Most pickup trucks nowadays have become more expensive throughout the years. Multiple reasons can be attributed to the increasing prices of pickup trucks. Aside from considering pickup trucks as utility vehicles, other factors can be due to the power it gives, better fuel consumption, all-weather cruising capabilities, and many more.
Today, we will answer the question “Why are pickup trucks so expensive?”
Why Are Pickup Trucks So Expensive Right Now?
Back in the day, pickup trucks are mainly used as utility vehicles, due to their capacity to carry many things or large objects. Its sole purpose before is to transfer things from one place to another, whether it is for deliveries, transporting pieces of furniture, moving sacks of cement, or anything that needs to be transferred.
Pickup trucks before are also not that pleasing in the eyes of the community due to their bulky size and the limitation of passengers they can carry, which makes them less appealing to the car industry before, resulting in lower demand of pickup trucks in the market.
But recently, we saw an increase of reasons as to why pickup trucks are being more demanded than cars. As the law of supply and demand implies, more demand means higher pricing. These are the reasons pickup trucks have been dominant on our roads lately:
1. The Redesigned Body
As I said, pickup trucks before look more like a truck rather than a car, which made them less attractive to the market. The body design back then also limits the passenger count a pickup truck can carry, with most having a passenger capacity of just two including the driver, thus, having smaller markets resulting in cheaper pricing.
But right now, car manufacturers have addressed these issues by redesigning the pickup truck body and incorporating more car-like looks and features to the body. Pickup trucks nowadays are more premium-looking than before and resemble more like a car than a truck.
It is also aerodynamic, luxurious in terms of design, and safer than before. The framing is also light but sturdy and can last for a couple of years if maintained properly. Most pickup trucks are bigger than cars, which promotes dominance in the road and safety as it is better to be seen on highways, compared to small cars.
Lastly, passenger capacity has been increased from two to now five passengers on average, including the driver. These reasons have made it more attractive to consumers with families as they can have a utility vehicle and a family car in one.
2. Fuel-Saver
Due to its niche of carrying things, pickup trucks before have bigger engines, which translates to higher consumption of fuel. Its pulling force also adds to the fuel consumption of the truck.
But due to the recent advancement of technologies and the rulings imposed on carbon emissions, modern pickup trucks have been more fuel-efficient without compromising the engine’s power.
Most pickup trucks run on diesel engines, which are powerful but save a lot of fuel. Diesel is cheaper than gasoline, thus, pickup trucks have been favored compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, especially on the rising prices of fuel these days. Most of the advanced pickup trucks also have “eco mode”, which saves more fuel when it is turned on.
3. Advanced Technology And Safety Features
Technology continues to advance as the day goes by. And this is seen on modern pickup trucks, as most pickup trucks nowadays are equipped with advanced technology and amazing safety features.
I own and drive a pickup truck, and it has a lot of safety features and advanced technologies.
For example, it has automatic folding side mirrors, reverse sensors at the rear bumper for reverse mode, a digital panel for the dashboard instruments, automatic “rain-sensing” windshield wipers, automatic headlights that adjust depending on the environments you are driving, an anti-fogging system, and many more.
These technologies translate to higher pricing, hence, modern pickup trucks are expensive nowadays.
Why Are Pickup Trucks More Expensive Than Cars?
Some of the reasons have been already tackled earlier in this article. But these additional reasons make a pickup truck more distinguished than a car, resulting in higher prices of pickup trucks compared to cars.
1. Power
Despite having bigger frames and bigger loads to carry, pickup trucks can cruise with cars due to the powerful engines equipped in these trucks. I noticed on my pickup truck that it has more torque compared to an average car, making it more powerful in accelerating and cruising at high speeds.
Keeping in mind that these pickup trucks are considered utility vehicles, it just makes sense that it has to be equipped with powerful engines, otherwise it cannot carry heavy loads. Most pickup trucks have turbo engines for more power to fuel ratio, delivering powerful torque at low consumption of fuel.
This makes it more expensive for pickup trucks, due to the design and technology incorporated into the engines of these trucks. Also, it promotes higher demand to the market as it can supply more power on lesser fuel consumption, increasing its market value.
2. On-Road And Off-Road Driving Capabilities
You cannot drive a car on unpaved roads without hitting your head on the side of the door or the roof of your car. Driving a car off-road has been a hassle to most car owners, as cars are not designed to be driven on such roads.
But pickup trucks, having a higher ground clearance height, bigger tires, and better suspensions, can drive in any environment it is given to. Whether it is on-road, off-road, unpaved roads, muddy places, desert, or even flooded roads, pickup trucks are best known to overcome these types of circumstances we are likely to experience day by day as we travel.
A pickup truck can set its tires on anything, which makes it more valuable compared to a car.
3. Pickup Truck Being A “Pickup” Truck
Simply put, you cannot put large objects or heavy loads on a car, compared to pickup trucks, making pickup trucks more valuable and demanded on the streets compared to cars.
What Adds Value To A Truck?
These things add value to a truck:
1. Towing Capabilities And Engine
As I said a while ago, these trucks are equipped with better engines which makes them more expensive than cars. The truck’s capability to tow things or another vehicle is another reason why it is more expensive than other types of vehicles.
2. All-Weather Tires And Good Suspensions
Tires are expensive, and if a car has a good set of tires, therefore it has more value. Better suspensions also add value to a pickup truck because these suspension systems are also pricy.
3. Luxurious Design
Pickup trucks offer a very unique design concept. It gives that “manly façade” vibe, which makes it more attractive to guys. Those things you cannot find in other types of vehicles in the market. It adds value to a pickup truck.
Conclusion
So there we have it, these are the answers as to why pickup trucks nowadays are more expensive than before. It is a utility vehicle and a travel companion in one. It can survive most road conditions compared to cars. It provides greater torque and power at the expense of lower fuel consumption. It has better market demand than cars nowadays.
If you have questions, feel free to comment. Thank you!