Not fair to call it a tank. A tank driver can see a child in front.

Yeah even the SUV would be uncomfortably wide on some UK roads, end yet they're getting really common. They're almost all driven by people who don't need a large vehicle.

Not to mention they don't even fucking fit in off-road situations half the time. Unless you're in a wide open field or have giant cleared roads (in which case why do you need an ultimate off-road machineTM), most off-road situations in the eastern US are going to involve trees. Try driving around trees in that thing and you'll be stuck in a matter of minutes.

For all the actual off road work I've done, the best vehicle has always been those little utility off-road vehicles (we call them mules or gators but I'm sure they have a real name) or just a regular-sized pickup truck with 4 wheel drive and low gears.

This line of work basically put me in the position that is the subject of commercials that try to convince suburban dads that they need a huge truck in case one day their family goes on a fictional camping trip to the middle of a swamp.

This is so on point.

So many defenders go, "It helped when I had to haul shit to the dump" or "I bring wood back to build my shed".

What about the other 95% of the year? Because I rent a van to move shit and I'm happy taking the bus.

Anyways, you know what I learned? These fucking things suck at off-roading.

no shit, they're running live axle suspension, no amount of lift kit is going to get your diff case unstuck from the mud LMAO.

Doesn't help that these idiots also put small tires on big rims to get that bafflingly stupid look on them, which lowers the ride quality, and lowers the axle even more.

I'm convinced you have to be brain damaged to own a bro dozer, let alone think an f150 with live axles can get around in mud. Bro almost nothing can, a humvee might do it, but it's also literally built to do it. It's got full independent suspension, nice large tires with high sidewalls, portal axles for increased clearance. It's got a low cab, set next to the engine and transmission (that's why they're so wide) They're short, so they can get around trees and shit and likewise have a low CG.

And f150 looks like it was built to be a parody of a hummer, and it's no surprise that they drive and handle like shit as a result.

There is also the factor of danger and safety. People are observing more gigantic cars on the road and being in a smaller one makes them feel unsafe. So they get a bigger one when they get a new car, perpetuating the problem.

American "I got mine" mentality at its finest. Too much lead poisoning (my leading hypothesis. You don't elect someone like Trump unless there is something seriously wrong) to realise it's a race to the bottom. When enough people do something at the expense of others, what a surprise when others also do it at the expense of you, and it all turns to shit.

It's this absurd country of "Christian" values, except not the part of caring for others, "fuck that socialism hippie shit, except for Russia, which is cool now because they meddle in our elections... Or, they meddle in favour of my team! We need to do something about the socio-economic situation! What, unions? No fuck that Marxist shit you commie!"

Etc. It's all just too dumb. Hence, lead poisoning hypothesis.

I once asked a friend with a truck to help me pickup a BBQ. When attempting to load it he got so worried about us scratching the truck bed that eventually we couldn't proceed. Called another buddy with a minivan, we put a moving blanket down and off we went. No whining, just work.

Some of those curbs may also be kids, but who can tell.

Many countries do demand a commercial vehicle license for such trucks.

Why not put a spare car in it?

you know it's funny, they made crewcab long beds in the 80s and 90s. They were just long and looked a little goofy, had normal proportions otherwise, these have been vertically stretched and widened to compensate for the absolutely bizarre form factor that they ship in. i genuinely have no idea what they're doing with the front suspension to require the hood to be that high off of the ground. A fucking hummer has more ground clearance with a lower hood.

There is almost no reason for a truck like this to exist, especially when you consider it's interior is "luxury"

(or pulling a trailer).

You don't need truck for this

people keep saying that they have uses as work trucks and i'm not sure i believe them because they made smaller trucks in the 90s and 80s and those trucks were still for work?

I mean i've seen one of these things towing 5 fucking cars. I can't think of the last time i had to load up 5 cars on a shipping trailer and then ship them on my fucking daily driver. Honestly i didn't even think that was possible, but apparently it is, and i have no idea why people own these things as daily drivers now.

to be clear, my issue here is that saying they have uses is underselling the problem. You can hire a semi with a flatbed to ship a bag of sand. But that's fucking stupid.

I watched a guy load bags of soil from the hardware store into the back seats of the crew cab while he had an empty bed. The bed would have been easier to load and could easily be hosed down if a bag leaked. I guess he forgot it was also a truck and not just a luxury commuter car.

This picture is from Australia. We don't have many, they're becoming more common but ones that are lifted like that are less common. In my area it's mainly normal rams. Which are far bigger than normal aussie cars.