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These large vehicles are a danger to everyone on the road. Plus we all pay for roads, parking lots, and infrastructure designed for vehicles that are 10x as big as they need to be. What you "want" to commute in has an effect on everyone else.
1 ton lifted, crew cab, long bed, oil burning F350 driver here. It's my do everything car. I had a M3 too but the recession forced me to unload it.
The only one my truck inconveniences is me when I have to find a parking spot. I tow a boat, a trailer, haul firewood, full sheets of plywood. My side by side fits in the bed too.
I really don't care if someone doesn't like it nor do I care what they think of me.
Wait for $4 gas. Everyone who floated a $90K nut to have an Escalade will be trying to decide between food and gas.
I remember when oil was up the last time, you could get an XLT Suburban for well under $40K new. There were so many of them sitting around aging out.
When that happened the last time I picked up a mint '01 Ford Excursion, I think it had 78k on it for $9500. I really liked that truck but didn't care for the way Ford did a lot of things. Funny thing, we learned not to let that thing get below a quarter tank, with it being 44 gallons it shocked you when topping it off.
I'm pretty sure even the two-seaters will be underutilized from my observations. Most days they will have only one person driving them and the second seat will be unoccupied. It makes a 500lb vehicle designed for two but carrying only one person look practically silly. I'm pushing for a 250lb one-seater.
You won't save much weight though and the aero profile would be the same.
This is all well and good if you're in a newer suburban/exurban or rural area where you go from a driveway to defined parking spaces, but in an older dense urban area, a large truck is absolutely an inconvenience to others. In New Orleans most residential streets are off limits to larger commercial trucks and for good reason.
Even a standard Full-Size Crew Cab pickup will take up more available spaces when parking along the street as opposed to a mid-size car/SUV. Depending on the street layout, there might be a length of curb that can legally fit 2 cars, but only one truck.
It's not just the length either, its the width. Most of the streets here are basically "3 vehicles wide" with parking on both sides. When two full size trucks are parked across from each other, there is scant space for vehicles to pass, especially when you consider the mirrors. A small car can pass, but another full size truck (or UPS/Fedex van) will have to slow to a crawl and fold the side mirrors in to pass. It's even more of an issue when the street is a two way with parking on both sides.
Even in parking lots, you'll be hard pressed to find a spot that's truly 20ft long. 18ft is generous around here even in the suburbs. Big trucks just don't fit so they stick out or just double park.
This is all well and good if you're in a newer suburban/exurban or rural area where you go from a driveway to defined parking spaces, but in an older dense urban area, a large truck is absolutely an inconvenience to others. In New Orleans most residential streets are off limits to larger commercial trucks and for good reason.
Even a standard Full-Size Crew Cab pickup will take up more available spaces when parking along the street as opposed to a mid-size car/SUV. Depending on the street layout, there might be a length of curb that can legally fit 2 cars, but only one truck.
It's not just the length either, its the width. Most of the streets here are basically "3 vehicles wide" with parking on both sides. When two full size trucks are parked across from each other, there is scant space for vehicles to pass, especially when you consider the mirrors. A small car can pass, but another full size truck (or UPS/Fedex van) will have to slow to a crawl and fold the side mirrors in to pass. It's even more of an issue when the street is a two way with parking on both sides.
Even in parking lots, you'll be hard pressed to find a spot that's truly 20ft long. 18ft is generous around here even in the suburbs. Big trucks just don't fit so they stick out or just double park.
If you are parking in front of your own place or in assigned parking, who cares. What does suck is someone in a SFH that rents out all the rooms and everyone of them have cars and take over the street.
Tall trucks flip over. The trend towards taller family vehicles puts kids in danger.
I have not seen the typical 4X4 pickup that is driven in Montana flipping over. That is a false claim.
However I remember a trip to Billings for a doctors appointment 4 years ago. I drove our Explorer that day, instead of the Ford F-150 pickup. Going into Billings roads dry and free of snow. Two hours later left the doctors office, and found there was 6 inches of snow and ice on the roads, coupled with a 70 mile an hour wind from the south side. Got to the Interstate and for 15 miles the traffic was moving at 15 miles an hour. In that 15 miles, those smaller cars so many on these threads love were blown off of the road, and about every 25 to 50 feet another car off of the road. Not one midsize or larger SUV or Pickup along side the road. I have never seen so many cars laid up along the road in my life. Some were on their side, and some had just slid off of the road. Our Explorer, never even hinted that the road was slick and dangerous.
People try to call the larger SUVs and Pickups dangerous vehicles. They are only dangerous when small cars run into them. Not dangerous for the SUV or Pickup, but dangerous for those little puddle jumpers that run into them.
Here in our area, SUVs and Pickups are almost all 4X4 or all wheel drive. Our Explorer has the advanced transmission. Automatic 6 speed, that runs front wheel drive on dry, ice and snow free pavement. But any other conditions, you dial the condition which includes snow and ice, and it is the best 4X4 I have ever driven. And we put on studded snow tires in the winter. Highway summer tires are made of hard rubber, that does not grip ice and snow. Winter tires are softer rubber that work so much better on snow and ice, plus when you stud them, the have a solid grip on ice. Set the transmission to manual, and you shift up and down gears with push buttons, so people that really do not handle a stick shift can easily shift gears. Going down hill on snow and ice and you want the vehicle to hold the speed and slow down if you take your foot off of the accelerator, you just push the down hill button and the vehicle holds back, and even adjusts the brakes to better handle the road conditions.
Go down to a parking lot here, and 3/4 of all vehicles will be medium and larger SUVs and Pickups. I have only seen 2 Prius cars and both were driven by tourists. According to DMV there is not one Tesla even registered in the state. Wyoming has 1 registered. It stays at a ranch owned by a movie star, and used as a go to town car in the summer only when he is at the ranch.
If you are looking for a 500 pound or less electric vehicle for one person a new one is going on the market for only $17,000 to run around town this is what you get to keep the weight down to that level.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyyc
Wait for $4 gas. Everyone who floated a $90K nut to have an Escalade will be trying to decide between food and gas.
I remember when oil was up the last time, you could get an XLT Suburban for well under $40K new. There were so many of them sitting around aging out.
$4 gas is not a big deal, it's right around $3 now and trucks are flying off the lots. Most of us with a truck have another, more economical vehicle or two that we can use if it becomes a problem, but if one averages 1,000 miles/month in their truck and gets 15 mpg, that's about 66 gallons. That additional dollar per gallon is just going to add $66/month, that will have no effect on being able to afford food. Even at $6/gallon, though that sounds bad and will cause people to reduce their driving, it's just $198/month more. That still wouldn't affect the ability to buy food for anyone that could afford a $35-60,000 truck.
New Ford Ranger being made at Fords Wayne Michigan assembly plant. This is why the Focus was moved to Mexico to make way for the Ranger and new Bronco.
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