Ford made a lot of noise when it decided to prune pretty much all cars from it's lineup, but as Patrick points out, the move appears to be a good one. And most importantly, Ford is still outselling competitors Chevy and Dodge when it comes to pickups. Get the full story here.

 

I grew up in the country and all I rode in was pickups and tractors. Back then, rarely anyone had a supercab/crewcab style truck. Pretty much all regular cab work trucks. Even now, riding in or driving a car feels like I'm riding in a sled and weird.

I would feel naked not owning a truck, even though I don't drive it as much as I do. Seeing it there in the garage is good enough.

However to get to the punch line - The reason why people buy pickup trucks is because they are being built as how old cars were built. Rugged suspensions and real parts with weight. But just improved technology.

I can guarantee if Ford produced a sedan built like a truck, calling it "workhorse" of a car, they'd sell. The reason why I say this, only because of what folks tell me. They say that cars are just too cheaply built and don't survive the US highways and road infrastructure. I can't agree enough. Same reason why the old Crown Vics are very popular and sell for good money in good condition. They are tough vehicles.

 

The F 150 compares to a large car. When you need to seat 5 adults comfortably, the F150 makes a lot of sense. Put 5 adults in a soft riding, full size car and you usually end up with a bouncy ride and an occasional hitting the axle or bottoming out. No problem in an F150, just sit back an enjoy the ride. Then consider safety. I've seen several wrecks where the truck drove off and the car was a total, most often with injuries in the car. Fuel mileage on the current best selling F150 has the 2.7 EB engine getting 20/26 with a combined 22 mpg. Most full sized cars don't get that and most mid sized cars don't get it either. So when you consider you're safer in an F150, get the same or better fuel mileage, get far better handling and ride, why would you ever consider a car? The wife bought a new Escape Titanium last year. She will be looking at the new Ranger 4 door with some kind of top/cap on the bed. She feels far safer in a truck than her current ride despite having every electronic sensing safety measure on the car. The last "car" I bought was a Lincoln, and I still have it. It's a garage queen. I don't see me ever buying another car.

 

^^
Very true.

I can't believe some of the MPG ratings these new cars and small SUVs get. Might as well buy a truck.

At the end of the day, who the heck cares if you save 2 mpg. Over the lifetime of owning the vehicle, it is negligible.

 

This is a good point. I've almost pulled the trigger on a Crown Vic a few times. When I parked cars years ago, I absolutely loved driving the Continental. That's another one I could see putting in my garage.

 

The front drive Continental is just a bloated Taurus. Go for a Town Car!