Is a Subaru Baja a truck?

 

Nail on the head man . My buddy Paul buys one these brand new loaded to gills 1 ton duallys every 2 years . Its great their making the insides luxury like for the guys that long haul tow . He cant wait to get a new Chevy dually And KUDO's to GM for giving you the option to take the more trucklike interior and dash for the guys that really just want a workhorse or to save some cash .

 

Over 50% of the 1/2 ton trucks sold are now 4 doors. And these aren't crew cabs for work crews but family vehicles. Nothing like stopping by the Home depot on the way home from dinner for the weekends lawn or home project. Pickup the kids swingset at toys r us. Every family needs 1.

 

Yep and once you have one it's increasingly difficult to find ways to live without it.

Since obtaining the current truck, our household has been with or through several cars:

'88 Mustang LX
'95 Z28
'03 Passat
'05 GTO
and the wife's current '05 Tahoe will be gone before we rid or trade the Silverado. Long live the truck.

 

With the roomy, car like interiors and ride, good visibility and the now good looks with modern luxuries and some Hummer influence; makes them one Versital sexy, vehicle!...It's no surprise they're selling well as family vehicles, especially with larger families..

 

But will they sell well when gas is $4 per gallon? What happens when Congress raises CAFE to 35+ for cars & trucks combined? Senator Snowe (R-ME) is proposing just that.

I miss the day when I could do that with a Mustang or Camaro. But I know I'm the minority on this one...especially as it pertains to the Camaro, of course.

 

I don't think you're necessarily in the minority there Bob, just that from a financial standpoint the manufacturers can't support that with a Mustang/Camaro.

Trucks have such gigantic volumes associated with them that a 10% take rate on a given option like seat heaters is higher volume than the entire Camaro volume will be in total. Hence, the economies of scale allow it.

 

Make it black and change the steel wheels to the dubs that come with the Z60 package and you'll catch lots of people admiring the truck.

 

Hmmmm.....my sarcasm skills aren't what they used to be.

Oh well.
Bob

 

Actually that's just what got me into looking at the new Silverado crew. At the SFIAS, I sat in a red LS crew with the cloth 60/40 split bench, and the underseat storage looked like a cool option. I would take leather if they offered it in the 60/40. (My lab needs room to stretch. ) Heck I'd buy an LTZ this week if I could get one with the 60/40 split bench.

I know... I'm strange.

 

Will "Gas" ever see $4/galllon, regular??
Or will alternative fuels, now increasing in development and usage, corral those prices before they hit $4/gallon??
Will Hybrid technology, and technology in general, boost truck milage beyond 22mpg, average, soon?

But the chances are looking better every day..
And will the versitility, plus comfort, room and safety be out weighed by $4/gal. price of gas...I know I might drive less, but I'll still own one...I need one.
As an avid, "Do It Yourselfer", I'm hauling all sorts of things, all the time.

 

I'm not going to argue "need", as everyone's definition is at least a little bit different, and sometimes vastly different.

I cannot predict gas prices, but I think it is safe to say that they will remain volatile in the foreseeable future. Hybrid's won't have a significant impact for a long, long time. Other than Ethanol mixes, few alternatives are near fruition, and for things like E85, what you gain in extra capacity, you largely lose in energy content.

BTW....I own 2 trucks myself. Both are 4 cyl 5-speed gas sipping models (and one is effectively my son's driver), but they are certainly usefull.

Bob

 

Guys, gas has already jumped back over $3/gal here in California. I'd say by this summer when vacation travel starts up, it will ne north of $3.50/gal and probably over $4 for premium in some locations.

$4/gal for regular unleaded is only a year to 18 months away.