There are no US counties the size of Europe. There are counties that are larger than some countries in Europe (San Bernadino vs Bosnia) but they are the very, very small ones. There are any number of States that are larger than some countries in Europe as well (New Mexico vs Germany, France vs Texas, Italy vs California): but Europe as a whole is slightly larger (about 134,000 sq miles) than the whole of the US (Russia is included in Europe even though it is partly in Asia).
I believe the provinces in Canada are larger than the size of Europe. gas price in Canada at this time , 1.58$ per liter ,, 6.00$ or in gallons,, ,,, gas price in USA 1.22$ ,,, 4.64$ per gallons ,,,give or take my math is bad ,,
@@brucecaron2776 Although the largest provinces are definitely larger than every country in Europe but one, the entirety of Canada is not larger than Russia which is the largest country in both Europe and the World. Russia is technically part of Europe even though a good chunk of it extends into Asia.
I am in Montana and most families have a truck. They are very useful for hauling loads of firewood, bringing animals home from the hunt, bringing your garbage to the dump etc. Many people across America have jobs that require a truck like working construction, landscaping, or other trades. It is hard to imagine an America without trucks.
I live in the suburbs and a LOT of people have trucks that are never used for anything besides presenting a certain look. They haul a few things from Costco and that’s about it. They get into $60k of debt because they refuse to be seen in some pansy sedan. There’s absolutely a situation for pickup trucks, but around me that situation is “almost never”.
@@dougjones9698 I thought obvious sarcasm was obvious lol jeesh dude. Who ever thinks how many bales and thinks low profile spoked rims go,together? Thats like tampons in men's restrooms, obvious crazy, right? ( I hope!!)
I remember seeing something about the different mindsets of Americans versus Europeans on having large vehicles. It went something like when both were told that in a car crash between a large and small car, the chance of injury or death is much higher in a smaller vehicle. The bigger the difference in car sizes meant a higher chance of injury or death. The average European heard this as we should limit the size of cars to not allow huge differences in sizes and that would make driving safer for everyone. To the average American, they saw this and thought "I need to be the bigger vehicle".
Most Americans buy trucks and large SUVs because they can't afford multiple vehicles, so they want a vehicle that can fit every need, even if they only tow/haul once a year. Big vehicles are also wayyyyyyy more comfortable to drive than smaller ones simply because you don't feel cramped
I used to drive from Boston to Washington DC in my VW. 400 miles and about a ten hour drive. I felt it physically. A larger car is far more comfortable on long drives.
My husband had a truck since he was a teenager. I didn't meet him until later in life and developed a great love for these trucks. He did a lot of manual work, so he needed one to carry supplies. I have to say these trucks are the most comfortable to ride in. Lots of leg room, and you can move around more. Lots of room to carry groceries and everything else you want. They are safer to drive because if someone hits you head on, you will probably live. They are making them electric now, but the cost is out of sight. Small cars scare me because if you get hit, your chances aren't good. Once I rode in a truck, I never wanted to go back.
When you have a family of big people 6' + and hefty, you need large cars. When you have 4+ kids you need a large car. When you are hauling an RV you need a large truck.
Or even just larger, taller people. A family member had a mini cooper for a while, the larger type (clubman I think, not sure what they're called), I could not sit in the back seat of it at all. Couldn't get my feet on the floor there and it was painful to try with my feet due to angles for things when we tried to get 4 people in it.
@@AzraelThanatos Why would you ride with someone else as an adult anyway? I drive a Miata and just tell family and ride moochers that I don't run an effing taxi service. Only person that riding with me anyway is my wife. I am not riding with somebody else. I want to be able to leave somewhere on MY time and terms, not somebody else's. If I get tired at the family get together (or whatever) I can just hop my happy ass in my car and leave lol.
Rural living means you drive what you need. Snow might not get cleared but going to work is not optional. Driving a pretty blue Chevy Colorado. It's a V8😎
I live in North Dakota and currently drive a Fortwo Smart Car. The entire thing is tiny, including the wheels, but I put Sport-Tires on it and I just have to say, it handles the snow beautifully! Being as light as it is (my 5'5", 48 year-old, female self can push it on my own), it just drives over the top layers of snow and never sinks down to the icy bottom. From Oct 25th through April 20th (last winter) I never even once got high-centered or otherwise stuck even though it sits just inches off the ground. I get off work at 10:30pm, 5 nights a week, and wasn't even hesitant about driving home in the heaviest of snows. My Little Smarty is a champ, lol.
I drove 30 miles to work every night. I worked the 11pm to 7 am shift. Sometimes I pushed through the snow, coming home from work. Nurses don't have "snow days" like teachers. We have patients to take care of, We have to get to the hospital.
@@maxinefreeman8858 Yeah, the mountains matter! I spent most of my life on the Oregon Coast and wouldn't have attempted taking Little Smarty over the Cascades in the snow. But the flatlands of North Dakota haven't given me trouble... Knock on wood. It's currently 11pm on Nov.5th and 36 degrees outside. We're supposed to get our 1st snowfall from 3am to 10am and it won't get back up to 36 until 4pm tomorrow. Winter has arrived.
Have you ever ridden on the back of a pickup truck as it raced down dirt logging trails in the woods? That joy alone is reason enough for me to always need an offroad pickup truck! Well, not me but my hubby, lol. Seriously, we spend a lot of time in our cars, so of course we want them to be as big and luxurious as we can afford. It is much easier to see when driving an SUV or truck as well. I think the height is an advantage. Husband has an Extended Cab Chevy Silverado, son has a Yukkon. I drive a little Camry.
Yes, these modern trucks are now loaded with sensors and cameras that can warn the drivers of obstacles (other vehicles) in their blind spots. They have backup cameras mounted in the tailgates (which is super helpful) as well as back up sensors that detect obstacles (like other vehicles and parking hazards). So yeah, don't worry, the technology included with these bigger vehicles helps a lot with the added size of the vehicle. The backup camera and sensors alone are a game changer. And some trim levels include a front, grille mounted camera for parking assist as well.
@@bond1j89 I think they're helpful to a degree, but I have also seen people look at the camera view while backing out and never turn their head to look behind them for the oncoming traffic, when they should be doing both.
hell, even in the relatively flatter land in Wisconsin and Iowa, the smaller vehicles are only good for commuting and even then they're dangerous in the winter. (the less it weighs, the more chance you're going to flip it on the ice)
@@jonokai I live here in WNC. Mountainous territory with 4 seasons. I drive a Mazda Miata as a daily driver and have for 3 generations of the car design ('94NA-'04NB-'14NC). Never had any issues even though those cars average 2400lbs and are rear wheel drive. Only trouble I had was during one of the blizzards and did fine even then until heavier vehicles had laid tracks deeper than my ground clearance. Didn't really care though as I was well prepped for the storm and didn't really "need" to get out. I just went out a couple of times playing and f**king around (basically riding on top of the snow).
Im a 68 year old great grandma, i drive a 2017 Ram 4x4. I'm only 5'2" tall, so I love a big truck to be able to see other drivers on the road. I haul kids, groceries, chicken feed, lumber, all kinds of stuff. Couple of years ago we were driving in Atlanta, Georgia (look up driving in Atlanta). Traffic in front of us stopped, we stopped, the lady driving the SUV behind us didn't stop. Her SUV was totaled and we drove our truck 10 hours home.
There are two major problems with SUVs and trucks. The first is that the view in from to the vehicle is obscured. A lot more small kids get run over by SUVs and trucks than with small cars because the driver can not see them in front of the car. Another problem is that the bumpers of SUVs and trucks do not match the height of those of small cars. This greatly increases the casualties in small vehicles when struck by the larger vehicle.
The crash stats on trucks are misleading because if you crash the truck into a wall it is much more dangerous than a regular car, but if someone in a regular car crashes into a truck the truck is the safer vehicle to be in.
@@Catherine.Dorian. Depends on what you hit. There's been extensive testing on the old cars from that era. The cabins tend to fold like an accordion. The heavy duty construction meant nothing anyway since all of that momentum transfers directly into the passengers which is way more deadly compared to new cars with crumple zones. So an old car might rip through a modern car, but you're likely to break something, and you hit a wall in it, you're likely a goner. They are so beautiful though, I love older car design but I'm also aware of the shorcomings.
I learned how to drive in a pickup. I’ve never really owned one-my name is on the title of my son’s ancient Dodge Ram, but I have never driven it. I understand that rural folks need pickups and they need to have some horsepower, but I am not fond of having massive ones on the road all of the time. I drive a small Toyota SUV, and the hoods of those pickups are taller than my car. It’s impossible to see around them when trying to park or un-park (that’s a made up word). Back in the dark ages when I was a teenager, I dated a guy with an MGB convertible. It was an absolute joy to drive. We lived in the mountains and that little car hugged the road so those curvy mountain roads were a blast. However, it stayed at the mechanic a lot and was freezing cold in the winter. My first car was a 1969 Mustang. It cost $485 including South Carolina sales tax. We lived just over an hour from South Carolina so it was easy to go there to buy cars. Some teenagers ran over it while it was parked and they were drunk. Insurance paid me more than I paid for it, and then my brother fixed it and sold it for $200. I have driven pretty much every kind of road vehicle from an 18-wheeler on down. Admittedly, I didn’t go far in the 18-wheeler-I didn’t have the correct driver’s license.
Pickups are popular because of living rural areas, being able to pull thousands of pounds (or even thousands of kilos) of supplies, lumber, etc in the truckbed. They also are made for offroading most of the time, and they're durable. Not so much the later models. But that's why people love them, as well as companies.
We use ours to haul hay, sweet grass, and feed, move our generator around as needed, and pull our travel trailer. The bed is full of stray hay and grass, assorted tools, and stuff the dogs use when we travel. Plus where we live it's pretty useful, as a lot of the roads around us are basically gravel logging roads, clinging to the sides of very, very tall, steep hills.
6:16 My uncle restores classic cars, and drives them almost every weekend during the summer and early fall (he doesn't drive them in winter or spring because we spread salt on the roads to prevent ice, and the salt would cause a lot of rust). I love his '64 Chevy Impala. He is currently working on a '52 Ford Coupe.
In northeast michigan where its mostly rural woodlands and farmlands, we have trucks to haul things in the bed and trailers for tools, 4 wheelers, atvs, rec equipment, wood for fires, rvs, etc. plus SNOW.... You almost cant live without a truck here. Its a disadvantage in many ways. I drive a 4wd chevy silverado
A lot of men in America work in the trade industries and that requires a truck. Most of the time the truck‘s gotta be big because you’re pulling something behind the truck like a trailer with a backhoe or tractor.
@@ahoneyman ….. they don’t if you actually use them correctly… you put the tarp down in the bed, put the material on top of it, then fold the other half of the tarp over, then strap it The weight of material and the strap keep the tarp from blowing off, and the tarp under the material keeps it out of any water in the bed
EV in America will likely be only a city car, long distance driving of many hundreds of miles per day, especially in rural areas makes internal combustion engine more practical
I have to drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles a lot in my 18-year-old Accord, 5 hours, 381 miles one way. Was looking at a Cadillac SUV ad which boasted about its 260 mile range. That gets me to Palm Springs in 4 hours. So now, it's a two-day trip with 2 hotel rooms at $150 each, IF the hotel has a car charger available. Don't want to shell out $80K on the Caddy anyway, just thought it was funny.
EV’s are far more practical, most families might take a road trip once or twice a year. With an EV you get a full tank every time you leave the house. And you don’t have to worry about oil changes.
@GROGU123 where I live, there are no garages in the community. Not a single 1. The electricity comes to a pole, which then goes to several several households. I get no individual bill, rather the total for that pole is divided between those households. None of the other households expect to pay for the extra electricity for me to charge an EV. Nor will I pay for someone else to do 1, in our group. So, for some not only are they not more practical, they're not even a possibility.
I live in Appalachia, my family ride and race dirtbike, 4 wheelers, utv, we haul lumber to build, firewood to heat, feed for the animals, riding mower, tractor. Trailers to pull. Hunting, fishing trips. I dont know how anyone can get by without one ? 😮
Based on the information you gave, my answer to your question is: Yes, you don't know how anyone can get by without one. I'm not sure why that was a question, but you're welcome. " I dont know how anyone can get by without one ?"
EDIT: 2006 Ford Escape XLT, it's a copy from Mazda, which Ford owns. The US has a lot of small private contractors that use their trucks to haul stuff to a job site like building a house, mowing lawns, etc. We also have a wilderness, so some use their big trucks to haul a camping trailer (not real camping), then you have those that pack their large car with a week's+ worth of stuff for camping, including food, then you need room for your fellow outdoors companions. Also, not all destinations have paved roads, so you'll need a 4x4, with high ground clearance truck or SUV.
Im sorry many of us want little trucks like the old S-10 pickup or Ford Ranger but can't have them because the REAL reason cars are big is the 2008 EPA bill where every 2 years cars must meet stricter and stricter emissions tests to the point where it is beyond resonable tech and they allow for more emissions based on the width and length of the wheel base of the vehicle. ALL cars post 2010 are HUGE by width and length because of this. They are harder to drive and take up far more lane space. As someone who drives mountain country roads; I really miss smaller cars with less bright blinding led lights. My used 2008 suv is a way better drive for me then driving relatives newer suvs.
@@Morristown337 Thanks, I've heard that a couple times, but never remember. I was going over reasons why you find so many more trucks and SUVs in America vs Europe. When I've visited western Europe, even in smaller towns, I don't see many, and that's where they are more likely to have things like small contractors and people who leave the city limits more than once in a blue moon. I drove an '88 Ford small cab long bed F-150 from my senior year in high school till around 10 years later. I actually used my truck bed a lot like doing minor landscaping, odd jobs, etc. In college I had a friend softly mock people with larger cars when he didn't own a car and only road his bicycle. Then my hippie friend (definitely not one) had to move, I was the first person he called. A lot of people are stupid and buy big trucks and SUVs when they don't need them, like my father and his wife, they just wanted a big car each. They'd complain about the MPG their big truck and huge SUV got, and I'd just remain silent and shrug, and leave. Always wanted to call them idiots because they made choice to purchase the new expensive cars, especially my dad's wife who never used all the extra size for hauling things or transporting things you don't want exposed to the weather. My truck was a matter of price (I was in high school, low price and cheaper insurance) and I used its bed a lot. I now drive a 2006 Ford Escape XLT, a smaller medium size SUV, and really appreciate how much easier parallel parking is, the better acceleration, and better MPG. The REAL, REAL reason is that law was made because Americans want bigger cars, in general. If people didn't want bigger cars, they wouldn't buy them, regardless if that law existed or not. Western Europe doesn't really have "nature", it's all basically one city, so you don't really need a car and can use public transportation to get any where you want. There is almost no public transportation in the Rocky Mountains because low population density, there aren't any buses to the tall mountains to climb, and public transport frowns on people bringing the deer they just shot on the bus. EDIT: Also, Americans are fatter and taller than most Europeans, the Dutch really tall though, so extra inside space means a more comfortable drive.
The loss of the steel industry in Michigan and the exportation of automotive and steel manufacturing to foreign companies, combined with the riots in the sixties, the gas crisis of the seventies, and decades of corruption rotted the city and the state.
Don't forget the corrupt and greedy labor unions. They did a lot to force people to seek resources and products elsewhere by raising the price to ridiculous heights. Today, people are still buying Honda and Toyota since they are less expensive for the same class of vehicle.
I know a number of people who commute more than an hour each way for work. And others who travel farther as part of their job.. If you spend that much time driving, you want comfort.
In Europe the "SUV's" you have are mostly crossovers. Traditionally SUV's use truck frames. Meaning the body and frame are seperate units bolted together and are much more rugged for towing and such. Meanwhile crossovers are basically cars shaped like SUV's and are much lighter duty with unibody construction.
I was going to say the same thing, basically. I've seen what the European market calls SUVs and they're definitely smaller than what you'd typically see in the states. For instance, we have a Toyota RAV4 which is considered a mid-sized SUV here in the US and from what I gather, it's still a bit larger than a Peugeot 5008, which is considered to be one of the largest/full sized SUVs in the European market at the moment.
I'm an american in germany. Believe it or not there are decent amount of pick ups at least here in the rural area. Plenty of pick ups that don't come to the US like the toyota hilux, maxda bt50, vw Amarok, Mercedes x klasse, old Ford ranger the ones that wasn't in america, fiat fullback, renault Alaskan.
@@AT-nq6cu By itself, no other truck manufacturers included, in 2024, the Ford F150 outsold the Camery even though Ford truck sales are down, google is your friend, look him up before making untrue statements. (ref Kelly Bluebook)
I've owned a Ford f-150, a Ford Explorer, a Chevrolet Silverado, and a Jeep. I like to sit up above other teaffic, i like the option of towing and hauling. I've also owned 2 Honda civics. But its much more comfortable driving in a larger truck. I sometimes doordash, and once I got an order to be delivered just out of my town. All the main roads were clear of any snow or ice, but the back roads could still have ice. Well, I got trapped between 2 hills and couldn't get out either direction!!! Embarrassed, i had to call the customer and explain what happened. He brought his 4x4 dually Dodge Ram truck and pulled my car up the hill with no problem!!! That's why so many people have large trucks!!!
These vehicles are very helpful for people who live in mountain areas like the ones recently hit by Helene. The pick ups mostly. Many people in those areas need them for their work, and home, and the work they often do on their home rather than hiring help.
I own a 2020 Ram 1500 Classic Edition with a powerful 5.7 Hemi V8 motor. The truck has been great to me ever since I first bought it. It has never let me down, and I haven’t had to take it for any repairs. The only issues I’ve had over the four years were minor issues that are easily fixable, like cruise control not working some times. The hauling capacity is great, and the storage and leg room is incredible. One of the best parts is how smooth the ride is. IMO, Ram is the top tier of trucks.
I’m Canadian, I drive a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck with optional 4 wheel drive. On long drives, 12-16 hours per day, trucks are just more comfortable to drive for large (tall) people. The versatility of it is a game-changer. EVs are not very practical for Canadian driving except in cities. Most of Canada is sparsely populated and communities are far apart, and in our cold winters you cannot rely on EVs. Some people in rural areas have to drive to 1 or 2 hours (100 to 200 km) to get to the nearest large town, let alone driving between most cities (300 to 800 kms). Having to charge EV batteries every 400 to 500 kms for, on average 1/2 hour to a full hour if not longer, in comparison to refuelling an internal combustion vehicle in about 5 to 10 minutes is a no brainer. Especially in the winter when I’ve experienced temperatures in -40 to -50 Celsius ranges, granted not every winter or for long duration but does happen often enough to be something to plan for/on when you’re planning on travelling in winter. In those conditions, EVs just don’t make any sense to own.
Just to add to that... depending on some unknown outcomes, EVs could possibly continue to be a smaller share of the US auto market in the coming decade. There are still some issues with EV sales/usage and one of those is the US grid. It's in dire need of expansion/repair/replacement from coast to coast. Another problem we have, is that the US is so massive, and people right now, seem to be moving out of the larger cities, into more rural, less densely populated locations. At the present, there are simply not enough charging stations, especially in those more rural areas. So, until or unless there are some major changes to the vehicles themselves, as well as the infrastructure that's needed to support them, I don't think there will be much of a switch over to EVs, nor will we see the demise of the gasoline/diesel powered automobile industry. ...just my humble opinion. (There are also some major issues with EV batteries, but I won't get into that now)
I would love to buy something like the Ford Ranger I owned in the late 90's/, early 2000's. Unfortunately if it were made today it would be required to get around 45-50 MPG. Even with the smallest engine (Making it impractical for truck stuff) and as a hybrid, the aerodynamics make it impossible.
@christopherconard2831 honestly I've been thinking about getting an 2007 or old pickup and swapping the engine for a gas powered generator and electric motors because I know that will piss of California nicely 😂
I can't imagine being a homeowner without a truck. The occasional 4'X8" sheet of plywood, landscaping mulch, etc. Pulling a small pop-up tent camper, etc. That said I haven't had a full size truck since I owned an 1981 Ford which I purchased used. Compact or mid sized trucks get somewhat better gas mileage. Currently driving a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Unfortunately the price of vehicles and especially trucks in the states is out of control. I suspect we will see the demise of some car manufacturers in the next several years because they refuse to market basic affordable models.
I think they are missing a factor that might just be more important that anything they mentioned. a lot of people, and I mean a LOT of people, were financially devastated by the crash in 2008. Most are living in houses or apartments that are a MAJOR downgrade from they had been (many haven't been so lucky to rebuild that well). Those that HAVE been able to rebuild their lives to some degree have in their mind that it could (probably will) happen again... If you lost everything except your vehicle, would you rather try to live out of a car, or would you rather try to live in a large, comfortable, spacious, SUV or pickup truck? I know multiple people personally that have made such a decision. They've been able to start to rebuild and foremost on their mind is having something better to live out of than they had last time.
2008 crash is what we get when we put Republicans (Shrub the Lesser) 'in charge' for 8 years. Obama kinda got us started in recovering but then tRumpo the Clown got in. Biden is trying, even succeeding here & there, but the Republikkklan majority in the house makes most things having to do w/ recovering impossible.
Amory, Mississippi. I'm a truck girl myself. Purchased my Chevy Silverado brand new 23 years ago & it still doesn't even have 100,000 miles. Love my truck, needs a paint job but otherwise it's perfection.
This is just my opinion, but if you're watching a video that shows a lot of negative sounding government stats on emissions, regulations and crash results, etc., I'd say that you're watching a biased or maybe slightly propagandized video. Again, this is just my opinion.
@@bobbiejojackson9448 You are not wrong. As the OP said in the crashes it's not the people in the truck but what the truck crashed into. They are also not taking into account that we are a much larger country and we have to be in our cars longer and drive greater distances. So having a more comfortable car mean it being larger. The shorter the car the rougher the ride. Also the safety regulations require we have bigger crumple zones. If anyone is old enough they would know what smog is. If you ask anyone who has be born since the mid 80's they would have no real clue what you are talking about. We don't have anymore. the new car are so much cleaner. They produce less pollution in a year then what the cars built in the 70's did in a day. They are getting clear every year. So they are going after the size. When we have less deadly accident per year then we ever had before.
@@bobbiejojackson9448 haven't seen much from CNBC that isn't biased. News organizations want to influence what people think, not just report about what is happening.
4:08 RAM used to be a subset of Dodge. "I drive a Dodge Ram 1500". In the 1980s Dodge had the slogan "Dodge trucks are ram tough!" In recent years, Ram became its own brand under the Chrysler corporation, so it's just, "I drive a Ram 1500"
I've downsized from a Ram 3500 Crew Cab dually with the long bed to a Ram 2500 Crew Cab with a standard bed, but the new truck is the off-road edition with the 20" wheels and factory lift so it's taller. It's the Laramie in Blackout (everything is black, inside and out), 4WD, 6.7L turbo-diesel.
I have a 2013 5.7 liter V8 Toyota Tundra. We use it to drive out to our land in west Texas and haul building supplies. My dad was in construction and drove a truck but we would take our boat to the lake with the truck on the summer weekends.
Pickups are practical and that's why a lot of people have them. But, a big, fancy, lifted 4x4 truck can also be a status symbol. My neighbor is constantly washing, waxing and modifying his beautiful Ram diesel.
I live just outside of Toledo Ohio and Jeep was created in Toledo. The Jeep Wrangler, my favorite, is 100% made and assembled in Toledo. Love your interruptions during the video. You are my favorite of any other reaction channels. Keep going Andre!
@@theresabeck1029 yes. I agree. People do things for a reason. We might buy a truck for a lot of reasons. What’s it to ya anyway? My business what I want to buy. Thank God there are choices here available if you are willing to work to get what you want.
We americans have, in the past, been obsessed with bigger is better. We were gluttons when it came to gas guzzling. We still are today. We are a product of our past. That does not make us bad, just different.
Big cars have the wheel base and suspension that allow for comfort over long road trips. They also support the more plush interior. I have had both types. When driving in Europe the largest sedan I would drive is a Rover sedan. Road size and available parking rule the situation.
@@melindaburch4318 Seems to me most European roads started out designed for ox carts in the 17th century. America; in the 17th century was mostly game trails. We got serious about our roads MUCH later.
We love big trucks with big V8s because we pull big things around and we need the power. We love big cars because the heavier the car is (sprung weight) the smoother the ride. And larger in area the more air gets under it also giving you a smooth ride. Sure you can make a small car heavier trying to imitate a big car ride but when you drive it you will notice the difference. Small car feel, big car gas consumption. Benefit would be more weight on tires, more traction, depending on width of tires. PSI on footprint to ground. If somebody would come up with a Hybrid car (tru-hybrid) and light weight you would get 150 MPG, big oil wont let you.
Some of us have both large and small. I have a RAM 3500 which is 20' (6 meters) long, with a 6.7L engine, and weighs 9000 pounds (4100kg). I also have a sub compact Chevy Bolt electric vehicle which is my day to day driver. The reason I have the RAM is that I pull a 40 foot long 5th wheel camper (11 meters) which weighs in at 17,000 pounds (7,700kg), which a small EV cannot tow....
My first car was a 56 Chevy 2dr hdtp, Black tuk n roll interior, Stewart Warner guages, 3/4 cam 4bbl dual exhaust hurst shifter, chrome wheels. It had a 3 spd with overdrive. 2,000 rpm at 65 mph.
In Texas f150 is the car you probably see most all the time on the road. I have a white one. It's not something thought about. They are made pretty heavy duty and are great if you have just one vehicle. It does everything. People mover... check.. Moving large things... check. Whatever you need.
I have a 2018 Chevy Cruze, and it's a great car, my first Chevy. But... Speaking of big cars... I had a 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona, and that thing was like driving around in a high-speed living room with an extra Sofa in the back 😆
@@KnOnHeavensDoor yea I'm keeping it being a 01 with only 130k on it and my 21 RAM had 30k on it and talked him down from 36k to 30k just couldn't pass it up would've liked a newer Chevy but it is doing great so far
I for one, buck the trend. My main vehicle is a sedan. It's nearly new and top trim. It's where I spend most of my road time. I also own an F150 which I only use as a back up vehicle and mostly to haul things. Here's the kicker: it's an '87. It's so much smaller than newer trucks. It only has two doors but an 8 foot bed. Its point is for hauling things, not people. In that regard, it shines. The tailgate is so much lower to the ground. I can't imagine loading and unloading the stuff I haul in a modern truck.
I have hit big deer in an suv, a pickup truck and a 4 door sedan in the last decade. The sedan survived better with less damage and no injuries. All at about 40 miles an hour! From your friend in SE Wisconsin.
As my Grandpa called them, "Rats of the forest." I hit a deer head on in a 2001 F350 at 65pmh. You couldn't even tell it hit anything. Hello from the West side of Wisconsin.
The electric vehicles have rechargable batteries which can be recharged at recharge stations. They are nowhere near as available as gas ( petrol ) stations , but are popping up everywhere nowadays.
We don't have a pickup but my wife drives a big SUV. We have six sons still at home, a couple have grown up but we need 4 wheel drive and space to put everyone. We also live in Rocky Mountain country and it's great for camping and such. Spent a lot of time in Europe, lived in South America for years and smaller cars make sense in Europe, there would be no way to really drive around in big cars especially in the cities.
The reason I think Americans like "big trucks" is cause America was built on hard work. And a lot of hard work comes from farms. Loading hay to feed your animals, loading, dirt, carrying animal cages, to produce food. Trucks can be used for many things on a farm. Farmers feed America.
Without farmers most of us wouldn't survive. When I get behind someone driving farm equipment I don't get frustrated by it being slower I give thanks that a farmer is working and ALWAYS give a thumbs up to the driver when we part.
My dad ALWAYS had trucks!! My husband has one… if you live in the country you Need a truck! We tow our large livestock with them hay trailers, campers, put your new large appliances in the back to bring home, and more! 🥰💖
To be fair, it's usually due to NEEDING power, to go up the huge hills/mountains, to haul things we need, to move things around etc... it's not (with some exceptions, I'd gather) just an ego thing "I'm so op!" it's needed in most cases. Either due to terrain, lifestyle &/or circumstance.
I noticed when they were talking about the regulations that happened around 2000. What they did not explain was the small trucks we used to call them puppy trucks or little sports trucks. You know they may have had a 6-ft bed. They may have had a full bed but they were fairly short. Usually a you know a regular cab. They had to meet regulations that were for smaller cars. As far as gas mileage. You cool. It really couldn't make the engines. Do that and give them the power. People want it so it became more economical for them to just make larger trucks with big engines because they didn't have to meet those ridiculous fuel mileage regulations that were being put on the light trucks which a lot of people like their small trucks and their sports trucks. Another factor is the reason we can't get small trucks from overseas. The imported ones has to do with some stupid thing that happened. It was a regulation tacked on with another regulation that had nothing to do with it that penalizes small trucks coming in here with this big tariff and that stopped us from getting foreign small models and why Toyota trucks and other trucks also just make bigger models now even they're supposedly small trucks or big trucks. I can't remember exactly what that whole trade situation was with that. I remember seeing a thing on it and I forget the details but those are why the smaller more reasonable size trucks started to disappear. You know my dad. I work trucks for years. He had a couple of big ones but most the time he liked his smaller drunks he had a full 8x footbed get around town easy zip go where he needs to go without having to worry about the size of the vehicle and you can't find those anymore because regulations
Larger vehicles have higher safety ratings because the ratings are based on how protected the people in *that* vehicle are, and if two vehicles of unequal size collide, the people in the larger vehicle are better protected. So for example if an Escort gets into a collision with a Mack truck, the truck driver might walk away; the people in the Escort, not so much. Critics of large vehicles point out that more larger vehicles on the road means accidents are more dangerous for people in small vehicles, which is true; but they fail to account for the fact that trucks are going to be on the road regardless of what the trends in consumer vehicles are. In the wake of the Energy Crisis, when subcompacts were super popular for a few years, semi trucks didn't cease to exist. Chrysler is not doing as well as they used to do, but they haven't gone out of business. Incidentally, Chrysler also makes Dodge and Plymouth (although, I haven't seen any new Plymouth models for a while; it was their budget brand, and it's possible they may have stepped away from that segment of the market lately).
All the stats they were talking about are population level, not safety ratings for the individual vehicle. Fatalities are higher in unequal crashes. The more large/heavy vehicles there are on the road, the higher the chances of an unequal crash...up to a point. If the percentage of large/heavy vehicles gets high enough, the number of small vehicles is reduced and therefore the chances of an unequal crash diminishes again. But that would require the majority of the population to be able to afford and drive and park a large/heavy vehicle, so realistically we're not going to reach that point. I'm not saying we ban large vehicles by any means, just acknowledging that there is a real problem that we do need to solve somehow. Let's put American ingenuity to use and figure something out!
@@jlaurelc Not really true, most people can afford an older, larger, heavier vehicle, but a certain segment of the population prefers to drive small cars (mostly petite women, but not exclusively).
@@anonygent Older vehicles are not as safe as newer ones, regardless of size and weight, and maintaining an older vehicle can also be prohibitive both logistically and financially. For a large portion of my life, I could neither afford to be without a car while it was repaired (because I'd lose my job), nor could I afford a rental. Now, a large car wouldn't fit in my garage, and in a hail prone area, that's no small (pun intended 😛) consideration. Also, as a petite woman, I can confirm that yes, driving today's trucks is also a practical problem. The point is, "everybody get a big car" just isn't going to work.
@@jlaurelc Most newer small cars cost considerably more than the older, bigger, heavier cars, so that's not a good argument. So it mostly comes down to preference. As a 6'2", 225 lb. man, my preference is for big, comfortable cars I can get in and out of without difficulty.
i guess i am not the typical US citizen, i have always driven small cars currently a Kia Forte, my mother had a Lincoln Towncar but for errands and work she had a small pick-up and yes they do make them small, i recently seen a ford pick-up smaller then hers which prompt me to think i might like to drive that one
I have always been a fan of Chrysler automobiles. This includes Plymouth and Dodge models. Jeep was later acquired by Chrysler. There used to be a couple of phrases for the acronym FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily, and Found On Road Dead. I especially liked Frequently Out Run by Dodge. Chrysler came up with some of the most innovative design changes like having an aerodynamically slanted windshield. This was back when Ford was still building vertical windshields like on the Model T.
@@fracken1441all of that is now part of the merger into Stellantis. (Chrysler hasn't been an American company since shortly after they took the government bailouts in 08/09.)
I drive a truck, a Chevy Colorado ZR2. Where I live I NEED 4-wheel drive, and even a truck with a smaller bed is just useful when you live in a rural area.
Yeah, my dad has an AWD compact SUV for everyday use, but keeps a 4WD vehicle too because there are times (i.e. half the year) when AWD won't do up in the mountains where he is.
4:42 The larger vehicle with higher road clearance is safer for the occupants of the heavier vehicle but deadlier to the other vehicle's occupants. Higher road clearance means that the Pickup truck that hits a sedan (for example) is more likely to have its frame hit high on the car and ride up the vehicle crushing the passengers of the car. So, a large pickup or SUV is safer for its driver and passengers at the expense of those in the other vehicle involved in the collision.
Yes, this video is econut propaganda. Pickups weigh more and more because they are now combo trucks and luxury cars. Every one of those pickups shown has far more (and heavy) luxury features than that heavy weight vintage Caddy from the 50s or 60s had.
It's true that larger vehicles can be more deadly. But the caveat there is they are more deadly to the subcompacts that get hit by them. Think basic physics: the larger a vehicle, the more it weighs, the more damage it will do to whatever it hits, especially if that other thing is much smaller and lighter (like a cooper or a Geo metro)
Electric powertrains take up less space, but the battery takes up a lot more. Electric vehicles tend to have LESS space than a similar sized car with an internal combustion engine.
Vehicles in the US vary greatly by location. You'll see a ton of pickup trucks in rural areas (I drive a Ford F350 like the red one you paused on first). You'll also see a ton of smaller cars in bigger cities with a ton of people. Fun fact: The current generation Ford Superduty trucks (250, 350, 450, 550) that are used to tow things have so much torque at the low end of the rev cycle that the engineers had to artificially limit the torque when the truck is in 1st gear or the truck would rip its own transmission out.
I'm a 56 year old Grandma and I couldn't imagine not having my truck! I have a Toyota with king cab, and I use it for everything! Dump runs, picking up large items at the lumber store, four wheel drive for my snowy winters.. I could go on and on!
Im sorry many of us want little trucks like the old S-10 pickup or Ford Ranger but can't have them because the REAL reason cars are big is the 2008 EPA bill where every 2 years cars must meet stricter and stricter emissions tests to the point where it is beyond resonable tech and they allow for more emissions based on the width and length of the wheel base of the vehicle. ALL cars post 2010 are HUGE by width and length because of this. They are harder to drive and take up far more lane space. As someone who drives mountain country roads; I really miss smaller cars with less bright blinding led lights. Kind of shocked the European car makers have not taken full advantage of this situation. We are not letting the chinese car companies in any time soon.
Andre, Large aka full size pickups are safer, unlike compact and subcompact cars, fullsize trucks have more metal, which covers you in a wreck. My first vehicle was a 1977 El Camino. Back a long time ago the metal in vehicles was thicker than today, back then vehicles were made to be safer in a crash, today cars are made for fuel economy. As far as EV cars when the battery needs replacing just like cell phone batteries over time they lose the ability to hold a charge, and EV batteries are roughly almost the original price of the car.
I use my truck to haul yard waste like leaves, branches, and weeds. Plus, it hauls firewood nice and gets through the tough winter snows here in my area. I recently got rid of my 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and picked up a 2019 Chevrolet Trail Boss LT.
As for the overall question: “Why America is obsessed with BIG cars?”, it is because the production line was invented here in America, so it was showing off American Ingenuity for the cars to be BIG, which would have been cost ineffective previous to the automated assembly line.
To be fair, many Americans love small pickup trucks, but EPA regulations make them impossibly expensive to build. Overregulation killed them, to be partially replaced by SUV's.
The issue is when a large pickup truck crashes into a small European style car the small European style card doesn't stand a chance and often injuries are more significant. The people in the pickup truck are generally fine.
My husband currently has a burgundy Chevy Silverado. Before that, he had an older Chevy Suburban. I love driving bigger vehicles, I get quite a kick out of it lol. Whenever we move, I’m the one who drives the 26 ft long U-Haul truck. When my mom and I moved from WA to Las Vegas 20+ yrs ago, I drove it the whole way. My husband loves seeing me drive big vehicles, he thinks it’s sexy lol 👍🏻❤️ My older sister used to drive semis and was a trucker for a short period of time. When she was taking the CDL course, etc, she was 1 of only 2 people who passed the CDL drive test/course out of a class of about 26 people… she was the only female. The only reason I don’t have a truck as my personal vehicle is the cost, how much more gas they use, and the fact that a truck isn’t ideal for the amount of grocery shopping I do. Even if we were to get a bed cover, I’d still not want groceries sliding around the bed, etc.
I have a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 SLT Crewcab and it's been my favorite truck I've ever owned and I've owned 6 since I've been driving in the mid 80's. I've also owned a couple "big" cars as well, 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ and a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass "S".
I have a 2015 GMC Sierra Denali 2500. It has a Duramax diesel, with an Alison transmission. It has 65k miles on it. Denali means it has everything it can come with. Heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel. And every other option available. Its a dark blue. I love her!
I have a 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic hardtop sedan that i purchased with only 34,000 miles on it for $2500 in 1996. It was my daily driver for many years. I still have it as a second car because it's so fun to drive. I always receive comments and many people tell me they owned one and regret selling it.
Omg your wife’s car is adorable. We call something that small a baby car and joke it wants to be a car when it grows up one day. 😂 Yes folks I am aware of the size difference. I was simply telling the joke our family says. If it came off rude that was not my intent.
14:35 youre 100% right and logical in your deductions. This video ur watching seems to be some fear mongering stuff but youre seeing thru it. Sure we dont wanna pollute the air but the trucks and vehicles are much safer, better and not just bigger for fun...but for use and convenience.
I am on my 7th pickup truck since 1995. All have been Chevrolets. The 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2018 models have all been Chevrolet Silverados. The 2002 a 2005 models I had where Chevrolet Avalanches. I did and still do us my trucks for both work and personal uses. From hauling materials , tools and other cargo and for towing my cargo trailers and boats and travel trailers, having a truck in the family has always been very useful. I also have other vehicles that are more economical to operate and now I only use my truck when really needed. I started doing that about 15 years ago to save money in fuel cost and also save unnecessary miles on my truck making it last much longer.😀
More pickups are sold in Texas than any other state. Then we upgrade them. Add heavy-duty bumpers (front and rear), larger wheels, and of course big off-road tires. A large majority of the pickups sold now in Texas are either "club cab" or the slightly roomier "crew cab" models, and I'm seeing more F250 and 2500 models (which will be my choice when I buy another truck). In cities it is common to park away from the entrance to a store or mall so we can straddle a line in the parking lot because the parking spaces are shrinking, then we reverse into the space so leaving is easier and safer, and we avoid parking garages which are designed for small cars. My RAM 1500 (Lone Star Edition) fits me better because I'm 6'5" and 240, which means ease of entry/exit, head room, knee room, elbow room, and more comfort. And, another thing, in Texas our gas is cheaper and our roads are wider.
Pony Cars first showed up with the 1964 1/2 Mustang. Cars designed to compete with it also fell into this category. Generally they were front engine, rear wheel drive, with 2 doors, and multiple engine options. You could get them with varying levels of performance with the more performance based versions costing more.
-It's that the large trucks vs. small cars in an accident cause more injuries in the small cars. -I own a 2016 Z71 Chevy Silverado pickup. That designates the off-road package. It's a full sized 4x4 with crew cab (front and back seats) and a 6 foot box. What can I say, this lady loves her truck. I live in northern Minnesota, so we have rough winters. Ice and snow for 6 months of the year. 4x4 plus lots of clearance and power is real nice. Then, I live on a farm. That truck pulls a horse trailer, hay wagon, or whatever you ask of it. I haul stuff. Today it hauled 2x10 lumber from the lumber yard, plus, this afternoon I went on a short trip up north to enjoy the changing colors - destination an area of interest with many rough back country dirt roads, trails and bogs. My truck gets dirty and gets used as a truck. Haha..you should see some of the places I've driven it "off-road". Frankly many of us own trucks because we DO stuff here. - My full sized truck gets about 21-22 mpg on the highway, maybe 18 on regular roads. Not so bad, and considering I'm retired so don't have to drive 20 miles one way to work anymore, and gas is less than $3.00/gallon, it doesn't hurt to drive it. -Yes, I have a feeling this video is a subtle hit piece against truck ownership. Greenies/environmentalists etc. Whatever. Let 'em stew. -Haha. My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala 2 door coupe. White with a red interior, air conditioning, power everything. A real beauty. I drove that thing back and forth from the woods of Minnesota to my aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana countless times when I was college age. -From what I understand, those British sports cars look great, but you play hell keeping them running.
Many of the replies below are quite valid and I do not dispute them in any way, but there are a percentage of Americans who drive large trucks for psychological reasons. These are the people who own full size trucks in the suburbs and the only thing that ever goes in the bed are groceries or maybe a sheet of plywood or drywall every couple of years, and then complain when their friends ask them to help them move because they have a truck. Hey, it's America, and if you can afford to own and operate that truck then good for you, but there are some of us who find your attempt at being a suburban cowboy amusing.
Trucks are so versatile. Large enough to take the family to a restaurant and hauling a new fridge from the store. I use trailers to haul lawnmowers to cut grass or take the tractor to get repaired. I have moved family members and friends many times. I take mine hunting and then grocery shopping.
Yup, I usually run a Pickup. Right now I just drive a 2 wheel drive Nissan Frontier but when younger I usually had a 4x4. Real handy for yard work (hauling off branches hauling in gravel) and with a topper it becomes a handy little camper. Pick-ups are also cheaper than Vans or SUVs.
We live in the country and are in our vehicles a lot. Mine is one of the biggest vehicles on the road, a Yukon XL SUV. My husband drives a 4-door F-250 pickup truck. Both get terrible gas mileage but are extremely comfortable. I drive 40 minutes to reach a grocery store and my husband drives approximately 90 miles to work everyday, so comfort is important.
That red truck you fell in love with is pushing $100,000. Many Americans are not frugal. My father was raised in Jersey City during the Great Depression. He instilled in me frugality. I use a $1000 ebike instead of a car.
The red pickup you admired is a Ford F-150. My sister owns a Ram and it's been very reliable. I think Fiat 500's are cute. I like little cars and big ones. When I drove limousines for a living in Denver, the biggest factory-built car I ever drove was European, a 1970 Rolls Royce Phantom. We also had custom-built stretched limousines that were at most 35 feet long (13.5 meters). I remember my parents in 1968 complaining when gasoline prices went up to $0.44 per gallon, which, in your money would be 0.48 Euros for 4 liters. How times have changed. Yes, the current BMW 3 series is a beauty! We saw a 1978 BMW 320 on the road last week and it sure was little!
I have had pick up trucks, these days I'm more onto a car that easily seats 5, but it's a fairly small car. It's a Chevy Sonic 2012, manual. largest trunk area EVER. Put the rear seats down, it's like having a mini pick-up, just w/o the tailgate that goes down. My friend, it is pronounced like Chair-Oh- Key, Cherokee, like the Native American Tribe. There have been some great strides/discoveries made recently extending the life of the lithium batteries doubling the life and even beyond this, and they have yet to fully understand how/why. I think once we do, it will not be so bad, we're in the learning curve right now, it will keep getting better.
America is a big place, large roads. Long distances. We have counties the size of Europe.
America is 96% of the size of Europe. So there are no counties in America the size of Europe.
There are no US counties the size of Europe. There are counties that are larger than some countries in Europe (San Bernadino vs Bosnia) but they are the very, very small ones. There are any number of States that are larger than some countries in Europe as well (New Mexico vs Germany, France vs Texas, Italy vs California): but Europe as a whole is slightly larger (about 134,000 sq miles) than the whole of the US (Russia is included in Europe even though it is partly in Asia).
we have counties the size of some countries.
I believe the provinces in Canada are larger than the size of Europe.
gas price in Canada at this time , 1.58$ per liter ,, 6.00$ or in gallons,, ,,, gas price in USA 1.22$ ,,, 4.64$ per gallons ,,,give or take my math is bad ,,
@@brucecaron2776 Although the largest provinces are definitely larger than every country in Europe but one, the entirety of Canada is not larger than Russia which is the largest country in both Europe and the World. Russia is technically part of Europe even though a good chunk of it extends into Asia.
I am in Montana and most families have a truck. They are very useful for hauling loads of firewood, bringing animals home from the hunt, bringing your garbage to the dump etc. Many people across America have jobs that require a truck like working construction, landscaping, or other trades. It is hard to imagine an America without trucks.
I lived near Billings.
I look at cars and ask.
Humm how many bales can that hold ? LoL
I live in the suburbs and a LOT of people have trucks that are never used for anything besides presenting a certain look. They haul a few things from Costco and that’s about it. They get into $60k of debt because they refuse to be seen in some pansy sedan.
There’s absolutely a situation for pickup trucks, but around me that situation is “almost never”.
@@smileychess yeah I love the 4X4 trucks lifted up,super high with low profile tires poked rims.
@@nunyalastname-ej8vl if you put low profile tires on a lifted truck you're doing it wrong. That is a useless mall cruiser.
@@dougjones9698 I thought obvious sarcasm was obvious lol jeesh dude. Who ever thinks how many bales and thinks low profile spoked rims go,together?
Thats like tampons in men's restrooms, obvious crazy, right? ( I hope!!)
I remember seeing something about the different mindsets of Americans versus Europeans on having large vehicles. It went something like when both were told that in a car crash between a large and small car, the chance of injury or death is much higher in a smaller vehicle. The bigger the difference in car sizes meant a higher chance of injury or death. The average European heard this as we should limit the size of cars to not allow huge differences in sizes and that would make driving safer for everyone. To the average American, they saw this and thought "I need to be the bigger vehicle".
Most Americans buy trucks and large SUVs because they can't afford multiple vehicles, so they want a vehicle that can fit every need, even if they only tow/haul once a year. Big vehicles are also wayyyyyyy more comfortable to drive than smaller ones simply because you don't feel cramped
@@gaberohrbach7542very true. Even if the one vehicle costs the same as 2, you have to worry about twice the insurance and repairs.
Hell yeah! 😎👉🏻👉🏻
I used to drive from Boston to Washington DC in my VW. 400 miles and about a ten hour drive. I felt it physically. A larger car is far more comfortable on long drives.
Absolutely, correct!!
My husband had a truck since he was a teenager. I didn't meet him until later in life and developed a great love for these trucks. He did a lot of manual work, so he needed one to carry supplies. I have to say these trucks are the most comfortable to ride in. Lots of leg room, and you can move around more. Lots of room to carry groceries and everything else you want. They are safer to drive because if someone hits you head on, you will probably live. They are making them electric now, but the cost is out of sight. Small cars scare me because if you get hit, your chances aren't good. Once I rode in a truck, I never wanted to go back.
When you have a family of big people 6' + and hefty, you need large cars. When you have 4+ kids you need a large car. When you are hauling an RV you need a large truck.
Or even just larger, taller people.
A family member had a mini cooper for a while, the larger type (clubman I think, not sure what they're called), I could not sit in the back seat of it at all. Couldn't get my feet on the floor there and it was painful to try with my feet due to angles for things when we tried to get 4 people in it.
@@AzraelThanatos Why would you ride with someone else as an adult anyway? I drive a Miata and just tell family and ride moochers that I don't run an effing taxi service. Only person that riding with me anyway is my wife. I am not riding with somebody else. I want to be able to leave somewhere on MY time and terms, not somebody else's. If I get tired at the family get together (or whatever) I can just hop my happy ass in my car and leave lol.
@@waynepurcell6058 Mainly due to other things at the time, and shitty parking where we were going for an event thing.
Rural living means you drive what you need. Snow might not get cleared but going to work is not optional.
Driving a pretty blue Chevy Colorado. It's a V8😎
I live in North Dakota and currently drive a Fortwo Smart Car. The entire thing is tiny, including the wheels, but I put Sport-Tires on it and I just have to say, it handles the snow beautifully! Being as light as it is (my 5'5", 48 year-old, female self can push it on my own), it just drives over the top layers of snow and never sinks down to the icy bottom. From Oct 25th through April 20th (last winter) I never even once got high-centered or otherwise stuck even though it sits just inches off the ground. I get off work at 10:30pm, 5 nights a week, and wasn't even hesitant about driving home in the heaviest of snows. My Little Smarty is a champ, lol.
I drove 30 miles to work every night. I worked the 11pm to 7 am shift. Sometimes I pushed through the snow, coming home from work. Nurses don't have "snow days" like teachers. We have patients to take care of, We have to get to the hospital.
I live in southeast Kentucky. I had to have a vehicle that could take the mountain 2-lane road.
@@maxinefreeman8858 Yeah, the mountains matter! I spent most of my life on the Oregon Coast and wouldn't have attempted taking Little Smarty over the Cascades in the snow. But the flatlands of North Dakota haven't given me trouble... Knock on wood. It's currently 11pm on Nov.5th and 36 degrees outside. We're supposed to get our 1st snowfall from 3am to 10am and it won't get back up to 36 until 4pm tomorrow. Winter has arrived.
Have you ever ridden on the back of a pickup truck as it raced down dirt logging trails in the woods? That joy alone is reason enough for me to always need an offroad pickup truck! Well, not me but my hubby, lol. Seriously, we spend a lot of time in our cars, so of course we want them to be as big and luxurious as we can afford. It is much easier to see when driving an SUV or truck as well. I think the height is an advantage. Husband has an Extended Cab Chevy Silverado, son has a Yukkon. I drive a little Camry.
Yes, these modern trucks are now loaded with sensors and cameras that can warn the drivers of obstacles (other vehicles) in their blind spots. They have backup cameras mounted in the tailgates (which is super helpful) as well as back up sensors that detect obstacles (like other vehicles and parking hazards). So yeah, don't worry, the technology included with these bigger vehicles helps a lot with the added size of the vehicle. The backup camera and sensors alone are a game changer. And some trim levels include a front, grille mounted camera for parking assist as well.
I find that all these cameras and sensors are making drivers lazy and less experienced.
@@bond1j89 I think they're helpful to a degree, but I have also seen people look at the camera view while backing out and never turn their head to look behind them for the oncoming traffic, when they should be doing both.
Americans have trucks because lots more Americans have LAND. It's as simple as that! I'm not driving a mini Cooper up the mountain to my house!
I dont think a mini cooper could handle the foothills of a mountain😂. They’re cute cars but they are meant for city life.
because they tow boats and trailers
hell, even in the relatively flatter land in Wisconsin and Iowa, the smaller vehicles are only good for commuting and even then they're dangerous in the winter. (the less it weighs, the more chance you're going to flip it on the ice)
Thank you for that really funny picture!! 😂
@@jonokai I live here in WNC. Mountainous territory with 4 seasons. I drive a Mazda Miata as a daily driver and have for 3 generations of the car design ('94NA-'04NB-'14NC). Never had any issues even though those cars average 2400lbs and are rear wheel drive.
Only trouble I had was during one of the blizzards and did fine even then until heavier vehicles had laid tracks deeper than my ground clearance. Didn't really care though as I was well prepped for the storm and didn't really "need" to get out. I just went out a couple of times playing and f**king around (basically riding on top of the snow).
Im a 68 year old great grandma, i drive a 2017 Ram 4x4. I'm only 5'2" tall, so I love a big truck to be able to see other drivers on the road. I haul kids, groceries, chicken feed, lumber, all kinds of stuff. Couple of years ago we were driving in Atlanta, Georgia (look up driving in Atlanta). Traffic in front of us stopped, we stopped, the lady driving the SUV behind us didn't stop. Her SUV was totaled and we drove our truck 10 hours home.
Driving in ATL is horrible. Hugs and I lived there for 7 years. Painful.
There are two major problems with SUVs and trucks. The first is that the view in from to the vehicle is obscured. A lot more small kids get run over by SUVs and trucks than with small cars because the driver can not see them in front of the car. Another problem is that the bumpers of SUVs and trucks do not match the height of those of small cars. This greatly increases the casualties in small vehicles when struck by the larger vehicle.
ah but does everyone ELSE in traffic around you, love you driving it? 🤣
@@janeray-u8v How do you manage to drive it? Genuine question - I can't drive most trucks and I'm the same height.
I grew up on a farm. We start young.
The crash stats on trucks are misleading because if you crash the truck into a wall it is much more dangerous than a regular car, but if someone in a regular car crashes into a truck the truck is the safer vehicle to be in.
And if you’re in an old muscle car you’re ripping through whatever you hit
The NTSB now is talking about using pedestrians to measure the safety of vehicles instead of the occupants. That's not going to go wrong, I'm sure. 🙄
@@Catherine.Dorian. Depends on what you hit. There's been extensive testing on the old cars from that era. The cabins tend to fold like an accordion. The heavy duty construction meant nothing anyway since all of that momentum transfers directly into the passengers which is way more deadly compared to new cars with crumple zones. So an old car might rip through a modern car, but you're likely to break something, and you hit a wall in it, you're likely a goner. They are so beautiful though, I love older car design but I'm also aware of the shorcomings.
@Catherine.Dorian. Yep, an old Imperial is fine. You just tear the aorta and severe the cervical spine.
@@SZfiftyfour Darnit lol. Yeah I love the older cars for their look, my dad used to have a 1957 thunderbird before a friend of his crashed it
I learned how to drive in a pickup. I’ve never really owned one-my name is on the title of my son’s ancient Dodge Ram, but I have never driven it. I understand that rural folks need pickups and they need to have some horsepower, but I am not fond of having massive ones on the road all of the time. I drive a small Toyota SUV, and the hoods of those pickups are taller than my car. It’s impossible to see around them when trying to park or un-park (that’s a made up word). Back in the dark ages when I was a teenager, I dated a guy with an MGB convertible. It was an absolute joy to drive. We lived in the mountains and that little car hugged the road so those curvy mountain roads were a blast. However, it stayed at the mechanic a lot and was freezing cold in the winter. My first car was a 1969 Mustang. It cost $485 including South Carolina sales tax. We lived just over an hour from South Carolina so it was easy to go there to buy cars. Some teenagers ran over it while it was parked and they were drunk. Insurance paid me more than I paid for it, and then my brother fixed it and sold it for $200. I have driven pretty much every kind of road vehicle from an 18-wheeler on down. Admittedly, I didn’t go far in the 18-wheeler-I didn’t have the correct driver’s license.
Pickups are popular because of living rural areas, being able to pull thousands of pounds (or even thousands of kilos) of supplies, lumber, etc in the truckbed. They also are made for offroading most of the time, and they're durable. Not so much the later models. But that's why people love them, as well as companies.
Yup - here in NH it's best to either have a beater pickup for all the chores!
Yes, but a large percent of Americans only use their trucks once a year to haul heavy loads in their beds or trailers.
We use ours to haul hay, sweet grass, and feed, move our generator around as needed, and pull our travel trailer. The bed is full of stray hay and grass, assorted tools, and stuff the dogs use when we travel. Plus where we live it's pretty useful, as a lot of the roads around us are basically gravel logging roads, clinging to the sides of very, very tall, steep hills.
@@johncarpenter3751 You say that as if there's something wrong with that.
@@Anubis78250Right. Even if not used daily, when you need a truck, you NEED a truck.
6:16 My uncle restores classic cars, and drives them almost every weekend during the summer and early fall (he doesn't drive them in winter or spring because we spread salt on the roads to prevent ice, and the salt would cause a lot of rust). I love his '64 Chevy Impala. He is currently working on a '52 Ford Coupe.
I’m a 65 year young Great Grandma, I drive a 2003 Chevy Pickup Crew cab, drink A&W, eat Twizzlers and Cheez-its, smoke my own Bbq meats.
You sound like one of my family members in Texas! (only, you'd probably be drinking Dr. Pepper or Big Red...)
@@vampiro4236 lol, so true, when I read it before submitting I thought I should add, “and I’m not from Texas”. That’s too funny.
My Hat's off to you Maam !!
@@rhondag8128 You're now honorary Texan. I have decreed it 😆
@@vampiro4236 Thank you so much, shopping for my hat and boots now, it’s an absolute honor.
In northeast michigan where its mostly rural woodlands and farmlands, we have trucks to haul things in the bed and trailers for tools, 4 wheelers, atvs, rec equipment, wood for fires, rvs, etc. plus SNOW.... You almost cant live without a truck here. Its a disadvantage in many ways. I drive a 4wd chevy silverado
A lot of men in America work in the trade industries and that requires a truck. Most of the time the truck‘s gotta be big because you’re pulling something behind the truck like a trailer with a backhoe or tractor.
Also not getting a full size sheet of plywood in a prius
@@AhHereWeGoMinivans take plywood and drywall just fine. They also keep it dry.
@@ahoneyman so does a tarp
@@AhHereWeGo Yeah because tarps never blow around on the highway.
@@ahoneyman ….. they don’t if you actually use them correctly… you put the tarp down in the bed, put the material on top of it, then fold the other half of the tarp over, then strap it
The weight of material and the strap keep the tarp from blowing off, and the tarp under the material keeps it out of any water in the bed
EV in America will likely be only a city car, long distance driving of many hundreds of miles per day, especially in rural areas makes internal combustion engine more practical
Agreed, especially in colder temperatures.
I have to drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles a lot in my 18-year-old Accord, 5 hours, 381 miles one way. Was looking at a Cadillac SUV ad which boasted about its 260 mile range. That gets me to Palm Springs in 4 hours. So now, it's a two-day trip with 2 hotel rooms at $150 each, IF the hotel has a car charger available. Don't want to shell out $80K on the Caddy anyway, just thought it was funny.
EV’s are far more practical, most families might take a road trip once or twice a year. With an EV you get a full tank every time you leave the house. And you don’t have to worry about oil changes.
@GROGU123 just extra, & more expensive tire changes.🙂
@GROGU123 where I live, there are no garages in the community. Not a single 1. The electricity comes to a pole, which then goes to several several households. I get no individual bill, rather the total for that pole is divided between those households. None of the other households expect to pay for the extra electricity for me to charge an EV. Nor will I pay for someone else to do 1, in our group. So, for some not only are they not more practical, they're not even a possibility.
I live in Appalachia, my family ride and race dirtbike, 4 wheelers, utv, we haul lumber to build, firewood to heat, feed for the animals, riding mower, tractor. Trailers to pull. Hunting, fishing trips. I dont know how anyone can get by without one ? 😮
Based on the information you gave, my answer to your question is: Yes, you don't know how anyone can get by without one. I'm not sure why that was a question, but you're welcome.
" I dont know how anyone can get by without one ?"
@@therealimnotjiminy All that information and you still bothered with mocking my punctuation. . Or ? Can you tell by my diction ?
There are many places in America where 4x4 pickup trucks are necessary. Where I live we get several feet of snow and heat with wood.
EDIT: 2006 Ford Escape XLT, it's a copy from Mazda, which Ford owns.
The US has a lot of small private contractors that use their trucks to haul stuff to a job site like building a house, mowing lawns, etc. We also have a wilderness, so some use their big trucks to haul a camping trailer (not real camping), then you have those that pack their large car with a week's+ worth of stuff for camping, including food, then you need room for your fellow outdoors companions. Also, not all destinations have paved roads, so you'll need a 4x4, with high ground clearance truck or SUV.
Im sorry many of us want little trucks like the old S-10 pickup or Ford Ranger but can't have them because the REAL reason cars are big is the 2008 EPA bill where every 2 years cars must meet stricter and stricter emissions tests to the point where it is beyond resonable tech and they allow for more emissions based on the width and length of the wheel base of the vehicle. ALL cars post 2010 are HUGE by width and length because of this. They are harder to drive and take up far more lane space. As someone who drives mountain country roads; I really miss smaller cars with less bright blinding led lights. My used 2008 suv is a way better drive for me then driving relatives newer suvs.
@@Morristown337 Also see the "Chicken Tax".
@@Morristown337 Thanks, I've heard that a couple times, but never remember. I was going over reasons why you find so many more trucks and SUVs in America vs Europe. When I've visited western Europe, even in smaller towns, I don't see many, and that's where they are more likely to have things like small contractors and people who leave the city limits more than once in a blue moon. I drove an '88 Ford small cab long bed F-150 from my senior year in high school till around 10 years later. I actually used my truck bed a lot like doing minor landscaping, odd jobs, etc. In college I had a friend softly mock people with larger cars when he didn't own a car and only road his bicycle. Then my hippie friend (definitely not one) had to move, I was the first person he called.
A lot of people are stupid and buy big trucks and SUVs when they don't need them, like my father and his wife, they just wanted a big car each. They'd complain about the MPG their big truck and huge SUV got, and I'd just remain silent and shrug, and leave. Always wanted to call them idiots because they made choice to purchase the new expensive cars, especially my dad's wife who never used all the extra size for hauling things or transporting things you don't want exposed to the weather. My truck was a matter of price (I was in high school, low price and cheaper insurance) and I used its bed a lot.
I now drive a 2006 Ford Escape XLT, a smaller medium size SUV, and really appreciate how much easier parallel parking is, the better acceleration, and better MPG.
The REAL, REAL reason is that law was made because Americans want bigger cars, in general. If people didn't want bigger cars, they wouldn't buy them, regardless if that law existed or not.
Western Europe doesn't really have "nature", it's all basically one city, so you don't really need a car and can use public transportation to get any where you want. There is almost no public transportation in the Rocky Mountains because low population density, there aren't any buses to the tall mountains to climb, and public transport frowns on people bringing the deer they just shot on the bus.
EDIT: Also, Americans are fatter and taller than most Europeans, the Dutch really tall though, so extra inside space means a more comfortable drive.
@@Morristown337 I loved my Mazda B4000 :(
FYI, Ford does not own Mazda. They have had deals and partnerships with things in the past, but they do not actually own the company.
I've often said Detroit died because they were forced to make cars for European grandmothers. We used to make great cars.
strange thing to say
The loss of the steel industry in Michigan and the exportation of automotive and steel manufacturing to foreign companies, combined with the riots in the sixties, the gas crisis of the seventies, and decades of corruption rotted the city and the state.
Don't forget the corrupt and greedy labor unions. They did a lot to force people to seek resources and products elsewhere by raising the price to ridiculous heights. Today, people are still buying Honda and Toyota since they are less expensive for the same class of vehicle.
@@Wilburnatornot really when it’s true
Detroit "died" because of unions.
Big cars like Cadillacs are cushy, comfortable, quiet, and luxurious.
I know a number of people who commute more than an hour each way for work. And others who travel farther as part of their job.. If you spend that much time driving, you want comfort.
If the goal is to reduce deaths, approach it from an operator competency angle. Bad drivers kill a lot more people than heavy trucks.
An excellent point, and a great alternative approach.
In Europe the "SUV's" you have are mostly crossovers.
Traditionally SUV's use truck frames. Meaning the body and frame are seperate units bolted together and are much more rugged for towing and such.
Meanwhile crossovers are basically cars shaped like SUV's and are much lighter duty with unibody construction.
Yeah Europe really only has a few kinds of body on frame SUVs. the Toyotas, I believe a few Nissans, and the G wagons.
I was going to say the same thing, basically. I've seen what the European market calls SUVs and they're definitely smaller than what you'd typically see in the states. For instance, we have a Toyota RAV4 which is considered a mid-sized SUV here in the US and from what I gather, it's still a bit larger than a Peugeot 5008, which is considered to be one of the largest/full sized SUVs in the European market at the moment.
The Toyota Camry is not an SUV, but it is sold in the millions, especially in the USA, the most successful car in the country, if not the world.
I'm an american in germany. Believe it or not there are decent amount of pick ups at least here in the rural area. Plenty of pick ups that don't come to the US like the toyota hilux, maxda bt50, vw Amarok, Mercedes x klasse, old Ford ranger the ones that wasn't in america, fiat fullback, renault Alaskan.
@@AT-nq6cu By itself, no other truck manufacturers included, in 2024, the Ford F150 outsold the Camery even though Ford truck sales are down, google is your friend, look him up before making untrue statements. (ref Kelly Bluebook)
I've owned a Ford f-150, a Ford Explorer, a Chevrolet Silverado, and a Jeep.
I like to sit up above other teaffic, i like the option of towing and hauling. I've also owned 2 Honda civics. But its much more comfortable driving in a larger truck.
I sometimes doordash, and once I got an order to be delivered just out of my town. All the main roads were clear of any snow or ice, but the back roads could still have ice. Well, I got trapped between 2 hills and couldn't get out either direction!!! Embarrassed, i had to call the customer and explain what happened. He brought his 4x4 dually Dodge Ram truck and pulled my car up the hill with no problem!!!
That's why so many people have large trucks!!!
These vehicles are very helpful for people who live in mountain areas like the ones recently hit by Helene. The pick ups mostly. Many people in those areas need them for their work, and home, and the work they often do on their home rather than hiring help.
My first car was a 1959 Olds super 88. Huge car, I called it the lead sled.
I own a 2020 Ram 1500 Classic Edition with a powerful 5.7 Hemi V8 motor. The truck has been great to me ever since I first bought it. It has never let me down, and I haven’t had to take it for any repairs. The only issues I’ve had over the four years were minor issues that are easily fixable, like cruise control not working some times. The hauling capacity is great, and the storage and leg room is incredible. One of the best parts is how smooth the ride is. IMO, Ram is the top tier of trucks.
I’m Canadian, I drive a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck with optional 4 wheel drive. On long drives, 12-16 hours per day, trucks are just more comfortable to drive for large (tall) people. The versatility of it is a game-changer. EVs are not very practical for Canadian driving except in cities. Most of Canada is sparsely populated and communities are far apart, and in our cold winters you cannot rely on EVs. Some people in rural areas have to drive to 1 or 2 hours (100 to 200 km) to get to the nearest large town, let alone driving between most cities (300 to 800 kms). Having to charge EV batteries every 400 to 500 kms for, on average 1/2 hour to a full hour if not longer, in comparison to refuelling an internal combustion vehicle in about 5 to 10 minutes is a no brainer. Especially in the winter when I’ve experienced temperatures in -40 to -50 Celsius ranges, granted not every winter or for long duration but does happen often enough to be something to plan for/on when you’re planning on travelling in winter. In those conditions, EVs just don’t make any sense to own.
It’s all about taxes and regulations. The federal government basically killed the small truck market with over regulation
Just to add to that... depending on some unknown outcomes, EVs could possibly continue to be a smaller share of the US auto market in the coming decade. There are still some issues with EV sales/usage and one of those is the US grid. It's in dire need of expansion/repair/replacement from coast to coast. Another problem we have, is that the US is so massive, and people right now, seem to be moving out of the larger cities, into more rural, less densely populated locations. At the present, there are simply not enough charging stations, especially in those more rural areas. So, until or unless there are some major changes to the vehicles themselves, as well as the infrastructure that's needed to support them, I don't think there will be much of a switch over to EVs, nor will we see the demise of the gasoline/diesel powered automobile industry. ...just my humble opinion. (There are also some major issues with EV batteries, but I won't get into that now)
I would love to buy something like the Ford Ranger I owned in the late 90's/, early 2000's. Unfortunately if it were made today it would be required to get around 45-50 MPG. Even with the smallest engine (Making it impractical for truck stuff) and as a hybrid, the aerodynamics make it impossible.
@christopherconard2831 honestly I've been thinking about getting an 2007 or old pickup and swapping the engine for a gas powered generator and electric motors because I know that will piss of California nicely 😂
The Cafe act and chicken tax
@lanedegener8 yup exactly
I can't imagine being a homeowner without a truck. The occasional 4'X8" sheet of plywood, landscaping mulch, etc. Pulling a small pop-up tent camper, etc. That said I haven't had a full size truck since I owned an 1981 Ford which I purchased used. Compact or mid sized trucks get somewhat better gas mileage. Currently driving a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Unfortunately the price of vehicles and especially trucks in the states is out of control. I suspect we will see the demise of some car manufacturers in the next several years because they refuse to market basic affordable models.
I think they are missing a factor that might just be more important that anything they mentioned. a lot of people, and I mean a LOT of people, were financially devastated by the crash in 2008. Most are living in houses or apartments that are a MAJOR downgrade from they had been (many haven't been so lucky to rebuild that well). Those that HAVE been able to rebuild their lives to some degree have in their mind that it could (probably will) happen again... If you lost everything except your vehicle, would you rather try to live out of a car, or would you rather try to live in a large, comfortable, spacious, SUV or pickup truck? I know multiple people personally that have made such a decision. They've been able to start to rebuild and foremost on their mind is having something better to live out of than they had last time.
2008 crash is what we get when we put Republicans (Shrub the Lesser) 'in charge' for 8 years. Obama kinda got us started in recovering but then tRumpo the Clown got in. Biden is trying, even succeeding here & there, but the Republikkklan majority in the house makes most things having to do w/ recovering impossible.
Amory, Mississippi. I'm a truck girl myself. Purchased my Chevy Silverado brand new 23 years ago & it still doesn't even have 100,000 miles. Love my truck, needs a paint job but otherwise it's perfection.
Collisions are more fatal for the opposing vehicle, not the trucks
This is just my opinion, but if you're watching a video that shows a lot of negative sounding government stats on emissions, regulations and crash results, etc., I'd say that you're watching a biased or maybe slightly propagandized video. Again, this is just my opinion.
@@bobbiejojackson9448 You are not wrong. As the OP said in the crashes it's not the people in the truck but what the truck crashed into. They are also not taking into account that we are a much larger country and we have to be in our cars longer and drive greater distances. So having a more comfortable car mean it being larger. The shorter the car the rougher the ride. Also the safety regulations require we have bigger crumple zones. If anyone is old enough they would know what smog is. If you ask anyone who has be born since the mid 80's they would have no real clue what you are talking about. We don't have anymore. the new car are so much cleaner. They produce less pollution in a year then what the cars built in the 70's did in a day. They are getting clear every year. So they are going after the size. When we have less deadly accident per year then we ever had before.
@@bobbiejojackson9448 haven't seen much from CNBC that isn't biased. News organizations want to influence what people think, not just report about what is happening.
Except over half the cars on the road now are large suvs and trucks. Most are not even driven by actual contractors doing work.
@@bigbcor What or who gave you the idea that SUVs and pickup trucks are only supposed to be for contractors?
4:08 RAM used to be a subset of Dodge. "I drive a Dodge Ram 1500". In the 1980s Dodge had the slogan "Dodge trucks are ram tough!" In recent years, Ram became its own brand under the Chrysler corporation, so it's just, "I drive a Ram 1500"
I've downsized from a Ram 3500 Crew Cab dually with the long bed to a Ram 2500 Crew Cab with a standard bed, but the new truck is the off-road edition with the 20" wheels and factory lift so it's taller. It's the Laramie in Blackout (everything is black, inside and out), 4WD, 6.7L turbo-diesel.
I have a 2013 5.7 liter V8 Toyota Tundra. We use it to drive out to our land in west Texas and haul building supplies. My dad was in construction and drove a truck but we would take our boat to the lake with the truck on the summer weekends.
Pickups are practical and that's why a lot of people have them. But, a big, fancy, lifted 4x4 truck can also be a status symbol. My neighbor is constantly washing, waxing and modifying his beautiful Ram diesel.
My daughter always says those are to make up for having a small p--s.
I highly recommend against buying a jacked up pickup truck. My brother had one and it spent more time in the shop than in his driveway.
I live just outside of Toledo Ohio and Jeep was created in Toledo. The Jeep Wrangler, my favorite, is 100% made and assembled in Toledo. Love your interruptions during the video. You are my favorite of any other reaction channels. Keep going Andre!
We are not the ones obsessed with things. Its peoole in other countries that are obsessed with us and what we do
@@theresabeck1029 yes. I agree. People do things for a reason. We might buy a truck for a lot of reasons. What’s it to ya anyway? My business what I want to buy. Thank God there are choices here available if you are willing to work to get what you want.
We americans have, in the past, been obsessed with bigger is better. We were gluttons when it came to gas guzzling. We still are today. We are a product of our past. That does not make us bad, just different.
Big cars have the wheel base and suspension that allow for comfort over long road trips. They also support the more plush interior. I have had both types. When driving in Europe the largest sedan I would drive is a Rover sedan. Road size and available parking rule the situation.
The question may be - why are Europeans obsessed with little cars?
Narrow, older roads. Older houses, no garage space. The U.S. is mostly newer roads ..
Also, U.S. is huge. And going cross country is not unheard of. 3,000 miles of good roads. Thank Ike for this.
@@melindaburch4318 Seems to me most European roads started out designed for ox carts in the 17th century. America; in the 17th century was mostly game trails. We got serious about our roads MUCH later.
Fewer repressed homosexuals in Europe.
We love big trucks with big V8s because we pull big things around and we need the power. We love big cars because the heavier the car is (sprung weight) the smoother the ride. And larger in area the more air gets under it also giving you a smooth ride. Sure you can make a small car heavier trying to imitate a big car ride but when you drive it you will notice the difference. Small car feel, big car gas consumption. Benefit would be more weight on tires, more traction, depending on width of tires. PSI on footprint to ground. If somebody would come up with a Hybrid car (tru-hybrid) and light weight you would get 150 MPG, big oil wont let you.
I really have fun watching your videos..the way you get excited about different things here in the USA. Things that we have taken for granted.
Some of us have both large and small. I have a RAM 3500 which is 20' (6 meters) long, with a 6.7L engine, and weighs 9000 pounds (4100kg). I also have a sub compact Chevy Bolt electric vehicle which is my day to day driver. The reason I have the RAM is that I pull a 40 foot long 5th wheel camper (11 meters) which weighs in at 17,000 pounds (7,700kg), which a small EV cannot tow....
My first car was a 56 Chevy 2dr hdtp, Black tuk n roll interior, Stewart Warner guages, 3/4 cam 4bbl dual exhaust hurst shifter, chrome wheels. It had a 3 spd with overdrive. 2,000 rpm at 65 mph.
In Texas f150 is the car you probably see most all the time on the road. I have a white one. It's not something thought about. They are made pretty heavy duty and are great if you have just one vehicle. It does everything. People mover... check.. Moving large things... check. Whatever you need.
I got a 01 Chevy Z71 and a 21 RAM 1500
I have a 2018 Chevy Cruze, and it's a great car, my first Chevy. But... Speaking of big cars... I had a 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona, and that thing was like driving around in a high-speed living room with an extra Sofa in the back 😆
I also have a 21 Ram 1500
Got a 99F350 on 40” wheels and a 96 dodge ram 3500 with the 12v Cummins
Never let go of that Z71 unless your selling it to me. Lol
@@KnOnHeavensDoor yea I'm keeping it being a 01 with only 130k on it and my 21 RAM had 30k on it and talked him down from 36k to 30k just couldn't pass it up would've liked a newer Chevy but it is doing great so far
I for one, buck the trend. My main vehicle is a sedan. It's nearly new and top trim. It's where I spend most of my road time. I also own an F150 which I only use as a back up vehicle and mostly to haul things. Here's the kicker: it's an '87. It's so much smaller than newer trucks. It only has two doors but an 8 foot bed. Its point is for hauling things, not people. In that regard, it shines. The tailgate is so much lower to the ground. I can't imagine loading and unloading the stuff I haul in a modern truck.
I have hit big deer in an suv, a pickup truck and a 4 door sedan in the last decade. The sedan survived better with less damage and no injuries. All at about 40 miles an hour! From your friend in SE Wisconsin.
As my Grandpa called them, "Rats of the forest." I hit a deer head on in a 2001 F350 at 65pmh. You couldn't even tell it hit anything. Hello from the West side of Wisconsin.
@@joshuawiedenbeck6944 you are 1 lucky guy bet you launched that sucker right over your truck! God as a copilot stuff!
Funny thing that google gave me a Toyota Tundra and Chevy Silverado ads during this video.
The electric vehicles have rechargable batteries which can be recharged at recharge stations. They are nowhere near as available as gas ( petrol ) stations , but are popping up everywhere nowadays.
The Fat Electrician explains why our trucks are so massive now in one of his videos, but for the life of me, I'm blanking on which one.
It's not really a truck thing.
1973 Civic - 1536 lb 139.8" x 59.3"
2025 Civic - 2875 lb 179.0" x 70.9"
Chicken tax.
@@DaInfamous0ne Thank you!
We don't have a pickup but my wife drives a big SUV. We have six sons still at home, a couple have grown up but we need 4 wheel drive and space to put everyone. We also live in Rocky Mountain country and it's great for camping and such. Spent a lot of time in Europe, lived in South America for years and smaller cars make sense in Europe, there would be no way to really drive around in big cars especially in the cities.
The reason I think Americans like "big trucks" is cause America was built on hard work. And a lot of hard work comes from farms. Loading hay to feed your animals, loading, dirt, carrying animal cages, to produce food. Trucks can be used for many things on a farm. Farmers feed America.
Without farmers most of us wouldn't survive. When I get behind someone driving farm equipment I don't get frustrated by it being slower I give thanks that a farmer is working and ALWAYS give a thumbs up to the driver when we part.
My dad ALWAYS had trucks!! My husband has one… if you live in the country you Need a truck! We tow our large livestock with them hay trailers, campers, put your new large appliances in the back to bring home, and more! 🥰💖
For the record, Americans are not obsessed with big cars. There are just as many small cars on the road as big ones. Maybe more. Americans like power.
To be fair, it's usually due to NEEDING power, to go up the huge hills/mountains, to haul things we need, to move things around etc... it's not (with some exceptions, I'd gather) just an ego thing "I'm so op!" it's needed in most cases. Either due to terrain, lifestyle &/or circumstance.
I noticed when they were talking about the regulations that happened around 2000. What they did not explain was the small trucks we used to call them puppy trucks or little sports trucks. You know they may have had a 6-ft bed. They may have had a full bed but they were fairly short. Usually a you know a regular cab. They had to meet regulations that were for smaller cars. As far as gas mileage. You cool. It really couldn't make the engines. Do that and give them the power. People want it so it became more economical for them to just make larger trucks with big engines because they didn't have to meet those ridiculous fuel mileage regulations that were being put on the light trucks which a lot of people like their small trucks and their sports trucks. Another factor is the reason we can't get small trucks from overseas. The imported ones has to do with some stupid thing that happened. It was a regulation tacked on with another regulation that had nothing to do with it that penalizes small trucks coming in here with this big tariff and that stopped us from getting foreign small models and why Toyota trucks and other trucks also just make bigger models now even they're supposedly small trucks or big trucks. I can't remember exactly what that whole trade situation was with that. I remember seeing a thing on it and I forget the details but those are why the smaller more reasonable size trucks started to disappear. You know my dad. I work trucks for years. He had a couple of big ones but most the time he liked his smaller drunks he had a full 8x footbed get around town easy zip go where he needs to go without having to worry about the size of the vehicle and you can't find those anymore because regulations
Larger vehicles have higher safety ratings because the ratings are based on how protected the people in *that* vehicle are, and if two vehicles of unequal size collide, the people in the larger vehicle are better protected. So for example if an Escort gets into a collision with a Mack truck, the truck driver might walk away; the people in the Escort, not so much. Critics of large vehicles point out that more larger vehicles on the road means accidents are more dangerous for people in small vehicles, which is true; but they fail to account for the fact that trucks are going to be on the road regardless of what the trends in consumer vehicles are. In the wake of the Energy Crisis, when subcompacts were super popular for a few years, semi trucks didn't cease to exist.
Chrysler is not doing as well as they used to do, but they haven't gone out of business. Incidentally, Chrysler also makes Dodge and Plymouth (although, I haven't seen any new Plymouth models for a while; it was their budget brand, and it's possible they may have stepped away from that segment of the market lately).
Exactly. I think it's stupid to complain about the size of personal vehicles when semis and motorcycles drive on the same roads.
All the stats they were talking about are population level, not safety ratings for the individual vehicle.
Fatalities are higher in unequal crashes. The more large/heavy vehicles there are on the road, the higher the chances of an unequal crash...up to a point. If the percentage of large/heavy vehicles gets high enough, the number of small vehicles is reduced and therefore the chances of an unequal crash diminishes again. But that would require the majority of the population to be able to afford and drive and park a large/heavy vehicle, so realistically we're not going to reach that point.
I'm not saying we ban large vehicles by any means, just acknowledging that there is a real problem that we do need to solve somehow. Let's put American ingenuity to use and figure something out!
@@jlaurelc Not really true, most people can afford an older, larger, heavier vehicle, but a certain segment of the population prefers to drive small cars (mostly petite women, but not exclusively).
@@anonygent Older vehicles are not as safe as newer ones, regardless of size and weight, and maintaining an older vehicle can also be prohibitive both logistically and financially. For a large portion of my life, I could neither afford to be without a car while it was repaired (because I'd lose my job), nor could I afford a rental.
Now, a large car wouldn't fit in my garage, and in a hail prone area, that's no small (pun intended 😛) consideration.
Also, as a petite woman, I can confirm that yes, driving today's trucks is also a practical problem.
The point is, "everybody get a big car" just isn't going to work.
@@jlaurelc Most newer small cars cost considerably more than the older, bigger, heavier cars, so that's not a good argument. So it mostly comes down to preference. As a 6'2", 225 lb. man, my preference is for big, comfortable cars I can get in and out of without difficulty.
Trucks are fantastic for hauling stuff and people.
0:20 That’s my truck!
i guess i am not the typical US citizen, i have always driven small cars currently a Kia Forte, my mother had a Lincoln Towncar but for errands and work she had a small pick-up and yes they do make them small, i recently seen a ford pick-up smaller then hers which prompt me to think i might like to drive that one
I have always been a fan of Chrysler automobiles. This includes Plymouth and Dodge models. Jeep was later acquired by Chrysler. There used to be a couple of phrases for the acronym FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily, and Found On Road Dead. I especially liked Frequently Out Run by Dodge. Chrysler came up with some of the most innovative design changes like having an aerodynamically slanted windshield. This was back when Ford was still building vertical windshields like on the Model T.
Also RAM trucks were originally a model from Dodge
@@harlandnelson8278 And now they are owned by Fiat
@@fracken1441all of that is now part of the merger into Stellantis.
(Chrysler hasn't been an American company since shortly after they took the government bailouts in 08/09.)
I drive a truck, a Chevy Colorado ZR2. Where I live I NEED 4-wheel drive, and even a truck with a smaller bed is just useful when you live in a rural area.
Yeah, my dad has an AWD compact SUV for everyday use, but keeps a 4WD vehicle too because there are times (i.e. half the year) when AWD won't do up in the mountains where he is.
CNBC is a news media that focuses on economics, finance, stock market, etc
CNBC is a liberal propaganda tool.
4:42 The larger vehicle with higher road clearance is safer for the occupants of the heavier vehicle but deadlier to the other vehicle's occupants. Higher road clearance means that the Pickup truck that hits a sedan (for example) is more likely to have its frame hit high on the car and ride up the vehicle crushing the passengers of the car.
So, a large pickup or SUV is safer for its driver and passengers at the expense of those in the other vehicle involved in the collision.
Yes, this video is econut propaganda. Pickups weigh more and more because they are now combo trucks and luxury cars. Every one of those pickups shown has far more (and heavy) luxury features than that heavy weight vintage Caddy from the 50s or 60s had.
It's true that larger vehicles can be more deadly. But the caveat there is they are more deadly to the subcompacts that get hit by them. Think basic physics: the larger a vehicle, the more it weighs, the more damage it will do to whatever it hits, especially if that other thing is much smaller and lighter (like a cooper or a Geo metro)
@jonokai nice avatar
Electric powertrains take up less space, but the battery takes up a lot more. Electric vehicles tend to have LESS space than a similar sized car with an internal combustion engine.
Vehicles in the US vary greatly by location. You'll see a ton of pickup trucks in rural areas (I drive a Ford F350 like the red one you paused on first). You'll also see a ton of smaller cars in bigger cities with a ton of people.
Fun fact: The current generation Ford Superduty trucks (250, 350, 450, 550) that are used to tow things have so much torque at the low end of the rev cycle that the engineers had to artificially limit the torque when the truck is in 1st gear or the truck would rip its own transmission out.
True. My 450 doesn't give me full torque until 3rd gear.
I'm a 56 year old Grandma and I couldn't imagine not having my truck! I have a Toyota with king cab, and I use it for everything! Dump runs, picking up large items at the lumber store, four wheel drive for my snowy winters.. I could go on and on!
Im sorry many of us want little trucks like the old S-10 pickup or Ford Ranger but can't have them because the REAL reason cars are big is the 2008 EPA bill where every 2 years cars must meet stricter and stricter emissions tests to the point where it is beyond resonable tech and they allow for more emissions based on the width and length of the wheel base of the vehicle. ALL cars post 2010 are HUGE by width and length because of this. They are harder to drive and take up far more lane space. As someone who drives mountain country roads; I really miss smaller cars with less bright blinding led lights. Kind of shocked the European car makers have not taken full advantage of this situation. We are not letting the chinese car companies in any time soon.
Andre,
Large aka full size pickups are safer, unlike compact and subcompact cars, fullsize trucks have more metal, which covers you in a wreck. My first vehicle was a 1977 El Camino.
Back a long time ago the metal in vehicles was thicker than today, back then vehicles were made to be safer in a crash, today cars are made for fuel economy. As far as EV cars when the battery needs replacing just like cell phone batteries over time they lose the ability to hold a charge, and EV batteries are roughly almost the original price of the car.
I use my truck to haul yard waste like leaves, branches, and weeds. Plus, it hauls firewood nice and gets through the tough winter snows here in my area. I recently got rid of my 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and picked up a 2019 Chevrolet Trail Boss LT.
As for the overall question: “Why America is obsessed with BIG cars?”, it is because the production line was invented here in America, so it was showing off American Ingenuity for the cars to be BIG, which would have been cost ineffective previous to the automated assembly line.
LOL No.
To be fair, many Americans love small pickup trucks, but EPA regulations make them impossibly expensive to build. Overregulation killed them, to be partially replaced by SUV's.
The issue is when a large pickup truck crashes into a small European style car the small European style card doesn't stand a chance and often injuries are more significant. The people in the pickup truck are generally fine.
My husband currently has a burgundy Chevy Silverado. Before that, he had an older Chevy Suburban. I love driving bigger vehicles, I get quite a kick out of it lol. Whenever we move, I’m the one who drives the 26 ft long U-Haul truck. When my mom and I moved from WA to Las Vegas 20+ yrs ago, I drove it the whole way. My husband loves seeing me drive big vehicles, he thinks it’s sexy lol 👍🏻❤️
My older sister used to drive semis and was a trucker for a short period of time. When she was taking the CDL course, etc, she was 1 of only 2 people who passed the CDL drive test/course out of a class of about 26 people… she was the only female.
The only reason I don’t have a truck as my personal vehicle is the cost, how much more gas they use, and the fact that a truck isn’t ideal for the amount of grocery shopping I do. Even if we were to get a bed cover, I’d still not want groceries sliding around the bed, etc.
Chevys are usually considered low to mid tier depending on the model.
If driving around town picking up small items I would prefer a Mini-truck with a 4 cylinder. Easier, less gas consumption.
I have a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71 SLT Crewcab and it's been my favorite truck I've ever owned and I've owned 6 since I've been driving in the mid 80's. I've also owned a couple "big" cars as well, 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ and a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass "S".
I have a 2015 GMC Sierra Denali 2500. It has a Duramax diesel, with an Alison transmission. It has 65k miles on it. Denali means it has everything it can come with. Heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel. And every other option available. Its a dark blue. I love her!
I have a 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic hardtop sedan that i purchased with only 34,000 miles on it for $2500 in 1996. It was my daily driver for many years. I still have it as a second car because it's so fun to drive. I always receive comments and many people tell me they owned one and regret selling it.
Omg your wife’s car is adorable. We call something that small a baby car and joke it wants to be a car when it grows up one day. 😂
Yes folks I am aware of the size difference. I was simply telling the joke our family says. If it came off rude that was not my intent.
14:35 youre 100% right and logical in your deductions. This video ur watching seems to be some fear mongering stuff but youre seeing thru it. Sure we dont wanna pollute the air but the trucks and vehicles are much safer, better and not just bigger for fun...but for use and convenience.
I am on my 7th pickup truck since 1995. All have been Chevrolets. The 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2018 models have all been Chevrolet Silverados. The 2002 a 2005 models I had where Chevrolet Avalanches. I did and still do us my trucks for both work and personal uses. From hauling materials , tools and other cargo and for towing my cargo trailers and boats and travel trailers, having a truck in the family has always been very useful. I also have other vehicles that are more economical to operate and now I only use my truck when really needed. I started doing that about 15 years ago to save money in fuel cost and also save unnecessary miles on my truck making it last much longer.😀
More pickups are sold in Texas than any other state. Then we upgrade them. Add heavy-duty bumpers (front and rear), larger wheels, and of course big off-road tires. A large majority of the pickups sold now in Texas are either "club cab" or the slightly roomier "crew cab" models, and I'm seeing more F250 and 2500 models (which will be my choice when I buy another truck). In cities it is common to park away from the entrance to a store or mall so we can straddle a line in the parking lot because the parking spaces are shrinking, then we reverse into the space so leaving is easier and safer, and we avoid parking garages which are designed for small cars. My RAM 1500 (Lone Star Edition) fits me better because I'm 6'5" and 240, which means ease of entry/exit, head room, knee room, elbow room, and more comfort.
And, another thing, in Texas our gas is cheaper and our roads are wider.
Pony Cars first showed up with the 1964 1/2 Mustang. Cars designed to compete with it also fell into this category. Generally they were front engine, rear wheel drive, with 2 doors, and multiple engine options. You could get them with varying levels of performance with the more performance based versions costing more.
-It's that the large trucks vs. small cars in an accident cause more injuries in the small cars.
-I own a 2016 Z71 Chevy Silverado pickup. That designates the off-road package. It's a full sized 4x4 with crew cab (front and back seats) and a 6 foot box. What can I say, this lady loves her truck. I live in northern Minnesota, so we have rough winters. Ice and snow for 6 months of the year. 4x4 plus lots of clearance and power is real nice. Then, I live on a farm. That truck pulls a horse trailer, hay wagon, or whatever you ask of it. I haul stuff. Today it hauled 2x10 lumber from the lumber yard, plus, this afternoon I went on a short trip up north to enjoy the changing colors - destination an area of interest with many rough back country dirt roads, trails and bogs. My truck gets dirty and gets used as a truck. Haha..you should see some of the places I've driven it "off-road". Frankly many of us own trucks because we DO stuff here.
- My full sized truck gets about 21-22 mpg on the highway, maybe 18 on regular roads. Not so bad, and considering I'm retired so don't have to drive 20 miles one way to work anymore, and gas is less than $3.00/gallon, it doesn't hurt to drive it.
-Yes, I have a feeling this video is a subtle hit piece against truck ownership. Greenies/environmentalists etc. Whatever. Let 'em stew.
-Haha. My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala 2 door coupe. White with a red interior, air conditioning, power everything. A real beauty. I drove that thing back and forth from the woods of Minnesota to my aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana countless times when I was college age.
-From what I understand, those British sports cars look great, but you play hell keeping them running.
Many of the replies below are quite valid and I do not dispute them in any way, but there are a percentage of Americans who drive large trucks for psychological reasons. These are the people who own full size trucks in the suburbs and the only thing that ever goes in the bed are groceries or maybe a sheet of plywood or drywall every couple of years, and then complain when their friends ask them to help them move because they have a truck. Hey, it's America, and if you can afford to own and operate that truck then good for you, but there are some of us who find your attempt at being a suburban cowboy amusing.
Trucks are so versatile. Large enough to take the family to a restaurant and hauling a new fridge from the store. I use trailers to haul lawnmowers to cut grass or take the tractor to get repaired. I have moved family members and friends many times. I take mine hunting and then grocery shopping.
Yup, I usually run a Pickup. Right now I just drive a 2 wheel drive Nissan Frontier but when younger I usually had a 4x4. Real handy for yard work (hauling off branches hauling in gravel) and with a topper it becomes a handy little camper. Pick-ups are also cheaper than Vans or SUVs.
We live in the country and are in our vehicles a lot. Mine is one of the biggest vehicles on the road, a Yukon XL SUV. My husband drives a 4-door F-250 pickup truck. Both get terrible gas mileage but are extremely comfortable. I drive 40 minutes to reach a grocery store and my husband drives approximately 90 miles to work everyday, so comfort is important.
That red truck you fell in love with is pushing $100,000. Many Americans are not frugal. My father was raised in Jersey City during the Great Depression. He instilled in me frugality. I use a $1000 ebike instead of a car.
The red pickup you admired is a Ford F-150. My sister owns a Ram and it's been very reliable. I think Fiat 500's are cute. I like little cars and big ones. When I drove limousines for a living in Denver, the biggest factory-built car I ever drove was European, a 1970 Rolls Royce Phantom. We also had custom-built stretched limousines that were at most 35 feet long (13.5 meters). I remember my parents in 1968 complaining when gasoline prices went up to $0.44 per gallon, which, in your money would be 0.48 Euros for 4 liters. How times have changed. Yes, the current BMW 3 series is a beauty! We saw a 1978 BMW 320 on the road last week and it sure was little!
It's a F250 Super Duty (pre-2023). You can't get a F150 in crew cab long bed configuration. Plus it says F250 on the side.
The blue car @9:27 was an Acura, a luxury brand owned by Honda sold almost exclusively in North America.
Showing your cars was a fun tangent.
Absolutely!
I have had pick up trucks, these days I'm more onto a car that easily seats 5, but it's a fairly small car. It's a Chevy Sonic 2012, manual. largest trunk area EVER. Put the rear seats down, it's like having a mini pick-up, just w/o the tailgate that goes down.
My friend, it is pronounced like Chair-Oh- Key, Cherokee, like the Native American Tribe.
There have been some great strides/discoveries made recently extending the life of the
lithium batteries doubling the life and even beyond this, and they have yet to fully understand how/why. I think once we do, it will not be so bad, we're in the learning curve right now, it will keep getting better.