Do I need a truck

This

 

Get a truck....handy and practical. For my household we have the Tacoma, 4 door Accord and a MR2 Turbo (for fun.) The more you have the Tacoma the more you realize how much you will need/use the bed.

 

I cannot stress enough how nice it is to be able to throw shit in the back. I had a 4runner for years and it was great. I made it work in situations where a bed would have been ideal. After getting the truck, I've used the bed much more than I thought I would. It has proven to be very convenient time and time again for just random things that I never really thought about before I bought it. When you get a house you'll be doing yard work and moving things, so it will definitely get a lot of use.

Another plus is for camping...just bought an air mattress for the back and it fits perfectly. Goin camping this weekend and sleeping under the stars!

 

You'll be hearing crickets sooner.

I've owned trucks for 35 plus years (before they were trendy). As others have mentioned, the benefits far outnumber the negatives, esp if you're planning on owning a home.
My Taco fits my needs these days. I even went out and bought an FJC last year for a "backup" vehicle.

 

It'll even help you move to that new home.

 

I like counter points.

Need? Doesn't sound like it. Nice to have? Maybe. But there are alternative solutions.

For 30 years I used a custom modified small boat trailer as my 'truck'. Kept the tilt feature intact for loading/unloading. Mounted 13" wheels off a Vega with small car tires on it. Including a spare. Cheap used ones are plentiful.

Installed buddy bearings to keep it lubed easily, towed it thousands of miles over the years.

Easily pulled camping gear, canoes, bikes, 4 wheelers, construction material, etc.

Tag was cheap, no insurance required. Could loan it to others to move themselves (or whatever) w/o much fear of it being messed up. Stored beside the house behind a fence, but it would fit in the garage when needed. Wound up giving it to a friend who is still using it, now 40 years old.

This option allows you to have a cheaper to own and run vehicle than a truck. A front wheel drive car fitted with proper winter tires will do more than adequate in the conditions you describe. All you need to do is add a hitch and wiring.

All that said. I like having a truck. But, you have to evaluate the economics, including the cost of your commuting and actual 'needs'.

Good luck!

 

I have always had a car until two years ago. Not even a practical car, a modified Mustang for autocross and open track racing. I managed. Always had to rent a U-haul or ask for help from friends or family with trucks. Then I was in the process of buying a house and coincidentally my Brother-in-law went over seas and let me take care of his old truck while he was gone. Having the truck was so useful and I got so used to having it, I asked to buy it from him. He sold it to me cheap and I drove it until last May when I bought the Tacoma. I still have my Mustang and only drive it on the weekends, but I have considered getting rid of it. I couldn't live without the truck. I also bike and camp often, it's possible to do with a car, but so much more of a headache.

 

What you describe, in concept, is why I had 3 vehicles with only 2 drivers for a number of years after I gave the trailer away.

I had (and still have) a nice CUV that performs well for many duties, including road trips

I had a streetable SoloII/HPDE car that earned garage space

I had a reasonably nice Sonoma for truck-ish duties

Basically I chose to have vehicles selected for a purpose............ it cost more that way (not so much to obtain, but to operate) but it was a lot of fun.

I sold the sports car and gave the Sonoma away (literally) and bought the Tacoma. Life changes sometimes, and right now that's the more practical combo. For us.

 

What is that I hear?
The faint sounds of a whip?

Been married 6 years. Made sure to put it in the vows that if only one garage space is available, it's mine.

 

and a trailer hitch...other parts of the world, small trailers are everywhere. If you can do what you need with a car, a class 1 hitch and a $1,000 trailer, why buy a pickup.

 

You shouldn't get a truck because based on your detailed description you could accomplish all that you need to without buying a truck. Hatchback or SUV or car (can get a cheap trailer down the road for moving stuff if you want to) are all options. The car could be had for less than the truck and be just as reliable yet it would be 4 door allowing for more in-cab storage space and also the possibility of loading up with more passengers. Sure, it's you and the GF 99% of the time but when that 1% rolls around having a real backseat is invaluable. Navigating a parking lot is easier in a car and parallel parking is easier too. Did I mention the MPG argument? Holy crap twice the mileage! That's pretty huge. Go get yourself a used subaru legacy and you'll be able to go anywhere you want offroad to take you to good camping/biking spots. Peppy sedans with AWD are fun as fuck to drive both on and offroad. Also, once you have babies/kids, if you go that route, you'll want a real backseat and the superior crash-safety of a 4-door car.

Hear what I'm saying here?

No?..

Okay, so on the flip side, you should get a truck. Have you ever driven one before? Holy crap it's like you're riding a cow on rollerskates.. and I mean that in a good way! Bouncin around like some sort of happy go lucky jabrone who's never used a cell phone! Sure, hatchbacks can get you where you're going but you don't have a lot of choices in the affordable reliable hatchback lineup it's pretty much either subaru or volvo and they don't have the greatest appearance (my first car was an outback and I loved the shit out of that thing despite appearance being kind of turn-off!) SUVs?.. The drivetrain/suspension of a car but with added storage combined with the rubbish MPG you expect from a truck or a van but without any of the benefits of either of those. Having a bed is so fucking cool you can cover it with a Tonneau or shell for protecting your belongings, or you can leave it open and have the freedom to carelessly throw shit in it with a don't give a fuck attitude. If you get in the mood to go check out some crazier places for camping/hiking/biking or even if you want to try your hand at offroading, you can do those things! Oh and if you like some of the modding options.. WHEWWW look at all the cool upgrades! Remember those arguments in favor of having a real backseat? Ever heard of double cabs/crew cabs? Problem solved. If you thought you'd save gas by having an access cab i4, you won't. A V6 get's similar mileage.. the money you'd save with the i4 translates to hundreds of dollars over the course of 50,000 miles. That's right, hundreds. Not thousands, hundreds. When a set of tires runs you between $500-1000 is 2 extra mpg relevant? Not really..


So, in closing, whichever way you go with your next vehicle remember this important fact: You are making a lifestyle choice. This is an important decision, less because of functionality, it has much more to do with aesthetics and personal choice. You need to be as selfish as you can possibly be with this decision. Not selfish in the sense of forgetting the functionality you will require in the future with a house/family/whatever. I'm talking selfish in the sense of: "Hey, I read the first 2 paragraphs of that WheelInTheSky guy's post and he made a pretty good case for really any vehicle being capable of doing whatever I need it to. He's a pretty swell guy, I should buy him a beer. Oh, and also I'm going to do whatever the fuck makes me the happiest with the choice of what vehicle I purchase. But also the beer, definitely buying that guy a beer!" Do you wanna be the stud in a cool fucking truck? Do you wanna be the stud in a cool fucking car? Do you wanna be the stud in whatever other vehicle you can think of or maybe say fuck it I'm getting a house-boat? or a bi-plane? or a steamroller and living out of that!? Get the vehicle that when you picture yourself cruising along in it swells your ego with a sense of pride and contentment.

Only difference between vehicles here is MPG, and what seems like it fits in with your current/future self-image. This is an identity choice. The only real money you can save is in getting a sedan that gets 35+mpg. Whatever size tacoma you would get, the MPGs would be negligible.

cheers!

 

Hahaha amen brotha

 

awesome response! I definitely owe you beer.

p.s. the alternative would be a practical 35+ mpg sedan.

 

damn you're right, and I haven't even bought the place yet.

 

If your looking for something versatile, reliable, rugged, capable, etc. Tacoma is the way to go. Plenty of configurations to fit your needs.

 

I'm just going to leave this here...


Sedan or Truck?


It's a good example of saving money up front on a sedan that won't get you great mpg savings, but it's so cheap up front and reliable in the long run as far as maintenance and life-expectancy that it is sort of an alternative to a 35+mpg sedan..

 

I like the idea that I can travel the road less travelled. But if your worried about saving the planet and going green.. you may want to go with a Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt. But I trust you will make the right decision.

 

Hah yes, the "save the world" cars. Hilarious that anyone could have that mentality when the fact is that making the batteries for these cars is raping the environment, and the power used to charge the batteries is coal-derived

Funny to think that if the 1st world doesn't switch over to a power grid that has zero reliance on fossil fuels this planet will be inhospitable to humans as well as 90% of marine life within a few hundred years. Well, maybe not funny..

 

I read it on the internet so it must be true. Dont judge me.

 

Compelling point, now that I reevaluate my position I realize that a car named the "Leaf" must be good for the environment.