What's funny to me about this entire thread, is how many people are still "stuck" in the mentality that somehow a pickup truck is different from just about any other car/vehicle on the road - in such a way that pickups are supposed to be less expensive, and only used for hardcore, abusive work.

Wake up people ... in this day and age, pickups have morphed into luxury, work-capable vehicles on the higher end, with offerings at the lower end for "hardcore work only" trucks.

Now, are the "options" over-priced? maybe ... but that's not really the point I'm making here. Some of us want more than a sheet-metal box w/ a powertrain and a bed. I don't drive my truck only on special occassions, or only to go play in the mud or to hunt. I drive my truck EVERY DAY. I use it for EVERYTHING ... from going out on a very nice date w/ my wife, to hauling materials to a jobsite on a project I'm building ... and everything inbetween.

It's amazing to me how versatile these trucks are, and how much use I get out of mine. Nice enough to get into a tuxedo and go to ball, yet utilitarian enough for me to plow through muddy fields at the hunting camp and/or haul construction materials etc. a hundred miles to a jobsite.

I guess all I'm saying is, get over this "trucks are only for work and shouldn't cost jack squat" mentality ... if you only want one with enough stuff in it to make it run, good for you. If you want one with all the bells and whistles, luxurious enough to compete with a high-end Mercedes, Lexus or BMW, they make those too. Pick the one YOU want, and stop acting like everyone else is an idiot for spending more money than you did ...