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Vans and minivans do everything trucks and SUVs do, and they do it better. Every time. No exception. SUVs and crossovers are just worse minivans for people who think they're too cool to drive a minivan.
And those outside of North America largely need not apply. I wish we could just have a robust public transit system here, but apparently, public transit is antithetical to muh freedum or something. Or so they tell me.
And that's not even getting into the point the post makes, which is that these monstrosities are getting bigger and more dangerous to pedestrians, yet our governments do nothing to stop it.
I'm an American in the rural South East. I can count on one hand the amount of people I've seen, met, or are my in laws who NEED a truck. I do not have enough body parts to count the amount of trucks that are used by compensating good ol' boys and girls. The amount of shitty drivers in SUVs who have the mindset of "if I'm in an accident I'll be ok, so I don't have to worry about driving like there are other people on the road" is down right astounding.
Most days I don't need a truck. Most days I don't want a truck.
But that's what I've got and I can't exactly just buy a new vehicle, or simply change jobs to one I can cycle to.
I'm a minority though, for most people it's compensation for insecurity or attempted status symbol. Around here we call them "pavement princesses" because they never touch dirt and likely couldn't navigate a back yard with its current driver.
And I'm not trying to imply that there is no reason to need a truck or no reason to need an SUV. There are jobs that require it, there are things that you can do or be employed by that would require needing extra towing capacity, that would require needing extra abilities to hold heavier weights. Those things do exist. But again I can count on one hand the amount of people I know or have met or am related to now who NEED those things. I've actually had to watch as several of my in-laws who worked for companies that they claimed they couldn't do their job unless they had a lifted jacked up truck which had an extreme extended cab and bed be transferred to electric vans and it did not impact their job. They were still able to get everywhere they needed to go with all of the things that they had in tow and the mover vans worked just fine. And I've actually known several people who got fired from those jobs because the electric vans had tattler programs and it told them that they were driving in dangerous manners putting both the company's assets at risk and risking liability.
I didn't mean to imply that's what you were saying.
There are exceptions, but yeah 99% of trucks and SUVs on the road simply don't need to be there.
I'd love electric van, honestly. Most of the stuff I use my truck for doesn't need the open space up top or the ability to drop a load from above/the side, and the few times I have needed that I could have spent an hour hand loading things. Plus I'd prefer the extra security of having an enclosed cargo space. Vans are better than trucks in all but a small set of circumstances
Yep, only things my truck has been specifically good for have been dump runs to one particular facility (big pit with low wall) and hauling loads of gravel/soil. A van or a trailer could accomplish much the same, but the truck was cheap and I don't have anywhere to keep a trailer so it's a good second vehicle.
Sorry I know that in text it can seem like I'm responding directly to you but I was more meaning in the broad sense. That I understand that there are situations where you do need a pickup truck or a heavy duty truck, things of that nature.