I think the main reasons people avoid FS rigs are due to several misconceptions.
1. Fuel economy; I drive a 91' Bronco with 302 V8 and I can get 12 mpg city and 22 mpg highway in it. My old 91' F150 with the I6 300 got even better. And with current technologies, the MPGs just keep getting higher.
2. Maneuverability: Most people assume that a big vehicle can't turn as tightly or be as maneuverable as a smaller rig, and they're mostly true. However, the difference between midsized rigs and FS rigs is so small, that the difference is minute, if there is any difference at all. In fact, my old F150 long bed could out maneuver my brother in law's Subaru any day of the week. (He's a city boy, so I try not to rub it in too much.)
3. Safety: "How can that huge thing be safe?" FS rigs tend to be built like tanks. If you do get into an accident, you're more likely to survive one. I've heard so many stories about how people survived accidents only because they were driving something big. Anything smaller and they'd be dead.
4. Comfort: "I bet that thing bounces and shakes like a mother." Obviously not true. Some rigs with solid front axles do have some comfort issues, but for the most part, the suspensions on these babies is actually fairly smooth. In fact, my mother, who hated driving any sort of truck because of this misconception, actually enjoyed driving my old F150. She said it was smoother than the Pontiac Vibe she was driving at the time. Not bad for a 20 year old rust bucket.
5. Too much truck: "I'll never need that much space!" Personally, I'm of the "better to have it an not need it" viewpoint on this. But as mentioned before, its nice to be able to have someplace to take shelter during bad weather. Granted, a truck seat isn't the most comfortable bed you can have, but it beats sleeping on damp, frozen, rocky or muddy ground.
