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I drive a Ram. While I admit that I don't NEED it, I use it to tow a camper, occasionally haul things, and it serves as a daily driver as well. It has a lot of power, the ride is smooth, and I like the technology package. I bought one of the higher level trim packages, but I also negotiated about 23% off of MSRP (which is fairly common according to other forums), so I paid only slightly more than the Tacoma it replaced, and my Ram is a lot nicer.
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My husband had the quad cab extended bed Dodge Ram with the hemi and it was the best vehicle we ever had. Heated, leather seats, the whole nine yards. The only bad thing was you couldn't drive it past a gas station.
The growth of the pick up market is related to the disappearance of the 230 inch station wagons of the 1960s to the 1980s. My parents had a 1973 Buick Estate Wagon and it was 230 inches long. A Ford F150 Supercab with a short bed is 232 inches long. People still need to carry big items. Today, the only choices are vans and pickups and pickups can be configured like cars now.
I agree, bring back the old fashioned station wagons. I want one. And you can camp in them too if you wanted to.
Here in WA state the most common vehicle is the Subaru Outback, followed by the Forester, and it has been that way a long time, though I cannot explain it. Since I bought my 2017 F150 in September I have been paying more attention to pickups around the area. Mine is a supercab,with 5.0 V8 and while I have almost always had a pickup for my previous business, and general projects around the home, this one will be pulling our new travel trailer. We don't need that full back seat because it's just my wife and I most of the time (she has an Escape too!) Just this morning I counted 3 F150s, all 4x4 CrewCabs just going down the hill on our street, less than 1/4 mile.
I agree, there are way too many undersized parking spaces lately, but parking farther out means more exercise walking to the stores. I have only managed 19 mpg on the one trip I did, but it was not broken in then. I'll be happy to get 20, with the 36 gallon tank that's over 700 miles before having to fill up.
Guess it depends on where you are...
I live in Oakland CA and have the only pickup in the area and it is semi collectible... 91 Styleside
At work... the Hospital Parking lot has almost no pickups and some SUV... by far the most popular cars are Honda, Toyota, Hybrids, BMW, etc...
Part of it could be it is harder to park and maneuver a full size truck in the city and harder for patients to get in and out of higher vehicles... when I had the main parking lot redone... I got rid of all the compact spaces!... we had enough to meet zoning without them so they are no more and one of the things most often complimented on is the ease of parking here.
The luxury cars are represented by Tesla, BMW and Porsche with the larger Audi's coming up fast...
45 minutes away out at my brother's farm... half the vehicles going down the road are pickups with nice trucks and no shortage of King Ranch models... plus SUV... very few regular passenger cars... several new Subaru as the local Dealer has been moving a lot of 4wd models popular with the wives...
In the late 80s I bought a 1987 full sized Chevy pickup, 4x4, fully loaded BEFORE or at the fringe of "luxury trucks" so common in pickups now. It had a.c., cruise, velour seats, dual gas tanks, tape deck radio, power and automatic everything, including automatic 4 wheel drive . It cost me $18,500 In fall 1986. I wanted that body style before they changed TO the "ugly ones " body style.
I miss that truck. But, there are VERY few if any of those still on the road.
The last time I went and looked for vehicles, I saw the price and had sticker shock!!!
I said before I buy another pickup, I'll buy a house first!!!
And I have.
I drive what i consider the second best, a minivan. Has hauling capacity, can carry 7 passengers and while the mileage is sucky compared to some cars, gets far better mileage than my truck did.
I'D like another truck, but my OH is against a pickemup truck. While it would be my vehicle, we always take my minivan ib trips, better than my OH s hyundai elantra. And the run lies the rub. My OH would only go for a truck OFF we also had a tow trailer t.v..
I always heard "trucks are country Cadillacs ". With the luxury trucks of today, you could certainly say that.
*sigh* I miss that truck, and I Do miss 4x4 abilities!
Always amazed at what folks are willing to pay for something to drive. Got a 20 year old GMC Sierra that lives in the garage unless on a rare occasion I need to haul something. Otherwise drive a Buick. I cannot fathom paying 45k or more to drive a big ass truck just because it’s fun but I seem to be in the minority here in Texas. As for the many references to Subaru’s on this thread, having owned one, there ain’t nothing to love about a Subaru. No power, cheap materials and zero features for a comfortable ride.
This makes the used truck market fantastic because when you go to buy a used truck to use as a work truck, the 4wd has never been used and the bed is not even scratched. If it is a Ford, it is going to rust, but, outside of that, there are some great options for people like me who only use a truck for hauling stuff.
This time of year we see plenty of trucks around with lots of contractors doing out of season work on summer cottages. Come summer though it will change and the town will once again be full of Bentleys, Jaguars, Mercedes and the like. I really don't see our summer 1%ers driving trucks, if that changes I'll let you know.
A real station wagon back in the day was big enough to haul 4x8 sheets of plywood or drywall... made many a run to the lumber yard in a wagon...
Then it was the car everyone piled in on the way to a school game... with or without a third row of seats making for an easy 9 passenger.
Those are classic, and would have been perfect for me, except they don't make em anymore, stupid manufacturers . Closing on the house that my ex, and I are selling is this friday the 15th, God willing. My half is only about $13,000 after the dust settles. I need a good used car around $7,000, and under, but am getting frustrated with what I can afford that is available.
The things that are good on gas don't hold anything to speak of. I love trucks, but can't afford the fuel, and maybe even the initial cost unless it has high mileage . Maybe a minivan, or small suv without the back seats. But they aren't very good on fuel either. I'd like at least 20mpg city. Then when I find something that might work, after researching carfax, and Edmonds reviews there is something goofy wrong with it. Grrrr, lol. Oh well, can't do anything till I have the money in my sweaty hands anyway .
Hey if you need a truck because you always haul stuff or that is your profession, that's awesome.
But the trucks I see in my neighborhood are driven by what I call "truckerbros". Smoke stacks, revving their engines unnecessarily, bed caps always on, sparking clean, and driven by guys younger than 40. These aren't beaters but pretty new trucks, enough to have LED headlights. Yeah I'm probably making generalization but its what I see the most.
One of my neighbors was recently laid off then bought one of these trucks and it just sits in front of his house all day.
However you live your life..
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. Closing on the house that my ex, and I are selling is this friday the 15th, God willing. My half is only about $13,000 after the dust settles. I need a good used car around $7,000, and under, but am getting frustrated with what I can afford that is available. 
. Maybe a minivan, or small suv without the back seats. But they aren't very good on fuel either. I'd like at least 20mpg city. Then when I find something that might work, after researching carfax, and Edmonds reviews there is something goofy wrong with it. Grrrr, lol. Oh well, can't do anything till I have the money in my sweaty hands anyway 
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