I’ve recently visited the US for the first time. I saw lots and lots of really big cars on the streets (like Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Silverado and so on), even in big cities! Their trunks were empty in 99% of cases, so it’s not like people are hauling cargo all the time. And there was only one person in the car most of the time.

I checked that the engines on those things are enormous, I can’t imagine how much the gas must cost.

What do Americans need such huge cars for, especially in the cities?

EDIT: well, that was enlightening! So from your responses I gather that the primary reasons are:

• small dicks

• arms race on the road, getting bigger vehicles to be safer

• freedom

• chickens

• cheap gas

• comfort while driving long distances

• some people actually need such large car for work or they have big families

• regulations which make a big car the best choice

• some people live in places where the conditions require this

EDIT2: with Ford Ranger I meant something like