Topic: What’s the allure of a full-size pickup truck as a daily driver?

[Mike-NB]

Please note that this I’m not intending this question to be read as “what kind of idiot would choose a truck as a daily driver?”  I’m asking this question in good faith and honestly hoping to get an understanding of why someone makes this choice.  And part of this has to be read that this is a choice.  I know there are people out there who NEED a pickup truck for the work they do. 

So, assuming that a buyer has a choice, what draws them to a truck?  Obviously full-size truck sales are huge in Canada.  I don’t know the figures, but I suspect that full-size pickups from all manufacturers make up a big percentage of new vehicle sales.  I know why I bought what I drive, a 2010 VW Golf Wagon TDI.  I wanted the utility of a wagon, the fuel economy of a diesel and a mandatory feature for me is a manual transmission.  I do most of my own carpentry, electrical and plumbing work and I my car does 99% of what I need.   

I can think of many reasons why I wouldn’t buy a truck, but is it the opposite of that for people who choose to buy one?  It would drive me batty to have to pay the fuel costs for such a vehicle.  The size would bother me too.  And for me, the pickup truck lacks useful utility.  Four of us and luggage can hop in my car and go away on a rainy weekend.  With a truck, where does the luggage go?  (An answer that I’m aware of is ‘in the trunk of the car you borrow when you go away.’  My brother-in-law who owned a truck would borrow my wife’s car when he and the family went on trips.  It was cheaper to run and the luggage is secure and dry in the trunk.)  I realize that I’m starting to show an anti-truck bias here, and I was hoping to avoid that, but I have to add that when I need a truck, which happens maybe once every two or three years, I’ll rent one and I hate the darn thing.  And for utility, I’ll often skip the pickup rental and go with a van*. 

Some of the reasons I’ve heard for truck purchase are that a person needs four-wheel-drive.  Maybe, but I suspect that for 90% of truck buyers that isn’t really true.  Most of us live in communities where the roads are plowed in a reasonable time.  Pulling a travel trailer is another reason cited.  I can’t disagree with that, but there are three families in our neighbourhood with travel trailers and trucks to pull them and the trailers each move maybe twice a year.  You’re buying a lot of pulling power for the 361 days a year you don’t need it. 

(*That raises another question: of all the reasons that I’ve heard people use for buying a truck, most of those would be better served by buying an E-150 or Savanna.  But it seems no one would be caught dead driving full-size passenger van.  That leads me to think that the allure of a pickup truck is mostly the perception of ‘coolness.’) 

Any and all thoughts will be appreciated!

Mike

[airbalancer]

put a cover on the back, you can carry a lot of dry stuff
larger interior
easier to get in and out of
nicer ride
why do people buy 2000sqft homes when 1000 will do
why buy 80 inch tv when a 27 will do
why buy $3 cup of coffee when you make it for pennies at home
why do people smoke
why do people do dangers stuff, mountain climb for example, cool if you can, but you could not get up those cliffs that John goes 

 It is great , that there are options out there , so get over the fact people like stuff that you don't 

[Jaeger]

I was going to say "butch image" and "overcompensation", but I don't drive one, what do I know. 

ab - you list "nicer ride" as one of the reasons to choose a pickup truck as a daily driver.  Nicer than what?  I've only ridden in a handful, but have never been particularly impressed by the ride.  Neither have I heard the term "rides like a truck" used as a compliment when describing a vehicle other than a truck.

Jaeger

[airbalancer]

have you been in a new truck
driving up and down the roads it soaks up any size of pot hole out there
I have 10 way power seats, power pedals, heat seats, you can even get cooled seats
less wear and tear on your body in the new trucks

my daily drive is usually 1.5 hours round trip, but could easily be over 3 workdays

Drove to Thunder Bay over Thanksgiving weekend and we did in 17 hours , more comfortable then our Prius or our 3 series on that kind of drive

[Jaeger]

have you been in a new truck
driving up and down the roads it soaks up any size of pot hole out there
I have 10 way power seats, power pedals, heat seats, you can even get cooled seats
less wear and tear on your body in the new trucks

my daily drive is usually 1.5 hours round trip, but could easily be over 3 workdays

Drove to Thunder Bay over Thanksgiving weekend and we did in 17 hours , more comfortable then our Prius or our 3 series on that kind of drive

Yes, I have.  A recent (as in the last 3-4 years anyway) F150.  Don't ask me which of the umpteen variations.  It rode well enough, but not better than a good sedan or minivan.  Not as well as either, frankly.  Which brings me back to my original question - what does a pickup truck "ride better than" such that this would be a reason to choose it as a daily driver?

Better than a cheap subcompact?  Maybe.  But if your budget accomodates a fll size pickup, it accomodates much more than a Versa as an alternative.

Hey, I got no issue with "I like it 'cause I like it" - of course people have different preferences - but like the OP, I don't really get choosing a pickup truck as a daily driver if you didn't otherwise need it as a work truck.  It seems to me that outside the context of hauling cargo, other vehicles can better a pickup truck in almost every respect.

Jaeger

[kenm]

For a 7 year period in the late 80s / early 90s, I owned trucks exclusively. I was a truck guy, couldn't see myself driving a car, and I had motorcycles for some real fun. One day, I happened upon a screaming deal on a used Corolla and I bought it on a whim. For about a year or so, I had truck and car, but a funny thing happened. The car got driven more and more, and the truck less and less. The car especially became the go-to vehicle for road trips, because of the vastly superior fuel economy. Eventually, the truck wasn't moving at all, so I sold it, bought a trailer hitch and utility trailer; and it's been almost 20 years since I've owned a truck. Each time I change cars, I immediately start shopping for a trailer hitch.

[PJungnitsch]

High clearance cars you can do anything with, is what it boils down to. Why do people buy mountain bikes vs racing bikes?

The manufacturers didn't get this either for a long time. They took forever to bring out nice extended cabs and 4 door versions of their pickups. We always wondered about this growing up, what was their problem? Then they did and you hardly see a regular cab anymore, in the prairies at least.

Should mention that in the prairie provinces most of the roads are gravel. So ground clearance and toughness are much bigger needs than in Ontario where everything is paved.

[Jaeger]

High clearance cars you can do anything with, is what it boils down to. Why do people buy mountain bikes vs racing bikes?

Well if your "daily drive" is off road, then a truck has its virtues.  I'm not sure how many people that applies to, though.  And I don't see where gravel roads necessitate massive ground clearance.  I've driven on plenty of them in my car in cottage country.

Jaeger

[dougjp]

1: Its easier to mount your gun rack in.

2: Hiccup trucks, as my grand daughter calls them, are exempt from stopping at stop signs. This has to be true, based on extensive real life observation.

3: Many cars have FWD and electronic nannies. Its just easier finding a pickup that you can hop in, and get the tail sideways easily, especially in winter or when its wet. So its fun. And fun is the point.

4: Its the best way to deliver a load to the dump.

5: Its the best way to pick up a load out of the dump and take it home!

Trucks! 

http://www.loadedtruck.com/truckpics/

[bridgecity]

I drive a truck daily, and would far rather drive a unibody vehicle.  I can't disagree more with AB about how trucks ride, and yes I've driven all makes of trucks.  They ride relatively rough, and handle poorly.

I have a truck because I own an RV, which I tow several thousand kilometers per year.  They are also convenient when it comes time for DIY projects,etc, which it seems I am doing many times per year.  I know I could get by without one, but I can't imagine not having one.  I don't own one because it makes me feel macho or for overcompensation.  I'd far rather drive a car daily.

[PJungnitsch]

cottage country.

That's your key right there. Gravel roads in the prairies are not just cottage country. They are everywhere. Alberta has 141,000 km of gravel roads, only 41,000 paved. SK is worse, and in SK sometimes the paved roads are in worse shape then the gravel.

The huge road systems we have combined with the low population density also means that they get plowed less in the winter, and again the clearance comes in handy.

[tpl]

I am not a truck person.   But I do have a sort of question.   If the US government had not effectively got rid of proper "full size" cars and wagons with safety, CAFE and emissions legislation back in the '70s would these enormous pickup trucks and SUVs ( which are really Pickups with a cap)  be such big sellers.   By a proper full size car I'm talking about, for instance, a 1970 Impala or an Olds custom cruiser wagon.... 19 feet long and comfortable room for 6

[bridgecity]

If someone made a large wagon with 7-8k towing capacity, I'd probably own one. 

[PJungnitsch]

I am not a truck person.   But I do have a sort of question.   If the US government had not effectively got rid of proper "full size" cars and wagons with safety, CAFE and emissions legislation back in the '70s would these enormous pickup trucks and SUVs ( which are really Pickups with a cap)  be such big sellers.   By a proper full size car I'm talking about, for instance, a 1970 Impala or an Olds custom cruiser wagon.... 19 feet long and comfortable room for 6

What's the advantage of those giant old cars? Just as hard to park, just as hard on gas, but don't have the 'do-it-all' capability of a modern pickup.

[bridgecity]

I am not a truck person.   But I do have a sort of question.   If the US government had not effectively got rid of proper "full size" cars and wagons with safety, CAFE and emissions legislation back in the '70s would these enormous pickup trucks and SUVs ( which are really Pickups with a cap)  be such big sellers.   By a proper full size car I'm talking about, for instance, a 1970 Impala or an Olds custom cruiser wagon.... 19 feet long and comfortable room for 6

What's the advantage of those giant old cars? Just as hard to park, just as hard on gas, but don't have the 'do-it-all' capability of a modern pickup.

A modern version would handle better and be better on gas than a pickup.  Somebody, PLEASE, make me a 4 door El Camino  .

[safristi]

tpl's POINT was that Trucks/pseudo trucks also know as SUV's got a  "FREE PASS" from the EPA and thus could sell GAS GUZZLERS to the masses and quite cheaply back then....while bigger cars were facked.....and loaded down with Penalties Gas Guzzler taxes...as yer big truck getting 4mpg!!! whistled by the graveyard.....and once ya got the "FOLKS" hooked on cheap gas cheap BIG trucks well U guess the outcome.....


 IF it had been a FAIR FIGHT...my Ranger would be considered a HUMMER by the EPA....

[PJungnitsch]

True, the manufacturers basically turned their former 'work truck' thinking on it's head and turned pickups into very nice high clearance cars because of that loophole.

Which those of us in rural areas had been telling them for a long time. Surprise! It was a sales hit. Today's pickups ride nicely, have as much interior room as you want (no more hitting the brakes and everything flying off the seat into the footwell), all the amenities your budget will allow, and like a Swiss Army Knife, can do almost everything.

[tpl]

I am not a truck person.   But I do have a sort of question.   If the US government had not effectively got rid of proper "full size" cars and wagons with safety, CAFE and emissions legislation back in the '70s would these enormous pickup trucks and SUVs ( which are really Pickups with a cap)  be such big sellers.   By a proper full size car I'm talking about, for instance, a 1970 Impala or an Olds custom cruiser wagon.... 19 feet long and comfortable room for 6

What's the advantage of those giant old cars? Just as hard to park, just as hard on gas, but don't have the 'do-it-all' capability of a modern pickup.

A modern version would handle better and be better on gas than a pickup.  Somebody, PLEASE, make me a 4 door El Camino  .

An El Camino was the same height as a car...this was a good thing. It was the equal of a car in a collision.    Unlike a current "full size" pickup which is higher than a car to the extent that the door beams on cars don't help if you get t-boned.
I guess my problem with trucks is their height. If they had to have their bumpers and headlights at the same height as cars  this would work for me.  An also the drivers eyeline at the same height as the average car would be a good thing as well.   Don't bother arguing about the eye height of 18 wheelers and intercity buses... a) they are relatively rare compared to big SUVs and Pickups and b) they are usually driven by professional drivers.

Make a F150 with the same load carrying/towing capacity as it has now but the height etc of an El Camino and yes that would be good.

[wing]

I'd say the new F150 is probably the best riding vehicle available the thing is quiet and smooth as silk.

[dougjp]

I am not a truck person.   But I do have a sort of question.   If the US government had not effectively got rid of proper "full size" cars and wagons with safety, CAFE and emissions legislation back in the '70s would these enormous pickup trucks and SUVs ( which are really Pickups with a cap)  be such big sellers.   By a proper full size car I'm talking about, for instance, a 1970 Impala or an Olds custom cruiser wagon.... 19 feet long and comfortable room for 6

What's the advantage of those giant old cars? Just as hard to park, just as hard on gas, but don't have the 'do-it-all' capability of a modern pickup.

A modern version would handle better and be better on gas than a pickup.  Somebody, PLEASE, make me a 4 door El Camino  .

An El Camino was the same height as a car...this was a good thing. It was the equal of a car in a collision.    Unlike a current "full size" pickup which is higher than a car to the extent that the door beams on cars don't help if you get t-boned.
I guess my problem with trucks is their height. If they had to have their bumpers and headlights at the same height as cars  this would work for me.  An also the drivers eyeline at the same height as the average car would be a good thing as well.   Don't bother arguing about the eye height of 18 wheelers and intercity buses... a) they are relatively rare compared to big SUVs and Pickups and b) they are usually driven by professional drivers.

Make a F150 with the same load carrying/towing capacity as it has now but the height etc of an El Camino and yes that would be good.

I've always thought the "Ute" idea would sell here, its essentially the current version of an El Camino. And then we could race them! They tend to be 'tail happy'.

http://www.v8utes.com.au/

You can often see them racing here;

http://www.motorsportworld.tv/channels/