during the bush administration, when fuel efficiency was taking over a lot of the rest of the world, building to EVs, the regime made a decision instead to incentivize SUVs and trucks to supposedly help the domestic auto industry -- which we later had to bail out anyway.
American Marketing figured out that they can sell outdated technology when they put in the words like "Freedom", "tough" and a bit of Arnold Schwarzenegger style doesn't hurt either.
all i know is when i asked an in law to borrow their big ol truck to move some furniture they didn't want it scratched and refused. so you can sell it as freedom all you want, though that begs the question "why that choice," and my personal experience some of the folks with them only wear country gear, neatly pressed, unsweaty,, to go line dancing, and don't let you borrow the trucks to do manly things like move furniture because god forbid it might get scratched.
it's a little fragile of masculinity. i don't have to buy butched-up vehicles and crudely provoke libs to be very much a dude.
I rarely see F350s on the road. A lot of F250s but not F350s.
I get the point, though. Most people that drive them don’t need them. It’s the same with SUVs.
I have Toyota Tundra but I use it. I have a motocross bike that I transport to trails and I do almost all of my landscaping and home projects. I also have a platform that I put on the back for a tent & camping. I also have a set up for my road bikes & mountain bikes if I’m not riding from home. This past winter I bought a plow for the drive. I also cut a lot of trees on my property for firewood and I can easily transport them to where I split them.
Pickups do have a lot of utility if you need them. Same with SUVs. The family across the street from me are empty nesters and the husband & wife both drive 8 seat SUVs and rarely have a passenger. It’s a complete waste but whatever.
my neighbors have had a Ford F350 for about 5 years. they use it for grocery shopping and back and forth to work. i don't think it's ever been off a paved road. they bought a bunch of mulch this spring and had it delivered because they don't like to get the truck bed dirty. i still poke fun of him for that.
Honest US assessment: I know guys with normal sized trucks who don’t really use them for hauling anything that often, but they’re normal guys. Anyone I know with a massive truck has little man syndrome or something similar.
