Americans Don't Love Trucks Anymore

[Highlander]

Originally Posted by VCDJ

Like i said who is crazy to buy a truck when price of gas is almost $4 and it will go up every year. Businesses will always need a truck. But why do people buy then that just go to an office job is just crazy. Why would you want to waste so much money on fuel and truck. There are better ways to spend it.

Hmmm..... let me think. I need a truck occasionally for hauling big stuff, towing etc.. I also have to commute to work daily. I'm not rich, therefore I can't afford to have the truck I need, and a car to commute also (in addition to the car my wife drives). If I was rich, maybe I could afford to have a different vehicle for every occassion, but unfortunately, that's not realistic.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure your conclusions are accurate and true in many circumstances. I just don't like to be at the receiving end of an overly generalized accusation.

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by tkrelston

I think the fact that trucks are generally $ 10 grand over priced has a big part of why they aren’t selling as well. Many truck buyers simply can’t afford a $50,000 dollar Duramax, especially when considering current financial woes and prices!

Good point!

I own a full size truck, and the gas is pricey. It costs me $50-60 a fill up. I expected that when I bought the thing, and even with gas going up, it's not been that much worse to fill up. Would I hesitate to buy another? Heck no! I can't wait to get a Avalanche after this one.

People spend and use their money foolishly, and now it is biting them in the ass. If they would've purchased a home with a 30 yr fixed mortgage and used 1 credit card, not many people would be in this mess. Instead they have racked up thousands of dollars in CC debt and have a horrible interest rate. I say shame on the banks and shame on them for not reading their mortgage agreement!!

This economy is getting a good lesson- I hope people learn from it!!

[CadiEldo67]

GM's big issue with trucks, would be that they don't have a competitive V6. Its the old 4.3 Vortec from 1981, which is fine, but it hasn't been updated since the last ice age. I think that more people would buy a V6 if it could stand up against a V8. Perhaps the 4.2 Atlas will fit?

Another issue is that the smaller trucks (Canyon/Colorado) don't get that much better fuel economy than the full size trucks. I think that the smaller trucks are also straddling a smaller and medium size truck market. GM's next redesign should led these trucks either bigger or smaller, and have 3 different sizes of pickups.

[windvale]

GM gambled on pickups and SUV over small cars. Pickups and SUV's are where the profits are. Truck sales may be down, but still, the profit on each truck is high. Profits on small cars are negligable. GM will have to sacrafice market share for profit. You can't have both - unless you're Toyota...

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

Does the cost of insurance and taxes on two cars plus the cost for gas for a more fuel efficient car still come to less than what it would cost to simply pay the taxes and insurance on one vehicle that gets lesser fuel economy? I don't know, but it sounds like it might be too close to call, depending on how much your father drives.

It strikes me as odd that someone would spend thousands on another car to save money on gas, particularly when you now have another tax bill and insurance bill.

Sort of reminds me of someone who bragged about her husband paying 6 cents less per gallon for gasoline that required a 30-minute round trip to obtain. I summed it up simply: "So, your husband spent 30 minutes roundtrip to save approximately 90 cents to fill up your car?! He mustn't make much per hour to see that as a good use of half an hour of his life."

You're right. Some people never figure it out. Same with people that sell their <3 year old vehicle to buy a more fuel efficient new car. With the hit they take in early depreciation and buying the new car, it would have been cheaper to drive their old car for another 5 years, then traded in. They get better mpg, but they wasted a lot of money.

[American_Muscle]

i love my truck

id LOVE to have a new silverado or sierra

however i cant afford it...that should be the article title

americans getting screwed out of owning a truck because the rich want to be richer

[FenwickHockey65]

Trucks will always remain a staple of America's highways, no matter how high gas prices are. And if not gas, then diesel. If you ask me, they should just stick E-Flex into a Sierra and watch the MPG numbers climb.

[Dgrocho]

Americans never did love trucks in the past, but Americans have always loved rear wheel drive. Some people have skirted the issue, but why were trucks less popular in the past? Surely in the 50's and 60's, people were doing just as much building and farming and other work requiring a truck. Families were bigger on average, and had just as much junk to carry as we do today (think how many things technology has made better and smaller for us), though today the people are a bit wider. Now, we're just conditioned to like trucks because the only RWD cars available are too small for the family, that'll change though.

Trucks and SUV's sprung to popularity as a good RWD car became harder and harder to find. As somebody has said, the driving dynamics of RWD just make for a more fun/interesting drive...FWD simply feels boring to drive.

Notice how GM especially has started planning to produce and bring RWD car platforms here? Good planning I say. Why else even consider moving the bread and butter FWD Impala to RWD, or for that matter, introduce a RWD under the same brand in the same segment?

[nicgolato]

Originally Posted by stevews602

Detroit made a ton of money selling overpriced SUV’s and trucks to yokels who thought it was cool to drive the latest fad.
Now with skyrocketing gas prices and a renewed “green” movement they will all buy the new fad, overpriced hybrids.
At least for those out there who actually need a truck, they’ll get a great deal on a new or used one.
Maybe Detroit will put their energy on making a reasonably priced truck for those who need them and not into $50k pretty boy ones.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by CadiEldo67

Another issue is that the smaller trucks (Canyon/Colorado) don't get that much better fuel economy than the full size trucks. I think that the smaller trucks are also straddling a smaller and medium size truck market. GM's next redesign should led these trucks either bigger or smaller, and have 3 different sizes of pickups.

One important thing that most people don't think about (especially people on this site - VCDJ) is that full-size trucks and SUVs are not designed to get great, or even good gas mileage. They're designed to carry loads and tow. Anybody that complains about a truck's mileage shouldn't be buying one - period. If you need one for work, and you're still complaining, then you don't appreciate or understand your truck's usefulness. Try transporting the same size payload in a Prius and see what mileage you get, or how much gas you burn over the several trips you have to take. Trucks/SUVs are extremely efficient while carrying/towing - not everyday driving. But that is what they are designed for. I'm sure GM could make a 35 mpg full-size truck with the same specs, but it would cost $20k more than now. I wouldn't buy one - it's not worth it.

In my stock 1996 XCab 4x4 I get 15mpg combined, 18/19 on the highway. Carrying a full load (1200 lbs), I probably get 13 combined, 16/17 on the highway. Throw 1200 lbs in the back of a Prius with a couple of passengers and see what happens. I bet you'd be lucky to get 10 mpg, if you didn't break something.

[Robert Ryan]

There is no such thing as a fullsize truck in europe or asia, and they still farm and do large construction projects just fine it seems.

You are right about that. They tend to CARRY much larger loads than you would see in the US. The Euro equivalent of the Pickup is the Van, that does a whole lot more than just deliver parcels in Europe. In Asia it is small Vans and Pickups and here in Australia medium Pickups, Vans and Utes. There are a lot more heavier Cabover Trucks than in US, in all three regions.
IVECO Daily Van

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

Sort of reminds me of someone who bragged about her husband paying 6 cents less per gallon for gasoline that required a 30-minute round trip to obtain. I summed it up simply: "So, your husband spent 30 minutes roundtrip to save approximately 90 cents to fill up your car?! He mustn't make much per hour to see that as a good use of half an hour of his life."

Well not only that. 6 cents per gallon. But 30 minute trip at 30 mi/h on a car that gets 30 MPG is half a gallon. Say that gallon cost $3. You lose $2.10

Mind you I also hunt the lowest prices. But usually that is another place "on my way".

[caddyman23]

Count one buyer in with the masses refered to in the article as intent on ditching their trucks...and mine wouldn't even count as one of the "worst" offenders!

I started making double payments on my 07' Ranger Edge a few months back in an effort to get the owed/value ratio to a place where I can trade it in (asap) without a loss. I loves my Ranger, but 15 (MPG) around town and 20 - 22 on the highway equate to nearly nearly 70 buck weekly fill-ups - waaaay too much for a CA 20-something year old with $1,400/month rent!

My hope of hopes is that Ford decides to produce the Verve/Fiesta as a four-door hatch...30-ish in the city MPGs, the hatch/high-roof for utility; I'm ready for the switch baby - I'm secure enough in myself to live without the ride-height.

[TruckMan]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

You are right about that. They tend to CARRY much larger loads than you would see in the US. The Euro equivalent of the Pickup is the Van, that does a whole lot more than just deliver parcels in Europe. In Asia it is small Vans and Pickups and here in Australia medium Pickups, Vans and Utes. There are a lot more heavier Cabover Trucks than in US, in all three regions.
IVECO Daily Van

There's no such thing as full-size cars either - unless you're ultra rich and can afford something like a BMW or Audi.

[wildgoosechase]

It would be nice to be able to trade in my Tahoe for a car but like most SUV owners, I'm upside down. The trade in value has dropped, so I'm stuck. Rather than buy a third car, I'll just buy gas, it's still cheaper.