Pickup trucks aren’t for everyone. But, sometimes you just need a pickup truck to get the job done. Considering SUVs can do many of the same things pickup trucks do, how do you decide which one you need?
Large Bed
Let’s start by looking at where pickup trucks do well. A pickup’s bed separates its contents from passengers. This can be useful for large and potentially risky items like furniture, home repair supplies, or even just a cooler full of the day’s catch. Pickup trucks also offer a giant bed to transport things rather than the cramped trunk of an SUV.
Hauling and Towing
They are also better suited for towing and hauling. Trucks come with torquier engines than SUVs or crossovers, making it easier to transport and tow more.
Quieter on The Road
Unlike crossovers, pickup trucks are body-on-frame with two separate parts. This makes them significantly quieter than most SUVs or crossovers when fully loaded.
But what if towing is not a priority? Do you know how much you haul daily? Or do you need your vehicle to offer better maneuverability and easy parking?
While people with horses or farming equipment might have some serious towing needs, they still might be able to get it done with another vehicle with a powerful V6 engine. The pickup trucks’ large size does fine on the open highways and in less populated areas but head into an urban setting and it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Now, let’s talk about safety! While all segments of vehicles have become far safer than they were decades ago, trucks are significantly behind other vehicles when it comes to safety figures.
Besides, loading and unloading something into an SUV is much easier than lifting it up and over the bed of a pickup. This is why several larger SUVs have steps built into their tailgate.
Finally, there are only a few areas where pickup trucks edge out SUVs, but mostly, they are far more difficult and expensive to use daily. SUV’s efficiently perform many of the same functions as a truck while also fitting in several passengers, making the purchase of a truck a decision worth considering carefully.