If I suggested that to Stinky, he would have a dicky fit! Bloody pampered pooch that he is

My niece drives a truck - she buys a new one every 5 years and loves them! One advantage to them is you are higher up than cars and can see over hedges etc. Also, you can carry a couple of concrete blocks in the back to help with holding the back down in the snow.. but then being BC'ers you wouldn't really get that!

They are very handy if you are doing a lot of renovations or moving..

To tow a trailer full of car, many SUVs don't have a high enough tow capacity. Trucks are handy for filling with tyres and wheels and mulch and fenders and bonnets and engines and hooking up trailers to tow cars and SUVS and trucks and fill with garbage and wood. Also handy to pop in a mobility scooter when going to the hospital with a friend.

It's almost impossible to rent a truck with a tow hitch, we are lucky we can often borrow one from OHs place of work but we can't have one on permanent loan. A PT cruiser is fabulous for filling with stuff but it can't manage a 460 engine or mulch. Lol

I loved high oil prices because I wanted the SUV and truck-drivers to pay dearly. Of course I suffered too whenever I had to fill up the little Honda Civic I had at the time, but at least the gas-guzzlers were suffering the most.

Yeah, but my tarps full of old railways ties/sleepers destined for the tip wouldn't fit in your little Honda. My boat needs to be towed, not vice versa...dbd would be filling the Civic with dog poo.... Probably not the best ideas...

Yep that's the one I mentioned when looking for the one where Marge was actually driving the truck before getting done for road rage.

Valiant efforts nonetheless

A truck (Crew Cab naturally and for the purposes of this post a F150) is simultaneous the most practical family vehicle ever and the most ridiculously unnecessary family vehicle ever. It provides more room than you can possibly imagine...three adults or kids in the back, room to walk around the rear seats (extremely useful when buckling small people in car seats) and the kids are too far away from the front seats to kick you in the back. Add a hard tonneau cover to the back and you can haul all of the family junk to wherever you are going. Those camping holidays are a breeze as you literally take the kitchen sink with you. Plus you can tow your boat/quads/skiddoo's with ease.

Of course the thing is bloody enormous, and a PITA to park - although a back up camera is a boon here. And thats why it's completely bloody ridiculous. Who needs that amount of space all the time? Handling is poor, four wheel drive is essential to make any kind of progress in the snow - but of course stopping is a problem. The bed is impractical unless you are completely loading it up - put your shopping inside and it slides all over the place so you end up putting it in the cab. And the dog? He has to ride in the cab as well, sullying the seats with fur and dribble. In short, a truck is a preposterous proposition, unless you're a builder/contractor/farmer or other such tradesperson who needs the space/hauling capability.

But I miss my F150. It was leased for two years in part because it was cheaper than a bigger SUV and in part because, well, like others, [I]I always wanted one. /I] It's part of the the North American dream isn't it?
Still, the world moves on. The lease deals are signficantly less attractive, so it wasn't a viable proposition this time around.

Interesting thing though. The argument that a Minivan, for all its negative connotations, is the practical family vehicle compared to a truck is becoming less sustainable in one key dimension - fuel economy. As truck manufacturers find more ways to make their behemoths reasonably economical, the Minivan seems to be in danger of falling behind. Fuelly.com tells me for 2016 the 2.7 Ecoboost F150 owners are getting 12.5l/100km. By comparison Dodge Grand Caravan & Toyota Sienna owners are getting 11/11.6L/100km. Thats not much of a difference.

We don't put the dogs in the truck bed, even the chickens ride inside a closed vehicle, but I'm unconvinced that the dogs are safer in a vehicle than in a truck bed. A sharp stop still results in a hurtling dog and a collision with something; seat back, dashboard, windscreen. Dogs are safer at home.

I did have a seat belt for the designer dog but that was because, from an open car, he was inclined to hop out at stroll around whenever the car stopped. I don't know how much good it would have done him in a crash.

Well then you are free to drive a gas-guzzler. It's not like I said they should be banned.

I was referring more to urban sophisticates who don't NEED a massive, polluting vehicle like that but get one anyway for status reasons (which never made sense to me - if driving a status symbol were important to me, I'd prefer a Mercedes or a sporty BMW over a light truck, but to each his own).

I don't drive one- that was my point initial- large SUV suits my needs.

Clips - Season 21: Chevy Silverado Ad Spoof - This Hour Has 22 Minutes

But isn't a Chelsea tractor just as much of an affectation as a pick-up truck? Those great big wheels may be good for bumping over kerbs or making U turns over the highway meridian but the SUV offers less space at more cost than a minivan.

People drive what they like because it's as close to what they fancy as they can afford; there's no more logic to it than choosing flock wallpaper or faux wood paneling for the ceiling. If we were sensible we'd all drive 2CVs.

An SUV is simply a light truck. And almost as polluting.

I dont get it either Stinky, I live in Peterborough which is truck central, everyone has one, that said, we are VERY close to red neck land.

I own a boat and i still dont want a truck! Well i own a 12 year old SUV for towing the boat when i need to, which is only a couple of times a year as the boat sits in the water for most of the summer. I also use said SUV for my winter vehicle, all other times i drive a Mustang which i would take any day of the week over a truck. But as they say its each to there own.