The automobile market currently is being dominated by SUVs and SUVs come in shapes and sizes and at almost every price point. The whole SUV frenzy has got automakers who never ever sold SUVs to build SUVs and there are brands like Ford who have plans to stop making cars and just build SUVs. Now, amidst all the craze for SUVs and crossovers, we need to stop for a second and take a deep breath and ask ourselves- are the SUVs that we’re all after really worth the money?
But then just when you just compare the pricing and the capabilities and the overall practicality, you just realize that maybe pickup trucks just make sense over SUVs. Entry-level SUVs cost a shade over $20,000, while you can just buy something like a used Honda Ridgeline under $15,000. So, we’re here to give you reasons why you should most certainly consider buying a pickup truck over just a regular SUV.
Well, SUVs and crossovers do offer you a commanding driving posture and a fake sense of power and that’s perhaps the primary reason why more and more buyers are attracted to them. Moreover, with the advent of unibody construction for SUVs and highly efficient engines, SUVs these days are very driver-friendly and do not chug a lot of gas as they used to a decade and a half ago.
Trucks are lively and boisterous
Well, pickup trucks are brawny and hulky. They’re literally built to take on any roads and haul or tow goods on the harshest of the terrains. SUVs, on the flip side, are just a larger version of a car; well at least some SUVs in the market today share their underpinnings with smaller cars and they just look large in shape. And they are hardly capable of doing any off-road duties. Plus, the large engines that pickups come with give you the feel of driving something powerful and whacking and no SUV can offer you that kind of experience.
Pickup trucks are built to go the distance
That’s the Toyota Tundra’s tagline- built to go the distance. And pickup trucks really are built to go the distance. These bulky machines last for years and years without any breakdown and are extremely reliable.
Even after facing all the abuse of crossing treacherous roads and hauling goods, these trucks just go on and on and on. Pickup trucks are simply built differently and it is true for almost all the brands that make trucks.
Trailer towing capabilities
Yes, we are aware that you can hook a trailer to an SUV as well but then again, even full-size SUVs aren’t built for towing heavy trailers. Towing on the other hand is no big deal for trucks. A full-size SUV like the GMC Yukon can just tow about 8,900 lbs. While a light-duty pickup truck like the Ford F-150 can tow nearly 10,900 lbs. A truck can easily tow things like ski boats, caravans, bikes, and even cars and this is yet another area where trucks do a better job than SUVs.
Trucks have something in store for everybody.
Versatile- that’s what pickup trucks are. Manufacturers offer trucks in various different configurations and customization and one can build a truck that best fits his/her purpose. Need a bare-bones truck? Well, you have it. Need a luxurious cabin with leather upholstery and advanced infotainment and driver assistance features?
Well, you can get the truck with all the bells and whistles as well. Multiple bed sizes, cabin configurations, engine options, trim levels, and additional packages for enhancing performance, cabin experience, and aesthetics make pickup trucks the most versatile and configurable machines on the market. No SUV offers this kind of versatility like a pickup truck does.
Better luggage hauling and storage capacity
The bed of any pickup truck is larger than any of the full-size SUVs that are there in the market. Now that means you can carry more luggage in a pickup than you could ever carry in an SUV. If you need your goods to be covered and hidden from the outside world, you can always purchase a canopy to cover them up and keep them protected.
Moreover, you do not have to think twice before loading something heavy in a truck while you certainly will be hesitant of loading something large and heavy in an SUV.
Trucks sip less fuel
Now, this might be a little surprising for a few but it’s a fact. A full-size SUV chugs more fuel than a light-duty pickup truck. Take the example of the GMC Yukon. The Yukon SLE has an EPA rating of 18 MPG combined while the Ford F-150 Tremor SuperCrew delivers 20 MPG combined.
SUVs are pretty heavy on their own and hence, end up consuming more gas than a truck. A truck on the other hand may not always carry heavy loads and with an empty bed, a truck may just end up delivering better fuel economy than an SUV with an empty boot.
Trucks command better presence on the road
The SUV frenzy started with buyers being lured for an SUV’s tall presence on the road. Well then, can there be anything more commanding and strapping than a pickup truck? When it comes to asserting dominance on the roads, nobody does it better than a pickup truck.
Now, we agree that a pickup truck might not be capable of offering the luxury and creature comfort that one would get in a luxury SUV but that’s not what pickup trucks are built for. Pickup trucks are machines that are built to explore the paths less traveled, they’re built to cut distances without breaking down and they’re built to haul anything and everything that you wish to take along with you. Is there an SUV that can possibly do all of this? We think not. And that’s what makes pickup trucks better than SUVs.
