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Pickups Pickups - Archived Discussions Extended cabs OK for "real" people 
83 messages, Last post on Sep 12, 1998 at 5:41 PM
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I'm not against SUV's or pickups (I've owned one of each in the past), I just have a problem with people buying them for the wrong reasons (to wit: everyone else has them). When I owned my Trooper, I bought it to take off road. I had relatives who would go out and get their vehicles (Ford Ranger and Jeep Cherokee) dirty, and I wanted to join them. Yes, it was great having the extra room when my son was born, but getting 15MPG during the week wasn't any fun. I've seen lots of articles around the country about people who buy 4WD vehicles and then think they own the world when the weather turns bad. Bigger vehicles means more mass which usually means longer distances to stop, turn, etc. (remember that concept called physics?) Now, a small pickup or SUV that gets decent (not econobox) mileage may make sense for single people or couples without kids, or when there is already a vehicle available for the family (in my case, my wife's Escort). But, like folks have been saying here, it makes sense to have the right reason for owning a full-size pickup (towing, hauling) -- not for carting around the wife and kids. |
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I Used to have a station wagon that was sometimes not big enough... Now I am surprised at how often things wont fit in my daily driver sedan. Once upon a time, I had a '62 Comet with a 351 Windsor, 4bbl, T-10 four speed, headers, and dual exhaust that got about 13mpg. No obvious external indicators of what was inside. Looked like "Grampa’s wheels." Thoroughly enjoyed the expression on mustang owners faces. Totally different vehicle than the BMW2002 we also had. I've always like trucks. Now I'm looking for one. Maturity brings the desire for comfort. The "luxobarge" options now standard on an XLT make practicality, adventure, fun, comfort, and a very large smile approachable. Bottom line? What am I saying? Motorized vehicles are emotion inspiring things and I, for one, have extreme difficulty with the attempt at confining them to logical rules. I'm about to finally get my truck. |
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I agree. The point I have been trying to make is that people don't purchase vehicles simply based on their needs. Some people who drive pickups just like to sit up higher than traffic. Whatever the reason, if they want a pickup, they should get one. It doesn't have to all be based on logic. On the other hand, I still say that a crew cab full-size pickup is more logical than an SUV. It's less expensive and the gas mileage is about the same. You can carry the same number of passengers, although the seats in the full-size truck may be roomier. You have more cargo space in the bed of the truck than you will have left in the SUV after all the passengers are on board. A tonneau cover or locking cap will protect your gear in the bed. Another advantage of the pickup is that the smell of the outdoors stays outdoors. Have you ever had a cooler with fish in it leak? Not a pleasant aroma to carry around in your vehicle for the next few weeks or until you fork out some bucks to have it steam cleaned. The same argument can be made for the pickup over a stationwagon except that you should see some significant improvement in gas mileage. That's the only advantage that I see of wagon, although it could be a big advantage if mpg is a big factor in your decision. You don't necessarily need to carry heavy loads or haul trailers to determine that a pickup is best for you. Everyone should drive what they feel most comfortable driving, even if it isn't necessarily the most logical choice. |
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akj My ONLY car was a 1985 Ford LTD police interceptor, retired from the NJ State Police. This was the midsized Fairmont-based lTD, not the Crown Vic. It too looked like a handmedown from a grandparent - even had whitewalls (dying to know where the NJSP found performance whitewalls). Under the hood was the fuel-injected HO 5.0 with that huge dual intake air cleaner. Radiators were everywhere. Even with 110K on the odo, it still snapped off 0-60 in 7 flat. And did I just LOVE the look on the Vette owner's face when I smoked him without so much as a tire chirp. Surprisingly, my 1990 F150 4x4 rode softer... |
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| I had a 70 GTO as my first vehicle. I bought it the summer before my senior year in high school. I feel lucky to have survived my time with that car. I sold it when I went to college and bought a used Subaru. Talk about a drastic change. After college, I had an AMC Eagle 4wd car (the strange looking ones), and a Mazda 626 before buying my F-250HD in 1992. I doubt I will ever own anything but pickups again. MPG is the only advantage of the other cars over my truck. That is a small sacrifice to me. The GTO was obviously much quicker off the line, but it couldn't ride as comfortably at highway speeds and it got less mpg than my truck. | |
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Talk about memories.... My dad ran a Dodge dealership service group when I was a teen, and his dealership was the local source for State Police cruisers and unmarked cruisers in his area. In 1972, this meant Dodge Polara 4-doors, with 400 cubes, a six-pack, and a very special suspension package. This was dad's first new car, my first car, and a rolling invitation to major trouble. Sure was fun blowing off 240Z's on our twisty little hill roads, tho. Rubber side down, guys. Don H. |
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| hello i am new to this, can anyone give me performance information on the f150 xlt 4.6l 97 and also what a fair price would be? | |
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joe-ster, I looked at a 4.6L XLT F-150 with a long bed and figure around 17k at invoice. That was without anything else added. The 4.6 will give you : 220 HP 290 Torque. That price is without an Auto tranny and Air Conditioning. Factor another 1200 bucks at invoice level to get those. I'll say this:great choice on trucks, look at Ford and Chevy for options. |
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Hey Kcram, Brutus, Read your comments about "need" and "want" regarding pickups and thought they were all valid indeed. This brings the subject of my "need" vs "want" too. I am about to take the plunge too from Buick LeSabres and big Roadmaster wagons to full size extended cab pickup. Kids are gone, it's only me and mom, will keep the 1995 LeSabre as second vehicle. What I "like" in the pickups (Ford std duty F150) is the RIDE, while not a LeSabre of course, and I don't want to compare apples vs oranges, it was as close to a nice car ride as I found in a pickup. I was rather SHOCKED. I also did not realize what I have been missing because I can actually SEE the road, ahead and behind so much better and this is a major safety factor. I also do not feel I will sacrifice much taking it on longer trips either except in some gas mileage. Do I "need" a pickup, probably not. Do I want one? Yes. Will I be sorry? I don't know and read your comments with interest. Dunbarton |
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Dunbarton, You said somewhere else that you live in NJ, and here you say you're in the market for an F150. Maybe you've already picked out a dealer to buy it from, but in case you're interested, there's one in some town near the Lincoln Tunnel who gave me a price via email that was a little below dealer invoice. At first it was a little above dealer invoice, but when I told him I was buying it from a dealer near my home, he dropped the price. Anyway, if your interested, I posted who that dealer is back in February under the "Welcome" conference and the topic "I'm A Car Salesman, Please Help", and it's entry #56. Almost every one else who posted in that topic seemed to be complaining about what rotten guys car salesmen are, but I stumbled across one that seemed pretty decent, so I posted the story of that experience. I didn't buy my pickup from him, but I probably would have if he hadn't been so far from where I live. |
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