It's not just trucks either. Up here in Northern Wisconsin, we obviously get a lot of snow, which is why a lot of people try to justify having a 4wd (ignoring that for snowy highways an AWD Subaru with snow tires would be more useful for commuting). I have a coworker, she has a lifted Wrangler with all the off-road trimmings, even a winch, that has never been off-road. Last winter, she was stuck in the parking lot during a snowstorm. I went to help her and asked if it was in 4wd, SHE DID NOT KNOW! She has owned a Wrangler for 3 years and doesn't even know how to put it in 4wd! FFS why is she buying an off-road kitted vehicle when she clearly has never taken it off-road and didn't even know how to use 4wd! I respect people buying what they want, I mean let's face it a Ferrari/G-Wagen/Caterham 7/etc is not exactly a practical purchase either, but at least know how to use the vehicle you bought! ... View more

Finally, people are realizing that recent trends in "Macho" truck designs aimed at their (now) core buyer demographic of urban dwellers that don't actually need a truck, are off-putting to the rural and suburban people that actually need trucks and used to be their core demographic when trucks were functional and not grocery getters. I know this is an inflammatory statement, but I live in rural WI and there is nothing more annoying on the highway than someone driving a gaudy Sierra Denali or Silverado High Country (or worse a lifted F250 diesel with 22in rims, a smokestack, and low pro tires with a "Custom Offsets" sticker in the window) that doesn't even have a hitch, and who has little to no experience in a vehicle that size, nearly hitting people in their blindspots. ... View more

Yeah, that new big screen looks absolutely tacky compared to the old. I expect better from a brand that charges as much as they do. ... View more

My dad had a Scout as I was growing up, but it sadly was eaten by WI rust. That thing was our hunting vehicle as it could go anywhere off road, and we have trails up here that are old narrow gauge railroad lines that are a great way to get deep into otherwise inaccessible woods. I will always remember how slow the crawler gear was. My dad once jumped out of the thing in the woods while it was crawling in 4lo, took a piss, and then took two or three steps to jump back in as it had only crawled a few feet while he was out of it. ... View more

I am with you, and I want to see what it looks like in the rear end as well. ... View more

I have owned several minivans through the years, and I have to say that in terms of comfort/features/handling I like the Pacifica and Odyssey the best (stow n'go gives the win to Chrysler IMHO). That said, this Kia is hands down the best looking van the world has seen and will hopefully get copied by the others. To give an idea of how minivans can change a mindset: I got a 2014 Grand Caravan (the family beater) when we had our second kid in 2018, as I am a fan of vans and my Scion xB didn't cut it with 2 kids. My wife refused to drive it, and hated to ride in it. She drove a crossover. She started complaining how hard it was loading kids into the crossover (she is 5'2"), and wanted to check out other vehicles. She tried out a variety of other CUV's, SUV's, and sedans, and couldn't find something to satisfy her. One day we are at a Honda dealer (she was looking at a Pilot), and I convinced her to drive an Odyssey, and I would stay back at the dealership. A short bit later she gets back, I asked her about her impression and she said, "Damn it, I loved it!" About a month later, after trying all the vans on the market, she got a brand new Pacifica as she felt it was the best of the bunch. Having driven nearly every van from the mid 90s up through the years (started with a Montana), I can say the Pacifica truly is my favorite. Of course, once the kids were old enough to get into a car themselves, my wife traded the Pacifica for a CR-V last summer. ... View more

If you want to see something amazing, look up the Lingenfelter Vista Cruiser on YouTube. Lingenfelter built a 1970 up with a supercharged LS3. The thing absolutely shreds! ... View more

Wait, even better! If the offered a Trooper White, they could rename their collision avoidance/SuperCruise system to "Storm Trooper Aiming". I would trust it cause it wouldn't be able to hit anything! ... View more

They need to add a "Trooper White" version then too. Shiny white everywhere with black accents and deeply tinted windows. ... View more

100% agree. I will always remember the 2009 bankruptcy, and when they announced that they were axing Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, etc. I was absolutely floored. I was thinking, "why would they make keep making two of the same under different brands (GMC/Chevy and Buick/Cadillac specifically) while getting rid of the only somewhat unique offerings?" I am sure there is some reasons someone will give regarding cost efficiency, and they are not wrong, but to me a GMC these days is really a fancy trim level of Chevy, and ditto for Cadillac to Buick. ... View more

Taking this a step further, and again in the spirit of a cheap way to make a project look better: If the engine is out and you lack time and budget, just rattle-can some black high temp enamel in the engine bay. Sure, brighter colors and a proper application method look better on a high-buck restoration show car, but on the cheap side, for cars that won't see extensive prep/cleaning prior to shows (like a daily driver), black enamel will look better than a bright color as accumulated grease and grim won't show if you didn't wash the engine bay out prior to the show, or did but then drove to the show. ... View more

A step I see too-often ignored when someone is doing a restoration and have the engine out, is to clean up and repaint the engine compartment. Nothing looks worse than a nice engine in a partially painted or multi-color painted (or heaven forbid, rusty) engine bay. If the engine is already out, this is an easy, fast, and cheap way to make things nice. ... View more

I cannot speak for the headers, but I have several cerakoted firearms, and I have fired them to the point the barrel is smoking on more than one occasion, and the barrel coating looks factory fresh. Seems like a good sign. I know it is used in a number of other high-temp applications as well, so something must be right about it. ... View more

Also, a key detail I omitted. The TriMotor at the EAA show is owned by the museum and operated regularly. So it is available for flights every single year, and available to view in the museum when not being flown at this show or others. It is one of (I believe) 8 airworthy ones left in the world, so truly a limited opportunity adventure. You can look it up online at the EAA website, it is C/N:69, tail # N8407, and is a 4-AT-E model from 1929. It tours the US on a pretty regular basis, so may be at a show near you in the future if one doesn't want to come to WI.  ... View more

I live in Wisconsin, and as such have the pleasure of attending the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI almost every year (for those unfamiliar, it is the largest airshow of its type in the world, and during its 1 week each year the airport in Oshkosh is the highest traffic airport in the world. I recommend traveling here to see it at least once in your life.). On no less then 5 occasions I have booked flights at the airshow in a TriMotor. What an experience, one worth repeating. Also, the noise mentioned in the article is no joke, I didn't bring ear plugs one year and the 20 minute flight left me with ringing ears the remainder of that day. ... View more

Have had a 17 and now a 21 Ridgeline. Grew up in Chevy Half Tons. I could not agree with you more. For my 99.9% of the time, the Honda is more than enough, and the .1% that comes up I can borrow or rent something else. If my needs ever change on a permanent basis, then I will consider a larger truck. ... View more

Agreed, unless someone is driving a Carolina Squat, don't encourage those people. ... View more

I am with you here, as is my father. My father is a life long truck owner, currently in a 21 Silverado 1500, that replaced his 17 Sierra 1500, that replaced his 11 RAM 2500 Big Horn, and so on. He worked until 2016 for an electric utility that he started at when he was 19, has held a CDL since he was 19, and spent 50+ hrs a week driving line trucks with pole trailers behind them. He can back up a huge truck and long pole trailer with poor visibility via mirrors alone, and yet he complains/complained constantly about the Silverado and Sierra and RAM having piss-poor visibility when he is driving in the woods, unable to see when he is close to rocks or stumps. He finds the cameras to be useless because they are either covered in snow, mud, or salt most of the time. He wishes, as do I, that a modern version of the old Dodge A-series and Jeep FC-series were available. ... View more

Rita's car is almost as good looking as its owner, almost. ... View more

Also, what you call data manipulation, is actually called math, and your own comment shows how little you understand it. Let's say there are 2 truck makers, A & B. A makes 100k trucks, and 2500 of them reach 200k miles. That is 2.5% of the trucks made. B makes 800,000 trucks, and 10,000 of them make 200k, or 1.25%. So A could claim, truthfully, that their trucks are 2x as likely to reach 200k than B's. B could also claim, truthfully, that 4x as many of their trucks reach 200k than A's. You are claiming the latter with Ford, this study is looking at the former. The point it, if you were to buy a truck with the intention of reaching 200k with it, you are twice as likely to achieve that outcome with a vehicle from A. Ford simply sells more, so can claim a larger gross number, thanks in large part to the fleet sales you mention, the reliability and longevity is measured by percentage, not gross.   Another way of looking at it. If we were shooting guns competitively, and the prize went to whomever got a shot closest to the bullseye, someone shoots 10 rounds from a rifle, and someone else shoots one round of birdshot from a shotgun (making more vehicles). The shotgun is more likely to get more holes nearest the bullseye than shooting a rifle. They could claim their shotgun is more accurate. It isn't, it merely threw more lead down range to get more closer to the bullseye than the rifle rounds. The rifle is more accurate, the shotgun throws more at the problem. ... View more

I have been pretty enthused since this started, being from Wisconsin. I hope it continues to thrive so that I can have my son enter when he is old enough. ... View more

Yeah, to anyone reading your response: Just look up the page whose title I helpfully provided, it is on iseecars own site, not a 3rd party summation or any data manipulation. None of what BMD says is in the article, and I don't know why he has such a stick up somewhere. Here is a literal copy/paste of the 1st part of the article: "Truck-based SUVs represent the majority of the list Toyotas account for 6 of top 10 vehicles with Land Cruiser and Sequoia dominating competition Avalon and Prius are the only passenger cars to make the list Nine SUVs make up the top 15 vehicles list that also includes three pickup trucks, two minivans, one sedan, and one hybrid hatchback. Toyotas and full-size SUVs are the longest-lasting vehicles that are most likely to reach 200,000 miles or more, according to a new study by automotive research firm and car search engine iSeeCars.com. iSeeCars analyzed over 14.9 million cars sold in 2021 to determine the most reliable models based on their long-term reliability with the highest percentage of cars reaching 200,000 miles. “With new and used car prices at record highs, many consumers are likely keeping their vehicles on the road for an extended period of time or are looking to buy a reliable vehicle to get the most return on their investment,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Toyotas account for the majority of the top ten longest-lasting vehicles, which validates the brand’s reputation for building enduring and reliable vehicles..” Top 15 Longest-Lasting Cars: Toyota Land Cruiser Earns the Top Spot The top 15 long-lasting models identified each have over 3.0 percent of their vehicles (more than two-and-a-half times the overall average) reach 200,000 miles, and include a mix of vehicle types with 9 SUVs (including a hybrid), three pickup trucks , one sedan, two minivans, and one hybrid hatchback. " ... View more

Yeah, I think they should have separated the 0/never from the 1. I bet it would be telling. ... View more

I especially agree on the hood height. Visibility off-road is compromised in all of the latest trucks, all in the name of "looking macho". Granted, most of them don't go further off-road than rolling off the curb leaving the driveway, but still. Overall I never have considered the chevy's to be the most attractive of trucks, but in my opinion the last decent one was 1st Gen GMT 800s. ... View more

Literally nowhere in the website of the company that published that do they say what you just indicated, and the #1 spot on their list was the Toyota Land Cruiser. Again, I provided the name of their own article. Google it and read. Here I copied the data from the website. Rank Vehicle % of Cars Over 200k Miles 1 Toyota Land Cruiser 18.2% 2 Toyota Sequoia 14.2% 3 Chevrolet Suburban 6.6% 4 GMC Yukon XL 5.2% 5 Toyota 4Runner 4.6% 6 Ford Expedition 4.5% 7 Chevrolet Tahoe 4.4% 8 Toyota Tundra 4.0% 9 Toyota Avalon 3.9% 10 Toyota Prius 3.9% 11 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 3.8% 12 GMC Yukon 3.7% 13 Honda Ridgeline 3.7% 14 Honda Odyssey 3.2% 15 Toyota Sienna 3.2% ... View more

Awww, he's cute. Do your own research, the AWD Honda comes with standard HD transmission cooler (always has). The 9HP is not new, it came out in 2013, long before Honda began using it in 2019. Vehicles using it for far longer than Honda (like the Jeep Cherokee) are rated for 6000lbs of towing, so Honda is under that and nowhere near it's max. I get you're sour that I brought facts to your opinions, but don't be a douche. ... View more

In fairness, par for the course for Ford and others. The last gen of Explorer was the same subframe as a Taurus and Flex. That said, sharing some subframe and engine components does not mean it will be the same animal (drive a Flex, then get in an Explorer, what a different driving experience). As an example from another manufacturer: Honda uses shared subframes and drivetrain components on the Odyssey, Passport, Pilot, and Ridgeline (and of course their Acura counterparts). That said, drive all 4 and they are completely different vehicles. The Passport and Ridgeline particularly, as they have larger and stiffer suspension components than the other 2 (and the Ridgeline has a 14 inch longer wheelbase than the Pilot/Odyssey, stiffening components at the bed junction, and 2 frame reinforcement rails welded under it). Yes one could say that they "share a frame" but they are again different animals. This is not to say that an "Explorer based" Mustang might not suck, it very well may be as bad as you expect, but sharing a subframe does not dictate that it must suck and in fact may make it better than the prior gen. We won't know till they hit the road. I am willing to give it a fair shake and see how it is, despite not being a Ford buyer, not a Mustang's target audience, and thinking all Mustangs after the 1st gen are worthless. ... View more

It is because they optioned the 20" chrome rims and low-pro tires on it, if they don't slow down they will pinch flat and damage their precious bling rims. LOL ... View more

I simultaneously agree and disagree with you. Agree: Most "off-road" trims are appearance packages and offer little or no additional functionality over the non off-road trims. Disagree: Most of the people buying truly off-road vehicles don't off-road (the lady I saw this morning with French nails and too much makeup in the Starbucks drive thru likely does not take her immaculately clean Wrangler off-road) or rarely do, and in the rarely do category don't hit terrain difficult enough to warrant the level of off-road capability their vehicle has (getting to a hiking trailhead rarely requires a TRD or Wrangler Rubicon). Adding the fact that many AWD systems (like Subaru's) now are about as good or better than open diff and limited slip 4x4s of the 80's and 90's, these vehicle could cover the needs of people who do light off-roading to campsites, hiking and biking trails, etc. Sure, you may not hit Moab in this Pathfinder, or an Outback Wilderness, or Passport TrailSport, but the people who go to Moab are not the target market. The target market is the family that goes to a tent campsite at the end of a rarely/barely maintained state or national forest road. In that case, these vehicles are more than capable enough, while being a far more practical daily driver than dealing with a Wrangler death wobble or the absolute trash ride and comfort level of a TRD Tacoma. ... View more

Fun fact, recent study found that the Honda Ridgeline is second place in the trucks most likely to see 200k miles (based on percentage of those with that mileage over number sold). Now, I strongly suspect this is in part because they don't get beat up as much as dedicated work trucks, but the majority of trucks sold are not used as work trucks, so I think a larger factor was the Honda J-series engine reliability. For reference, the study was by iseecars.com titled "Longest-Lasting Cars, SUVs, and Trucks to Reach 200,000 Miles and Beyond" if you want to google it. The Honda was 13th most likely of all vehicles to reach 200k, and number 2 of trucks (number one was the Tundra with 4%, Honda was 3.7%, third place was the Tacoma at only 2.8%). ... View more

You are more right that you think. In 2019, a survey of truck owners (250,000 of them) had 35% of respondents say they didn't haul things in the bed, or had only done so once. That sad fact, combined with those very people demanding "luxury" trucks, is the reason sensible and sensibly priced farm trucks no longer exist (well, them and the idiots who buy a diesel 3/4, lift it, and put 22" chrome rims on it to make up for their inadequacies). I have a regret from when I was just out of college regarding plain trucks like you discussed. I worked at a local bank at the time, and a woman who was recently widowed was voluntarily turning back in her husbands farm truck, which he had bought new less than a year before. It was a single cab, 4x4 Z71, bench seat, cloth interior, 8ft bed, Chevy 1/2 ton. We sent it to auction, and bank rules prohibited employees from bidding, and I failed to secure a straw bidder. The truck had a $25k loan on it, and auctioned for only $6k because of the low desirability of that configuration. If I had gotten my hands on it for that price, I would have kept it around forever as a beater and for hunting. ... View more

Nowadays, it would not serve my family, but I married relatively late, and at that time was both single and cash flush, I absolutely would have bought one! ... View more

AMEN ... View more

2x Ridgeline owner here (17 RTL-T and 2021 Sport). I grew up in Chevy half and three quarter tons, but for my realistic needs, the Honda is more than enough, costs less, has lower insurance and fuel costs, and rides better. That dual action tailgate and the trunk are game changers. This last week, my dad and I took a trip (100miles round trip) that was the first time he rode in mine for more than 5 or 10 minutes. He told me that he is seriously considering getting one the next time he buys, since he rarely tows and never off-roads since he retired 6 years ago. He currently drives a Chevy 1500 RST Z71. ... View more

In 2019, Strategic Vision performed a survey of 250,000 US truck owners (they do this annually, but 2019 was the last year I recall the numbers for) and 75% of respondents reported never towing or only doing so 1 time per year. 70% reported the same for off-roading (i.e. once or never each year). 35% reported never or only once annually hauling large cargo in the bed. I am going to guess there is some overlap in those categories, so one could safely say that 35% of truck owners don't need a bed and never tow or off-road. The remaining half (another 35% of owners) of the 70% value could likely get by with a smaller truck than they have. The big takeaway is that only 25-30% of truck owners, a category you likely are a member of by your comment, actually need the amount of truck/capability that they bought. The rest are, as Tinkerah said, are for bragging rights. You cannot look at someone driving a Carolina Squat, or a lifted F250 diesel with 22" chrome rims and low-pro tires, and say they do work with it while keeping a straight face. ... View more

I just wish that Chevy had been smart enough to bring the HSV Holden Maloo ute to the USA to compete with the SVT Lightning back then (and before shuttering Holden). It had a usable bed and the 6.2 liter supercharged LSA engine (from the ZL1 Camaro and Cadillac CTS-V) for about 550hp! It was essentially a supercar version of the El Camino. ... View more

My father went from a Chevy to an F150 once, when he was around 50, and traded the F150 back for a Chevy again after only 18 months, for the same reason. He said the seats in that F150 were the worst thing he had ever experienced. Coming from him that was saying something as his job had him driving daily in a late 90s Ranger extended cab. ... View more

This is on point, and the reason I have a Ridgeline. Sure it isn't the most capable, but it is more than enough as a daily driver and my routine needs, and costs me less in initial price, fuel, and insurance compared to a larger truck (not to mention the better ride). If I ever need to tow more than it can (and I never have had to since 2017), I can borrow my father's half ton or rent a truck. I can get an F150 at the nearest Enterprise for 2 days of use for the same money as the difference between my Ridgeline's monthly payment and the payment of a (similarly spec'd/trimmed to my Honda) F150. ... View more

Absolutely, if people are honest about their needs. I personally drive a Ridgeline, and when an S10 owner was hating on it to me once, saying how it wasn't "tough enough" to be a real work truck. I pointed out that I have the exact same ground clearance, more payload capacity by several hundred pounds, only 200lbs less towing capacity, more cab space, city economy better than his highway econ, better ride, and a much larger bed compared to his S10 Crew short box 4x4. He really did not like the facts. Perception vs reality I guess. ... View more

Absolutely agree, I would never push it to its max rating cause that is always a recipe for disaster in any tow vehicle! It really comes down to being realistic about ones towing needs (and reading the door sticker, I bet a lot of F150 XL/XLT owners with the base 3.3L would be surprised to find their F150 doesn't tow more than the Ridgeline, I think it goes up to 7400lbs if you option the 3.73:1 axle). I know many here in Wisconsin that have 1/2 tons and 3/4 tons, but the biggest thing they tow is a lawnmower, or single UTV. If one needs to tow a good amount (say an enclosed car hauler or a 30+ft camper), absolutely buy the right capacity. I learned to drive in 1/2 and 3/4 tons and dad taught me to handle a trailer when I still had my temps, so I have a few miles of towing experience to know how bad it is to overdo it with too much trailer for your vehicle. People should also be smart about things like trailer brakes and weight distribution hitches. That said, if all one is towing is a UTV or a little jon boat, even the Maverick and Santa Cruz are more truck than you need for the job. My dad asked me, when I got my first Ridgeline, what I would do if I ever needed to tow more than it was rated for. I answered that in that rare/hypothetical instance (which still has not occurred since 2017) I would rent or borrow a more capable vehicle. Why pay thousands more on sticker, pay more in fuel and insurance, and suffer daily worse ride for a hypothetical future once or twice need? If my needs do change on a permanent or at least regular-use basis, I will probably buy a 1/2 ton GMC or Chevy like my dad's current one. ... View more

The transmission is a ZF-9HP unit, same one used in the Jeep Cherokee and RAM Promaster, Nissan Pathfinder, Land Rover Discovery, and others from a slew of manufacturers, you can't pin transmission issues (if any) on Honda as it is a widely used unit on the market and not produced or designed by Honda. ... View more

I get that, especially the rear seat room as I have 2 kids in car seats. My main point is that the Honda isn't necessarily the wimp people make it out to be. As for those trims, I agree, they need a butter zone in the trim line up that is currently lacking. My 17 was an RTL-T, but when I went for my 21 I got a Sport. I miss my heated seats, but I prefer cloth the leather and the only way to get the cloth is Sport. At least all trims are AWD since 2019. ... View more

I know what I am about to write opens me up to a crapload of hate on the internet, but I will say it anyways: I own a Honda Ridgeline (a 2021, which replaced my 2017 Ridgeline last year). Now, the world of "truck guys" hates it, but let's review in light of this article and some objective realities. As noted, the GMC Canyon is narrow at 74" compared to the Sierra 2500 at 81.9", the Honda sits between at 78.6". The bed of the Canyon crew short box is only 5"2", the Sierra at 6'10", the Honda is 5'4". Payload of the Canyon is between 1430-1531lbs, the Sierra dominates at 3800-3900lbs, Honda is at 1509-1583lbs. Towing is where the Honda falls famously short, at 5000lbs. I won't speak of off-road, just go watch the Honda at Moab and other videos on youtube, it is capable enough for what most people actually do off-road, but falls short in the most extreme circumstances few truck owners ever do. Specs out of the way, the Honda provides near full-size cab space, a larger bed than the Canyon (and the 2 way tailgate that works better than the crappy fancy ones on full sizers mentioned in the article), more payload than the Canyon, and better ride and fuel economy than either truck. Furthermore, if we add a half-ton Sierra with the 5'6" bed to the mix, the Honda is nearly identical, with only an 2" shorter bed and 400lbs less payload. Now about that towing, yes 5000lbs is the bottom of the pack (right along with the F150 XL/XLT 4x4 with the 3.3L engine which also only tows 5000lbs) , but you know what, a 18-20 foot camper is about 5000lbs, as is a 28ft pontoon, a 23ft bass boat, a 20ft flat aluminum trailer with 4 atvs or snowmobiles, and a 16ft aluminum enclosed cargo trailer with its max cargo weight inside (all of which I have personally towed in my Hondas). If a Canyon is enough truck for your needs, then unless you happen to have a trailer over 5000lbs or go rock crawling on the weekends, the Honda is actually a larger and more capable truck. ... View more

Not just the Morgan, but the Polaris Slingshot. Those things are an absolutely blast to drive on curvy roads or to race around town, and if you are brave enough to get near the top of its speed, absolutely terrifying as well! Who says 3 wheelers cannot be fun (unless you are talking Can Am Spyders, those are boring wheeled snowmobiles). ... View more

"225.6 inches long (121-inch wheelbase) and 79.9 inches wide" is such an impressive number. For context, a 2022 F150 SuperCrew with 5.5' bed is 231.7 inches long and the same 79.9" wide. This thing is literally the size of a half ton pickup. Also, I continue to be puzzled by the fact that, given Honda copied the magic tailgate with the Ridgeline (and that it is a feature that even Ridgeline haters acknowledge is more useful than the gimmick tailgates the others offer), Ford doesn't do a magic tailgate on the F150. ... View more

Forgot to make a caveat, these number all assume the base 3.3l V6, and if optioning one of the more powerful engines and shelling out the dollars, the tow capacity is much increased. However since this is being positioned as a "Bargain" off-road truck, I feel safe in assuming the prospective buyers are not in the position to pay the extra money on the engine, or they would be likely going after a different truck altogether. ... View more

Ok, I got bored last night and ran some calculations over at TireSize.com, which has a handy calculator for seeing the impact of different than stock tire sizes. From what I can see online, the stock tire on an F150 XL is a 265/70R17 (31.6"), and if you option for an 18in rim, 275/65R18 (32.1"). Given the 18 rims are specifically called out as being on the Rattler, I did a comparison of the 265s to the 275s final gear using the 3.73:1 axle, and the calculator puts the effective gear ratio down to 3.68:1. Now I am assuming that for this package, Ford may even be considering a 275/70R18 (33.2" tire) as they have done that on other packages. If that is plugged in, the effective gear ratio is decreased to 3.56:1.    So this is essentially a truck with a realistic towing expectation of between 5000-6500lbs. I am basing this on the fact that, as stated in the original comment, the 3.55 axle and stock tires is a 5000lb limit, and the 3.73 with stock tires is 7400lbs. So, with an effective ratio in the range 3.56-3.68:1, it is reasonable to assume a tow cap in between those numbers. Now, realistically this is enough for most full-size truck owners (few of whom really need the tow capacity they purchase), but again my point is that one could save money and lose no off-road or towing capacity with a Ranger or Tacoma TRD, or buy a non off-road truck (or 3 row SUV with 5000lb tow capacity like a Pilot or Highlander) and tow a UTV that when trailered is well under 2000lbs. ... View more

First, that barstool brings back fond memories of the barstool racing league we had at my engineering college. Second, I am laughing my rear off about the F150 Rattler. Some hard truth about the F150 XL. It has a base 3.3l engine (not changed, as far as I have read anywhere, in this Rattler package unless you opt for a more expensive option to the tune of $2k to $4.5k), and if you add the FX4 package it upgrades from the base 3.55 axle to the 3.73 axle. Not knowing precisely the gearing/final drive disadvantage that will come with those larger tires, all I can say is the following: The 3.3l base engine XL and XLTs with the stock 3.55 axle in 4x4 configuration have a 5000lb towing capacity, and the 3.73 ups that to 7400lbs. Given the larger tires making things work a little harder, this full size $50k+ truck will likely have less towing power than a less expensive Ranger. Probably fine since the majority of trucks sold tow nothing more than air, but still a lot of money to pay for an off-road toy with little ability to work. I would just buy the Base XL 4x2 at that point, with the 3.3l engine and 3.55 axle, which books at around $40k, and use the saved purchase and gas money (more fuel efficient) to buy a UTV or ATV that could easily be towed to a trailhead with the 5000lb tow limit. ... View more

That is awesome! ... View more

I am from Wisconsin, and have seen a GTO at a car show here (Iola car show) with said plates, I would bet it is that same one. ... View more