I know that in some parts of Canada (read: Toronto and other, ahem, 'important' city centres) this PDA for pickups is looked down upon and I'm sure to take excessive verbal abuse from fellow staffers, enthusiasts and the Birkenstock set.
Meh.
By no means am I a country boy where pickups are the necessary tool of life. I'm living suburban bliss in the sprawl of the Golden Horseshoe, but there's always been something about trucks that's a Texas-sized belt buckle for my soul. Back in my hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario, my dad drives a pickup, so does my brother-in-law and his dad, so maybe that's partly a motivator. But really, right or wrong, I'm just a sucker for a pickup’s size, comfort, capability and possibilities.
Recently we've had the new Ford F-150 EcoBoost and Dodge Ram come through the office for test drives. I never relinquished the keys. Both were loaded-to-the-gills quad cab models, some $60,000, with features like cooled seats, a heated steering wheel, navigation and electrically deploying running boards. Excessive? Nope, exactly how I would order my truck had I the financial clout.
A fully-kitted out pickup as a daily driver sounds perfect. Haul the family in comfort across town or across the country? Yep. Move a friend's fridge? Sure thing. Tow a boat? No worries! What other vehicle can do all this?
The major rub in all of this is what rig to wield had I the opportunity. A full-size? For sure. Heavy-Duty? No, even I think that's like buying a bazooka to kill a fly. Light-Duty then. Toyota or Nissan? Err, for some reason, deep in my soul, I can't buy a Japanese truck, despite their impressive efforts. It has to be a pickup from the Detroit Three. F-150, Ram, Sierra, Silverado. Each has their merit.
Of course, I'd also have to convince my wife that 5,500 lbs. of vehicle is what we need in the driveway and for Cosco runs. Let's start there shall we…
