Comment by caleblloyd
7 years ago
I found that once I owned a home, the utility for a truck doing "weekend warrior" tasks was great. Runs to the dump, transporting furniture, soil/mulch, firewood. Standard towing package for a boat or a rental trailer. Can also fit bikes, kayaks, skis, and camping equipment, no need for expensive roof rack accessories.
We use my wife's crossover for all of the family trips, so it's usually just me in the truck. Before I owned a home I enjoyed driving a nicer sedan but now I would now I prefer the utility of a mid-size truck.
I drive a Fiat Panda and I do all of those things. I perhaps spend a bit more time fitting stuff in (kayaks/skis have to go on top obviously).
I once managed to fit an entire king size bed inside a fiat punto, but it doesn't make punto a good choice for transporting things. Once you have kids, a dog, these modern mars-rover like baby trolleys, occasional need to transport furniture, etc. it's never enough space. And in Europe minivans cost the same as urban SUVs, so why not have some off-road capabilities too. At least it was my reasoning...
I actually rent a car for transporting stuff (mostly big stuff to the dump/disposal). The savings on fuel alone during the year make op for that easily.
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I would not want to make a trip to the dump in a Panda; for that I would want a trailer.
Front-wheel driver cars in the United States are generally not rated for towing, and can void your warranty. (It's silly, because as I understand it, the exact same car in Europe usually is rated for towing).
Minivans are the exception; they are rated for towing more than some compact pickups. Unfortunately, seat design means that many minivans no longer meet one of the original design criteria of the first minivan: the ability to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood.
>> Front-wheel driver cars in the United States are generally not rated for towing, and can void your warranty.
That is crazy, no wonder many Americans think you need a monster-truck to tow a trailer. My small Audi A3 is rated with a trailer weight of 1400kg in Europe
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You can use the Panda to tow a trailer, obviously you need to mind certain weight limits.
I wasn't aware those laws were so strict in the US, perhaps that is why trucks are so much more common. Owning or renting a trailer isn't uncommon here.
> many minivans no longer meet one of the original design criteria of the first minivan: the ability to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood.
I don't know about "most". Current Honda[0], Toyota[1], and Chrysler[2] vans are still up to the task.
[0] https://www.middletownhonda.com/honda-odyssey-cargo/
[1] https://www.toyoland.com/trucks/sienna.html
[2] https://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2016/04/02/2017...
I’ve never had an SUV. Every car I’ve owned - Hyundai, Mazda, Volvo sedans - have all had warranties and were rated to tow.
Carrying a sheet of plywood/drywall was a criteria for the first minivan?
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A lot of it is possible for sure. I used to do a lot these things in a Subaru WRX (minus the towing of course). Even drove home from Lowe's with an assembled grill on my roof rack once.
Always hated filling a sedan with trash, yard garbage, or landscaping materials though.
It’s the first three items in OPs list that separate the truck from the crossover. It would not be feasible to carry a volume of garden soil, lumber, or furniture in your Panda.
I believe the Fiat Panda is pretty roomy if you put the seats down. I think sometimes it helps to have a truck if you're transporting more rough and dirty stuff. You'll not just mess up your seats in the Panda, but also potentially the exterior and door seals/trims etc.
These are neat vehicles. Unfortunately not available in the US. Well, I think there might be a Jeep on the same platform.
I used to own a Honda Jazz (Fit) and it could fit an amazing amount of things because of the flat floor, seats that folded flat and squarish rear hatch.
I used it to move a queen size bed, refrigerator, washing machine: stuff you'd normally need a ute or van to transport.
I don't think the Panda/500 platform would even considered an usable vehicle according to USA standards :)
In Europe instead of owning big trucks or trailers for occasional use, we just rent them when needed or hire someone (usually businesses) who also owns one of those to do it. Plus, almost every store will offer delivery for reasonable prices. It generally cheaper and easier this way.
But I guess in US this usually wouldn't be viable because of the big land and less population density.
In Germany at least we home owners have station wagons. They will do the job for transporting stuff 90% of the time and are still good for the Autobahn.
As one living in the US, I think renting a truck is quite viable, as is renting a trailer for your sedan/ minivan/ SUV. Oddly, we don't seem to do it much.
I recently bought a pickup knowing that the number of days in the year I need to transport bulky stuff can't really justify owning a truck. But since it (a Honda Ridgeline) is about as livable as an SUV, I didn't feel too foolish. Given that few luxury SUVs can be had for the $US 40k I paid, and given this truck's many upgrades that help it to rival a luxury car, I was sold.
We were originally talking about urban trucks, so these are not the people who totally need the vehicle. It is generally cheaper and easier to do that your way here, and most people do. But there is a very large subset of people who want a truck regardless of the cost. People in the country often have a legitimate need.
Actually sub-urban trucks, but that was lost in all the comments. For sub-urban, I’d expect an average of urban and rural.
I've found our minivan does most of that stuff just fine. For the times I need to haul more, we have a 4x8' utility trailer.
You’re wasting money. I did the math. It’s far cheaper to own a fuel efficient small car and rent a truck when needed.
How many weekends did you assume he would need a truck? And what value did you place on his time and hassle, renting and returning a vehicle each of those weekends?