I need a new vehicle. My current car, a Saturn, is getting on in years, and is having some serious troubles I’ve been ignoring. The clutch is starting to slip, the shifting has been a wreck for years, now the headliner is starting to peel. One of the engine mounts has shrunk (peeled off the bracket? there’s a gap that shouldn’t be there). There are some other things that should be checked. I would rather not drop 5 grand or more on a car that would still be a stripped down, 8 year old Saturn. I’ve been wanting a new car for a couple years, but being jobless makes that difficult. But I just got a new job, so I’m anticipating being able to buy a new vehicle.
Now to the difficult part. (Yes, I’m loquatious.) I’ve been trying to decide what cars to look at. A couple years ago when I looked, I was dissatisfied. The cars that seemed stylish and attractive were rated poorly by Consumer Reports and such, but cars rated well were all consistently butt-ugly. Actually, I put off buying a new car then because of that, which payed off when I shortly thereafter lost my job.
Anyway, I’m looking around an thinking about what to get, and I’m considering a truck-like vehicle. The question becomes the OP - do I want a pickup or an SUV? I’ve sort of been anti-SUV just because of the ubiquitousness and the generally abused notion that everyone needs one. But I’m willing to be convinced.
I should point out what I’m looking for. I don’t really want a large vehicle. I have no need for a Ford F-350 supercab dually. As I mentioned, I currently drive a Saturn SL-1 - the 4 door car. I really don’t need a bigger car. I’m thinking of trucks because (1) they sit higher on the road, and I’ve had difficulty seeing over everybody else, and (2) looking at vehicles for stylishness, I’m not so impressed with cars but think some trucks look okay.
I’m thinking of a small 4 door truck like a Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma Prerunner or maybe a Ford Explorer (the pickup). I don’t have much need for a large truck bed, maybe twice a year it would be useful (camping trips). I want the ability to seat four occasionally.
Are there any advantages to trucks over SUVs, or vice versa? I realize an SUV has all the space internal to the vehicle and thus protected from the weather. I expect I’ll get some sort of cover for the truck bed if I go that route. I get the impression that trucks may be cheaper than SUVs, but I don’t know that since I haven’t done any pricing yet. Also, how does insurance stack up? What about gas mileage? Anybody know?
Help me pick my vehicle, folks. Just not that butt-ugly box, the Aztec? Just when I think I’ve seen the ugliest vehicle ever conceived, someone comes out with something worse. shudder