What are your thoughts about the current market trends of Light trucks/SUV's?

[husky drvr]

Interesting and well researched editorial about truck/SUV designs and trucks.

 

[Bill Blue]

Never really understood the mania surrounding this class of vehicles. They should be included in the CAFE calculations as very few of them are used as work vehicles. Even then, most of the "work" of these vehicles is hauling people or groceries. If 90% of them were magically transformed into cars, it would have zero impact on how they were used. We purchased an Outback, which is sometimes classed as an SUV, but only for its good carrying capacity. A small wagon, which we really needed, was not available in the new car market.

Bill

 

[Aladin Sane]

I may be the outlier in this group, but we have both a 3/4 ton diesel truck and a 1/2 ton gas truck. I have a large toyhauler camper and a heavy 21 ft boat. Some midsized truck/suv is not going to haul either of those.

 

[Warren]

Haters of truck do have a beef. But I think the Aussies have had it down for longer...
Ever carry bags of fertilizer in a boot or mini van on a hot day?
Plus it's win win for the taxing authority calling them trucks and charging more for the registration because of weight. 4500 for a Tesla 3600 for a standard Maverick .
Figures rounded.

Cars are like surfboards, you need the right board for the right condition. Of course you can say the same thing about motorcycles bicycles sailboats power boats...
I remember my car designer pal telling me about the skateboard car, you just dropped whatever body style on top.

I guess I could quote my younger commercial pilot.
if it fly's, f's , or floats it's cheaper to rent it. To bad it doesn't have rolls in there

 

[husky drvr]

I may be the outlier in this group, but we have both a 3/4 ton diesel truck and a 1/2 ton gas truck.

A-S,

I guess I'm a different kind of outlier as well. I'm really only concerned with how well a truck can haul cargo, not people. To me, a big, ornate exterior seems to be a distraction from what a given truck is NOT capable of doing - 12 feet long lumber safely, 1500-2000 pounds of gravel without dragging, or a FULL cord of green, split, stacked firewood down a Blue Ridge mountain road. Trucks needn't be inflated status "CYMBALS."

Have a good day,

 

[husky drvr]

OK, bringing this subject up again, rather than a new topic.

I just tripped over a recent video which seems to have a reasonable hypothesis about why trucks have been growing to such large physical sizes in recent years. It's not what you think. Or, maybe it is.

 

[todd reid]

Interesting video demonstrating once again that:
A Our government is full of idiots
B Figures don't lie, but liars still figure
C All of the above..

I just bought a 1999 Dodge Dakota which looks to me to be just about the same size as a 1960's F-100. I hope I can keep it on the road for a long as I am driving.

 

[alpine_64]

There is a nice video by Jason cammisa on the Kei cars .. how Japanese regulations did the same things as USA regs but reverse ... Tax breaks, safety breaks and incentives for smaller cars....

The carmudgeon podcast on the same topic was also good ....

 

[Bill Blue]

Given the wheelbase/treadwidth formula, how do we end up with monster trucks with hoods so tall there is talk of forward cameras to keep the proud owners from running over their kids? I have no gripe with pickups, just their misuse as automobiles.
Bill