Don’t Buy a Car. Buy a Pickup Truck! Here is the Complete Guide to a New Owners. A pickup truck is quickly becoming a favorite among families and is the hottest vehicle of the decade. You can clearly notice the increasing number of pickups on the road. We believe movies too have its fair share of making pickups a hit. If you are planning to buy a new pickup, here are a few options for why you are making the right decision.
Table of Contents
Buy a Pickup Truck Instead of a Car or an SUV:
01. Versatile
A pickup truck is a vehicle with many forms, you can load the truck with anything starting from lumber to furniture as well as camping equipment. You can take you to drive almost anywhere, even off-road if it’s a 4WD. Many people live in their trucks by outfitting the back of the truck into a small room. People can camp at night in their truck bed too. If you even go to a drive-in movie, you can turn them into a family room.
02. Tow Anything
Maybe you are taking your boat to the lakes, or taking out a snowmobile to the Adirondacks, a pickup truck delivers that power to tow heavy objects and basically whatever you need to point B. For the most part, nearly all general pickups can up to 12,000 lbs, whereas the heavy-duty models can pull up to 22500 lbs.
Towing capacity and torque go hand in hand with the horsepower. Knowing that your truck can tow 12000 lbs of an object, you can definitely be sure of the serious torque it has under the hood. This means you can take a camping trip anywhere you want without worrying about not making there with all the weight. Add a trailer hitch and you are ready to go for fancy camping.
You can also haul some serious weights such as moving cargo from point A to point B. If you are a contractor who constantly has to drive around with supplies, you can be damn sure that a pickup is a vehicle for you. A pickup truck is the most capable and reliable vehicle who can handle this kind of job on a daily basis.
03. All the Power You Want
Today, power is a big reason why people buy trucks be it a Silverado or a Ram. Although the power varies depending on the make and model of the truck, it still is pretty much on the high side. For the latest truck models, they will have a power of 350hp and can go high up to 440hp!
04. They are as Comfortable as Sedans
In older times, pickups used to be different, but today, they have become as smooth and comfortable as a sedan. Four-door and roomy back seats are standard in all trucks nowadays. Some pickups even come with amenities such as heated seats and keyless entry. The ride is no more rowdy as it used to be before, today it’s quiet, comfortable and sophisticated.
When you are inside a pickup, things just get smaller. For most compact cars, the legroom and cargo space is often limited but not with pickup trucks. This definitely gives you a comfortable and spacious daily commute. The road trips get better and better with a lot of room to stretch your legs and just relax while driving. Another great thing about pickup truck is how much each body style can accommodate various needs when it comes to room and number of passengers.
05. They’re Safe
They are safer for a number of reasons, first of all, you are already sitting high, so you can see better. Better visibility is undeniably one of the top reasons why people love the truck and why you should have one. When driving on the highway, you will be able to see much farther than if you were in a sedan. Here you will have the added advantage and you will be able to exit out if you see oncoming traffic, on the other hand, it enables you to see sudden stops and other dangers. Being able to see more in a vehicle is a sign of being safer.
They also come with the latest safety features such as four-wheel drive, Electronic stability system, Blind zone alerts, dynamic brakes, airbags and a lot more. There are other proprietary features that are which helps detect possible collisions and calls for help. They also offer roadside assistance and could help the authorities track down a stolen vehicle. Safety conscious drivers should look into its stronger steel body and a long hood that minimizes the impact of a collision. Some safety features that come with modern trucks include:
- Side Impact Protection
- Trailer Sway Control
- Improved Seat Belt Systems
- Vehicle Stability Control
- Cab Safety Cage Design
06. Improved Gas Mileage
Gas mileage has definitely improved over the years; today’s trucks are lighter and the engines come with technology to make it more fuel-efficient in all driving conditions. Some pickups come with active fuel management which deactivates the cylinders in engines whenever possible, this makes the truck use less fuel. For a 6 cylinder model, the mileage can reach up to 24 miles per gallon on the highway.
07. They’ve Become Affordable
There are some models that are especially affordable when they are leased because they have a high residual value. Some drivers even end up leasing a double-cab model instead of a sedan because the monthly payment is lower.
It has more interior space than a luxury car and has enough horsepower to topmost vehicles and even an old Ferrari. The truck has got enough room in the bed for at least two people to sleep. It has enough power to tow or haul almost any everyday heavy object. Some come with 4WD and many give a more than average fuel economy and when you consider everything it is a surprisingly affordable vehicle. A full size, four doors, four-wheel drive pick to start at around $35,000 and you add other goodies with high-quality leather cover, it will cost just under $50,000. It is definitely cheaper than large SUVs, which don’t offer that space and features and are not as suitable as a pickup for outdoor activities.
08. Can Accessorize
Truck owners love to accessorize their truck bed with toolboxes, tonneau covers, stairs, cranes, etc.
09. They May Not be Good Off-Road, but that’s OK
Although some models come with four-wheel drive, lifted the suspension and other features that might look good for off-roading, but the truth is they are too big to go on serious off-roading. All the special editions such s F-150 Raptor is too big, too long and too low to go where a Land Rover would go.
Some may even consider that it is good on winters too, that’s usually what you get from their marketing efforts. However, the truth is that the only thing that is going to help your vehicle cruise through winter streets are a high-quality set of winter tires. On the other hand, the four-wheel drives which are most common these days are not that good in changing road conditions, at least not as good as the all-wheel-drive version. We believe the only pickup that is good enough for all the above-mentioned conditions is the Ford Raptor.
But then again, none of the above matters as most drivers only off-road on dirt roads and a four-wheel-drive can definitely handle that with each and much better than other passenger cars. It has a high clearance and also has the ability to lock the center differential. That said, it does perform well in winters than passenger cars but still, you have to take care of your pickup and if don’t at least you will be safe in case you crash it.
10. Pickups are Quickly Becoming the Favorite Family Car
Those who choose a pickup as their family car brings different requirements to the car segment than other buyers. They are looking for core truck capabilities such as hauling, towing, and off-roading abilities and these are the basic needs of today’s shoppers. On top of that, appearance, safety and technology has become the latest industry-standard among shoppers. Although tall hoods can make parking a challenge, people usually look over that for the high sitting position, tall clearance and a good view of the road outside.
Many truck manufacturers are evolving their models especially the Ford F-150 has been offering larger cab options, quiet interior, and other luxury options. Today’s versatility in a truck has made it the new choice among shoppers for a family vehicle. Luxury pickups have also become a thing now; today, you can get into a high-end truck and you will find leather seats, soft-closing tailgates, infotainment system, power pedals, climate control, and whatnot. Companies say that demand for their high-end trims has increased 20% over the past decade. Among vehicles that cost more than $50,000, the full-size pickups are the most popular these days. The pickups come with both amenities and swagger.
That said, despite the fact that it has become more popular among families, the segment is yet to pick up the pace in advanced safety systems as other cars and SUVs. For now, some companies do provide industry-standard automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, etc. There are other features such as blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assist, etc as special features in some models.
Pickup Truck Maintenance:
Here are some expert advice on keeping your pickup truck new and working well in all conditions and help it age well.
01. Apply a Bed Liner
The best thing you can do as soon as you get your pickup truck is to apply a coat of bed liner. They work are miracles if you do it the right way. You could either get an industrial grade spray-on bed liner as done by professionals at their garage or you can get drop-in liners. Drop-in liners are easy to install and take off, but are less durable and don’t provide as much protection as spray-on liners. Moreover, stuff like road salt, dirt and snow get trapped underneath the drop-in mats or liners causing more damage to your truck bed without you even knowing it.
On the other hand, a spray-in liner would work like a charm but it will cost a lot more then again it requires some prep-work before installation. But their advantage is that they provide a permanent anti-corrosive layer, don’t crack or chip, and provide good traction to the cargo thereby preventing them from sliding away. It definitely prevents the truck bed from dings and scratches as well as provide high-quality protection from weather and elements.
02. Use a Tonneau Cover
A tonneau cover goes on top of the truck bed; it keeps it protected from weather hazards, dust, dirt, and whatnot. It also protects your cargo from outside elements. Not only are they good at keeping your cargo safe, but are also good at keeping the elements off the truck bed. It is also a good idea if you want to protect your gear from thieves. There are many different types of tonneau covers some are hard, some are soft, some comes in the lid or made from fiberglass. There are some retractable models with hinges as well which are also a good option. When done the right way, a tonneau cover will not only protect your stuff but also give you a stylish appearance.
03. Remove Snow
If you live in an area with frequent snow, you should keep it off the truck as many times as you can. Probably the best thing you can do is keep the vehicle in the garage in rough winters or when it’s snowing. This is important because whatever snow you let it sit on the bed will eventually cause rust and it is obviously a good idea to get it out as soon as possible. On the other hand, you may not have the truck out in the snow but may still get some from driving around on snowy streets and that even worse because it contains road salt, which is a corrosive agent. The AAA states that road de-icers cause more than $3 billion in rust damage each year.
04. Get a Truck Cap
Just like a tonneau cover, a truck cap will also be a good option. They are commonly called a camper shell. Basically, it tops the truck with additional space or headroom along with covering the truck bed and cargo. The difference between the two is that the camper shell of the truck cap rises above whereas the tonneau cover lays flat on top of the bed.
You can match the height of the truck with the height of the truck cabin and you will not only get superior protection from elements but also get space if you like frequent camping. Another advantage is that you may experience a better fuel economy because of reduced drag.
Conclusion
More than buying your truck is taking proper care of it on a daily basis. There will be times when you have to do the heavy work like after carrying some gravel or dirt. Moreover, make sure that you don’t damage the truck bed with accessories such as stairs, cranes, etc. Furthermore, take care of the underside at all cost. Keep the undercarriage clean and from other elements. And most importantly always try to enjoy your ride on the truck and appreciate how much room and visibility you have on the road.
