• Light/Dark

Bigger SUVs, pickups are outgrowing home garages, public parking spaces in US

turbobrick

turbobrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,284
Phoenix, AZ
Swig said:
I've bought countless things for my house, from furniture to landscaping supplies to large items for hobbies. I couldn't imagine having to go rent a truck every time I needed to do these things. I specifically bought a truck because of those things. I used to own a Camry and not having a truck made life difficult. I guess if you have no major hobbies and buy Ikea furniture, you could get by without one. I couldn't.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Most vehicles I've owned have been station wagons or hatchbacks, so I just fold the seats down and fit just about anything I need. Also, furniture purchases are so rare that I would just rent a van when I need one.

I get that it fits your needs, but my problem is when people(not necessarily you, but in general) think its their only choice.

I'm also not saying you shouldn't own a truck btw. I just get annoyed when everyone who buys an SUV/truck say it was their only choice, and can't say its just what they wanted to buy.
 
Swig

Swig

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,518
turbobrick said:
Most vehicles I've owned have been station wagons or hatchbacks, so I just fold the seats down and fit just about anything I need. Also, furniture purchases are so rare that I would just rent a van when I need one.

I get that it fits your needs, but my problem is when people(not necessarily you, but in general) think its their only choice.

I'm also not saying you shouldn't own a truck btw. I just get annoyed when everyone who buys an SUV/truck say it was their only choice, and can't say its just what they wanted to buy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I've put a bed full of big rocks for landscaping, gravel, bark in the bed of my truck. I bought a piece of furniture that probably won't fit in a van and certainly wouldn't fit in a hatchback. Plus like I said.. my dirt bikes and kayaks. Not an easy way to transport those without one. Kayaks with a roof rack, sure.

For my needs, a van or hatchback wouldn't work and I'm sure there are plenty of people like me.
 
Ocean Bones

Ocean Bones

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
4,759
Jacked up giant trucks that 20 years ago only hillbillies drove are now everywhere. Shits obnoxious.
 

ParanormalFupa

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,374
Swig said:
I've put a bed full of big rocks for landscaping, gravel, bark in the bed of my truck. I bought a piece of furniture that probably won't fit in a van and certainly wouldn't fit in a hatchback. Plus like I said.. my dirt bikes and kayaks. Not an easy way to transport those without one. Kayaks with a roof rack, sure.

For my needs, a van or hatchback wouldn't work and I'm sure there are plenty of people like me.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Well did you buy your truck new? If so, why?
 
turbobrick

turbobrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,284
Phoenix, AZ
Swig said:
I've put a bed full of big rocks for landscaping, gravel, bark in the bed of my truck. I bought a piece of furniture that probably won't fit in a van and certainly wouldn't fit in a hatchback. Plus like I said.. my dirt bikes and kayaks. Not an easy way to transport those without one. Kayaks with a roof rack, sure.

For my needs, a van or hatchback wouldn't work and I'm sure there are plenty of people like me.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I mean, I get landscaping stuff, having a bed is nice since its not in the vehicle. I personally don't care about that stuff so I wouldn't ever need to haul it.

Though I will say if you think a Tacoma can hold more furniture than a van I would very much disagree. Especially a full size van like a ford transit. Even a minivan with the seats out will hold more, you're just limited by roof height.
 

Deleted member 8741

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
4,917
Swig said:
If you own a house, it's a pain in the ass to not have a truck/suv or at least a decent sized car. Also, some people have hobbies and business that requires a truck or SUV.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Home owner for over 10 years and I do a shit ton of projects. Nah. 90% of the stuff works in a car. 5% can be delivered. 5% I can't rent a truck for a few hours.
 
Nobleman Swerve

Nobleman Swerve

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,609
Teh_Lurv said:
Car manufacturers won't disclose it, but a big reason why SUV/Crossovers are growing in popularity is because they are easier to get into/out of for an aging and fattening US population:





jalopnik.com

The Real Reason All These Crossovers Are Selling Like Crazy

The real reason SUVs and crossovers are performing so well, Americans can barely afford new cars, Faraday Future is still a mess and more today on The Morning Shift for Monday, Oct. 8, 2018.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
While absolutely true (and why I'm personally recommending a Rav 4 hybrid as what will probably be my father's last car), the increasing overall size still confounds me.

It's one thing to lift the vehicle, but it's another thing entirely to balloon the rest of the dimensions as well. I get that auto manufacturers are doing it because people are buying it, I just don't get why American's are increasingly turning to larger cars in the first place.

I mean if anything the average family size is decreasing.
 
Maeros

Maeros

Member
Dec 21, 2017
381
Assholes. i dont see the point of driving in one. Im sure one ore two people actually need it. But the vast majority of americans wont need such large cars. I really dont see the point.
 
Astronut325

Astronut325

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,948
Los Angeles, CA
Swig said:
If you own a house, it's a pain in the ass to not have a truck/suv or at least a decent sized car. Also, some people have hobbies and business that requires a truck or SUV.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Unless you're hauling major stuff every week, isn't it easier and cheaper to just rent the trucks from Home Depot or U-Haul for $20/$30??? That's what I do when I have to do projects for my own home.
 
Swig

Swig

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,518
Astronut325 said:
Unless you're hauling major stuff every week, isn't it easier and cheaper to just rent the trucks from Home Depot or U-Haul for $20/$30??? That's what I do when I have to do projects for my own home.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Dirt bikes and other outdoors activities several times a month. It's not just about hauling stuff. Can't take a van out on sand dunes or up a dirt trail.
 
crazy monkey

crazy monkey

Banned
Nov 26, 2017
1,198
Her 2016 Ford F-150 did not fit in the garage. Undeterred, she bought the 2019 model. That one also didn't fit.


First person sounds rich
Second wouldn't you measure before buying if that was the reason for buying new vehicle.
 
shintoki

shintoki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,420
Octodad said:
Home owner for over 10 years and I do a shit ton of projects. Nah. 90% of the stuff works in a car. 5% can be delivered. 5% I can't rent a truck for a few hours.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This.

I rent a pick up at Home Depot twice a year. I'm sure the 60 bucks I spent each time doing that is far cheaper then the gas guzzle, overpriced, Truck someone swears they need for their house.
 
Kernel

Kernel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,254
I hate these giant SUVs and pick up trucks.

Even if they park perfectly between the lines anyone next to them is going to be awful close so chances are pretty good they will ding your car with their door and then leave a nasty note on your windshield that you parked too close to them.
 
DanGo

DanGo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,797
Nobleman Swerve said:
While absolutely true (and why I'm personally recommending a Rav 4 hybrid as what will probably be my father's last car), the increasing overall size still confounds me.

It's one thing to lift the vehicle, but it's another thing entirely to balloon the rest of the dimensions as well. I get that auto manufacturers are doing it because people are buying it, I just don't get why American's are increasingly turning to larger cars in the first place.

I mean if anything the average family size is decreasing.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Because it's an arms race. So many of the buyers just don't want to feel unsafe on the road, so they buy a tank like so many other people and perpetuate the cycle.

Then they rationalize it by pointing to the rare use cases for needing that much space or towing capacity (which could be handled cheaper on a case-by-case basis).
 
EJS

EJS

The Fallen
The Fallen
Oct 31, 2017
9,200
Some people just like trucks. No surprise on all the judging going on.
 
thewienke

thewienke

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,300
It's hilarious how homebuilders are cheap and the garages are getting smaller on new homes but the trucks and SUVs are getting bigger.

If you want an extra deep garage, that's an upcharge.
 
subpar spatula

subpar spatula

Refuses to Wash his Ass
Member
Oct 26, 2017
22,251
Giant vehicles should require permits or be rentals cause no one really moves shit with them.
 
turbobrick

turbobrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,284
Phoenix, AZ
thewienke said:
It's hilarious how homebuilders are cheap and the garages are getting smaller on new homes but the trucks and SUVs are getting bigger.

If you want an extra deep garage, that's an upcharge.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah. Unfortunately that was never an option on our house, but luckily we have an RV gate which is something I couldn't live without. Sadly newer homes are too close together to even have one.

subpar spatula said:
Giant vehicles should require permits or be rentals cause no one really moves shit with them.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Well, they do. Really large vehicles require a CDL. Just not the big pickups or SUV's you might be thinking of.
 
Cuburger

Cuburger

Member
Oct 28, 2017
10,975
Teh_Lurv said:
Car manufacturers won't disclose it, but a big reason why SUV/Crossovers are growing in popularity is because they are easier to get into/out of for an aging and fattening US population:





jalopnik.com

The Real Reason All These Crossovers Are Selling Like Crazy

The real reason SUVs and crossovers are performing so well, Americans can barely afford new cars, Faraday Future is still a mess and more today on The Morning Shift for Monday, Oct. 8, 2018.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Just what we need: heavy, harder to maneuver, harder to park cars with bigger blind spots for the elderly.

Might as well make them gas guzzling to help kill the planet faster for good measure.
 
Macam

Macam

Member
Nov 8, 2018
1,664
Octodad said:
Home owner for over 10 years and I do a shit ton of projects. Nah. 90% of the stuff works in a car. 5% can be delivered. 5% I can't rent a truck for a few hours.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yup. Landscaped my entire property with a Prius C and a couple deliveries. Street park and use the garage for minor additional storage.
 

ParanormalFupa

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,374
Swig said:
Unless you're buying some crazy truck, vans cost about as much as a truck. A Toyota Sienna starts at like $32K.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
From a quick google, average car payment, not even considering just large vehicles, is $550 and continues to increase year over year. That is definitely in the half-a-mortgage range where I'm at, especially so if you considered only the more expensive larger trucks/SUVs. My next question would be how many of these are 5-7 year loans too which is even more ridiculous.

I will say it again, these large vehicles are for inconsiderate people. They are inconsiderate of their finances, inconsiderate of others, inconsiderate of the environment, inconsiderate of safety, inconsiderate of their own needs. I do understand there are real reasonable use cases but cmon not in the city at least where the burden share of mobile source pollution is greatest, space is at the most premium, pedestrian safety is a greater concern, ect...
 
Last edited:
TAJ

TAJ

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
12,446
I've seen lots of parking lots where large pickup trucks take up a minimum of four spaces.
Meanwhile the full-size cargo van that I drive at work has vastly more cargo space and fits in all parking spaces except ones marked 'compact', and even some of those.
 
bionic77

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,931
Chan said:
Friend the problem is that you have too much money to spend. I will gladly redistribute these excessive funds so you can downsize back to an RX.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Thank you for the kind offer sir. These are the words of a true gentleman.

However I regretfully must decline. I need to handle this curse on my own terms.
 
texhnolyze

texhnolyze

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,559
Indonesia
It's not just in the US, it's happening everywhere, including here in Indonesia.

Parking spaces are not getting bigger, while the cars do. I hate it when there's a long, big SUV taking up space in the parking lot. It makes parking harder than it already was.
 
Last edited:
Nobleman Swerve

Nobleman Swerve

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,609
DanGo said:
Because it's an arms race. So many of the buyers just don't want to feel unsafe on the road, so they buy a tank like so many other people and perpetuate the cycle.

Then they rationalize it by pointing to the rare use cases for needing that much space or towing capacity (which could be handled cheaper on a case-by-case basis).
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Honestly yeah that's probably the case. Kinda like how so much of the country is convinced it needs AWD when a good pair of winter tires is actually all they need.
 
Officer Big Mac

Officer Big Mac

Member
Oct 28, 2017
22,596
Someone decided to back their truck into a space at the grocery store this morning. Their truck bed was hanging over into my space that I'd have hit them if I tried to park in the space.

And 85% of cars in my apartment complex stick over the red fire line. Some are bad drivers but many drive oversized trucks or SUV (I'm in texas).
 
Matrix Monkey

Matrix Monkey

Member
Dec 30, 2017
574
My neighbor drives an unnecessarily large pickup truck. Never seen him haul or tow anything, but it does a great job of obstructing the view pulling out of my parking space everyday.

I don't understand people.
 
NekoFever

NekoFever

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,009
Good to know that the recent surge in large pickups is explained by the new trend for people... living in houses?
 
Swig

Swig

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,518
NekoFever said:
Good to know that the recent surge in large pickups is explained by the new trend for people... living in houses?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So, where would you buy a small pickup if you need one? Something smaller than a Tacoma. Oh, right.. they don't exist anymore. The manufacturers keep making trucks bigger. If you need a truck, you can only buy what they offer.
 
Auros01

Auros01

Avenger
Nov 17, 2017
5,563
Not surprising. Always wondered why people here in AZ would let their brand new trucks sit out and bake in the sun in their driveways. Now I know.
 
KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
People should go in the opposite direction.
02-2020-Microlino-2-0-169FullWidth-a49f5228-1676547.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.