Why were economical sedans replaced with pickups?
The pickups purchased are mostly 4×4 V8 models that are twice the price of the Altima, and obtain half the fuel economy. I don’t see the need for the pickups for patrolling the site, and the regular cab models don’t have the interior room that the Altima had. This seems like government waste. A: A precise apples-to-apples cost comparison is not possible, but based on operating efficiency and expenses for leasing, maintenance and fuel, the Silverados cost about $20,000 less per year than the Altimas. Plus, the Silverados are better suited to heightened roles in emergency response and security and safeguards since 9-11. The Silverados are leased through the General Services Administration (GSA), which does not offer passenger vehicles for these roles. Silverados have been twice as effective as Nissans for perimeter patrols, winter operations, emergency and first response. As to cost: Per-unit lease costs for the Silverados are less than half those of Nissans. Fuel economy differences are
