What a difference 30 years makes

[ATex7239]

The amount of daily HD trucks by office workers in the lot where I work is staggering. I had to drive a modern Chevy 2500 a few years ago on a trip for a buddy. No thanks, I'll take a car or a 1/2 ton.

I drove 3/4 ton trucks for work for 10yrs. If not loaded up they ride like covered wagons rolling down the prairie. Yesh, no thanks.

A couple down the street has his and hers lifted 3/4 diesel trucks. Easily $150K parked in the driveway. Probably more honestly. Not a thing being towed or hauled from what I can tell. I guess if that’s folks want to spend their money that’s their prerogative. I’d hate to see their monthly fuel bill.

 

[ATex7239]

I really dont worry about why people drive what they drive.

I don’t worry about it. But it is hard to not notice it and have an opinion. It’s like if I saw a morbidly obese person shoveling donuts in their face. I’m gonna think to myself “welp, that’s going off the rails eventually.” But I’m not going over there to set up an intervention for them.

 

[TiGeo]

I drove 3/4 ton trucks for work for 10yrs. If not loaded up they ride like covered wagons rolling down the prairie. Yesh, no thanks.

A couple down the street has his and hers lifted 3/4 diesel trucks. Easily $150K parked in the driveway. Probably more honestly. Not a thing being towed or hauled from what I can tell. I guess if that’s folks want to spend their money that’s their prerogative. I’d hate to see their monthly fuel bill.

Exactly - horrible ride and steering quality on the one I drove. I kep thinking the whole time "Why would you drive this if you didn't need to?". But again, whatever makes you happy. Sometimes at stop lights if the headlights are piercing my eye balls through the side mirrors, I adjust it to aim back in their face. It's the little things...

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here's an interesting look at how ridiculously large full-sized US pickups have become since the 1990s. The one on the left is an early–1990s Chevrolet Silverado, and the one on the right is a recent-model Silverado. Why are the new ones so tall and have such high front ends restricting forward vision for the driver? "Pedestrian impact standards" don't seem to be the answer. Machoism run amok, maybe?

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[spasm3]

A couple down the street has his and hers lifted 3/4 diesel trucks.

Very cool!

 

[ATex7239]

Exactly - horrible ride and steering quality on the one I drove. I kep thinking the whole time "Why would you drive this if you didn't need to?". But again, whatever makes you happy. Sometimes at stop lights if the headlights are piercing my eye balls through the side mirrors, I adjust it to aim back in their face. It's the little things...

Yeah, I’m not a fan of giant headlights in my rearview either. I don’t do it often, but if they’re riding my bumper while driving, I’ll spray washer fluid and clean my windows off so the overspray gets all over their windshield. That usually makes them back off or change lanes.

 

[TiGeo]

Yeah, I’m not a fan of giant headlights in my rearview either. I don’t do it often, but if they’re riding my bumper while driving, I’ll spray washer fluid and clean my windows off so the overspray gets all over their windshield. That usually makes them back off or change lanes.

Nice, I'll have to try that.

 

[ATex7239]

Very cool!

As long as it doesn’t take away from their his and hers matching 401(k)’s, then yes.

 

[hemitom]

Wonder how many on here have ridden in both.. new. Same for square bodies. Smaller yes but if you had to go from 2025 to 1995 trucks you'd think the 95's were garbage. Back then though they were nice from that point of reference.

I have driven both numerous times had a friend that had a 92 with a 4.3 5 speed and another with a 91 with a five liter auto.
I found the 4.3 with the manual to be more capable then the v8 auto and it towed 5000 pound boat and trailer better could have all been in the gearing though. And to the point the newer trucks are monsterous compared to them. But also no comparison in every aspect I would take the newer models hands down.

 

[Kurtatron]

I don’t worry about it. But it is hard to not notice it and have an opinion. It’s like if I saw a morbidly obese person shoveling donuts in their face. I’m gonna think to myself “welp, that’s going off the rails eventually.” But I’m not going over there to set up an intervention for them.

Top selling vehicles are mostly trucks and SUVs. It’s not just an anecdotal observation.

I like saving money. That’s a major reason I don’t drive big vehicles. But most people are either wealthier than me, or don’t care about saving money on vehicles. So, they buy big expensive vehicles.

When you're driving a small sedan and on both sides are 9ft tall trucks, and this is a regular occurrence, yeah, you notice.

Can I do anything about it? No. I won’t live my life dominated by what ifs and fear. I just hope the bigger is better mentality dies off with time.

 

[redbone3]

I learned to drive on my
Dad's '51 Chevy pickup. All the body to frame mounts were rusted off, so gravity, alone held it together. The doors opened when you hit a bump and your feet got wet when it rained. The intake manifold had a water faucet brazed on it, maybe to run a milking machine?? It burned a quart per 40 miles and the rear brakes didn't really work (leaky seals had the shoes coated). 50 mph was about it. The clutch worked like a switch, when the rivets hit the flywheel off you went. The only accessory was a heater. The wipers only worked downhill. Bribery at the inspection station may have been involved.

 

[chainblu]

I have a 2000 Silverado, which is the biggest vehicle I own. Recently, I drove a friend's 2024 and compared to my 2000, it was like I was behind the wheel of a Kenworth.