The pickup truck is the embodiment of the American, blue-collar worker. It’s tough, dependable, and can take anything Mother Nature has to throw at it.
Every single TV Commercial marketing the pickup also features the deep-voiced, hard-working, country farmer type, explaining exactly how the F-150, Silverado, and Ram were all rated the best pickup in its class by Company X, Y, and Z.
It’s one of the only vehicles that warrants an argument which results in fist fights when one brand is supposedly proven to be better than the others. Why? Because it’s a big deal! Pickup trucks an essential part of our culture.
All this used to be true. It isn’t anymore.
Trends, needs, and technology all change. Consumers change. Because of that, the modern pickup truck isn’t a pickup anymore. Pickup trucks have become a whole new segment under a different umbrella. They’ve become little more than a glorified SUV.
All one needs to do is look around at how many pickup trucks are available and bought with the four door, crew-cab layout.
Of course, just because someone will point it out… Yes, you can still get the “work truck” version of just about any pickup on the market. And yes, when you buy one, it can still come with just basic amenities. And yes again, you can still use pickups as fully-functioning work vehicles.
With that in mind, there also hasn’t been a time in history where you could have bought a pickup truck with comparable amenities to most luxury cars available at the same time. That is, until now.
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Let’s use the 1999 and the 2018 Chevy Silverado as an example. Pricing is always a good place to start.
In 1999, the top-of-the-line “LT” trim had an MSRP of just over $31,000. A new 2018 Chevy Silverado in the top-of-the-line “High Country” trim has an MSRP of $55,600.
It’s only natural that a vehicle sold 20 years ago would be less expensive because of inflation. That’s certainly true, but if you adjust the MSRP of the 1999 Silverado to today’s equivalent, it would come to a little under $47,000. That means that about $9000 worth of extra equipment has been added to the top trim level Silverado, before extra options, since then.
This also means that, when adjusted for inflation, there are still three trim levels today that would cost more than one would pay for the highest trim level in 1999. Additionally, there were only three trim options available in 1999 as opposed to the eight available now in 2018.
Even with the addition of four-wheel drive, a base model, standard cab, regular bed, 1999 Silverado had an MSRP of $18,800. Today, a comparable Silverado without the four-wheel drive option has an MSRP of $28,300.
This is still about $1000 more than the 1999 Silverado would be when adjusted for inflation. And, that is without the option of four-wheel drive in today’s truck.
Pricing isn’t everything, though. Options are part of it too. The 1999 Silverado was definitely not ill-equipped. Heated seats, six-way adjustable power seats, and remote keyless entry were all standard on the top trim level.
Compared to high-end luxury cars of the day, the ’99 Silverado didn’t really compare, though. It wasn’t built to compete with them. Additionally, GMC’s Sierra was supposed to offer a higher level of overall luxury so the Silverado didn’t have to.
Things like automatic climate control, touchscreen infotainment systems, and HID headlights were all available on other luxury vehicles in 1999 that weren’t available in the Silverado.
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Now, back to the present. The 2018 Silverado certainly has some features we need to drop from the conversation. Things like lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and parking assist just weren’t available in 1999. At least, not even in the vast majority of luxury cars.
That being said, the current Silverado does have all that and much more, all of which are also standard on most luxury vehicles and even some non-luxury vehicles right now. We can’t count all of that out completely.
Things like HID headlights, massaging seats, and state of the art infotainment systems which control every aspect of how your 2018 Silverado drives are all standard, just like today’s Audis, Mercedes, and BMWs.
But, the Silverado isn’t the only truck that’s suffering an identity crisis. The Ford F-150 and Ram are in the same arena.
The newest Ram model received a mild hybrid system. True “truck guys” doubtless find the principle of a mild hybrid to be absurd. I’d venture to say the same, and I would also love to see how many of those “truck guys” even knows what that means.
GM just announced the addition of a 4-cylinder engine to the Silverado. Again, someone unaware of this may not be able to tell the difference in real-world driving, but it’s about the principle of the matter, right?
Ford’s decision to stop selling cars in the United States shows just how well their truck sales are doing. It makes sense considering how many more people want a truck now with all the modern features they have to offer.
I’m not a “truck guy”, so I have no right to speak for them. I tell it like I see it, and I do know that pickup trucks have changed. And, it’s not only the trucks themselves, it’s what they stand for as well.
Trucks used to be tough, simple workhorses. Now, with all the modern technology and convenience packed into them, there’s just more that could break. They’ve become fragile. They’ve become a luxury vehicle with enough ground clearance to get through bad weather. They’ve taken the place of family sedans, minivans, and even sports cars.
All of that also adds a tremendous amount of cost that never used to be associated with the pickup.
Pickup trucks have become the least common denominator. Extended cabs with smaller bed sizes have allowed the pickup to become the most usable vehicle on the road today, which is why the true pickup doesn’t exist anymore.
The need for tough, simple pickups will never go away. They will always be there for those who really need them. For everyone else, they will continue to become more and more a part of everyday life.
Say what you will, but the pickup has moved into a new segment of the market. It’s become an extension of the SUV, and the replacement for so many vehicles that brought us to where we are today.
