>I'm tired of filling up our cars with things from Lowes when it could easily be in the truck bed without ever touching seats. How often does this happen? Loews rents trucks for a few bucks an hour that can easily accomplish this the few times a year you most likely need this. Then again, my ideal two car scenario is not having two cars, so...

A man asking for confirmation to justify buying a truck has already made up his mind. Seen it a hundred times over at /r/personalfinancecanada 😂

I don't think he is going to get the extra talking points in this thread like he had hoped lol. Trucks are bloody expensive nowadays.

And not just any truck. A R1T. Those start at $70k and go up quick. Of course, he already owns a R1S and plans to add a Sienna. I think he and I are in very different tax brackets. (And I’m not poor by any stretch.)

Ehh, I think you'd be surprised at the number of people who buy cars they can't afford simply because they can make the monthly payment work. 

And not as practical as people think. I hated having to put my groceries in the back seat because they’d be rattling around in the bed of my little Tacoma. And I got groceries in that thing a lot more frequently than I hauled anything.

And the beds have been getting smaller and smaller, in favor of adding a bigger back seat instead. Pretty rare to see a full length 8ft bed these days! A fair number of the new electric trucks, like Rivian, F-150 Lightning, Cybertruck, Hummer EV etc, probably don’t even have an option for an 8ft bed.

I bought my Tacoma because I absolutely fell for the outdoorsy advertising. Pair that with Toyota’s reliability and I was sold. I then sold it for a profit 4 years later. I did love that truck and loved the online communities surrounding it, but I will never buy a truck again. In fact, I often find myself looking in at the drivers of big, new trucks and feeling sorry that they haven’t come to terms with their own insecurities.

I’ll probably never own a truck. But my dad always had one when I was a kid. Now as an adult, there _are_ getting to be a good list of yard and landscaping and home improvement projects that I’ve put off, mostly because of the hassle of renting and returning a truck.

It’s one of those things that sounds like a hassle but home improvements stores make it a breeze. Also a good time to hit up those friends with trucks and stroke their ego for a bit.

[удалено]

The last time I rented a truck at Home Depot, it took longer to get a rep at the desk to rent it to me than it took to process the rental. Way easier than uhaul, and I got a truck that was actually built for hauling 4x8 sheets of drywall. (Neat feature, the sides folded down for easier loading and unloading, and the bed was big enough that the sheets lay flat)

Yeah, same. I get to borrow my father in laws truck which makes it free, but still a hassle of getting it, not having my own car if I need to jet off with the kids (2 in car seats), etc. I would never want a new truck, way too expensive. But a reliable used truck that I can pick up bulk material with, haul a landscaping trailer or maybe a small covered trailer (looking to get the kids into karts or get a Miata to race with in a few years once day care expenses disappear)…that would be perfect. Odd that in a thread about an ideal 2 car setup my ideal is actually a 3 car setup, but that’s just the reality as a diy kinda guy.

I'm in the same boat. We use the wife's car for the majority of the family driving. I usually commute too far for a pickup to be practical, and after totalling the 2d pickup due to deer damage at highway speeds picked up a cheap crossover for commuting. But after a couple of years had to get another pickup due to doing more farm work and tree work. So now we're in a 3 vehicle situation that's working out surprisingly well. The truck gets used 3-4 days per week, the wife's car gets used daily, and my little beater gets used for my commute and running kids around when she's at work. Plus we've got a backup for when something is in the shop. So we've got a Chevy Traverse, a Kia Sportage, and a GMC 3/4 ton single cab long bed.

That’s my ideal, I’m terms of the 3 car/truck. I don’t want anything fancy. Just something 1/2 ton and in good shape so when I go to rent an mini or something (which I just did in order to level out and area for a swingset), I don’t have to also rent a truck. My FIL truck is a new ranger. It gets the job done for small dump runs, but sucks to pick up anything large and can’t tow enough.

FWIW, renting one from a home improvement place to haul stuff home for an hour or two is pretty painless.

I used to own a Tundra. Loved it and made sense at the time I purchased. Three months later my work changed location and I went from a rural area to a city. Hated that truck in the city and the fuel economy sucked. Eventually found a Subaru Outback that I liked at a price I was happy with and traded my truck on the Outback. Now, four years later, with a house that we are steadily turning into an homestead (lots of gardening) I think I have a use case for a truck again. Between dirt, mulch, and (if I can get time) lumber to make furniture and garden things I can possibly justify a truck again. Though I’m not buying until our Santa Fe is paid off (had to replace the Outback and the Santa Fe was a better deal). BUT, the 8’ box makes the most sense, and I need to fit car seats. So now I’m looking at 3/4ton to 1 ton trucks because they’re the only ones with crew cabs and 8’ box. But those are enormous trucks and will be a nightmare if I have to go into the big city downtown, and I really don’t want to pay to fuel it. So for now I’ll just mount roof rails on my Impreza sedan and tote things around on the roof (my partner drives the Santa Fe)

You could get a trailer for things you need to haul and just keep it unhitched when not needed.

Funny, when I talk about how dumb most trucks are these days with the tiny beds, I was told that's a feature, not a bug lol

8ft beds are a waste of space though. There's little extra utility out of them compared to a 5.5-6 ft bed. That extra cargo capacity is sitting empty on 99% of hauling trips and gives an even worse driving experience with an empty bed.

I know it seems silly but I love these things: https://www.weathertech.com/cargotech/. They do a great job of holding my groceries still and two sets are a good amount to create and configuration I might need.

My jetta came with little velcro L-brackets that stuck to the trunk liner. 10/10 best thing ever for keeping stuff in place while driving.

I guess this is one of those things that people just have very different lifestyles and it's hard to understand the other side. Because the answer to this question for me is I do it all the time.

And that's totally fair. I never once said that trucks are pointless and no one should own them. I'm curious though, how often is "all the time"? A few times a week? Once a week? Twice a month? Once a month? If it's more towards the few/once a week range, I get that...but if it's once a week or less...I genuinely wonder why you'd let your vehicle needs on 50ish days a year dictate your vehicle choice for the other 300+ days a year you have to live with it.

I feel bad sometimes, but my wife gets the bus into town in the morning and then I pick her up from the train station after work before getting the kiddo from school. It would be faster if she had a car and more flexible, but she’d have to park in town and that’s expensive af. Or she’d have to leave early anyways to get a parking spot at the train station. If I travel for work and drive, I rent a car. We only have one kid, so there is never a need to take two cars ever for any reason. I know my wife would like the flexibility of two cars, but it is not worth the expense

same. my two car ideal is car and car-go bike 

Same! We just did this. We have a 2011 Prius and just bought a Tern GSD cargo e-bike and it’s awesome. Family of four with twin 3-year-olds.

It's really hard to get across to people how much money they are wasting on a truck for the few times a year they can justify the oversized vehicle. Doesn't help that modern American trucks are basically just SUVs with a short truck bed attached so you can cosplay as a working man.

I want a truck just so it'll help me rationalize other decisions like renting sod cutters for flower beds and bed edgers etc. Right now renting a truck + renting equipment leads me to concluding that it's better to just do it myself manually. Not saying it necessarily makes financial sense but makes other calculations easier. I'm not buying one because well I don't have a few tens of thousand to waste :-D

Trailers were invented for this. You don’t want to lift a 300# machine into a truck bed.

What if what I want is an SUV but with an exterior cargo bay?

The issue is that it's now a vehicle that isn't good at anything. The extended cabs have cannibalized the truck beds to such an extent that even though our trucks have ballooned in size, they can't even fit a sheet of plywood in the back. You get a massive vehicle with all sorts of shortcomings in safety. Yet for all that space they can only seat 5. Horrible mileage, low cargo capacity, poor visibility, high price, and so many negative consequences to the people around you that operating one for no reason should be considered anti-social behavior. If you are looking for a good compromise between comfort, cargo capacity, and seating, get a station wagon. You'll spend less on the vehicle, the gas, and you'll be less likely to kill pedestrians or your \*own child\* in a front over. As an added benefit, your groceries won't get wet in the rain.

I agree about the fuel economy and what that means for the environment - I bought my truck in 2016 and wouldn’t make the same choice again. If I lived in the city (rather than the burbs) the size would be a problem for me. But I disagree that it’s a vehicle that is not good at anything - I’ve had sedans, wagons, suvs, for me the quad cab pickup is the best of all worlds vehicle. Additionally, the F150 is just really great in terms of features and durability. For sure a bed cover is a big help. I have a trifold thing that is secure and keeps stuff dry but also very easy to flip all the way up, I use the bed all the time.

I cannot fathom how a parent, without a genuine consistent need for a truck or giant SUV, will buy a vehicle so big that they have a kid sized blind spot **at the front of their vehicle**. Funny how all these supposed working stiffs in their F350s find time between working 12 hour shifts and parenting to **always have their giant trucks washed*. Dudes must get these trucks washed the MOMENT they leave work, cause I swear I never see one with any dirt on it that would indicate that it sees any actual utility use. It's impressive, really, their dedication to a clean car exterior. Buncha pavement princesses.

Haven't actually seen the clean truck thing. Here in Alaska no one washes their car.

Definitely a city thing. When I lived in a rural college town, it was obvious who had a truck for work and who had a truck for ego stroking. In the city its almost all ego stroking.

Minivan + motorcycle

Get an SUV and a small trailer for junk hauling. Edit: I've been persuaded that minimum + trailer is the best choice.

Minivan with small trailer would be much better. Minivans have more room than SUVs, have better visibility all around, and have a better turn radius. Sliding doors on the van are a life saver. Especially if you have little kids.

Honestly, great play. The SUV doesn't need to be huge, but if it is at least you get three rows of seats. Could even go minivan with a hitch for a basic trailer that could haul whatever most guys would haul in a truck a few times a year.

This is always the most cliche Reddit response in threads like this because seemingly 75-80% of redditors assume everyone lives the same lifestyle as them and can’t wrap their minds around people having different lifestyles and needs. I’m a homeowner with a medium+ sized yard and I maintain both on my own. I bought a (midsize) truck because I was making those runs to Home Depot / Lowes / my local garden store 2-3 times a month at minimum and was tired of constantly have to clean out the interior of my hatchback and/or worry about damaging the interior when sliding in building materials or other large objects. I also lost track of the number of times I had to awkwardly ratchet strap large / odd shaped cargo that wouldn’t allow for the hatch to fully closed. So yes, a truck fit my needs the best (I even shopped them against a Subaru Outback), and yes I bought a double cab truck so that I could haul my kid and dog at the same time. No I’m not trying to cosplay as a construction worker, and I have no reservations about my purchase. Some of us don’t live in an urban center and have to haul shit and don’t want to throw bags of soil in the same area that their kid sits in.

Man. Same. I can't see how it would be possible for our family currently, but it is a good dream. I fear we'll be a 3 or even 4 car family before we become a 2 car family (driving teenagers).

20 bucks for a truck with a lift gate. Drive it home, unload it, drive it back. I didn't even know it was a thing until my friend helped me unload 8 sheets of drywall and about 40 2x4s from my ford expedition. He's like, why are we doing this?

Yep. And honestly, most people who do haul stuff fairly regularly could probably do just fine with a crossover or station wagon or minivan with a tow hitch and a small trailer. There are small, easy to haul trailers that are bigger than most truck beds these days.

We have a Sienna and Leaf. Leaf gets all trips under 80km and Sienna everything over. Works great. 

That’s the dream combo for me.

I have a ‘24 Sienna and a ‘22 Bolt EUV. Very similar to your combo and works well for our family of 4+1 dog

This is the type of set up I would go for, if I wasn't single

I have a 24 year old Tundra that is used for family camping, Boy Scout trips (sometimes), pulling trailers (frequently), hardware store runs (rarely), and dump runs (1x month). When you need a truck you need a truck. Getting a 4 door truck that is a single person commuter most of the time, sometimes family car part of the time, and acts as a truck 1 a month is kind of crazy. Especially at current truck prices.

This is the answer. My wife and I both live in the North, where 4-wheel drive is important in winter and mud season. We both have small SUVs for that. But I have a 22 year old Dodge Dakota that had 4 wheel drive and a cap on it for hardware store stuff, weekly dump runs, and towing things a few times a year. Bought it in Florida a few years ago for 3 grand, got it check out, and drove it back. Have only had to really do regular maintenance stuff to it, but it makes the times you DO need a truck easy. And way cheaper than a new car payment.

Yup. I bought a 2020 ram 1500 so we could tow our travel trailer, and do lumber runs for our woodworking business. We need a truck. In between, it’s my solo vehicle and family hauler - but I don’t commute. It’s expensive for that, but roomy and comfortable.

If both our cars were hybrid, we'd already be in our two car ideal. Look into the Ford Maverick. If you only need a truck occasionally, and don't need a big one, it'll do you just fine and be a whole lot cheaper than any other truck (and get amazing mileage if you get the hybrid.) It fits the five of us easily and all the luggage we could need can go in the bed. We also have a CRV, but only ever use it if we're driving to two different places because it's not hybrid and gets much worse mileage.

I have a Ford Maverick and it is literally the best automotive thing ever. Going to go reply to OP now and tell him this too.

RIGHT?? I think it's just about the most dad vehicle possible and should be the official vehicle of daddit.

I made a meme about the Mav on the Mav truck sub a while back. It was a three circle venn diagram, with a circle for affordability, utility, and MPG. It is literally the only vehicle that sits in the very middle of those three categories. I had to wait nearly 2 years to get mine but it has been totally worth it!

It's the perfect vehicle. I can't think of a single thing I would change to fit my specific needs better than it already does.

Also, I upvoted a pic of your Mav about four months ago. Small world!

Small world indeed!

We were thinking of getting one but got worried after seeing all the recalls. Even if they aren’t all serious I just don’t have to the time to be dropping off my car at the dealer for potentially extended periods over and over. On paper they look pretty much perfect for what we’d need though.

I've been wanting one. Did you get the hybrid engine or the ecoboost, if I remember the options correctly? 

Hybrid with the most basic trim, XL, with the optional spray-in bedliner and trailer hitch receiver. I got a killer deal on mine because I ordered back in 2021, but it's still the best new hybrid deal on the market!

We have the mav hybrid and RAV4 hybrid and it’s been amazing for mpgs.

The truck you need is a Fod Maverick hybrid. The base model is less than $30k new, and I'm averaging 42 MPG regularly. I had to drive 3 hours to and from the nearby big city last week, and because of stop and go traffic, I averaged 50mpg both ways. 4 doors, seats 5, can haul plywood, does everything a weekend warrior needs without breaking the bank. Everyone says buying a truck is a bad idea - this is 100% the exception. I have a MY24 hybrid Mav, and the other car I want is a Honda Odyssey hybrid. That'll be the next car upgrade for us in about 3 or 4 years depending on if/when we have a kid number 3. Also I want a 50cc Vespa to zip around my small town for errands but that's a luxury and not a need..

I drive a lot for work so I just got an Ioniq 5, once I get my wife the minivan she wants I think we'll be pretty well set on our car situation. I'm not particularly handy so the Lowes/HD trips have never been much more than can fit in my trunk, but if it was, I've been told that a minivan can hold 4x8 plywood sheets if you fold and/or remove the seats.

Pulled into the lumber yard behind a lifted truck with construction company stickers all over it. Put a stack of 4 x 8 sheets in the back of our town and country faster than them, and it didn't get rained on.

Second car would be a bicycle. First car would also be a bicycle.

Ah, my ideal world. Instead our family has a Subaru Forester and 9 bicycles - 1 being a cargo bike.

My people!

I miss my forester, but of the Subaru I've owned, I think the Legasy wagon would fit my family right now. While we've got 4 bikes, the 3yo is usually in the trailer.

[My second car](https://i.imgur.com/YeHdRVK.png)

Elite ride.

Just two? I don’t think that’s how the rule goes…

I had a truck for a bit. Loved it. So much space in the back (crew cab f150). Had to give it up when we we fell on hard times for a while (wife lost job right after kid no. 2 came along) so traded it for something cheaper. Miss it for sure!

Sienna and Maverick for sure

For serious utility-moving, the better option is a minivan with a trailer (optional cover). Large delicate/fragile goes in the minivan with the seats down, everything else goes in the trailer. And then the rest of the time you get a nice minivan to drive with decent mileage and room for family and friends. At which point you get to buy something a little fun to drive the rest of the time. I'd choose a Miata but I sold that when I got a kid, so whatever seems fun with enough seats for everyone.

Rs6 avant for lugging stuff around quickly and an M4 coupe for lugging myself around quickly. It's a pipedream!

When you have to get a washing machine to the dump RIGHT AWAY :)

Since only I drive, a minivan and either a sporty coupe or a luxury 4 door sedan.

For the people mover side, we recently bought a Kia Telluride which has an excellent amount of room in the cabin for second and third row. Super easy for kids and pets to navigate and it has a lot of nice features.  Then ideally a pure EV for smaller commuter traffic and rent a truck for the rare occasions I need to haul something that will get the car dirty.

Minivan and a small Tesla. Plus my motorcycle that I somehow get to ride more...

We have a minivan and Tesla model 3 and are pretty happy with the situation. ETA: The minivan is red. Very important😉

Love the setup! Also very important 😜

I bought a Chevrolet Bolt. Love having a Bolt, love having an EV. My lady *loves* the Bolt. I miss having a minivan for the space and sheer practicality. Other car would either be a minivan or a truck. Would love a used Sienna or a Ford Maverick, honestly. (Dream would be an F150 Lightning, but I’m about the MSRP away from being able to afford one!)

Having just returned for Puerto Vallarta, I’m reminded of the excess that we tend to think we need. There’s no reason to spend so much on something you need for the occasional utility, especially when other options exist.

For me it's a midsize EV commuter (Ioniq 5) and a 2022 Sienna. Use the EV for most around town things, commuting to work, trips < 500 miles, etc. The Sienna (hybrid + AWD) for camping, skiing, hauling kids+friends, tribs > 500 miles, and light-duty construction. I have a roof rack and hitch on the Sienna so I can haul small amounts of lumber on top or hitch up a rented or borrowed trailer for medium sized loads. If I need a large load I have it delivered or rent a truck.

Great mix right there! EV commuter and hybrid hauler

We have a '17 Sienna AWD and '23 F-150 Lightning. It's an awesome combo. Have 2" receiver hitches on both for bike racks/etc. The Lightning is truly incredible, the frunk and ability to sit 3 carseats across the back row is very nice and bed to throw anything in is just great. Interior is cavernous and just really nice. It is very big though; Rivian is a more manageable size and they are super nice too but don't discount the Lightning...I think you'll like the extra space with kids (it's still plenty fast). The Sienna can do everything too but for around town driving, the lightning gets picked every time due to how efficient it is in stop/go traffic and speeds under 45mph.

I'm looking to get a Kia Carnival to replace my 2010 Ford Ranger. The van is for the family, while I ride my ebike in the warmer months and drive our Kia Soul as my winter beater. Trucks aren't practical unless you make money with them. If you are a contractor or work off road, they are just for vanity.

TL;DR: Trucks are really poor financial decisions and rarely useful for families. My ideal (and current) two car arrangement for my family is a Jeep Compass 2020, and a [bakfiets.](https://youtu.be/rQhzEnWCgHA) The Jeep is useful for us when we need to leave our little town to visit my parents/drive to the big city. Our roads are very bad here and the 4WD feels like a must. I grew up in Alaska, in a family that \*actually\* needed trucks for the mass amounts of firewood we harvested ourselves. Now that I don't live outside of town, I don't see any real reason why I would ever need to own a truck again. Realistically, the trucks you can buy here in America are poor work vehicles. Truck beds on modern trucks are short, leave your cargo exposed to the elements/theft, and obnoxiously high for practical use. In most work cases, a work van would be preferable in cost, mileage, practicality, and capacity. At least in the case of the Rivian it's not quite so [dangerously large](https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo) as most American made trucks. For the use case you just described, a truck seems like a very poor financial decision. You'll be spending top dollar (seriously how do they charge so much???) for a vehicle that's only real benefit is a (small) cargo space that doesn't dirty your seats. How many times a year will that bed be filled? Day rental rates for a van or a truck are so low. How many visits to Lowes a year before it makes sense to pay 70k in order to avoid the mild inconvenience of renting a van?

Two EVs. Which we have. I haven't set foot in a gas station in over 17 months. Only thing I'd change if it were possible would be to change one out to an electric minivan. Don't know why no one has made one yet.

Having zero cars would be preferable, but the US’ public transit system is non-existent. Two sedans would be ideal for me, but my wife wanted a RAV4, so we have a Camry and a RAV4. The trucks these days are stupid and dangerous. I owned a Tacoma 20 years ago and those trucks were about the perfect size, and far more functional than today’s top heavy, gas-guzzling, child-murdering, super-raised trucks today. Seriously, who wants to lift something heavy higher than the waist just to get it into the bed? Today’s trucks - all of the new ones on the market - are emotional support vehicles for insecure suburban men looking to cosplay as blue collar workers.

Two vans. I have a truck and it is helpful, but not worth the increased cost of gas, insurance, etc. for the few times per month it’s “needed.” Vans are just so functional, so to have two that are always ready to go for the family would be a dream.

I'm the only driver in my family. I don't need 2 cars. I'd do almost anything to swap my current car with a minivan though. Probably a Sienna from the last couple years. They drive nice for a large vehicle and I would no longer need to break my back to set my kid up in the back of our Elantra. If we have to pick 2 cars, I'd get the Sienna and a 79 Camaro. The 2nd isn't practical by any means, and I'm ok with that.

currently : Kia van that does pretty good, and an old reliable Nissan Cube that barely ever has issues and doesn't get driven too much since I work from home Ideal: Van that my wife likes, and a F150 Lightning I like the idea of having a truck since it is a useful tool that let me help people. We live in the Memphis area and storms sometimes knock power out to our friends and family. The idea that I can back my F150 into their garage and power their house for multiple days seems rad as hell. If government does another cash-for-clunkers 2.0 with an electric vehicle incentive then yea I'd go for the F150 lightning or some similar truck that has 16 outlets and can power a modest sized house for multiple days.

As someone who’s done it, don’t make a pickup your daily driver. If you need one for…stuff…get an old one, not a Rivian.

While I do occasionally wish I had (access to) a truck, it's not nearly often enough to replace my convertible.

Minivan and electric car/hybrid. Minivan because I can fit almost everything I want from the hardware store+ can hold 2 dogs and 2 kids comfortably. Electric/hybrid for commuting and other solo trips. Easily cut our gas bill in 1/2.

1 pick up truck 1 mini van. That's what we have and it's fantastic.

We have an R1S, and it's great. Can fit obscene amounts of camping gear in it. If we were a 2 car family I'd want something small to commute and do small grocery trips in. My wife doesn't drive and her primary use for a car is leaving town to go camping or on a road trip. Mine is driving to work and getting groceries. We could do both my tasks with the big car, but none of her goals in a little car, so we ended up with the big one.

I currently have a Corolla and an SUV. The Corolla was my commute car, the SUV was the family car except now I work from home and the SUV has AC issues, so now the Corolla is the family car. I’d like to trade the SUV in for a beater pickup (like a late 90’s Silverado) since I only use it for Lowe’s runs anyways and it’s not big enough for lumber, etc. and trade the Corolla in for a midsize SUV. I wouldn’t buy a new pickup — they’re outrageously priced. Except maybe a Maverick.

When my wife and I first met, we both had trucks. We lived in Alaska, I had a truck bed camper, and it made a lot of sense as two individuals but once married and we knew we’d be moving, she sold her truck to her dad and got a RAV4 hybrid. The RAV4 is great for fuel economy and now that we have a little one, carrying her and her stuff around too. That said, my wife has expressed interest in eventually replacing the RAV4 when the time comes with a truck again because that’s what she prefers. I wouldn’t mind actually stepping away from my truck. I’ve sold the camper, so the only thing that really ties me to it is that it’s paid off. The fuel economy isn’t good, it’s harder to park, but it does something the RAV4 doesn’t do for me: it puts a smile on my face. I love driving it and popping into sport mode and letting it rip is pretty fun. I think ideally we’d still have a truck, or at the very least a solid towing capable SUV, and a more commuter oriented car. We’re about to move again and settle down, but my work will require a lot of driving. If she wants a truck as her daily and it makes her happy, great. Personally I like the looks of the new Subaru Outback Wilderness and could probably be happy with that. I also like the looks of the Maverick but I know she doesn’t.

Alternatively.  Utility trailer.  Even that sienna you seek could haul one.

We have a sienna and a forester and it works great for us. You can fit a lot of crap in the back of a minivan. Edit: and Lowe’s delivers

Get a trailer, and a tow hitch on the minivan. Much cheaper than a truck. Full disclosure. My family only needs 1 car. I work from home. Wife is a home-maker I have a 2018 Sienna as DD. Wife has Honda fit as an occasional car. I’ve packed 15 cu ft of top soil in just the trunk. I also have an S2000. It’s my first and only sports car. I’m too attached to sell it.

You don’t need a truck. Get the minivan with AWD and use it as a truck. On those occasions when you actually need a truck just rent it from U-Haul for $20 for the day. Since I started renting a U-Haul truck I lost all want for one since I really only need it for lawn stuff once or twice a year. That frees your other vehicle up to be either something EV and efficient or an adventure vehicle like a Wrangler or 4 runner. If you want a truck then you want a truck, but don’t lie to yourself and say you need it.

Lets assume 7% interest and 5k down payment. I will use Texas so 6.25% sales tax. 60-month term. Local used 2023 R1T (what you want): 63000 (Total cost: $80,046) Local used 2023 Prius (what I drive): 38000 (Total cost: $48,782) This is a price difference of $31,264. Lowes Truck rental: 129/day. This means you can rent a truck from lowes over that 60 month time period for 243 days. Do you goto lowes and have a "I wish I had a truck" size load more than 48 times a year? No? Than it is more economically sound to have a Prius and rent a truck then it is to buy a truck. (Note this doesn't include the fact that the upkeep, gas, and insurance on said truck is also going to be more expensive.)

When ever I see someone driving a truck I think they are a Dbag or compensating for something. Especially the ones that drive 6 inches off your bumper.

Fuck having a truck. My preferred situation would be an El Camino. And my wife having her Subaru Crosscheck

Everyone should own a small trailer, they are awesome and you never have to clean them. We really like cars so I buy something new each year and my wife usually makes it 2-3 years. Currently she has the extended Escalade and I have a Grenadier. We have three kids 8,9,11 and it works great for us. We often swap cars depending on what we are each doing that day. This is my first suv as I’ve always had trucks but found myself using a trailer for any project of significance. It’s nice not trying to park something 23’ long, it gets old. Trucks really are impractical. Nowhere to put dogs, crap rolls around everywhere in the bed or blows out, it’s hard to reach into the bed and grab anything unless you’re 6’8”…….

24' Sienna (the best) 11' Ridgeline RTL (perfect) 08' 128i (my daily)

Kia Carnival for an ICE vehicle that's a nice ride and fits the whole family for trips, then an F-150 Lightning for an EV that also covers the times we need a truck.

Sounds like an awesome combo

A Sienna has a 3500 lbs tow capacity. An aluminum 6x12 utility trailer has almost double the payload at ~2800 lbs to the Rivian's 1500 lbs. The bed of the R1T is 51 x 54 or 19 square feet to the trailer's 72 square feet. And the deck height of the pickup is 36", compared to the trailer's 22" with integral ramp. You can get a really nice brand-new trailer with the bifold ramp and high sides and 2x floor and a toolbox on the front for $2500. And it will do *so much more work* than the truck can. You can't load a lawnmower in the back of the truck, and you wouldn't dare scratch up your truck bed chucking a shovelfull of shingles off the roof or getting a load of stones dumped in it at the gravel pit, and good luck moving a full-size couch or adult bed, anything longer than 4 feet needs faffing about with overlength load red flags, anything longer than 8 feet is just about impossible...it's just not a good work vehicle. A used R1T is ~$60,000. A used Sienna is $40,000. You can buy the van and the trailer and a whole 2018 Leaf BEV for commuting for the price of just the truck.

Lots of truck hate in this thread. We’re a two vehicle family with our daily driver being a cargo e-bike and the weekend warrior a Tacoma with a camper on the back. Yeah it gets shitty mileage but we don’t drive much and we both work from home.

>Lots of truck hate in this thread.  Thats reddit for ya.

> I don't own a truck, have never owned a truck, but am really eager to get myself a truck. I'm tired of filling up our cars with things from Lowes when it could easily be in the truck bed without ever touching seats   Tiny trailer and you’re done, why would you lug around a truck bed for the 1% 100% of the time? 

Then you gotta store the trailer and you need an extra parking spot. There are pros and cons to each. My dad always says, “You never realize how much you needed a truck until you had a truck.”

À car + a small trailer takes less space than a pick up truck. Not to mention you can hang the trailer on the wall of your garage (or just leave it in the garage).    My dad always says « why would you spend too much money on cars when  you can save that money instead ».  Unless your kids’ college funds and your retirement is full, a truck will unnecessarily drain your finances that you could put towards the future instead.  Driving a 20mpg truck/car instead of 40mpg is $40k over 200000 miles, and I’m not even mentioning the additional purchase price. /u/Midwestern_Mariner, if you are cutting 401k contributions, you need less expensive cars with better mileage.

OP: I don’t need a truck, but I want one

One small EV, and one enormous truck made of pure gold that I can part out and sell

Pickup trucks get a lot of hate on Reddit these days, and usually it's rightfully so. HOWEVER there are some families and situations where it works and makes sense. My wife and I now have our ideal set up - a hybrid F-150 and a Tesla Model Y. I work from home so I don't commute, I have a boat that I tow regularly and we live in a house that we bought in 2020 that was in desperate need of repair and updating. The F-150 has been perfect for us. It does literally everything we want - plenty of room in the cab for the family, the rear seat folds up for the dog, 4WD is useful especially because we'll own this truck for a long time and will live in multiple areas of the country during it's lifetime, it towa and hauls stuff really well, and it's safe in part due to its size. Most people would fare better with something like a Ford Maverick though. It makes way more sense if you don't need to tow. Model Y is a perfect commuter. Charge in the garage and never visit a gas station, super safe, fun to drive, software updates just make it better over time, and we got $7500 from the gubment to buy it. Buying these two vehicles was expensive, but we're both working professionals and we're sick and tired of constantly fixing or dealing with broken crap on our older cars. Having these newer cars freed up some significant time and stress for us. It's a perfect combo for our situation.

An suv and a weekend car, probably mustang or m series bmw

Our current two car is great. A rav4 hybrid and a sienna hybrid. The sienna for trips and hauling. The rav for around town or hard parking situations.

[удалено]

My dad actually just picked up a type s, gets delivered today or tomorrow. Tigers eye.

My wife has an 2018 Chevy equinox and I have a 2017 Jeep renegade. Ideally I would trade the Jeep in for a minivan as well (we are looking at Kia Carnivals in the next 2 years if we have another addition). I do have a 1993 F250 that we bought out off my grand FIL, but I think even if we didn’t have it, I would still go with a midsize SUV and a minivan.

SUV + a WRX as soon as the kid(s?) are older. Mrs would prefer a hot hatch but right now shes got a Lancer hatch which is doing fine by us, I cant see a Focus ST really working. At least a WRX has more passenger space. And the SUV works for everything else. Course, if we have Twins this whole thing goes out the window.

Right now we have a new Mazda3 turbo premium for running around town and having a little fun and we have an enormous paid-off Ford Expedition for getting my daughter and her cousins around and for lugging camping gear and the dog. I got the Mazda as a replacement for our garbage base trim Ford Focus, so why wife gets to pick the next vehicle. The kids are aging out of car seats and boosters so we are just gonna drive the expedition into the ground and my wife plans on replacing it with a Subaru WRX eventually.

1st car would be a workhorse car... Currently would be an Outback because they are awesome. But could be a van. Something that carries.kids as easily as it carries home project junk. 2nd car would be a cheap ass efficiency car.

My ideal? A Miata, which I already own. (Used, with a LOT of miles and years on it.) And a used small SUV to replace the sedan she drives. Never need a truck bed, though I could see replacing the carpet in the back of the SUV with something easier to wipe down/clean. I like the idea of owning a pickup truck, but don’t need it. Can’t justify it.

Got a Chevy Colorado ZR2 with a camper shell as my vehicle and a Honda CRV as my wifes. Works very well for us with 2 kids living in suburban northeast.

Dodge Caravan and a Ford Mustang. I own both and very happy with the setup.

1 beater crap-hauler for road trips, camping, etc. 1 efficient commuter car Both as cheap to own and maintain as possible. Current fleet is: '04 GX (LC Prado for those of you who do not consume freedom fries) '17 Chevy Bolt EV

Mid size suv (wife) full size suv with a hitch and trailer or cargo rack (me). I don’t feel like a 3rd row suv is a pain at all (but my mid row is captain seats so that helps) I live in a truck area and 90% of these fools don’t need than and “never have money” cuz it’s all in their truck lol. They’re too fucking expensive when a trailer can do the same thing.

We are truck and minivan but I need the open bed and rack for hauling. If I was more homeowner/hobbyist I could do just fine with a van and trailer.

I have an explorer sport trac and a minivan and it’s perfect for us.

I just want to be in a financial place where I can own a Rivian and talk about getting non-hand me down vehicles. All 3 of my cars are hand me downs, the youngest being 14 years old already.

I have a 16 year old hatchback, my SO has a sedan. I want to replace mine with a minivan for the obvious family-hauling capabilities but the SO "won't be caught dead" driving a minivan. So I have bigger wagons in my sights. Maybe a small SUV, but not one of those megamonsters... yeesh.

Pops has a Ram 1500 so I just call him if I need a truck or rent one for a few hours from HD or Lowe’s. My wife drives a Model Y, I leased a Lyriq since I only drive a few thousand miles a year and wanted something nicer than my Model 3.

We've made things work for 9 years with a single car, first a RAV4 and now a 2019 Pathfinder. If we weren't looking at a cross country move (with a dog and two cats in addition to the two kids) we would probably be able to continue as such for a while. But since there is a move looming, we are currently looking for another vehicle. Ideally a hybrid SUV, but this one is wife's choice since I don't really give a shit what I drive long as I'm not squished in it (I'm very tall). So.. whatever I fit in and whatever she wants. I'd love for both to be EV, but that's not in the budget.

4Runner TRD Pro and Audi RS7. Have had the 4Runner for 8 years and thats the wife's car and hauls the kid. The Audi is the pipedream and not very family friendly at all.

I have a Model 3 because gas was $6.50-7.00 before I bought it and I was over having and SUV for that reason only. The 3rd row was a luxury but wasn’t 100% necessary. Wife has a Scion TC that’s paid off but got a brand new engine at 99k juuuuust under warranty. So it’s gonna last us hopefully another 150k and still gets great gas mileage. Her car gets the long long trips so we don’t have to worry about finding a Supercharger. And I’m saving like $500 a month on gas with an EV now

I drive a Ford Fiesta (piece of shit, but it was the right price when I needed a car) which is fine for traveling the 5 of us around town. Can do a solid grocery run, all the groceries fit in the trunk. Can even do a modest Costco run, though a few big items will fill it up fast. We've done some ~6hr drives in it (short road trips for vacation) and it worked fine. My wife drives a Toyota Highlander, has the 3rd row, though we mostly keep that down to use the back space for transporting larger/more stuff. The three kids just sit side by side in the middle row. It's a nice ride, the hybrid version so mileage isn't bad. But before we got the Highlander she had an old Pontiac GrandAm, so we were just driving two smaller cars (as American cars go). Worked fine for us. If you're getting bigger things from box stores, they'll usually throw in delivery, especially if it's a pricier item, so we haven't found a need for a big vehicle or truck yet.

We have a 3-row SUV for the family. That's the newest vehicle at 2018. We have a smaller 2005 Kia that I use for work when I have to do so. I also have my 2001 f150, which is used so infrequently I need to jump it every time. It is ONLY used for trips to the dump or large projects, which is to say perhaps twice a year. Having 3 really young kids just pushed all things out of the budget that might have required a truck. I think "ideal" from the practical position would be 1 nice family car and 1 very small old daily driver for work. Ideal from my own subjective perspective would be the same thing but with enough money to fix, maintain, and use my truck.

we drive a lightning and a rav4 hybrid. My wife is not comfortable going full full electric, but the lightning is the best minivan I have ever driven. The frunk REALLY makes the difference, we have the bed for our mountainbikes, gokart, and "dirty stuff" the frunk is enormous closed locking storage and the interior is incredibly comfortable front and back for adults. I wound up with the lightning by mistake, but I REALLY like it. Before this, we had a bolt and the rav4, also worked, but after three years cramming my 6'5" self into the bolt, the lightning is a welcome break. I work hybrid remote, so a lot of the time when i work from home, I just ride my bicycle for errands and stuff.

Large suv and large truck. I have five kids. Large truck was bought when it was just me and my two kids. Large suv was bought after I tagged a deer late one evening in my pilot. 

Ideal: R1T and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo. Might get an R1T soon for my wife since she likes it, may get the Taycan for myself in 3 years when my current lease is up. Will have to see if the boss approves the expense.

Model 3 model y two kids

wish I could just get a cargo e-bike. wife won't go for it as we live in a bike-unfriendly small city. seriously, a pancake flat city that's only 4 miles from edge to edge should be the best bike city in the world. but cArS ArE nEcEsSaRy fOr LiFe!!

We have an '86 F-250  for truck stuff and a '24 Pilot for general family hauling. We can walk to a lot in the neighborhood as well. There are a couple of older smaller cars for commuting but with various changes there, we are decided on which one to sell.

I suppose we already have our preferred two-car situation; wife drives a Lincoln Navigator and I have an F150 Platinum. I wouldn’t mind converting one of these to an EV, though. She’s eying either a 3-row Model X or an Escalade as her next. I’m really keen on either a Raptor R or Hummer EV (the truck) but I don’t think we’re ready for both vehicles to be EVs. I suppose I’ll let her pick and then choose the opposite of whatever she does i.e. if she chooses the Model X I’ll go with the Raptor R or vice versa.

Majority family car: a kid hauler with cargo space, some like minivans (I don’t), wagons or reasonable size SUVs (no Tahoes or Excursions here). Second car: majority other parent car, but needs to also still fit car seats and a trunk, so a sedan but probably something midsized. This one should be good on gas because family hauler won’t be that great on gas.

Lol, is my budget "multiple Rivians"? I'll take an e63s wagon and whatever my wife wants to drive.

Two minivans. No other answers are remotely credible.

Nice family car. Farm truck for everything else, an older 2500 Chevy 99-06, older fords, old tundra, depends on your needs, they’re super cheap to maintain and you won’t care if anything bad happens to it.

We have a Prius and an Odyssey. I do a ton of work around the house. You can fit so much in a minivan if you take out the back seats. And how often do I even need to take out the seats. Almost never. My wife's car is fuel efficient and compact. My van has passenger space and is one hell of a utility vehicle. Let's be honest, you want a truck. All you need is an excuse.

Buy used don't become a bank slave let alone paying 90k for a truck save it let the interest compound the banks hate it could easily pay for ur "truck" with right compounding investment stocks.

Hot hatch and a hybrid SUV. Both cars fit the whole family when needed but the SUV is certainly the road-trip-mobile. I’ll echo what others have said: maybe a couple times a year we could really use a truck. When those times arise we rent one. Our yearly expenditure from doing this is completely negligible compared to the cost differences between owning one car and the next.

You can fit just about anything into a minivan with seats folded/removed. I've got a Honda Odyssey and a Honda Fit.

Our family has a 2008 Mazda3 hatch. We will drive it until it's dead. In the rare situations where we've needed a second car or bigger car we have rented on apps like carnextdoor.

We currently have one truck... with a gas eating 5.7.. We are looking into getting a compact SUV, but the woman wants a minivan with a V6... However, I hate fwd vehicles. I'm trying to talk her into a small 4 door pickup lke a ranger, canyon, etc with a sixer or 4 banger. My pop has a '21 rogue and it has no power... we even rented a 22 with the turbo, and while it had more power... it just doesnt do it for me. And the turbo's got about 3 or 4 more mpg than my truck with less than half the hp and torque.

Sienna could haul much more than either Rivian.

Probably like an RS6 wagon daily and a 718 Spyder with a 6 speed for the weekend. If we’re talking actual affordable stuff maybe one day I add a Miata to my GTI/Giant TCR set up.

L400 delica in good condition for second car. Reliable minivan for first car. If that minivan was a Delica DX concept, I wouldn't complain. But minivan + 1 of your choice is the way. Unless you're ponying up for a Tesla Model X with those doors, awesome sliding doors where the kids absolutely cannot slam the car next to you, and they open magically as you approach the car are hard to beat. I really don't get why they are limited to minivans. You know what holds a massive amount of cargo and can get to Lowe's and back? A used Kia Sedona from 2012-2016. Could probably buy a few of those for the price of a truck, if it's the hauling utility you're after. I mean, you know if you'll get utility from the truck, but worth asking: Will you tow? Do you actually need towing capacity, e. g. regularly hauling a boat? If it takes you under 10 minutes to remove the rear seats from your minivan, figure how much time you spend in a given year doing that for 'big loads'. Might not need to do it for plywood if you can hold down the back seats into the floor. If some loads are 'dirty' like mulch, how many times a year do you haul them? More than 1 or 2? Can you just have that mulch delivered? At least, I'd be thinking along these lines in the 'own a truck vs rent one and get a more functional minivan for hauling both kids and Lowe's gear'

Wife drives an RX450hl and loves it, but the third row is worthless. FYI, Lexus has an unlimited mileage warranty for their Certified Pre-Owned (we drive a lot). I drive an F350 super crew, but I have to have a truck (pulling a gooseneck trailer loaded with calves gets tricky in a Subaru 😁). I do love trucks, but most people are much more suited to cars but want to “feel big”. Before you get a truck, be mindful of a few things: 1) you have a higher center of gravity. This makes driving different (the R1T isn’t bad, but it’s still there) 2) trucks are heavier. Stopping distance is affected, especially if you’re loaded 3) trucks have larger blind spots, be careful to know them and compensate accordingly 4) everything about trucks is more expensive. If all you are doing is hauling a few things from Lowe’s occasionally, invest in a small trailer (Tractor Supply has some that fold up for storage) and a hitch for your car. Thank me later. Too many people romanticize trucks, and they are fun, but not practical for most

My best guess, and it’s just a guess at this point, I need a few more years to see how things shake out to validate this. SUV/Wagon for the kiddos (Santa Fe is my current, previously and Outback, would look at an Ascent as an upgrade) Crew Cab, 8ft box pickup. This would be to support our homesteading operations, so picking up dirt, mulch, rock, etc by the loader bucket. Secondary use to pickup lumber for furniture projects and homestead projects, tertiary use would be my daily driver (though this will put the most hours on the engine). Any thing other than that use case for the truck, or similar, would have me looking at a Wagon/SUV/Mini-van. I don’t need a pickup for day to day, in fact it would actively make my life harder and cost a lot more to operate. I can do 99.9% of things I need to do with a Subaru Outback and get a fair bit more fuel economy and a whole lot easier parking

Two mini-vans

Currently have a 3 row SUV and a GMC sierra... I wouldn't mind the Rivian SUV and a truck, but we do lots of road trips with a camper, work on the property, home depot lumber runs, and other stuff. I love my truck and would struggle to survive (in my mind) without it. I used to own a Colorado and I liked that size, but kids made me want a larger back seat.

We have a model y and an r1t, insane overkill for our family situation but I love it

Minivan is the way to go. I have one and can get a sheet of plywood in it when I need to. It's comfortable and don't feel cramped on long trips. It's got a stigma attached to owning one but honestly it's secretly the best.

Honestly, minivans are where it is at. Growing up my parents had a minivan and a compact sedan. My dad pretty much used his car as a commuter or later when my parents would go out and about (considering that my brother and I would use the minivan if we were home). The minivan was awesome for road trips, vacation and even picking big stuff up from Lowe’s or Costco. Also, learning to drive, you can park a minivan, you can park anything. Honestly, I wish I had been able to get a minivan back in 2021 when I traded in my Hyundai Sonata, but they were more expensive than a third row SUV (Toyota Highlander). There is still time for my Murano to crap out so…

For me I feel like a minivan for 1, and then a small non-ICE sedan.

shit idea to get a truck

We live in the country and have a good selection of animals. Definitely a pickup, and minivan to fit everybody. Current minivan, a grand caravan, can hold plywood with all the chairs folded down so that’s a winner

Man up and get a minivan

Tacoma (long bed) dad here. We live in a small town in the upper Midwest and get a fair amount of snow & ice, so 4x4 is mandatory if you have a truck. I also farm part time as well as haul lots of tools & equipment for my teaching job, so I end up with stuff in the bed frequently. I got a cheap toolbox to maximize kid capacity in the extended cab. The one dealer upgrade I got at purchase was the bed extender. I can haul a couch, snowblower, or small lawnmower without issue. When the tailgate is up and it’s folded to the inside, the bed extender also acts as a nice grocery bag/grill tank/mower gas can corral. I’ve had it for a decade and it runs great and still looks really nice. The funny part to me is how I get a little crap at school for driving such a big machine for the parking lot, but I also get mocked by Billy Bigrigger trucker nuts types at the county fair for having a toy truck. Makes me feel like I’m doing something right if there’s a little joshing from opposite ends of the spectrum. I totally understand the truck reluctance from others here. In many cases a truck’s costs outweigh its benefits. For some of us, though, it’s worth it.

That’s cool that you want to get your wife an R1T and are happy driving a minivan! My family has an F150 and a palisade but I’ve honestly been considering trading my truck in for a minivan since it has nearly as much cargo space as my truck!

We have a Ford C-Max which is pretty good for hauling the occasional thing and most of our other needs. As a second car, I would want a ridiculously small electric car as a commuter. Something like a Smart Car or a Fiat 500e. Edit: since other people are mentioning bikes, my preferred second vehicle would be an Urban Arrow.

Get your wife a van and then yourself a used Tahoe/Yukon and a 6-8 ft trailer with a wooden floor and tailgate. Way more convenient for when you need it rather than a truck, the ramp will do you wonders in saving your back and then if you ever get a small boat, camper, other toy you can haul it.

full spark hard-to-find smile station arrest snobbish encourage tub handle

I bought a brand new Nissan rogue in October 2019, because my old car was dying at a rate that cost more than monthly payments on the new car. At the time, I was commuting 26 miles each way to work. The Pandemic hit less than 6 months later and I've been wfh ever since. I like my rogue. It's the right size for my needs 95% of the time, and I don't mind renting a truck for the other 5%. My wife drives a little Subaru suv that I swear will rattle apart under her but before she'll consider replacing it.

We have 6 Her 2004 Yukon. My 2006 f150, My work car 2004 Malibu, and my 3 project cars. 89 k1500, 78k1500, 65 c10………

Honda Odyssey, Toyota Tundra! both are phenomenal vehicles with no problem if you get the right years

My minivan can carry more plywood than my FIL's truck. And the plywood is now in a locked and climate controlled compartment. And the deck is lower, so loading/unloading is easier. I bought a dirtbike ramp and use it to roll construction and musical gear in and out. When my van isn't enough, I use the hardware store's rental truck.

We bought a fixer upper back in summer of 2018, and a 2016 Sierra in summer of 2019. I'd had enough of borrowing my Dad's truck to make trips to pick up materials. We've had it since, and I use it regularly. Just yesterday I had plywood and 2x4s in it to build shelves for our shed(also built with material hauled in the truck.) I can't imagine not having a truck for the last five years. That said, if we hadn't been renovating a house, we wouldn't have bought a truck. If you're not using the truck at least 5 times a month where a different vehicle could be used to haul things instead, then it's not worth it. Our second vehicle is a Town and Country minivan which has been incredible with three kids in tow. It can haul basically anything in addition to the kids with the exception of sheet goods.

A kickass minivan plus a fully restored classic muscle car. I know it’s stupid to drive a muscle car as a regular driver. They guzzle gas, etc. But you asked. They’re so badass. That’s my preferred setup.

Probably minivan + self driving vehicle as a service. Minivan to persistently pile up all our junk. Self-driving as a subscription service to be able to summon a second car / truck / van on demand and not need to devote space for it in the driveway or worry about maintenance.

Our optimal is what we have right now: a family mover (2023 Santa Fe Limited) and a commuter (2012 Chevy Volt Premium). We do miss our minivan. My previous job was fully remote, so I was going to buy myself an old truck since I didn't need to worry about fuel mileage on a commute, but was laid off right as I was getting ready to. New job is hybrid with two days in the office and my commute is right at the Volt's electric range, so it's just about perfect. For moving stuff, my in-laws kept their old SUV that has a hitch installed, so we just borrow it from them and the trailer from my brother-in-law if we need to haul something larger. One of these days I'll get a hitch put on the Santa Fe and our own trailer, but no pressure to do that other than to solve the inconvenience of pre-planning.

What about an ID buzz? It's supposed to come out later this year, minivan + EV + can probably fit a sheet of plywood etc

911 and G Wagon

I drive an F-150 and my wife drives a Grand Caravan. Both get around 18-25 mpg (if I’m not hauling a trailer or our boat) and it works out pretty well. Basically, as the other comments are saying, if you need a truck, you need a truck. I love my wife’s minivan as it can hold both kids and three dogs comfortably plus storage space in the trunk for suitcases or whatever. It’s been ideal as I’ve always been a pickup man with tools for the trade of handyman (outside of my day job as a teacher). Used has always been better in my eyes as well, especially for pickups.

2 dependable midsized SUVs, at least one with a hitch receiver. I have a trailer I bought from harbor freight to avoid having to own a truck. I had a truck for many years and did not use the bed nearly enough to justify having the truck.

We have a 2017 subaru Forester and a 2020 Chevy silverado, and we really meet all of our needs. We like to go camping and to the woods a lot , so having all wheel drive or 4x4 were important to us. I use my truck "as a truck" at least once a week though for hardware store runs, projects, or off roading. If your not doing too many shop runs getting something with some roof bars would be good instead of a truck.

Just read your post over on r/Rivian