Truck to SUV?

[tony]

Anyone make the change?
I have always had a pickup. Now, I don't haul much or tow anything. But it is so damn handy to have a bed to toss stuff in. Last 5 years has been a ranger. Even with the tiny bed its still handy.

I went with my GF to pick up her car from the local Honda dealer after service. Milling around the lot I go to looking at the Honda Passports. V6, can tow 5,000 pounds. I really liked the looks and feature set of the thing.
Price was a killer though. 53k and then with the add ons I'd like to have it was pushing 60k!
Still, it has me thinking about trying an SUV once in my life.

 

[noKnees]

I have gone between the two, although I am currently with a small truck (2022 frontier). I can see the merit both ways. I have a smallish utillity trailer too. 5x10 so its light enough I can move it around and hook it up by myself with out the need for precision backing.

The advantages of the SUV are its shorter with a better turn radius than either of my trucks so around town stuff and parking are a bit better.

With the utility trailer its often easier to load or unload cargo especially stuff like an ATV or lawn tractor. I only really use the cargo aspect of the trailer or truck bed maybe monthly so admittedly I am a lightweight user. I do have a 3500lb boat that I need to trailer 50 miles twice a year.

The SUV as a default has a cover that keeps eyes out of the cargo area, where as the truck may or may not depending on if I have the hard cover on the bed. In some ways its easier to configure the SUV for some cargo. In the winter I have a roof top box for Skis and in the summer a roof rack for canoe/kayaks and my extension ladder. Yes I can put the skis in the bed of the truck, but the canoe is a PITA and configuring the truck with something like a ladder rack to carry it is pretty pricey.

I use a hard bed cover and it seems I am taking it off for every other load I carry.

The SUVs I have driven have been between 27 and 30mpg which beats the 21 I get from the frontier and way better than my old 2004 2500 Ram.

The reason I ended up with the truck instead of a SUV this last time around was I bought it in the great COVID auto shortage and there are really not that many SUVs that tow 5000lbs and I couldn't find one except at nearly 20K more than the truck price.

 

[justinspicher]

I switched from a 96 Tacoma single cab to an 05 Lexus GX470 and I couldn’t be happier. I didnt use the bed much and it always seemed to collect junk that I would have to eventually clean out.

I like having everything enclosed and organized.