this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2024
80 points (78.6% liked)

Fuck Cars

12420 readers
2187 users here now

A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

Rules

1. Be CivilYou may not agree on ideas, but please do not be needlessly rude or insulting to other people in this community.

2. No hate speechDon't discriminate or disparage people on the basis of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or sexuality.

3. Don't harass peopleDon't follow people you disagree with into multiple threads or into PMs to insult, disparage, or otherwise attack them. And certainly don't doxx any non-public figures.

4. Stay on topicThis community is about cars, their externalities in society, car-dependency, and solutions to these.

5. No repostsDo not repost content that has already been posted in this community.

Moderator discretion will be used to judge reports with regard to the above rules.

Posting Guidelines

In the absence of a flair system on lemmy yet, let’s try to make it easier to scan through posts by type in here by using tags:

Recommended communities:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

If you ever find yourself tempted to buy a truck and/or SUV, just remember one thing: they're not worth it. They're a societal nuisance. They're a massive pollutant. The maintenance, repair, and insurance will cost you a whole lot more. Aside from the aforementioned pollution, They're overall environmental impact is egregious. These monstrosities are best left alone.

If you ever have to do any sort heavy work, rent one instead. Want to live that outdoors lifestyle? A sedan and/or hatchback will do. Just buy a bike and roof rack. Got a family? Again, sedan and/or hatchback will do but also consider a station wagon. Better yet, buy a cargo bike like the Urban Arrow or the Dutch bakfiets. These are way better options to those climate-changing abominations.

I know what I'm writing isn't anything groundbreaking but I'm writing this mostly get something off my chest in relation to a dream I had last night. The dream itself was quite boring: I was driving around in a new Ford Bronco. The thing was that, in the dream, I was quite happy about it. This happy feeling was still felt when I woke up. For a brief moment, I was thinking about buying a Bronco. I soon returned to reality. But I'm not going to lie; the temptation was strong. The temptation was made stronger by nostalgia. I grew up with these kinds of vehicles. My dad worked in labor-intense, blue collar jobs that used trucks. He even owned some himself. But, once again, they're not worth it.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] IMongoose@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think it's funny that you overlooked vans like most people do. Vans make more sense for way more people than trucks and SUVs do. But they have a huge stigma attached to them and people don't want to look uncool.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Except vans aren't actually all that efficient, compare a Toyota Hiace VS Hilux, or ford Ranger vs Transit, and they are very similar in size and economy, with the Hilux actually being more efficient than the Hiace.

The biggest reason so many people have utes or pickups where I live is for towing, and the ability to carry five passengers and have luggage in a separate compartment.

I drive a van for work, and I'm well aware of how practical they are, but it only has one row of seats, can't tow bugger all, and would get stuck on wet grass.

[–] RunawayFixer@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (33 children)

There's plenty of work vans that are designed for a full 5 person crew. Vans can also easily tow whatever is needed for that crew, if the van was specced for it. It's like not all vans were created equal and thus there are vans out there that are not like your van.

load more comments (33 replies)
[–] Leviathan@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My girlfriend's sister has a van she uses for Vanlife™ and that big stupid piece of lumbering shit gets stored 10 to 11 months of the year because driving it for regular things is totally unaffordable. It's just as gas inefficient and gigantic as the child killers.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago

Just fix the laws in the US, and pickups and trucks for personal use will be as about nonexistent as in Europe.

[–] harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, they have their place as working vehicles. Unfortunately too many are just pavement princess trucks. They might haul a few hundred pounds (not counting the driver) a few times a year.

It's the mindset of fear and envy that underpins consumerism that needs to change.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 year ago (5 children)

No, the huge american pickuptrucks does not have a place as working vehicles, the are too big and too fragile, get a WV Transport pickup or van, way more practical than a huge F-150 or similar

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Someone looking to buy a car or any variety is not going to be swayed by online forum posts, unfortunately

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Gigan@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (4 children)

also consider a station wagon

Do they still make those?

[–] n2burns@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's been harder and harder to find them in North America over the last few years. I think in Canada its just the premium German manufacturers (Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche) and Volvo who still have them.

[–] SpiceDealer@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If I'm not mistaken, they still sell them in "big" numbers in the EU. The only car sold in the U.S that could be considered a "station wagon" is the Subaru Outback but the latest models have become way too bloated. Technically speaking, the "station wagon" (or "estate" if you're British) no longer exists since it has (mostly) merge with the equally abysmal "crossover."

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 year ago

In europe they sell like crazy, the volvo V90 is cery popular, but even the WV Golf has a station wagon configuration

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I see them a lot in Colorado

[–] PureTryOut@lemmy.kde.social 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

*bakfiets. Don't forget the s.

It's a bike (fiets) with a bin/container (bak) in front of it.

Anyway, I think you're preaching to the choir here.

[–] SpiceDealer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're very much right. Like I said in the post, this was intended as something of a personal log entry rather than a thought-provoking discussion. I get very tempted to buy these pieces of shit when I know that I don't need them. I vaguely mentioned the "outdoors lifestyle" since that's one of the biggest appeals to consumers. What they fail to realize is that a mountain bike or even a simple hike offer a better off-roading experience. Also, thank you for the spell check.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

True, although these posts do reach /all from time to time.

[–] leetamus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Trucks don’t innately get worse mileage and not all trucks are big. Also, a new vehicle, including big trucks, will be better on the environment than a 20yr old wagon. Age is more relevant than model. You seem to be off track here.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I actually use my truck for what is built for. All these bright shiny cocacola cowboy carts look really nice but until they sweat theyre just toys for little boys.

load more comments
view more: next ›