How to Decide about Purchasing Full-Size Pickup Trucks
To make a decision about purchasing full-size pickup trucks, it is necessary to evaluate the new models according to the criteria important for the customer. While focusing on such criteria as crashworthiness, fuel mileage, and environmental impact, it is important to find all the necessary information on the points. The new models of vehicles which should be discussed and compared according to the set criteria are Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra. The necessary information can be found on the official governmental website Fueleconomy.gov which provides the public with the detailed information on such issues as fuel mileage and environmental impact.
However, the website also contains a lot of information which is unnecessary for the research, and the criterion of crashworthiness is not discussed in the website materials. That is why, to compare the pickup trucks effectively and to find the significant data easily, it is necessary to visit Fueleconomy.gov and the associated website on crashworthiness and to follow the provided set of instructions because they are helpful to find the appropriate data successfully.
Go to the main page of Fueleconomy.gov (the link is www.fueleconomy.gov) and click on Find a Car (Figure 1).
The main goal of the research is to compare pickup trucks according to the definite criteria. Thus, select the category Compare Side by Side from Find a Car in order to complete the comparison (Figure 2).
Select the required year (2012), maker (Chevrolet), model (Silverado C15 2WD), and characteristics (Auto 4-spd, 8 cyl, 4.8 L) from the lists in the Select Options table found under the first picture (Figure 3).
Repeat the actions discussed in Step Three of the instructions and make the necessary selections to add Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra to the models to be compared (Figure 4).
After adding all the required pickup trucks to the list of compared models, click on Compare button (Figure 5).
To compare the models of pickup trucks according to the fuel mileage criterion, click on Fuel Economy and focus on the data from the Miles per Gallon section (Figure 6).
For instance, having analyzed the results provided after comparison, it is possible to state that Toyota Tundra is the most economical pickup truck characterized by the fuel mileage in 5,9 gallons/100 mi.
To compare the models of pickup trucks according to the environmental impact criterion, click on Energy and Environment and compare the data from the Annual Petroleum Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions sections (Figure 7).
Pay attention to the information that 1 barrel means 42 gallons. Moreover, the environmental impact of the used pickup truck is also estimated with references to the greenhouse gas emissions dangerous for the environment.
For instance, focusing on the comparison, the person seeking for the information can notice that gas emissions typical for Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra are less in comparison with the other two models. Thus, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra contribute more to the environmental protection (Figure 7).
To compare the models of pickup trucks according to the crashworthiness criterion, click on Safety and compare the data presented in the NHTSA Crash Test Results section. To find more information on the pickup trucks’ crashworthiness characteristics, click on the link www.safercar.gov provided in the left-side column (Figure 8).
Visiting the main page of Safercar.gov website, click on the Vehicle Shoppers category (Figure 9).
Select 5-Star Safety Ratings and 2011-Newer Vehicles categories in the left-side table to find the information on the safety of the chosen pickup trucks and compare them according to the crashworthiness criterion (Figure 10).
Click on Compare Safety Ratings to state the model of the compared trucks (e.g. Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra). Select the brand, model, and year. (Figure 11). Click on the Go button.
The final step of the research on the characteristics of the pickup trucks is to read the information provided on the comparison the trucks’ safety according to the crashworthiness criterion. Pay attention to the information presented in the table (Alred, Brusaw, & Oliu, 2010; Figure 12).
Repeat the actions described in Step Eleven in order to compare the other pair of the models to receive the detailed information on Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra.
After completing all the above-mentioned steps of the research, it is possible to conclude about purchasing Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, or Toyota Tundra to respond to such criteria as crashworthiness, fuel mileage, and environmental impact.
References
Alred, G. J., Brusaw, C. T., & Oliu, W. E. (2010). Handbook of technical writing. New York, NY: Bedford.
Fueleconomy.gov. (2013). Web.
Safercar.gov. (2013). Web.