People say we want simple trucks. And I'm sure there's a small segment of folks that do, but the reason we have the trucks for sale on the dealer lots that we have is because of consumer demand.
There was a time when a truck was exactly that... A truck. Something to work out of: No A/C, roll up windows, manual transmission, vinyl bench seat, etc... but then men who used trucks everyday for their work wanted more creature comforts like air conditioning, cruise control, leather seats, back seats, better fuel economy, more horsepower, etc... People wanted a truck that could still haul stuff, but a truck they could also load up with luggage, chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards and drive 8 hours to the beach and take the whole family.
This is why we have the trucks we have today. The automobile companies didn't force these trucks down our throats, they gave us what we wanted, because they are just trying to sell trucks and make money.
It's our fault and we should own it.
The last time automobile companies tried to force something down our throats was electric cars. That isn't working out so well for them. All three legacy American car companies are pivoting away from expensive electric cars and trucks, because they are not making money on them.
Probably the cheapest, simplest, most basic trucks you can buy now would be a 2WD base Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma. Of those two I would opt for the base Nissan, because it's the last mid-sized truck with a naturally sspirated V6. But even that is going to set you back over $33k brand new.
Last edited by Irishguy; 07/25/26 07:41 AM.
