Why the best pick is a pickup

The Ford Ranger pickup

Question: Which motor vehicle sold so well in August 2013 that it posted the equivalent of selling one model every 42 seconds, 24 hours a day, 31 days of the month?

Answer: Ford F-series pickup truck models, which chalked up a staggering 71,115 units sold last month in the United States, contributing to Ford Motor Company’s 12-percent sales growth to 220,404 cars and light trucks during the month compared to the year-ago period.

Ford hadn’t sold that many pickup trucks in one month since 2006, according to a Wall Street Journal article on US auto sales. The Ford F-150 is still the top-selling vehicle overall in the United States while in the Philippines, the Toyota Vios subcompact is the best seller.

Aside from indicating how far advanced the US economy and automotive market (projected sales this year: 15.8 million vehicles) are compared to developing nations like ours, the phenomenal success of the F-series, together with General Motors and Dodge pickups, reflects how enamored Americans continue to be with trucks despite their notorious thirst for fuel.

In Metro Manila, more and more pickup trucks are seen on the road, although these are compact or midsize models compared to the segment leaders in North America. There was a time when Ford Philippines and GM imported the F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado for the local market, but after some time stopped selling them.  Maybe they were just too big and too gas-guzzling for us. My fondest memories of test-driving the F-150 and the Chevy Silverado are the times when I backed up into a parking slot while chauffeurs and other men watched with chauvinistic amusement and placed bets on whether I would succeed. (They lost.)

A GUY THING. The fact remains that pickup trucks are a guy thing. In this country, you will see females driving big SUVs and vans like the Ford Expedition and Hyundai Starex, but rarely an Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Strada, Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger or Nissan Navara. In fact, one of the reasons why trucks are so popular is that trucks have sex appeal, and males driving them hope some of it will rub off on them. A man driving a pickup truck appears more attractive to women than a man driving a sedan. No matter where you live, whether in the city or in the boondocks, few vehicles command the same kind of attention as a big pickup—it projects an undeniable presence.

While men who buy a motorcycle or a sports car may be perceived as undergoing a midlife crisis, people tend to associate big pickup trucks with strength, skill and rugged individualism. Because of their utilitarian nature, trucks bestow upon their drivers an image of strength and quiet confidence. Men who drive trucks are men who people look to for help. When you’re stuck in a roadside ditch or stranded by a flash flood, who would you rather see coming along—a guy in a sports car or a man driving a truck? There are few obstacles a man can’t overcome with a pickup truck, a toolbox and a pair of tow cables.

Moreover, pickups have come a long way since those days a decade ago when they were rough, plain workhorses with no creature comforts. Modern pickups today are smooth-riding luxury cruisers that happen to have cargo beds. Some high-end models even have cabs lined with leather and plush carpeting. While basic, no-frills work trucks are still available from most brands, the average modern pickup truck has power windows, air conditioning and a good quality sound system as standard equipment. Options that are offered for SUVs and passenger cars like automatic transmission, leather seats or GPS systems are also available for trucks.

SAFER. Trucks are generally safer than cars. Big pickups will survive a stronger hit than a passenger car and are likely to sustain less damage from the impact. While automotive safety hinges on a number of factors including active and passive safety features, the driver’s skill, weather and road conditions, and while every car accident is different and there are exceptions to every rule, in a road crash a truck is more likely to stay upright because it is larger and heavier. Like passenger cars, modern trucks come with stability control systems, smart braking technologies and numerous airbags.

Another thing favoring trucks is that they retain value better than cars.  According to Newsday, Automotive News and the Kelly Blue Book, used pickups are not depreciating nearly as fast as other automobiles in the United States due to a growing economy, an improved housing market and a relatively low supply of used pickups less than nine years old in good shape. Not all those conditions apply here, but since trucks are built stronger, tougher and more durable than cars, owners tend to hang on to them longer than, say, a compact or subcompact car.

TOPLESS BED. The cargo-carrying capabilities of the pickup’s topless cargo bed, unlike an enclosed SUV, are not limited or hindered by cabin height. The bed’s open space offers the ability to carry a variety of cargo such as logs, a ladder, bicycles, an ATV or a golf cart with your cooler and clubs already on it, which would not be possible in the back space of an SUV or the trunk of a car. And you can easily clean up the cargo bed afterwards with a water hose.

Then there is the hauling capacity of a pickup. Modern trucks may be luxury-laden four-door, five-seater rides serving as a family car, but they can also haul a boat or a trailer camper as well. No matter what the road conditions or whether you need to traverse difficult off-road terrain, a good, properly equipped pickup—like a 4X4 with proper tires—can get you there. A pickup is the perfect weekend adventure vehicle.

Bottom line, pickup trucks can be anything for anyone—a workhorse, a lifestyle vehicle, or a family car to bring kids to school, pick up groceries or drive to the office.  It is suitable for all seasons and capable of hauling everything you need. Any vehicle can get you from place to place, but a good pickup truck can be a bigger part of your life.