax 4x4 with 33" tires. Almost every weekend it pulled a 10,000 pound gooseneck trailer out to the desert. During the week it drove him to work, didn't make any sense to have another car to drive to work at all.

Correct.
Mine sits a bunch of the time. I drive the Grand Prix or the Trans Am. It is handy to have. I don't have to rent anything and can hose the bed out. I towed more than every other weekend this summer. Can't tow a 35 trailer with a Mini Van or Car.
But with two acres, a 2200 square foot house, large barn and shed. I use it more than I ever though I would.
You don't have to buy a 40,000 dollar truck. I paid 12,000 for mine with 23,000 miles on it. The only options are A/C and Cruise.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool

FWIAW, I drive a Subaru because I like it. My Civic does pretty well in the snow with snow tires on, so it's not a requirement that I have something with AWD, but it's nice. I chose it, because it was what I wanted and what I could afford. I don't begrudge anyone who drives a big honkin' truck for pleasure. I only begrudge them when they do something despite others, such as drive around dangerously, because they feel that we're figuratively (and literally) beneath them or roll coal or anything else that directly negatively effects me. For the majority of truck lovers, I couldn't care less.

That, my friend, is not exclusive to the truck club, you might want to chat with some or your Subaru or Civic brethren. Ever seen some modified ones? I have seen them act just like the goof balls roiling coal. It is the person not the vehicle.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I personally have a better time driving a nimble car. I wouldnt want to take a truck on a long drive because the fuel mileage alone. I like my 36 mpg i agree taking out a car payment to save fuel is dumb but I can't see buying a truck when i have no use for one. I pass alot of of people around here that have big diesels and stuff and have 1 passenger inside and an empty bed. The cost to own one of those just seems silly to me.


You can't just drive by trucks with empty beds and assume it isn't used as a truck.

My dad had a 2004 Silverado Duramax 4x4 with 33" tires. Almost every weekend it pulled a 10,000 pound gooseneck trailer out to the desert. During the week it drove him to work, didn't make any sense to have another car to drive to work at all.

Correct.
Mine sits a bunch of the time. I drive the Grand Prix or the Trans Am. It is handy to have. I don't have to rent anything and can hose the bed out. I towed more than every other weekend this summer. Can't tow a 35 trailer with a Mini Van or Car.
But with two acres, a 2200 square foot house, large barn and shed. I use it more than I ever though I would.
You don't have to buy a 40,000 dollar truck. I paid 12,000 for mine with 23,000 miles on it. The only options are A/C and Cruise.
Yeah I can't understand why people pay crazy money for them. He bought his at 1-2 years old with 85k miles on it for $22k and it was absolutely loaded, not a single option it didn't have.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
When I say homeowner duties, I am thinking more like loads of top soil, bags of cement and things that you really need to hose out of a bed. I have trailers too, so another thing a car wouldn't suit me for, yet a truck would fill both bills. If you go with a SUV, your still with the bad gas, so just get a truck. I agree the cost of new trucks is high, but I lack to see the overall savings if you buy a truck for twice as much and keep it twice as long. What you don't mention is they hold their value better.


Yeah, I've had bags of cement in my car, even bundles of shingles. The rear seats fold down so I either put it on top of the rear seats folded down or just in the trunk. I don't hose it down, but the trunk has a liner and I just take that out and vacuum it when cement dust makes it dusty.

Also I buy my cars used so a truck that holds it's value might be a better deal as a new car, but worse as a used car so a car is much cheaper to buy used than a truck. Remember there's a reason why automakers make more money selling trucks than cars. Lots more profit in the price.