Why Americans fell in love with big Trucks...and it's exactly why you think it is

[OnTheBranchline]

17 hours ago, Hroth said:

@OnTheBranchline Brand loyalty can be "excused" to a certain extent where cars are concerned. Manufacturers often have a consistent "design language" across their ranges, particularly in the layout, shape and feel of the cockpit, people who cling to a brand often do so because they feel comfortable and at home when they sit in the driving seat.

 

 

Of course but for my in-laws to say that there aren't options  available just because their preferred manufacturer doesn't offer them is just ignorant.

[kevinlms]

11 hours ago, burgundy said:

Are big vans more socially acceptable if they have a cab, domes and chimney?

Best wishes

Eric

It doesn't have a cow catcher!

[monkeysarefun]

SUV's and utes are getting larger down here too -  as well as getting the large US-sourced Dodge Rams, Ford F-150s and Chevy Silverados,  manufacturers like Toyota are building bigger trucks to cater for the illogical demand for them. Bizarrely, "smaller" dual-cab utes like the Toyota Hilux Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50 and so on are now the most popular family car segment here, helped by favourable government subsidies on them intended to help the rural and mining industries but which are available to all buyers. In fact  the 2 top  selling vehicles in 2022 were both  Dual cab utes - the Hilux and then the Ford Ranger. 

 

The rise in popularity of large thirsty SUV's is is cancelling out the reduction in greenhouse emissions that were occurring due to the electric vehicle rollout -  Australias average emission intensity  last year for new vehicles  was 160 grams per kilometre, compared to Europe's average of 115 grams per kilometre. 

 

The tragedy is that from the 1930's up until local manufacturers Ford and Holden left the country in the mid 2000s,  Australia had wonderfully capable  car based utes, based on the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, which had bigger load areas than these larger  diesel vehicles, in addition  they largely rode and drove like the passenger cars they were based on (though were a little light-on in the back in the wet!)

 

They were available in all levels of equipment, from basic farmer "poverty pack"  models with vinyl flooring, bench seats and 6 cylinder motors up to sports utes with modified suspensions, Brembo  brakes and big block V8 motors, these are by definition true Sports Utility Vehicles, not some Kia 2 litre passenger van.

 

0 to 100kmh in 5.2  seconds and I can get a metre of topsoil in the back!  (Not at the same time though)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[kevinlms]

5 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

SUV's and utes are getting larger down here too -  as well as getting the large US-sourced Dodge Rams, Ford F-150s and Chevy Silverados,  manufacturers like Toyota are building bigger trucks to cater for the illogical demand for them. Bizarrely, "smaller" dual-cab utes like the Toyota Hilux Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50 and so on are now the most popular family car segment here, helped by favourable government subsidies on them intended to help the rural and mining industries but which are available to all buyers. In fact  the 2 top  selling vehicles in 2022 were both  Dual cab utes - the Hilux and then the Ford Ranger. 

 

The rise in popularity of large thirsty SUV's is is cancelling out the reduction in greenhouse emissions that were occurring due to the electric vehicle rollout -  Australias average emission intensity  last year for new vehicles  was 160 grams per kilometre, compared to Europe's average of 115 grams per kilometre. 

 

The tragedy is that from the early 50's up until local manufacturers Ford and Holden left the country in the mid 2000s,  Australia had wonderfully capable  car based utes, based on the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, which had bigger load areas than these larger  diesel vehicles, in addition  they largely rode and drove like the passenger cars they were based on (though were a little light-on in the back in the wet!)

 

They were available in all levels of equipment, from basic farmer "poverty pack"  models with vinyl flooring, bench seats and 6 cylinder motors up to sports utes with modified suspensions, Brembo  brakes and big block V8 motors, these are by definition true Sports Utility Vehicles, not some Kia 2 litre passenger van.

 

0 to 100kmh in 5.0  seconds and I can get a metre of topsoil in the back!  (Not at the same time though)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never owned such a thing, but I still own a 2002 Commodore wagon. Starting to get a bit long in the tooth now - 475,000 km.

[monkeysarefun]

5 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Never owned such a thing, but I still own a 2002 Commodore wagon. Starting to get a bit long in the tooth now - 475,000 km.

Mines a  2010 model  and has done 34,000km - its a show pony rather than a workhorse.

Edited April 11, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Neil]

So I've learned that America has more holes than Europe (sort of figured this one out already - see the popularity of the orange one) and that unfettered capitalism isn't good for the planet or people. I'm left wondering if all this boils down to the oft quoted correlation of large car to disappointing genetalia?

Edited April 11, 2023 by Neil

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, Neil said:

unfettered capitalism isn't good for the planet or people

Far worse than anything in this thread is what the global oil companies did to utterly bury their 1970s and early 1980s climate science research and what they have deliberately done since.

 

There's a lot of explicit data on Exxon-Mobil but I suspect that companies like Royal Dutch Shell and BP are no different.