There’s a reason Jeep finally redesigned the Wrangler (& CJ) windshield from a broad, flat surface to a curved one. Any engineer (or high school science teacher) will tell you of the advantages of using curves when designing something intended to last. Ohio roads are going to treat that monstrosity very cruelly.
9 Likes
Maybe that’s because bells and whistles are things associated with annoying clowns rather than high-quality product design?
9 Likes
FTFY.
But also yours.
Yours is also true.
10 Likes
I honestly would prefer not to own a truck but the current crop of EV’s don’t give me the capability of towing my fishing boat back and forth to the lake (~100 miles each way through the mountains) for weekend camping trips. I made the conscious choice to go with the smallest, most efficient and reliable truck I could find that satisfies this requirement (2004 Toyota Tacoma V6), while still being somewhat ecologically responsible with in-town driving. A pickup truck does come in handy from time to time and I absolutely do not need a penis compensator.
Fortunately I don’t have to drive my truck that much and we do have another car for regular use. We’re strongly considering getting an EV in the next few years once the prices and availability stabilize (and once our current vehicle finally gives up the ghost. I’m a big fan of reliable Japanese vehicles so I expect to be driving the Taco and Altima for another 100,000 miles at least).
5 Likes
My needs are pretty small, but I’m hoping they grow a bit in the next few years. I’m in an apartment, but I’m working to buy a small bit of land and a house of some sort on it. A truck might make some sort of sense for lumber and the occasional furniture. But I’m thinking a Subaru Forrester and a small trailer would make more sense for me. Trailers don’t cost all that much, and they can fold up and store out of the way. And they are so much lower to load into. I’m also near family that competes in rodeo now, and they have reminded me that if I ever need one of their honkin’ trucks, it’s no problem.
11 Likes
Agreed that trailers are a cheap, practical solution that would work for most people. I’ve done a lot of projects hauling stuff around with my Honda Fit and a cheap Harbor Freight utility trailer. You don’t always need a big vehicle to move large objects:
Some people are intimidated by the whole backing-up-a-trailer challenge, but it just takes practice and I’ve gotten quite good at it now.
14 Likes
You know what also works really well? A roof rack. I built an entire deck on my old house hauling the lumber on top of my little Toyota Camry and Thule bicycle rack. I just took off the carrier part and left the crossbeams. It was actually much easier to load/unload than using a pickup.
(As long as you don’t mind the strange looks you get at the lumberyard).
13 Likes
That would be great for some things 
But the low load floor of a trailer rocks for furniture and big heavy stuff.
5 Likes
We need Toyota hybrid trucks specifically. A quick Youtube search will show you what serious problems mechanics are having with Ford’s new high compresaion small displacement engines (as used in hybrids) They lack longevity sadly. They are a brilliant concept otherwise.
4 Likes
( not sure if you mind or even if it’s your actual car… but don’t forget license plates can be personal identifying info. )
3 Likes
The thing is, EV trucks really do flip this - It’s not such a big deal for me to own a truck if I’m charging it from solar power in the first place - yes I will only need the bed occasionally, and the towing capability more often if I want to camp with an appropriate trailer, but unlike a gas-guzzler I’m not generating more emissions by owning the truck, AND I now have a hurricane-proof power source in my garage that will literally last a week plus if needed (and provide power if we camp off-grid!)
So the “use case” definition changes depending on what you want to use it for. I would not buy a gas pickup and would instead find a reasonable SUV that could tow a camper trailer if EVs didn’t exist - but since they do? Maybe!
Despite all of this though, the cybertruck probably doesn’t meet any of those goals, so much so that I haven’t even considered it for those use cases (and currently Tesla does NOT allow you to use your tesla to power your home or other appliances in the event of a power outage either - perhaps because they want to sell PowerWall batteries?)
11 Likes
But what about me, the average Australian?
My family needs to be able to outrun a bushfire whilst towing my boat and withstanding multiple roo impacts.
/S
5 Likes
You are absolutely right, but to be clear, electric can TOTALLY pull as much as a gas powered truck. It just runs out of range way too fast.
2 Likes
Ford is also the only one run by a Customer Experience guy, not a die-hard car-head. The Lightning is packed with lots of really neat little goodies that you can actually make use of.
2 Likes
I thought I remembered that, but didn’t want to say too much as my info is sort of old. I just remember Hoovie having real problems with that. But it could have been an early model, a problem that was solved… any number of things.
2 Likes
I hope you find an EV truck that works for you. The backup power bit is pretty awesome.
3 Likes
I think he means “I dug our grave”
2 Likes
I’m sure that most things built by Ford aren’t as reliable as what Toyota builds, but according to sites like Consumer Reports the Maverick Hybrid is rated as being (just barely) more reliable than the average new car. Which is quite the accomplishment given the price. Nobody else is selling trucks (gas, hybrid, or electric) anywhere near that cheap. The Tacoma is Toyota’s cheapest truck, gets less than half the MPG, and costs about $5k more. Heck, even a Camry costs thousands more than a Maverick and gets worse mileage.
3 Likes
That is so close to how my sister and brother in law react to the idea of electric trucks. It’s almost this weird fury that I would dare to be happy at someone creating an alternative that doesn’t work for them. Like, I know they still need to haul horses long distance in cold weather sometimes. Heck, it’s so theoretical for them anyway. Almost all of their vehicles are from the 70s and 80s and kept because the brother in law likes to fiddle with them. I love them dearly, but they get so angry at change sometimes. It’s just … confusing. Why did progress stop being fun in 1987? I’d say you have no idea how close to home you are hitting, but sadly I expect you know exactly how real conversations like that are.
4 Likes
