Truck sales revving despite high gas prices

[phantom power]

Ford Motor, casting itself as a fuel-economy champ emphasizing small cars, nevertheless sold three trucks in December for every car. For all of 2011, the ratio was two trucks for every car. Overall, Ford truck sales were up and car sales were down despite new Fiesta and Focus fuel-sipping small cars.

Honda, likewise known for fuel-efficient small cars, reported that its Fit subcompact was the only car with improved sales in December and that its Insight hybrid hatchback almost disappeared from the December tallies, attracting just 690 buyers, a drop of 57.8%.

At the same time, sales of Honda's Pilot SUV and Odyssey family van both were strong.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2012-01-04/truck-sales/52381866/1

[flamin lib]

1. *sigh* I'm one who went from 35mpg compact to a 20mpg pickup.

I have a genuine need to carry large items several times a year. Besides, I average 500 miles a month; how bad can my carbon footprint be?

[phantom power]

2. Miles driven has a big impact on fuel consumption

If you don't drive so much, having a "gas guzzler" makes less of an impact.

I'm pretty interested in the use-case of "I need cargo capacity a few times a year" because I think that drives a lot of truck/suv purchases. I know that we made a conscious decision that we weren't 'going to have a truck/suv, and inevitably a few times a year I find myself thinking "today my life would be easier if we had one."

I figure that it's of dubious value to get into judging any individual's decision on "want" versus "need," but in broad demographic terms my impression is that prior to the suv trend of the 90s a lot fewer people owned trucks and suvs, and just made it work in various ways. What I think is really interesting is: that trend was more or less made possible by cheap fuel and cheap credit. Now fuel and credit are more expensive, but there is some continued resistance to "giving up" trucks/suvs. It's not following the pattern of a frictionless economic substitution.

[flamin lib]

3. My "need" is to carry furniture from time to time plus carrying game from the hunting camp.

I've owned the truck for 7 months, carried large furniture twice and a deer once. Yeah, I could have rented a U-haul but the hassle factor is really high and though the deer would have fit in the trunk if I folded him just right I've yet to find a way to keep blood stains out of the car.

Hiway mileage is 23, city 16.

Actual monthly mileage is closer to 200/month with occasional 600 mile round trips to the home place.

I never thought I'd own a truck and sport utility vehicles are neither sporty nor utilitarian.

The one up-side to the truck is the bill board on the back. No puny bumper stickers for me!

[phantom power]

4. that is totally epic - like a bumper-billboard