I used to work with a group of veterans, and almost to a man they owned large trucks. I asked one of them why this might be so, and he said he thought it was because people who had been through conflicts bought larger vehicles to feel safe surrounded by all of that weight and steel. To be fair, three of the veterans we had were former Marines, so it may not be applicable to other branches. Have you noticed it among others, or is mine an isolated case(s)?
I would say that it has more to do with the general mindset of men who walk on the macho side of the road. That is, a guy who would do a hitch in the military, especially the Army or Marines, is also the kind of guy that big trucks appeal to (and are marketed to).
People who drive big-ass vehicles these days have a ready file of rationalizations.
Perhaps there’s something to what the OP suggests. But I’m not a veteran. Have no special affinity for things military. A life long fan of small overpowered teutonic sport sedans and coupes. But one of my all time favourite cars would have to be the now defunct Mercury Marauder. I would love to be surrounded by all that mass of glass and metal.
Yeah I’m guessing that military men are by definition a bit more stereotypically macho and therefore more likely to drive a Chevy Silverado than, say, a Prius. I imagine you’d find a similar trend (if one exists) amongst law enforcement, fire fighters, oil field workers and other such occupations.
While I’ve had the occasional woman tell me they drive large vehicles to “feel safe”, I’ve never heard a dude say it. HOWEVER, there are a surprising (to me, anyway) number of white guys who are so desperately fearful of everyday life that they get carry permits, so I have no idea. Also, some guys just think it’s manly to drive a big vehicle.
I’m a veteran, and I generally don’t give much thought to how safe I feel in a vehicle. The only vehicle related thing I took away from my military experience is that I would never buy a Hummer.
I do have a Tacoma, but that’s because I use it to haul stuff.
I’m a retired veteran. I drive a Prius. Sue me.
There’s a difference between wanting the feel of a large vehicle and chosing to own a big truck. A handy guy often gets asked to help move things, or has things of his own to move.
I started driving vans because I wanted a vehicle that could carry a good-sized dog crate easily. I kept driving them because I had bad knees and discovered that the driver’s seat was at just the right height. I didn’t have to step up or down to get in. Now I’ve had the knees fixed and have just gotten used to being able to haul things or people if needed.
So prefering trucks could be a functional thing.
It might just be that they’re Americans. Small cars have never really sold well in this country. There’s an uptick in small car sales whenever gas prices go nuts, but when things settle down again buying habits shift back to full-sized cars & SUV’s.