Any other pickups considered before reserving your CT?

[Coolbreeze704]

This is what I have been dreaming about for 4 years.

Took a detour on this journey though to buy a Lightning just so I could appreciate my Cybertruck even that much more

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[rudedawg78]

GM is about to put out some amazing EV trucks if their specs hold true. And there's no reason to think specs will be off from what they say judging by the Hummer EV.

I'd get this any day over a CT... https://www.gmc.com/future-vehicles/sierra-ev-denali

That's a nice looking truck. However, IMO, the physical look is typical of every other truck out there. I love the uniqueness of the CT appearance and the SS.

But most importantly, the Denali starts at $107K. Whew!!!

But this thread is stating if nothing was a barrier (including price) what would you get, so I respect your post and opinion.

 

[CyberGus]

This is what I have been dreaming about for 4 years.

Took a detour on this journey though to buy a Lightning just so I could appreciate my Cybertruck even that much more

 

[Gurule92]

 

[Old Pro]

I am curious if members considered any other pickup trucks, ICE or BEV, before placing a Cybertruck deposit. Here are mine in “lust factor” order;

#1: Cybertruck (Dual Motor on order)
#2: Rivian R1T (digging the 800HP quad motor drivetrain)
#3: Ford Raptor (have wanted one since the 2nd generation debuted in 2017)

I currently own a 6th truck in my lifetime, what I would consider AFTER making my CT reservation on day #2, is the the downsized Toyota truck that will be hopefully coming out in 2024 to compete with the Ford Maverick. Still holding out on getting my CT at a reasonable price in a reasonable amount of time from now. Just turned age 70! I don't have that much time to waste!

 

[PilotPete]

I have never owned a truck, nor have I shopped for one. Never caught my eye, and don’t need one. I was seriously shopping a 911 or a Cayman. I saw the CT at the initial announcement and said “interesting, but prototypes never look like the final product.“ I have sat firmly in the front row of “give me some high octane and a turbocharger and I’m good” for as long as I can remember. A buddy of mine bought a model S, and I thought, “sure it’s quick 0-60, but that’s all it’s got. And I don’t want to sit for an hour to recharge the dang thing just to get where I’m going.” Then i rented one. I looked at the tech involved. And my interest was piqued. I did some reading, some talking, and rented one again, This time for a 600mile week long round trip. I played with every feature I could find. I supercharged it. Found out how many superchargers there are, found out how fast they can be, and how easy they are to run across. A couple months later, I rented one again. This time for a one day 500 mile trip Through some less than “populated” areas. Holy cow, I found superchargers out there too! And all the people I laughed at waiting in line at the mall near me for a supercharger slot, I could no longer understand why they were waiting in the line, there’s a bunch more a mile or so away.

Shortly thereafter I put in my CT reservation. I did some math and got solar estimates. Got under contract with Tesla for my solar. Now I’m looking at getting a new Tesla to hold me until I get my CT (I think I’m reservation #1.7 million or so!) gets here. I’ve educated myself on electric cars, charging, PV cells, batteries, and more. I’ve studied patents, press releases, and white papers. I’ve watched analysts and realized how buried the world is in “the way we’ve always done it” in the auto world. I love tech (even though I grew up in a computer world with 8” floppies, before the 5-1/4s were popular, which is before the 3.5s were popular, which is before the CDs were popular, which is before the DVDs were popular, which is before thumb drives were popular, which…) I have mad respect for Elon and the Telsa leadership and the way they allow their software engineers to work.

I’ve never been interested in a truck, and after all my research, neither Ford, nor GM, nor Rivian, nor any current OEM gets a second look from me. Not because I’ve become a fan boy, but for technical reasons and the way some companies innovate. I want to support the most innovative, not the we’ve-always-done-it-this-way businesses.

I’ve considered helping my step-son buy an Aptera. Again, innovation. But with the latest price drop on a model 3, I’m leaning on helping him with that.

So, no, there isn’t any other truck I considered, or am willing to consider beyond the CT. I’ve considered a Taycan, a BMW i4 M50, and one or two others. In the end, I’ve stopped looking.

 

[FarAway]

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, even though it is ICE is sharp looking. I wish it had a little more "go" and a little more bed.

Of course, I may have to add a Genesis Essentia EV (concept). This is what the Tesla Roadster should look!

 

[FarAway]

I know we have more than a few Aussies here... I always like the UTE concept....(think modern Ranchero or El Camino). I can't understand why the HOLDEN never made it to the USA, except the auto manufacturers feared it would erode their pickup sales.

If there was a UTE, particularly if it was an EV... that would be awesome.

I think GM even kicked the idea around recently as an "El Camaro" UTE.

 

[cvalue13]

except the auto manufacturers feared it would erode their pickup sales.

The Holden platform did make it to the US, in very small numbers, as the Chevy SS and a few Pontiac one-offs

like most Ute’s in the US, they were a flop

ute’s just don’t sell well here, period, for various reasons - including that fuel costs aren’t so high that they incentivize car-truck ownership, few 2-seater buyers, etc.

but maybe more impactful is that cars and trucks are subject to materially different fuel economy standards.

 

[FarAway]

The Holden platform did make it to the US, in very small numbers, as the Chevy SS and a few Pontiac one-offs

like most Ute’s in the US, they were a flop

Subaru's Baja and the Hyundai Santa Cruz are the closest thing to a UTE style vehicle that a major US auto dealer has sold new in the USA in the last 30 years. Pontiac did come up with a concept car version just as they were getting the axe.

Yes, a handful of "used" Holdens have been imported into the US and a few custom shops have made one off UTE style vehicles, but NO major USA manufacturer has offered anything of the kind in decades. To say it is a flop, I think, is a little disingenuous.

 

[cvalue13]

Subaru's Baja and the Hyundai Santa Cruz are the only UTE style vehicles that a major US auto dealer has sold in the USA in the last 30 years. Pontiac did come up with a concept car version just as they were getting the axe.

Yes, a handful of "used" Holdens have been imported into the US and a few custom shops have made one off UTE style vehicles, but NO major USA manufacturer has offered anything of the kind in decades.

if brevity doesn’t work for you due to a reluctance of generous reading:

the Pontiac G8 ST wasn’t a concept - It was a production model slated for production for sale to the US, that ran headlong into the 2008 recession, and GM deciding what could justify sales in that environment - particularly given its fuel economy issues (as glimpses in my post)

In any event, what I said was:

The Holden platform did make it to the US, in very small numbers, as the Chevy SS and a few Pontiac one-offs

like most Ute’s in the US, they were a flop

let me correct what ungenerously was read: the Holden platform made it to the US, and even those non-UTE Holden platform vehicles, like UTEs, were flops , much less ever converted to their UTE configurations - the only arguable exception being the 5th Gen Camaro

The Brat sold a total of 100K units in US over its 10 year run

And while not branded as a UTE, because toxic in US, the Chevy SSR was every bit the UTE that’s sellable at all in the US: 24K we’re sold over 3 years

We appear to be counting ”flops” differently. For you a “flop” is something sold that doesn’t sell well. I add into that bucket platforms that were readily available to sell as UTEs (the holden platforms), but that we’re never converted as to be sold as UTES due to the flop writing on the wall.

When small-body pickups like the S-10, Maverick, ridgeline, etc., are available alternatives - and classified as trucks not cars - then low fuel prices, restrictive eco-regulations (on cars), and buying preferences in US just leave very little market for a UTE

 

[Greshnab]

, and buying preferences in US just leave very little market for a UTE

my only disagreement is that this has ANYTHING to do with buying preferences.. pretty much every small truck sold in the US sold all they would build... the manufacturers choose to stop producing them not for lack of demand but for lack of profit.

in the big 3's minds light trucks compete with normal trucks for sales volume and the income per unit for large and regular trucks is a LOT higher on large trucks than on small ones.

If you don't believe this is true... look for resale s-10 pickups or any other small pickup you will find they are HARD to find... the demand is there the profit margin for the car companies is just not where they want to build them.

 

[Sirfun]

I had a 63 Ranchero for a long time, but the salt air finally rusted it out, so I sold it around 2018. I've always preferred 2-door pickups, and would buy a 2 door CT in a heartbeat!

Here's me with my dads original version of the Chevy SSR.

 

[cvalue13]

my only disagreement is that this has ANYTHING to do with buying preferences.. pretty much every small truck sold in the US sold all they would build... the manufacturers choose to stop producing them not for lack of demand but for lack of profit.

in the big 3's minds light trucks compete with normal trucks for sales volume and the income per unit for large and regular trucks is a LOT higher on large trucks than on small ones.

If you don't believe this is true... look for resale s-10 pickups or any other small pickup you will find they are HARD to find... the demand is there the profit margin for the car companies is just not where they want to build them.

I agree with all this wrt small body pickups. (Maybe with the caveat that people have come to avoid 2-seater configurations of any truck.)

I just don’t think small body pickups are in the same posture as sedans modified to have beds

And again, a key reason as I understand it to the profitability point with both UTES, is that they’re subject to the emissions and mpg requirements of cars. Both aerodynamics and payload type performance constraints result in a pinch point of providing remotely competitive/useful capabilities while achieving mpg/emissions standards.

I’m not suggesting that’s the only factor, but a factor, and on some accounts a material one.

incidentally, this is one item Tesla has been taking on with the California Air Resources board back in 2019, when it was essentially arguing that medium duty vehicles should also be subject to as stringent requirements, sooner - and holding up the (then imagined) CyberTruck as an example of how compliance is still possible even for 2B-3 trucks.

 

[FarAway]

if brevity doesn’t work for you due to a reluctance of generous reading:

.... and do you READ for comprehension, since obviously the facts don't matter to you.

Trying to have a civil discussion with you is like wrestling with the proverbial pig in "mud" hole. So, I am out. Have fun.

From Wikipedia amongst other MANY other sources... (Maybe the word "was" means something different to you?)

The Australian-assembled Ute was to be sold in the United States as the Pontiac G8 ST starting in 2009 alongside the four-door Commodore-based G8 sedan.[5] However, due to GM's company-wide model review, a result of the 2008 global financial crisis, such plans were shelved on 6 January 2009.

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