Hmmm I have a 98 4x4 4cyl. Frontier that I use as a daily driver, occasional offroading, trips to Home Depot/Lowes, camping, and loading up the mountain bikes.

 

So why a pickup truck vs. an SUV? For those hauling trees or kayaks, I understand. What about towing, camping gear, bags of concrete, etc.? Do SUVs not handle that stuff as well as pickups?

 

Good questions. I now own an SUV and a pickup.

If you're towing something BIG - a gooseneck (5th wheel) trailer is MUCH easier to drive with than a bumper pull hitch. Only a pickup can do the gooseneck.

Pickups will generally have a higher payload (bed loading weight) capacity than an SUV probably because of stronger/stiffer springs.

I like my SUV for hauling lots of 'clean' items (packages, maybe plumbing pipes, big grocery runs, etc.)

For camping, an SUV is ideal - gear can stay dry and safe, easy to access (my Explorer allows either just the rear glass or the the whole hatch door to open), 4WD if you're going off road is a big help or at least make you feel good that you're unlikely to get stuck.

My biggest reason for not wanting an SUV to do hauling of 'messy stuff' is that is ruins the interior no matter how careful you are. All concrete bags leak dust and are scratchy. Put a chainsaw in an SUV and chances are your carpet's going to get oil on it, or the liner you bought gets a mark that's hard to clean off, or at least the SUV now is smelly for a while.

 

Could a pickup function as everything you want in an SUV if you get a LEER truck cap and the 4x4 option?

 

Why yes, yes it could.

 

This truck will not appear since Ford shut the doors on SVT. What a shame. No wonder John Colletti retired from Ford.

 

I have two friends with Ridgelines and they LOVE THEM. Basically they need a daily driver that is a car but on the weekends they make continous runs to Home Depot. The Ridgeline is perfect for this. I agree, you want to tow a boat or go pick up a yard of sand, then go get yourself an F150 - but for many people the Ridgeline is all you need.

PS - a buddy of mine in TX has an F150 - was in in last week. By far, the MOST uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in in my entire life. Just amazing - I wanted to take a picture and post it here.

 

Interesting, what year F-150 - the new style, or older?

I've sat in our '04 F-150 seats for a 6 hour drive and was perfectly comfortable.

 

I've had trucks for years. I run a landscaping business in addition to my regular job, so I really need a real truck.
My advice.... do not, under any circumstances, no matter how good they look, get a Dodge Ram!

I bought a 2003 brand new and have had nothing but problems with it. It's a good looking truck, but as far as being a real truck... it sucks. It's also the most unreliable piece of garbage I've ever owned. I'm in the process of editing a 4 page letter to DCX outlining my extreme dissatisfaction with this truck. First chance I get I'm selling it. Its an amazing story of quality issues, and **** poor dealer service.

I've been eyeing the new Tacoma. The problem is I get a suppliers discount at most auto manufacturers, but not Toyota. I'll probably have to wait for the new Chevy's to show up later this summer.

 

New style - I'm guessing an 05 or an 06. You actually sat on top of them - worse the sides were lower than the actual seat so you were up on top of this cushion with nothing on either side.

 

Wow, anti-seat bolsters. Nice...

 

I don't know about anti-bolsters, but pickup trucks aren't sports cars and people want to slide in and out of them easily. Since an F-150 is high to get into, the last thing you'd want to hurtle is big side bolsters.

 

I generally don't care for high side-bolsters either, bit.....but for reasons I'd rather not go into.

 

I had a 2004 F-150 that I traded for my IS. It was a great truck, but the gas mileage with a 4x4 Supercrew, 5.4 V-8 was awful.

And I found the seats quite comfortable.

 

I totally agree - but something as opposed to an "anti-seat bolster" (love that term) would be better. Worst case, make it flat!