What factors make a 3/4 ton truck a bad daily driver?

[BAB]

I'm very fortunate to be able to afford multiple vehicles. I will tell you, however, that my '14 Ram 2500 w/Cummins and 4WD has a better ride than my '12 Mini Cooper convertible. It may be the run flat tires, but I feel every bump in the Cooper. I use the little car around town for easy parking and the mileage. I bought the truck specifically for towing my Airstream, and it is WONDERFUL for that. For parking, turning radius, etc....not so great!

[m.hony]

3/4 ton trucks feel heavier when driving because they are heavier.
The steering isn't as buttery smooth due to heavier suspension components.
All in all there really isn't a nickel's worth of difference.
Good seats make anything better.

[47WeeWind]

None. I drive my 1992 Dodge W250 whenever I go anyplace other than in my 1944 CJ-2 civilian jeep. Both are great vehicles, and the Dodge easily tows my 1953 Airstream 21' Flying Cloud anywhere with no problems whatsoever. Life and trucks are good.

[truckasaurus]

It's got to be worth getting a test drive in both and running your short commute and making up your own mind. Unless one is diesel in which case that would obviously make a poor short commute vehicle by comparison. Similarly on a short commute the gas mileage 1/2t to HD doesn't matter.

[overlander63]

I would much rather commute in my 3/4 ton truck than my wife's car. The truck rides better, and seems like an all-around better vehicle. When I drive or ride in her car, I feel like my seat is in the street. The only thing I don't care for is the fuel mileage, her car gets 38mpg and the truck gets... less.

[jasperkins]

I agree with BAB, as my 2013 Ram 3500 Mega Cab is our daily driver. Prior to that we had Tacoma, PT Cruiser, Camry, Civic, and still a DeLorean. The ride and comfort on these new trucks is so plush, that its what we want to take as our daily driver. Plus, we always have the room to carry stuff.

I still can take it to fast food (ours is not a dually), in parking garages with <7' clearance, and all the other places we went in the past. Now I just choose to park a little further out, because I don't want people to dent me.

Also in the flats of highway driving at 65mph, we average ~23 mpg. Towing, drops to 15mpg. Start hitting hills and going over 65 and towing, the numbers drop. Overall as a daily driver my computer says its averages 20 mpg. A small sacrifice to pay in fuel for comfort and utility.

[jcanavera]

For a daily drive my issue is gas mileage. 12 mpg while respectable when towing an 8,500 lb Airstream, is downright awful when doing a city commute. Blame it on a 6.0 liter gas engine and a 4.10 rear axle. Hence it sits in the garage only to be pressed into duty when I have a load to carry or when towing.

Jack

[jasperkins]

12 MPG when towing in the NC mountains. 20 MPG as an average daily driver. 23 MPG on the highway.

[Grrrwolf]

Half tons have come a long way, but they sure are softer than before. Comparing a 96 Ram (360) to a 2012 5.7 is night and day. The 96 sure was comfy and sporty in its day but now it's just an old ugly work horse that I imagine an HD to feel like now, but its camping days are done.

On the other hand, the 81 K5 Blazer with 3/4 ton suspension was a perfect vehicle for its time and still a blast today. It has more than enough power to tow a fully loaded 1977 31 footer and a Cadillac ride around town with better gas mileage than the 5.7 Ram.

Chevy really needs to bring back a vehicle like that with a short wide body, great suspension, and a removable top

[pappy19]

One thing that is missing in this conversation is the safety factor of a 3/4 -1 ton pickup vs a commuter car like a Honda or whatever. What is it worth to pay a little more for mileage and for a lot more metal when it comes to safety? On my Ford F250, I have also added after market front and rear "Ranch Hand" type bumper replacements. After being rear ended 3 times while owning my 2002 1 Ton F350 in Arizona by illegals, I decided to make a big change when I ordered my 2008 F250 V-10. Since then, I have been hit 2 times in the rear (no harm at all) and 2 times in the front (one idiot and one deer, again no harm). The bottom line is whether you want a duel purpose vehicle, towing your AS and also as a commuter, or having 2 vehicles, one for towing and one for commuting. It's a choice you must make. For me, my V-10 is a gas hog no doubt, but I don't care. I am willing to look for non-ethanol gas stations and pay a little more per gallon to get a little more mpg, and I am satisfied. I could spend another $3-4,000 for a "commuter" that gets 10 more mpg, but chances are, I'd also spend a bunch more for upkeep on a used foreign vehicle. If I just rock along with my gas hog that has no maintenance problems, I still think, money wise, I am ahead. It all boils down to economics and a choice of life style.

[wncrasher]

Big trucks are expensive - my 2500 HD was almost $54k. Those are expensive miles to run to an from work and around town. I want to stretch that interval to buying another big, expensive truck as long as I can.

There is no getting around the fact that the 2500 is big. Tall too. So it's a bear in small spaces and no fun in the city. Parking is an issue everywhere but the biggest lots.

My other cars get much better mileage, around 30 mpg, and can be parked in the tightest places. Plus they were MUCH cheaper, so the cost per miles is less than 1/2 the big truck.

That said, though, I love my big truck. For towing and hauling stuff, it can't be beat. But I don't want to drive it every day.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by pappy19

One thing that is missing in this conversation is the safety factor of a 3/4 -1 ton pickup vs a commuter car like a Honda or whatever.

However, with the car, you're more likely to be able to avoid an accident in the first place - better handling, better braking, and a smaller target (err, vehicle).

[dkottum]

A thought on the benefit of being big enough in daily commuting to see over the traffic in front of you. It is also good when the person behind you can see traffic in front of them.

[pappy19]

Originally Posted by Skater

However, with the car, you're more likely to be able to avoid an accident in the first place - better handling, better braking, and a smaller target (err, vehicle).

I found it very difficult to move away from a rear end crash when stopped and the deer I hit didn't know which way to run and I didn't know which way to turn, so we kissed and it died. With my front bumper replacement, actually from www.southtexasoutfitters.com , there wasn't a scratch. The rear crashes, also with a replacement bumper from STO, I had to re-paint a small scratch.

[andreasduess]

These bumpers are illegal in many places because they carry with them a high chance of killing a pedestrian should one be unlucky enough to be involved in an accident with one.

I'd rather fix a dented front end.

[xrvr]

Never heard of those bumpers being illegal, show me the facts. Jim

[Pahaska]

At least 75% of the pickups in my area have deer-proof front bumpers. Even the small central-Texas deer can total a pickup. My wife's car was totalled by a deer and the cop next door had his squad car totalled by a deer, even though it had a push-bumper installed.

[andreasduess]

Illegal for certain in New York State. Google for more.

[xrvr]

Not a surprise, I thought pickups were illegal in NY! Jim

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by andreasduess

Illegal for certain in New York State. Google for more.

What I read in the NY regs seems to be about the maximum distance the bottom of the bumper can be from the ground, but nothing in it seems to preclude the use of a "ranch hand" style bumper as long as it meets the ground clearance regs.