Trucks on the Brain

With all the buzz in the blog lately about pickups, I gotta chime in. Being a long-time truck owner, my position is that if you own a house, you have to own a truck too. Taking stuff to the dump, picking up that new generator that just won’t fit in your car, renovations, new furniture—there are just so many scenarios where only an open-bed truck will cut it.  Most pickups these days closely mirror the convenience and functionality of a car–many have four doors and great ease of access.  Essentially they’re station wagon with the rear cargo area open to the sky.  Maybe Studebaker had the right idea with its Wagonaire, all those years ago.  Anyway, it’s only 24 days into 2008 and already the gloves are off: both Ford and Dodge have revealed what their new trucks will look like, so GM and Toyota will have to wait and see if their less-thoroughly-revised 2009 models will stand up to the new trucks. With demand for pickups declining and manufacturers scrambling to outdo themselves by loading their trucks with incentives and great new features, 2009 is sure to bring us a truck-buyer’s market. Let the games begin! I’m just glad I’m not in the market for a new truck because I’m sure I’d go crazy trying to decide.