![]() The “Dark Brandon” Meme That Liberals Suddenly Love I’ve Found a Trick to Buy My First House. How long until your new truck adds to the total? And surprise, surprise, our roads are getting more and more dangerous: U.S. Meanwhile, sales of plain old sedans are falling off a cliff. One out of every 6 new vehicles sold in America is a full- or midsize truck. The three bestselling cars in America last year were the F-150, the Ram, and the Silverado. Trucks are not only ever-growing-they’re an ever-growing part of the U.S. And 35 percent of truck owners basically never even put anything in their truck beds! Only about 30 percent of truck owners go off-road more than once a year. ![]() According to the automotive research firm Strategic Vision, only a quarter of truck owners use their trucks’ towing capacity more than once a year. And what are you getting? A vehicle that, if you’re like the vast majority of drivers, is way more car than you actually need. So: You’ve purchased a car that makes it more difficult to avoid a collision, that doesn’t allow you to see what’s right in front of you, and that is vastly more likely to kill anyone it touches. (SUVs, which have been getting smaller over the years, are merely 28 percent more likely to kill people in other cars. In fact, your pickup truck is 159 percent more likely than other kinds of cars to kill another driver if you’re in a collision, according to the IIHS. But everyone around you is in more danger. You feel a lot safer in your 5,000-pound tank, I bet. It isn’t just pedestrians who are more likely to be killed if they’re hit by a truck-it’s people in other cars. Those big, road-handling tires you love so much? They’ll also do a great job handling some middle schooler’s torso.Īnd if you do collide with that Corvette in your blind spot, well, good luck to that Corvette’s driver. Big trucks are also more likely to push a pedestrian under the tires, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, something that increases the likelihood of a fatality. A grille that’s more than 50 inches off the ground-as tall as the roof of my Honda Civic-makes it more likely that a pedestrian will be struck in the head by a collision. Your car is also really tall, and that makes it more dangerous, too. You ever nail someone with one of those, hoo boy! They’ll need to pry ’em off the road with a crowbar. Let’s not even talk about the new generation of electric vehicles, like the Hummer EV, which thanks to its immense batteries weighs more than 9,000 pounds. ![]() And trucks and SUVs are getting heavier: New pickups weigh 24 percent more than they did in 2000, according to Consumer Reports, and these days big cars regularly exceed 4,000 pounds. The heavier a car, the more likely it is to kill a pedestrian if it strikes them. Then again, no one ever said owning a monster is easy.Your giant car, study after study shows, is remarkably dangerous to pedestrians. Living with the 2022 Ram TRX isn't all Monster Jam-worthy antics, though, because maneuvering in traffic or parking lots can cause anxiety and frequent fuel fill-ups will become a routine. Even then it'll have to contend with the Ram's ridiculously luxurious interior and remarkable on-road manners, which helped it earn a 10Best award and a place on our Editors' Choice list. The 450-hp Ford F-150 Raptor is the TRX's only real challenger, but it's not a fair fight until the 700-plus-hp Raptor R arrives. Sure, there are mightier Hellcat-powered models, but no other stock pickup sounds like it ate a band of demons while sailing to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Essentially the regular Ram 1500 on steroids, the juiced-up TRX is dramatically wider and has a supercharged V-8 that generates 702 horsepower. Most monster trucks are confined to arenas and closed courses, but the 20 TRX is one that can be unleashed on public roads. Obviously, the Ram 1500's capabilities ensure it won't be confused for anything but a truck, but the fact that it can pass for a luxury vehicle is what makes it special and what earns it an Editors' Choice award. The strongest configuration can also tow 12,750 pounds. Its roster of engines operate through a silky automatic transmission and include a 395-hp Hemi V-8 (with or without hybrid assistance) and an eco-friendly diesel six-cylinder with 480 pound-feet of torque. Ram also offers the 1500 with a massive 12.0-inch touchscreen, compartments built into the cargo bed, and a split-folding tailgate. Sure, the entry-level models aren't lined with the luscious materials and upscale features of the priciest trims, but they still ride better than the fanciest alternatives thanks to its more sophisticated suspension, which can be made cushier with the available air springs. Pickups have a variety of talents, but the 20 is more talented than most half-ton trucks because it's significantly nicer.
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