Just my 2 cents, I really agree with you on all of your points except one (I like 40+ ounce drinks
). As far as pickups, I live in a really large community of about a dozen full time residents (in a 1,000 acre "subdivision" split up into 5-50 acre plots - we have 45). We get many "big city" folk out here several times a year that have them 6 digit pickups - the go anywhere, do anything type - that have a really hard time taking them on the gravel road to their 5 acre plot (let alone off road). I've asked several of them why they have such an expensive truck living in the city - do you have big/heavy hauling loads, do a lot of "off roading", etc, and the most common answer is the pickup is a status symbol for them (although they don't actually use that term, they say things like "everybody at work thinks it is cool" or "yes sir, it's the best looking truck at work/on the block now" etc). Usually a waste of money if you ask me, a super duty 250/350, 2500/3500 etc 4 wheel drive lifted for off road clearance (but never taken off pavement - except here on a groomed gravel road). Some of them have boats that go 50+ mph too that typically don't go out of sight of the boat dock - but maybe that should be another thread. Bottom line, in my humble opinion, these folks have more dollars than sense - or more high dollar loans than I'd care to think about. Me, I have a 2 wheel drive '81 f-150 with a Napa crate '84 mustang 350 v-8 in it - in decent shape for its age. The beast will pull almost anything, go almost everywhere and pass everything on the road but a gas station, although it usually only stays on the farm, hauls stuff on trailers or makes trips to the co-op for feed, fuel etc.