Full-Size Trucks: A Battlefield of Innovation

By Geoffrey Clay

Geoffrey Clay

Author BIO

Geoff Clay has been obsessed with cars and trucks all his life, and has a particular bias for those models made in Detroit. (Although he is a veteran... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Full-Size Trucks: A Battlefield of Innovation
I like Howie Long. I trust his picks on Sundays. And when he tells me only little old ladies need... Read More

• N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
• 7ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 0COMMENTS POSTED

3 20,748 views March 9, 2009

2009 Ford F-150

Enlarge Photo

Howie’s new TV ads for Chevy trucks definitely speak to the American pickup buyer, showing a tough working man who hops up into the bed, and jumps down from it, and stands on the back tires to access things in it.  I imagine most pickup buyers aren’t worried about breaking a heel getting in and out of bed -- the pickup bed.

Some innovations are ground-breaking.  Some are just gimmicks.

Actually, I’m being a little harsh on the Ford F-150.  I’m sure by the end of the day, on your fortieth hop up into the pickup bed, the Ford ladder/handle gimmick is probably pretty welcome.  And if nobody’s looking, you just might use it.  Ford’s recent TV ads make this point.

The 2010 Chevy Silverado Hybrid, which I review here at ChevyTruckReviews.com, is a MAJOR innovation.  I probably don’t need to get into all the finer points here, because there are far too many, and the technology is way too complex.  Suffice it to say, any advancements that yield 20 mpg city/20 mpg highway in a full-size 4X4 pickup truck qualifies as a huge innovation.  And the 2010 Chevy Silverado Hybrid is the undisputed leader in this category with comparable auto insurance quotes.

Other full-size pickups are not to be left out of the innovations race though.  The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram boasts their new RamBox (TM) Cargo Management System atop the rear fenders, and also including a box extender/cargo divider.  Better than any storage boxes in the bed, the accessing of which would require feats of athleticism or some type of step-up ladder/handle gimmick, the RamBox (TM) allows easy access from the ground, beside the truck.  This is a pretty good idea, and a clever use of otherwise wasted space.

What clever little ideas will the next generation Chevy Silverado include?  Hopefully we won’t have long to wait. Kick off the conversation here in our comments and tell us what YOU think.

Meanwhile, enjoy the Howie ads from YouTube: