Smaller vehicles are safer for others and more gas-efficient. Empathy and efficiency are not sexy, they show weakness and femininity.
A nice, big vehicle sends a strong signal that you can afford a newer car than others and that you aren't hung up on feelings or politics or penny pinching. Big trucks are fun and cool. Danger is cool. Being bigger than others is cool.
smitty1e•3h ago
I went up to a VW Atlas from a Golf not because I really wanted a less-fuel-efficient, harder to park vehicle; not because my cock-and-balls needed the affirmation; rather, the family is growing and there was a need to move more people and gear around than the humble Golf could support.
stfp•2h ago
A few years ago the solution to that would have been a van, which apparently are more practical and roomy than suvs. But they are not cool, so people don’t buy them anymore. (Not saying I know why you specifically made this particular decision, talking about the general trend)
zippyman55•2h ago
My wife and I make vans cool! A great deal on the road.
korkoros•3h ago
What are the masculine-coded virtues?
Strength. A man's vehicle should both demonstrate and develop his physical prowess.
Protection. A man's vehicle should make others safer, even if it puts himself at greater risk.
Providing. A man should buy the cheapest vehicle that serves his needs, the better to provide for his family.
A cargo bike is the manliest vehicle you can use.
orwin•3h ago
No joke, my SO and her friends recently discussed how hot dads with kids in their cargo bike were.
For totally unrelated reason, I'm looking for a cargo bike, if you know someone... (jk)
Bender•3h ago
I would agree with this sentiment in cities however big trucks are absolutely required for getting work done. A small vehicle can not move 30,000 pounds of cargo from place to place which is absolutely required in rural areas. The same people here that have heavy duty vehicles also have fuel efficient vehicles for leisure use or shopping because they are not dumb. The same ranchers that used to joke about people driving a Prius now own one but they still require their big trucks for earning a living and feeding the nation or dealing with excessive snow and ice as we have 7 months of winter.
On the original topic I agree with them that visibility has devolved and something needs to be done to fix this. I believe solutions can be engineered to solve this problem and it probably comes down to cost and profits as to why this has not already occurred.
danaris•2h ago
I have lived in rural areas for over 40 years.
I have never once needed to move 30,000 pounds of cargo.
I have never once needed a pickup truck.
The only times I have needed to move large, bulky things, a cargo van was a much, much more effective tool for the job, so I rented one. (Or borrowed, in one case.)
I have driven through several inches of snow in a Toyota Corolla. (It wasn't fun, but I did it. These days I have an AWD Subaru Outback.)
This idea that Real Men in rural areas have an unquestionable need for the biggest pickup truck imaginable, and nothing else could possibly do the same job, is just more toxic masculinity bullshit.
Most people who live in rural areas are not ranchers, farmers, construction workers, or otherwise Big Strong Men Who Have To Work With Their Hands And Tow Massive Loads All The Time. Such people exist, sure. But there's only a very small handful of them compared to the total rural population.
jauntywundrkind•56m ago
In a rural zone now, and there are big huge hulking pickups everywhere. It's half the vehicles.
Maybe they're all lugging a bed full of steel ingots that I can't see (but the suspension certainly doesn't look that way)? But it sure seems like <1% are being used for more than transporting 1 or maybe 2 people.
Ideally, renting a truck would be commonly done and not super expensive. It would be so great to to have a utility model for enabling occasional good heavy work to happen.
gryfft•4h ago
A nice, big vehicle sends a strong signal that you can afford a newer car than others and that you aren't hung up on feelings or politics or penny pinching. Big trucks are fun and cool. Danger is cool. Being bigger than others is cool.
smitty1e•3h ago
stfp•2h ago
zippyman55•2h ago
korkoros•3h ago
Strength. A man's vehicle should both demonstrate and develop his physical prowess.
Protection. A man's vehicle should make others safer, even if it puts himself at greater risk.
Providing. A man should buy the cheapest vehicle that serves his needs, the better to provide for his family.
A cargo bike is the manliest vehicle you can use.
orwin•3h ago
For totally unrelated reason, I'm looking for a cargo bike, if you know someone... (jk)
Bender•3h ago
On the original topic I agree with them that visibility has devolved and something needs to be done to fix this. I believe solutions can be engineered to solve this problem and it probably comes down to cost and profits as to why this has not already occurred.
danaris•2h ago
I have never once needed to move 30,000 pounds of cargo.
I have never once needed a pickup truck.
The only times I have needed to move large, bulky things, a cargo van was a much, much more effective tool for the job, so I rented one. (Or borrowed, in one case.)
I have driven through several inches of snow in a Toyota Corolla. (It wasn't fun, but I did it. These days I have an AWD Subaru Outback.)
This idea that Real Men in rural areas have an unquestionable need for the biggest pickup truck imaginable, and nothing else could possibly do the same job, is just more toxic masculinity bullshit.
Most people who live in rural areas are not ranchers, farmers, construction workers, or otherwise Big Strong Men Who Have To Work With Their Hands And Tow Massive Loads All The Time. Such people exist, sure. But there's only a very small handful of them compared to the total rural population.
jauntywundrkind•56m ago
Maybe they're all lugging a bed full of steel ingots that I can't see (but the suspension certainly doesn't look that way)? But it sure seems like <1% are being used for more than transporting 1 or maybe 2 people.
Ideally, renting a truck would be commonly done and not super expensive. It would be so great to to have a utility model for enabling occasional good heavy work to happen.