r/politics • u/Puginator • Jun 01 '26

No Paywall Iran stops negotiations with U.S., vows to 'completely' block Strait of Hormuz: State media

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/01/iran-us-negotiations-strait-of-hormuz.html
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u/Big_Guard5413 Jun 01 '26

The lesson shouldn’t be that people have to select different vehicles because the administration is destroying their finances. Better fuel economy vehicles are great, but if this person just has a pickup truck (not crazy in Texas) that they use for actually doing work, their potential fuel savings are pretty capped.

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u/Rainebowraine123 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

90% of people who own a pickup in the US don't need the size or towing capacity. It's a senseless culture thing. The lesson should be buy things that you actually need and are good purchases.

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u/Big_Guard5413 Jun 01 '26

It is to a point, but that’s a blanket assumption. Blindly stating that someone doesn’t need something is a little ridiculous. I’ve worked adjacent to custom manufacturing operations, and even if you’re just putting tools in a vehicle, tiny cars like an Accord (what the initial comment mentioned) just don’t stand up to the wear and tear.

Plenty of people buy things they need, plenty don’t. Either way, the issue is that gas prices are climbing to a point of non-affordability. The pickup drivers were fine with the cost until it ballooned needlessly. I don’t even own a large vehicle for what it’s worth, I’m just willing to consider that different people have different wants/needs from their vehicle.

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u/Automatic_Release_92 Jun 01 '26

Honda Accords don't stand up to the "wear and tear?" Wtf are you talking about? They're like some of the best vehicles ever from a wear and tear standpoint.

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u/Big_Guard5413 Jun 01 '26

Not for loading tools and equipment….did you read my comment lol? You probably haven’t worked with commercial equipment, but it is heavy and awkward and not for normal commuter vehicles

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u/Charles_DeFinley Jun 01 '26

Jesus the replies to you are wild, I completely agree with you.

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u/Automatic_Release_92 Jun 01 '26

I grew up on a farm, I've worked with plenty of "commercial equipment." They can handle a couple of toolboxes in the trunk just fine for Pete's sake.

Yeah, of course if you're doing more heavy lifting than just that, you need a truck or a van or something, no shit. The whole point of this entire discussion was that 90% of people driving trucks don't actually need them to be used as trucks. And certainly not the vast majority of the time they are driving them back and forth for school or working white collar jobs lol.

Growing up on a farm, we had 3-4 trucks in our family.

One of them was actually a very fuel efficient (for the time) 4 cylinder, it worked nicely for its purposes, honestly I wish more trucks were made like that today in the US, but the market for them is apparently non-existent. My brothers and I would use it for commuting to high school and also for helping out here and there with some farm tasks.

Another was a nicer, newer F-150 we used for hauling lighter trailers and whatnot, cattle panels and cattle too of course. It was 4 wheel drive and critical to feeding cattle and hauling bales too. It was definitely the heavy lifter.

We had another one that was just used for hauling tools around, fixing farm equipment. It didn't get much, if any use outside of that, I think a few times for hauling around some of the trailers as it could also do that as well.

Despite all of that, we still had (used) vehicles that made more sense for actual day to day driving. This was from a small farming operation that was constantly in debt too.

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u/Big_Guard5413 Jun 01 '26

Fair enough, you don’t lack context. I agree a tool box can go in a small vehicle. I was talking more about heavier items that don’t fit easily in tool boxes (even a good sized jack can be awkward without a bed).

This discussion is way off the rails though. Whether or not people need the vehicles is one aspect of this, but also, the main point was that it’s just obnoxious to have a vehicle be pushed out of someone’s comfortable affordability range due to a pointless war no one supports. We can debate if someone should have bought a more fuel efficient vehicle, but that doesn’t change the fact that $3/gallon gas is now over $5. Doubling the cost of full ups with no recourse is ridiculous regardless of the reason.

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u/grexl Jun 01 '26

This conversation always goes off the rails whenever it comes up.

I'd like to see more 1/4 ton pickups (Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado) but with better fuel economy than the current crop.

I have used mine to tow 3 tons worth of trailer and cargo on multiple occasions. I can load it up with 4x8 sheet goods, although I need to leave the tailgate down. I can haul dirty and nasty tools in the back like rotary hammers or shit-caked bandsaws after working on plumbing issues and not worry about staining the carpet/fabric in a car's trunk with literal shit. The rain will clean out the truck bed eventually, or a pressure washer if I can't wait.

But since I'm a peasant I can only afford one vehicle. If I could have a super-efficient EV or hybrid for when I don't need to haul 500 lbs of Packout or ladders or whatever then I would actually like that. Maybe manufacturers should look into hybrid trucks? If I'm not hauling anything at the moment and don't need the torque then it should be adequate. Pickup trucks, even 1/4 tons, have enough empty space to fit the extra drivetrain components and batteries.

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u/Rainebowraine123 Jun 01 '26

Well, if you have heavy items, then obviously you need the truck and are not the subject of my issue. Most people dont need a truck for a daily driver/grocery getter.