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Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,755,208 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Airborneguy
Why have utes had such spotty records in the US? Especially now with our population shifting heavily towards cities and suburbs where they would be more practical utility vehicles than even the smaller pickups, why haven't utes become more popular?
Where 'utes used to be popular, they are no longer. Even the Australians are rapidly moving from buying utes to mid sized pickups like the Ranger and HiLux. Both the Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon utes are basically dead. And if you want real work to get done you buy a Land Cruiser 70.
UTE’s aren’t meant to compare to full-suzed trucks.
They’re meant for people like me: live and work in a city, only ever tow a small recreational atv/camper/jetski/boat, hunt/camp/fish, occasional furniture moves, home depot runs, etc.
If you’re working regularly with your vehicle with large loads, you need a truck or van, that goes without saying.
Thats EVERYBODY I know!!
I think maybe because utes would be too much competition for the big truck guys!
"The last one in our market, the Subaru Baja, sold terribly."
that's why it was the last one.
Baja had other issues though which may have doomed it from the start. The main one being that it was based on a platform that was being replaced. They never updated the Baja to the next gen Outback.
Us 'Merikans are all big, tall fat b-tards and don't want those puny little 3rd World toys. (Plus, all the safety crud required in the US would kill most small Utes. Blame the NTSB!)
I'd kinda like a Maloo, however. Those look cool as fark!
Exactly this. It seems every dumbass (in Las Vegas at least) needs to drive a huge truck, with very poor mpg, that they don't even use for work purposes.
It comes down to common sense. For the most part, it is clearly lacking.
[quote=OmegaSupreme;53607035]Exactly this. It seems every dumbass (in Las Vegas at least) needs to drive a huge truck, with very poor mpg, that they don't even use for work purposes.
It comes down to common sense. For the most part, it is clearly lacking.[/QUOTE
And you know what is best for people to spend their money on right. Americans like big pickups and SUVs not gocart utes.
Americans don't even really buy wagons anymore ...even though there is a market for them.
Most people just get a regular SUV....a Ute is just too small and impractical for most Americans.
If you are okay with that size, then you can either get a hatchback, or a light pickup truck.
If you need more space, a full size truck or SUV does the trick.
There's just not a market in between from what I can tell...the "crossover" market flopped pretty decisively here.
Its morphed into the SUV market; there are three levels now - Small, Medium, Large.
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(Plus, all the safety crud required in the US would kill most small Utes. Blame the NTSB!)
