Have you looked at the commercial trucks like an F450? It was much cheaper than any F350 that I could find and is designed to be a work truck. No thrills,except air, power windows/locks, and a simple radio.
I'm with Monte. ?ÿWe use trucks the way they are intended to be used. I have a 1985 Chevy pulling my 24-foot stock trailer because I am not going to baby it in conditions where damage can occur easily. ?ÿHad a truck I purchased back about 1986 and the second day I had it one cow goosed another, so it backed up hard into the driver's door putting awful dents that never came out fully. ?ÿOMG, if that had been a new 50K truck I would have **** my pants. ?ÿMy regular run around pickup is a 1997 GMC. ?ÿIt ain't pretty but it gets the job done.
If I was commuting 90 miles every day I'm sure I would get something smaller and more fuel efficient?ÿbut I would still have?ÿmy regular truck.?ÿ Since I don't have to commute, I just have?ÿmy truck because sometimes I need to do this...that's nearly 3,000 lbs of 5/8" drywall.
The picture of the Smart car squished between two big rigs will keep me and my wife in big cars/trucks.
This is a topic with P&R overtones in that the arguments are largely emotional and subjective.?ÿStraw men about econoboxes and Smartcars - ugh, Please... The?ÿ size and weight of the car has very little to do with safety.
I'm with Just A. on this one. Way too many people are over compensating with their daily drivers. Hey, if you need a big truck and use a big truck - more power to you.?ÿ
Nothing emotional or subjective about not being comfortable in a small car, or having trouble getting in and out of it. I've had two F150s and an Expedition and that's what I'm comfortable in. End of story.
P&R? Hey if guys (or girls) can't talk about cars, then what's the world coming to??ÿ?ÿ?ÿ ?
I was afraid that this would turn into a back and forth and making ridiculous comparisons of Smart cars flattened. That can happen to nearly any vehicle when hit with a semi.
I made no mention of folks who use a truck for its intended purpose.
I was specifically talking about those people who choose to commute long distances in heavy duty trucks and big SUV's.
You could but 3 Honda Civics for the price of a King Ranch. Sure trucks are built more sturdy than a small car but when you use it as a daily commuter putting in a 100 miles or more round trip it will wear out just as fast as the Honda. The only thing you have accomplished is waste money.
An oil change is $100 in a big diesel and tires cost a bloody fortune.
Yeah I know I know this is Murica and you can do it but it is still foolish.
And I have never seen a man so large that he cannot fit comfortably in a Nissan Maxima unless he is obese.
Oil changes, tires and gas be darned!
Safety first!
It's only money.
Like several of the other folks have said, a lot of it for tax purposes. Pops has always had full size trucks, and puts a lot of hard miles on them. He decided to get a new Colorado as is work truck to save on gas and maintenance. Until he seen that he couldn??t depreciate the total cost of the vehicle in one year. A $40,000 dollar reduction in taxable income can buy a lot of gas.?ÿ
6000 GVW is hard to find in an economy-class vehicle although I suspect the vast majority of commuters J.A.S. is lamenting aren't self employed and able to write off their rigs.?ÿ This topic could be?ÿhashed out?ÿacross nearly every consumer?ÿproduct type though.?ÿ Shoes, hand bags, rifles, tires, kitchen knives, carpet, shovels, jeans, the list is endless.?ÿ Unless this particular product discussion is?ÿfocused on the emissions perspective who am I to judge why one person chooses to drive a particular type of vehicle over another?
I am kind of thinking of buying a small camping trailer so joined a forum of the brand I am thinking of. My daughter also decided she needed a newer commuter car and she really does, her current ride looks like a hooptie for sure (even Toyota Corollas fall apart after awhile, mechanically still OK, BUT the thing is falling apart around the drive train). So, in reading about these small trailers tons of tow vehicle questions pop up, I am shocked at how low the MPG are for the smaller SUV's solo let alone towing including things like Subaru Outbacks. I can do almost as good with my 18 year old Dodge diesel pickup and in fact I am pretty sure towing I can do better. Then there was the car lot experiences last week or so, new autos of the 'economy" style really don't get that good of mileage. The most inaptly named vehicle is the new?ÿ2019 Ford EcoSport,?ÿMPG: Up to 27 city / 29 highway.
I get the OP comments, we have the same thing here and obviously even cars are going by the wayside as headlines like this are becoming common: "Ford to stop selling every car in North America but the Mustang and Focus Active", people don't want economy sedans, they want SUV's and things that cost more and the manufacturers are happy to oblige.
My daughter found a nine year old Toyota Rav4 for around $10K, should be OK for her daily 60 mile RT commute. Right next to it on the lot was a very nice used 2015 VW Jetta that was listed for $15K, a TDI that fell into the DieselGate years, all fixed by VW in fact zero miles in last two years with only 20K miles totatl, considered upgrading my 2005 Jetta, but I want a camper, so priorities 🙂 My old Jetta does fine, two weekends ago went to Seattle and back, 700+ miles,?ÿ and around?ÿ 45 MPG.
SHG
Maybe the question should be, why are they driving 60 miles (or more) one way to work?
Ya buy a big truck because you might need to pull a big trailer one day.?ÿ My wife won't drive a small car because they will loose when the wreck happens (wisdom from her father).
Hey, my daughter drives 60 miles one way to work, a sedan not a truck.?ÿ My son in law drives 100 miles to the airport then flies all over the country to work, back end of week.?ÿ Why, that's where they got the best job and grandma and grandpa will help with the kids.?ÿ Crazy world we have invented.?ÿ My county is a bedroom community.?ÿ Tell me about it, we live on the main highway, the traffic starts about 4:30 AM, lots of cars (and Trucks) go north.?ÿ Starting about 4:00 PM they all come back.
I did my own wild commutes in the past for work and a few dollars, not so much anymore (glad for that).
Some folks buy big ol' trucks and ess you vees for the same reason people buy land sight unseen in the middle of nowhere. Keeps their dream alive. Can't move there right now but Someday I'm Gonna. Can't go off-road this weekend but Someday I'm Gonna. Not necessarily practical but satisfying of the emotional, and some folks will pay anything for that. Figure out how to make the marketing of a land survey cater to that need and everyone will want one.?ÿ
