The article makes some very good points. There are a lot of people who own FS pickups, who brag about the vehicle’s HP/torques/tow rating/hauling capability but, when you look in the bed, there is a nary a scratch on the paint. Then, when you look inside, it looks like a showroom vehicle…And, if you get in their truck with a can of soda or cup of coffee, they look at you like you whizzed on their shoes. These are the type of people who buy a lot of pickups. They don’t buy a pickup to be a pickup, they buy it so they can show the world how big/bad/manly they are…even if their truck never leaves the pavement.
I fit in a lot of the categories they mention in the article. I drive my vehicle back and forth to work every day but there are times I need a truck. So, I want something that is “civilized” on the road, something that I am comfortable in, something I can fit easily into most parking spots, something I can fit into my garage, etc. I am kind of a DIY guy, so I need something that I can throw some mulch, topsoil, gravel, sheets of drywall/chipboard/2x4’s/that kinda thing, into the bed. I also need to tow around 4000-5000 lbs. occasionally. The RL has fit that bill perfectly for me for the last 10+ years I have owned the vehicle. And it has done it reliably, safely, and comfortably. Not sure what more you can ask for.
It comes down to this: Would I WANT a FS pickup? Sure, who wouldn’t. I’d love to have that capability if I needed it. But, do I really NEED a FS pickup? No, I don’t, and I don’t think a lot of people who own FS pickups need them either.
I have owned my RL for over 10 years, I have a little over 181,000 miles it, and it has done everything I have asked it to do…and then some. Were there times I wish I had a FS pickup? Sure there were. But, %99 of the rest of the time, I am happy I didn’t have a FS pickup…because of the way my RL rides and handles, in most driving situations, I was happy I was behind the wheel of my RL.