Choosing the Right Car for Your Family

A Truck as a Family Car?

With a variety of cars, trucks, and SUV’s on the market, it can be difficult to decide which is right for you and your family. There are pros and cons to every choice you could make, but a pickup truck may fit your needs better than any car on the market.

Safety

Over the past few years, the automobile market has been changing. Due to rapidly changing fuel costs and increasingly restrictive government regulations, the average size and weight of the family car has diminished. Many larger car models have been discontinued and replaced with SUV’s. You can buy a “six passenger car”, but most of them are too small to carry six adults comfortably. As cars become smaller and lighter, they become considerably less safe in collisions. There is a general misconception that small cars are safe because they meet safety standards. The simple fact is that when two vehicles impact each other, the one with the most mass and the heaviest frame will be the safer vehicle. While every car accident is different, and there are exceptions to every rule, the larger and heavier vehicle in a crash is much more likely to stay upright. No family vehicle will be the heaviest car on the road, but you will have a sense of security, knowing that your vehicle is safer than most of the vehicles on the road.

Advantages Over Other Vehicles

SUV’s have almost completely replaced the classic full-sized sedan. SUV’s will seat 5 or more people comfortably, and they are safer in most collisions than smaller lighter cars. The problem with SUV’s is the huge price mark up. An SUV is basically a family car built on a pickup truck’s chassis. SUV’s are very similar to light trucks, but often cost much more. SUV’s have many options, but the buyer pays dearly for each option. Modern pickup trucks usually include the same comforts available in SUV’s, but often offer these comforts to the buyer in the form of much more sensibly priced package deals.

Pickup trucks have changed over the years. A truck with a full sized cab can comfortably seat six people just as well as an SUV. Basic, standard work trucks are still available from most brands, but the average modern pickup is loaded. Any option that is available for an SUV is available on a pickup truck. Power windows, seat warmers, navigation systems, sun roof, and quality sound systems are practically the standard now. Trucks with full sized cabs and four doors actually offer more leg room, especially in the back, than most SUV’s do.

Cargo Space

The one thing a pickup truck is missing is a trunk. The open space of a truck’s bed offers the ability to carry a variety of cargo which would not be possible in the back space of an SUV or the trunk of a car. The disadvantages to a standard truck bed are that it does not protect cargo from the weather and items cannot be locked in it. This disadvantage can be easily overcome by a variety of widely available accessories. Camper tops or shells cover the truck’s bed and provide considerably more cargo space than the back space of an SUV. Camper shells can be locked securely, protecting whatever you need to carry. They can also be ordered to match the finish of your truck exactly so that it looks like an original part of the truck. If a camper doesn’t suit your needs there is also a variety of bed covers on the market. Bed covers can also be finished to match your truck. They can be locked to protect your things as well. With these accessories, the truck is superior to any car or SUV.

Recreation

Another notable advantage of trucks over SUV’s and cars for use as a family vehicle is their usefulness in recreation. A truck is perfect for almost any recreational activity. It goes without saying that you cannot have a tailgate party without a truck. Camping is another great family activity that just isn’t the same without a pickup truck. A truck also opens many affordable options for owning an RV. Motor homes are very expensive because they have to be built on a van or bus chassis, but if you have a truck you can find a very affordable trailer camper. A trailer camper often costs only 1/5 of what a comparable motor home costs. Slide-in pickup truck campers are an even more affordable option, although they do not provide as much space as a small trailer camper. In addition to the affordability advantage, towing a trailer camper is preferable to a motor home because you can leave the camper at a site and drive the truck around. In other words, you won’t need to buy a dolly and tow a small car behind your camper. There are endless family recreational activities for those who own trucks. If you have ever considered owning horses, or off-road vehicles such as 4 wheelers you will need a truck to transport them. Even golf is much more convenient when you can transport your own golf cart to the course with your cooler and clubs already on it instead of having to rent one every time.

Utility

Once you own a pickup truck, you will wonder how you ever got by without one. When it comes to doing chores and maintenance around the house, a truck is invaluable. The ability to haul longer items such as lumber or ladders will enable you to do a projects and maintenance around the house that you may not have even considered before. Over the course of a few years you can save a significant amount of money by doing projects and home improvements yourself. The ability to tow a utility trailer adds to this ability. Owning a pickup truck can allow you to take this a step further and a start a home business, such as lawn care, painting, pressure washing, or landscaping. The possibilities are endless when you have a truck at your disposal.

Any vehicle can get you from place to place, but a good truck can be a bigger part of your life than just a vehicle. If you talk to your friends and neighbors who own trucks, you will see the passion they have for a vehicle which plays a major part in their family’s life. For many people, a truck symbolizes independence, and owning one is the first step into a new world of self sufficiency and adventure.