here's the thing... use the right tool for the job. i like camping/fishing in mountain country that gets snow, so will always get a 4x4 for that, be it a jeep or a pickup. if you don't need a 4x4, then hey, don't get one. suvs are usually heavy enough over the drive wheels to not cause problems, whereas 2wd pickups can be problematic unless there's weight in the bed, and i'm thinking in terms of snow country. sure, 4wd is a huge advantage when driving in snow, but it's not "required". it's obvious that the people that don't see the reason for 4wd don't ever drive in conditions that actually need 4wd.
i view suv's as a modern version of the station wagon that's essentially on a lift. i assume most people drive them either because they need the cargo space for kids, etc and need the tow capability as well or haven't admitted to themselves they really need a minivan. the majority of my friends with kids transitioned from a car to an suv until finally saying fuck it, and get a minivan despite the 'uncool' factor. everyone i know with a minivan admit they love the van's convenience and versatility. interestingly of all the couples i know with minivans, the woman fought the idea of a minivan longer than the men. i'm assuming because they knew they would end up driving it the most and didn't want to be seen as the soccer mom, etc. i grew up in an area where if you owned a truck you would more than likely need 4wd as well. there are tons of reasons even in northern or hilly environments where it's not a necessity, but i totally understand the view of i'd rather spend the money to get it even if i'll only ever need it once or twice. when i lived in florida, i pulled a couple boats out of the water because the boat owner's 2wd couldn't get up a slippery boat ramp although most of those i'd say had more to do with tire selection/tread wear than the truck's ability. despite currently living in a major metro area i drive a truck because i prefer the convenience of not having to mess with bike/ski racks, etc nor do i have to rent/borrow a truck whenever i need to move something like a couch, large tv, home project materials, etc. day to day, my truck's on pavement, but i spend enough time camping and traveling in areas where the 4wd more than pays for itself. it's a pain in the ass parking a full sized pickup in the city, but 90% of the time if i'm going somewhere downtown, public transportation, a cab or uber is more convenient (and cheaper) than taking your own vehicle whether it's a truck or a smart car. like mobyduk and as nettdata said; drive a vehicle that makes the most sense to support your interests and lifestyle.
i've never understood pop culture and have never really been interested in it. not sure why, just the way i'm built. people will talk about popular movies or events in the area and it goes over my head. during these conversations i usually have the blank stare on my face. i just don't get it. maybe i'm just boring, but i a beer and sports kind of guy.
i've been thinking of getting a truck for the sole purpose of hauling yard waste to the compost pile and being able to pick up lumber & other large types of materials. i figure i just need a little 2wd truck since i don't plan on hauling anything really heavy or driving it in the winter.
and along those lines, i don't see the need for most people to buy brand new vehicles. i see so many people that don't have 6 months of living expenses in the bank gladly make a sizable monthly car payment. twice i've bought a brand new vehicle, once because i landed my first good job so bought a brand new vehicle, and then again when the new hemi-powered grand cherokee came out (because i really wanted the hemi and didn't want to wait for a used one to come available, and the wife needed a vehicle). but never again... it just seems like a waste of cash to me. for instance, i'm currently driving my beater of a jeep, but have found a 2nd car i'll be buying, a nice, used bmw 5-series for under $5k that is in great shape. not saying you have to be cheap, like me, but there are a ton of great "certified pre-owned" vehicles that are only a year or two old but significantly cheaper, and under full warranty.
absolutely; i wouldn't drive it enough to justify buying new. i was thinking of spending somewhere in the range of 4-5k, depending on what i could find.
this. if you are going to want a different vehicle every 3 years, then do not buy new. buy cpo with less than 20k miles on it and warranty left. if you also want new, and you're going to switch every 3 years, you are essentially always planning on having a car payment*, so you should just lease to make that number lower. but, if you're like me, and keep vehicles forever, you can buy new. last car had 150k when i got rid of it, previous two trucks each had about 120k, and my current truck is at 295k. (last 2, 4 wd, btw, but that's more work related.) *unless you're paying cash for a new car every 3 years, in which case you don't need any financial advice.
i understand 4wd, if you need it. hell, if i lived in the frozen tundra like many of the posters here, i'd have it. but, why, oh why, is socal inundated w/ jacked up 4wd extended cab, long bed pickups that haven't a trace of dirt on them, have beds that are scratch free and 36" tall tires that do nothing but generate obscene noise on the freeway? station wagons? yes, i'd love a modern vista cruiser with decent towing capacity and a honkin' v-8. come on gm, well, maybe not gm, but ford could do it.
pffffft. you're just jealous 'cause you'll never drive one of these badassmobiles: Spoiler ...2013 four-wheeler of the year. seriously. is that jeep's idea of a practical joke? how can such an awesome vehicle get transformed into such plastic faggotry? when i think "jeep wrangler", i picture something closer to this:
i dont understand how anyone can sit and watch these "ice road trucker" or other of that type of show that history channel and tlc try to pass off as "reality". a guy i work with always wants to talk about the latest episode and i sit there trying to act interested to be polite until i cant help it and my eyes glaze over.
i've had people i know get into genuine argument with me, stating shows like ghost hunters and yes, ancient aliens are viable and honest shows. yes. that douche with the stupid hair with a community college degree in sports statistics cracked a conspiracy that no scientist on this earth agrees with. it must be true. tlc is beyond saving and need to die a horrible fucking death, history channel has just dipped its slit wrists in the warm water and will soon slide into blissful darkness. it won't be long before everything we once considered educational and interesting will be pulled-out-of-ass tabloid dogshit. thank god for books, something you can't take away.
once again, a timely thread, because friends have tried to get me to go to a concert of a band that was popular 30 years ago. what's the point of this? these guys are in their 50s and 60s, an there is no way they are going to sound like they did back then. know what i can do if i want to hear them again, sounding like they did when i actually listened to them? put on their fucking cd. "but dude, we can get wasted and it will be cool!" we were 17 then, and the only place to drink illegally was at a concert or in a shady park in the city. i have no need to pretend i'm 17 again. frankly, i'm happier now.
a couple coworkers went to a motley crue concert a few weeks ago, and they had a blast. live music is always fun, so i'm happy to go to whatever... even if they're approaching steel panther in how ridiculous they look.
I went to that tour. Alice Cooper opened who is even older, and in my opinion had the better performance of the two. What a showman.
I half agree with you. I saw Bob Dylan about a year and a half ago, and there were a few songs where I just wanted him to stop playing and go to bed. I guess he's too arthritic to play guitar, but he played piano a bit and holy fuck he was terrible (terrible terrible, not pro musician terrible). Of course his band was made up of top level monster players, so that made it even more funny/sad to hear his piano over the rest of the music. Now, having said that - for the songs where Dylan just sang and moved around, he fucking killed it. "Things have Changed" was probably the best live musical performance I've seen in my life; his 50+ years of stage experience definitely showed. Then a few months later I saw Paul McCartney, and he was just stupid good. I couldn't believe it. I think he was 71 at the time, and he blew the god damn roof off* of BC place for three hours in front of 50,000 people. It's pretty cool to watch a master of anything work, and that dude is a master entertainer. *He did almost literally burn the roof off... the pyrotechnics were too high (read: badass) and caused a fair bit of damage. But yes, I don't get the "I'm a fan for life!!" thing. If a band gets old and shitty I'm not going to keep going to their concerts.
I can answer this. People want dogs. They LIKE dogs. They don't own a home, they don't have a large home, their health - for whatever reason - isn't conducive to owning a large dog. People in the military don't generally keep large dogs because OCONUS orders means it's stupid super fucking expensive to take their dogs with them when they PCS...large dogs have restrictions on the flights and the like. Also, small dogs are NEVER on a banned breed list - despite being gargantuan fucking assholes. The people who have the worst fucking asshole little dogs I see are the people who are too old, too fat, or too lazy to do anything with them that makes them acknowledge it's actually a goddamn canine, and instead keep it around them and let it get matted up and gross. And they don't train them because they're little, so they can just yank them around. I don't hate little dogs. I hate their owners.
We just want a little dog, mostly because we are used to cats and want something small so we don't feel overwhelmed. I had a lab growing up and a shepherd mix as an adult. I don't want a big dog. Most of the little dogs I've met in the rescues are great little dogs. I think they get a bad rap.
There is a difference between small dogs and yappy dogs. Most Spaniels are small dogs, they're usually great. Miniature Schnauzers are great AND whip-smart. Dogs like Pomeranians and Yorkies should be place-kicked through uprights by Morten Anderson. They are made up entirely of fur, needle-teeth, dead eyes and nothing more.
Meh, my brother rescued a tea cup yorkie and it's actually pretty cool. Yaps a lot when he wants to play and he can play for hours on end playing fetch. I seriously didn't think something that weighs less than five pounds could have that much energy. Food cost I imagine are retiredly low. Not my choice for a dog but I can't hate.
I have a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix who took down a rabbit almost the same size as him a few weeks ago. I had another dog before that of the same breed who tore through the woods like a maniac for 10 mile hikes every weekend. My current dog rarely barks, and when he does it is one or two sharp barks and then he attacks (He is a puppy, which is why he has not learned to not attack people yet.) If you don't treat small dogs like accessories, they will behave like any other dog. For example, my uncle has a pack of Pomeranian/Yorkie dogs. He treats them like children instead of dogs, so they yap and freak out and are annoying. The father of these puppies was raised in an environment where he could act like a dog, so he acts like a normal dog despise the fact that he is a tiny Yorkie. It's all about the way you raise them.