From comfort to security, sleek new pickup trucks are selling like hotcakes.
In days of vehicular yore families would pile into wood-paneled station wagons for daily commutes and weekend trips. Gas mileage wasn't really ever a consideration and as long as the driving boat carried the entire family and some luggage a la National Lampoon's Vacation then there wasn't much more to discuss.
Now, the trend of going big while thinking of MPG and in-drive entertainment is at the forefront and car companies that produce new pickup trucks are seeing sales ramp up.
Selling Out, in a Good Way
Consumer Reports just asked the question themselves, noting that pickup truck sales are the highest they've ever been in a decade.
A lot of this has to do with the fact that trucks are now super comfortable as compared to previous bumpy and rough and boxy incarnations where comfort wasn't really the thing. From safety to convenience, flex engine features to infotainment goodies, new pickup trucks are basically badass futuristic hauling machines. This combo has led to more buyers, especially for the modern family vehicle.
Pickups are offering more space to store luggage and belt the kids in for long hauls by giving up a little bit of truck bed length.
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Additionally, the demographic of buyers of new pickup trucks, traditionally a male-dominated market, has seen growth in female owners. The number of women who registered a full-sized pickup increased 67% from 2008 to 2016 (about 470,000 trucks in 2016), based on data from IHS Markit.
Green Machines
This all-around, all-inclusive approach to newer truck models have them flying off the conveyor belt. Ford cut the 700 pounds off its F-150 (a top seller among truck buyers for a million years running) when it went to an aluminum body and its diesel version, out later this year, will get up to 30 MPG.
The new 2019 version of the Ram has a 360-degree camera (how the hell?) and the EcoDiesel Ram is touted as the most fuel efficient pickup out there.
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