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I’m in that camp. Mine’s not a hatch, but it is 25 years old this year. I would have gone hatchback but they were at least 50% higher in price and I wasn’t interested in paying the extra for it. AC is the only option but it quit on me, so effectively doesn’t have AC. It also has factory manual steering. Bells and whistles don’t bring my dollars into dealerships, that’s for sure.
Back to trucks, I’m with all of you who enjoyed the mini trucks. For the average suburbanite, it’s plenty of truck. The vast majority of folks in full size pickups don’t even approach the capabilities they paid for. A minivan (or a wagon) and a Ranger/S10/Hardbody etc. would be just about a perfect pair for a suburban household...maybe a third car for weekends if you can afford it.
I have never wished for more truck than my 1993 Nissan Hardbody. When my daughter and her husband bought their first house 400 miles away from here, I bought them a washer and dryer. Lowes loaded them into the back of my truck, I added a few more things that every new household needs on the sides and near the tailgate, and was off to deliver the stuff to their new home.
I am an avid do it yourselfer and have never had to make two trips to get all the stuff I need for a project. I know there are people that need bigger trucks, with more than a six foot bed but most people don't. Most people never put more than a week's groceries in the back of the behemoths they buy. I guess it's worth all the money they paid for the truck, and the gas it sucks down for them to think they look cool hauling those groceries home.
I remember when a pickup truck was the least expensive new vehicle one could find at a dealership. Not anymore! The cheapest pickup costs thousands more than a midsized car!
If you want a small truck, and the Maverick is the smallest on the lot, that's what you'll buy.
If you want 2 doors, but only 4 doors are on the lot (and you can't order a 2 door), that's what you'll buy.
If you want a stick but can't order one, you'll buy an automatic.
It's not always what people want, it's what's available when they want it.
I don't really agree with that. What happened to willpower? I looked for over a year for what I called a "unicorn". A 6 1/2ft bed F150 SuperCrew 4x4 in a color other then black. When I saw one that was Rapid Red with grey rockers I bought it. Every time I tried to look the salesmen would try to get me into the 5 1/2ft bed versions they had in stock. It was easy to just say nope! Nope! And nope again! I wanted a true standard short bed truck. The kind that had been around for years. And thats what I got!
I don't really agree with that. What happened to willpower? I looked for over a year for what I called a "unicorn". A 6 1/2ft bed F150 SuperCrew 4x4 in a color other then black. When I saw one that was Rapid Red with grey rockers I bought it. Every time I tried to look the salesmen would try to get me into the 5 1/2ft bed versions they had in stock. It was easy to just say nope! Nope! And nope again! I wanted a true standard short bed truck. The kind that had been around for years. And thats what I got!
Not everyone has that luxury. I've had searches setup on cars I'm interested in for years until one happens to pop up (I've bought on ebay and craigslist). But some people have kids going to college, they get in an accident and need a replacement ASAP, or just can't fathom buying a car from any place other than a dealer. Many reasons why people "settle".
(I repped you because I get what you're saying)
I've bought Ford all my life and they no longer make anything that appeals to me (truck OR car) so at some point I will run out of my used Ford options and will have to go to another make. It will have nothing to do with willpower, it just isn't being made anymore.
I don't really agree with that. What happened to willpower? I looked for over a year for what I called a "unicorn". A 6 1/2ft bed F150 SuperCrew 4x4 in a color other then black. When I saw one that was Rapid Red with grey rockers I bought it. Every time I tried to look the salesmen would try to get me into the 5 1/2ft bed versions they had in stock. It was easy to just say nope! Nope! And nope again! I wanted a true standard short bed truck. The kind that had been around for years. And thats what I got!
It isn’t a matter of resisting sales pressure. It is a matter of whether the manufacturer makes the vehicle configured as desired. I studied the vehicle catalogs (remember those?) at home, notating what features could be ordered in a particular model. The sales man will happily lie about those details. Had that tried on me several times. “They don’t make it with that combination of features” means “We don’t have one on hand but we DO have others we need to get off the lot.”
I had to get one truck freighted from several states away. The next one, I special-ordered and waited two months. Another truck for my husband, he also special-ordered. As long as the manufacturer will make it the way you want, it’s just a matter of waiting. But if they won’t make it, period, no such luck.
I have never had any trouble walking out of a dealership where a sales shark tried to talk me into buying anything other than what I was looking for. That holds true for other products also, but it is a huge issue when the thing is a major expenditure (vehicles, houses).
I remember when a pickup truck was the least expensive new vehicle one could find at a dealership. Not anymore! The cheapest pickup costs thousands more than a midsized car!
That was back when there was a stigma to having a pickup truck, unless you were a contractor or tradesman of some kind owning a truck gave off a rednecky vibe, if a movie wanted to let you know someone was poor or down on his luck they would stick him in a truck to aid the plot.
Now that stigma is gone and you now have soccer-moms driving them to wholefoods. so Automakers stopped targeting pickups to the working poor and lower middleclass and started targeting suburbanites.
But I know what you mean, I remember when new or used if you couldn't afford anything else on the lot you could drive off in a pickup. usually the ones with just 2 seats with the rear window right behind your head(which only exist as fleet models now).
Other countries still understand the need to have a simple pickup in their markets to meet needs people have for cheap, reliable ways to move small cargo loads. To this end, the small models are kept available throughout Asia and Latin America. Pity automakers here gave up on the concept and turned the pickup into a "Yuppie" type status symbol. I'd settle for even the simple, basic panel vans that are everywhere in Europe, stick shift, two seats, basic power amenities and adequate to haul small loads.
Other countries still understand the need to have a simple pickup in their markets to meet needs people have for cheap, reliable ways to move small cargo loads. To this end, the small models are kept available throughout Asia and Latin America. Pity automakers here gave up on the concept and turned the pickup into a "Yuppie" type status symbol. I'd settle for even the simple, basic panel vans that are everywhere in Europe, stick shift, two seats, basic power amenities and adequate to haul small loads.
I don't think the automakers did it, I think the public demand did it. They (automakers) build what sells for the most part. If a single bench seat, manual tranny long bed truck doesn't sell, they don't build many of them.
That was back when there was a stigma to having a pickup truck, unless you were a contractor or tradesman of some kind owning a truck gave off a rednecky vibe, if a movie wanted to let you know someone was poor or down on his luck they would stick him in a truck to aid the plot.
Now that stigma is gone and you now have soccer-moms driving them to wholefoods. so Automakers stopped targeting pickups to the working poor and lower middleclass and started targeting suburbanites.
But I know what you mean, I remember when new or used if you couldn't afford anything else on the lot you could drive off in a pickup. usually the ones with just 2 seats with the rear window right behind your head(which only exist as fleet models now).
I remember when I lived in S. FL. Many communities did not allow a pickup. Never understood because even in the 80's/90's trucks could be had with plenty of options and were quite comfortable, Its just that more options are available today and the lower and mid level trim packages of today are the upper level trim packages of yesterday---with even a few more options.
I always thought that was funny as Suburban's, Wagoneer's, Broncos and Blazers seemed to get a "pass". But they were the same exact thing. Suburban=C/K10, C/K20; Wagoneer=Shortened J10, Bronco=Shortened F150, Blazer=Shortened C/K10, Ramcharger=Shortened D150.
But it was that way in some S. FL communities even in the 2000 era. At that time, my brothers 2004 F150 Lariat was nicer then the majority of cars. It even had leather and a nice sound system with an amp. My 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT was right up with the majority of cars on options..
Personally, I'll take the comforts! I never quite understood why people think a truck, which may be used for work, needs to be uncomfortable. You still need to drive it!
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