"Cheap" new basic truck is $27,500!

R Q

R Q

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2005
Location
Charlotte
Looking at options for my 81 year old father whose two vehicles are clapped out. For the hell of it I looked at Ford and Toyota small trucks, basic as you can get. Both in the $27,500 range! I was thinking that they were maybe $16ish for basic. Damn!
 
Now is not the time to buy. Fix whatcha got and keep it going for another 1-2 years. Damn semiconductor shortage plus stimulus money has fooked the car market.
 
drkelly said:
Now is not the time to buy. Fix whatcha got and keep it going for another 1-2 years. Damn semiconductor shortage plus stimulus money has fooked the car market.
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This

When the chips finally arrive, there will be THOUSANDS of year old NEW trucks flooding the market
 
From what I read, chips are not coming all that soon, or fast when they do get here....more of a trickle from different chip mfgrs.

I am just waiting for a convenient fire to take out about 10k trucks in KY, like the one on Florida.
 
I think the used market is cooling.. made several calls yesterday and today about used 3/4 and 1 tons. Lots of pressure from tge salesmen....they aren't just saying take it or leave it, some other schmuck will buy it before lunch.

Just blocked one that so far has made 3 voice calls, 3 emails, 6 texts in the past two hours wanting me to set up an appointment to see one truck. And I told her to cut out being pushy or I'd block her. So I did.
 
20 years ago a chevy 1500 2wd regular cab with the 4.8 was around $20k. Not sure how you expect anything to be that cheap today...
 
LBarr2002 said:
20 years ago a chevy 1500 2wd regular cab with the 4.8 was around $20k. Not sure how you expect anything to be that cheap today...
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If that is true, then just 1.5% inflation per year over the past 20 years would be $26,937.
 
LBarr2002 said:
20 years ago a chevy 1500 2wd regular cab with the 4.8 was around $20k. Not sure how you expect anything to be that cheap today...
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On the bottom end I agree totally. The top end has blown the mark though.

I bought a 2003 F350 6.0, XLT Crew 4WD and paid $33,800 new. After ford lemon lawed it. I bought an 04 Gas XLT, Crew 4wd for 27k
 
In 2016 that was about what a base Ram 1500 sold for....seems the price hasn't changed too much. At the time I was floored that a stripped down Colorado was $3k less than a fullsize Ram.
 
LBarr2002 said:
20 years ago a chevy 1500 2wd regular cab with the 4.8 was around $20k. Not sure how you expect anything to be that cheap today...
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Also, Id bet base model now isnt the same as it was 20yrs ago. It likely has more "features".

drkelly said:
If that is true, then just 1.5% inflation per year over the past 20 years would be $26,937.
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Being around manufacturing, they are constantly trying to find cheaper ways to build something. With your math there, and the fact that they are cost reducing the manufacturing, they are able to make more on a base model now than in the past.
 
Manufacturing isn't where the cost of a car comes from. Can't share numbers but I was floored by how little of the total cost it represents.

After I excitedly shared with mgmt the results of a new project I was working on which allowed the company to save close to a million $ in hard savings, it was canned as deemed non essential. When I asked why we weren't super focused on saving a mil, the brass told me : "Listen, manufacturing is X% of our vehicle cost. This is negligible".

Notice X% and not XX%.

Was a good reality check for my green ass as an IE.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Also, Id bet base model now isnt the same as it was 20yrs ago. It likely has more "features".



Being around manufacturing, they are constantly trying to find cheaper ways to build something. With your math there, and the fact that they are cost reducing the manufacturing, they are able to make more on a base model now than in the past.
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yes and no.
20 years ago air bags and side curtain air bags and rear view cameras and tpms were federally required features.
 
I always like these discussions in automotive groups, primarily because it's usually driven by nostalgia. 'Back in my day you could get X vehicle for 7 eggs, a jug of sweet tea and a hand shake'...plugs that into inflation calculator...looks like you're getting more vehicle for the money today. Flip side, it does seem absolutely obscene to drop $30k on something you don't even like. And even as recently as the late 90's...I can go to any Ford literature I have, and max MSRP on a light duty truck is roughly $40k-ish. In today's money, that's a $70k truck...also in today's money you can easily go another $50k beyond that. My real question is, who dafuq are these people buying $100k vehicles, and what do they do for a living, because I wanna grow up to be them while I'm over here stressing about whether I wanna spend an extra $5k for a slightly nicer 3 year old vehicle.
 
UTfball68 said:
I always like these discussions in automotive groups, primarily because it's usually driven by nostalgia. 'Back in my day you could get X vehicle for 7 eggs, a jug of sweet tea and a hand shake'...plugs that into inflation calculator...looks like you're getting more vehicle for the money today. Flip side, it does seem absolutely obscene to drop $30k on something you don't even like. And even as recently as the late 90's...I can go to any Ford literature I have, and max MSRP on a light duty truck is roughly $40k-ish. In today's money, that's a $70k truck...also in today's money you can easily go another $50k beyond that. My real question is, who dafuq are these people buying $100k vehicles, and what do they do for a living, because I wanna grow up to be them while I'm over here stressing about whether I wanna spend an extra $5k for a slightly nicer 3 year old vehicle.
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Ive said it before.
I own a single wide that I rent to a ssingle dude for $630/month and he drives a 350, KinG ranch diesel and he has now lifted it and squatted it and big poke rims and has a bull whip antenna mounted into the GN bed mount that dosnt go to anythign...
 
Bebop said:
70+ month payment.
Nobody looks at the total price anymore.
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When I overheard someone saying they financed their vehicle for 96 months I nearly choked
 
CasterTroy said:
When I overheard someone saying they financed their vehicle for 96 months I nearly choked
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96 months???? When we bought the wife's Expy 3yrs ago...they asked if we wanted to go 84. I laughed...thinking he was making some kind of ironic cheap skate joke. Then he told me that's what a lot of people do...I apologized because I didn't realize vehicle financing even went beyond 60 months...and that I was thinking more in the 36-48 month range. I don't even understand how people could go 84-96 months, you're upside down on that car until you pay it off, damn near. I wonder the number of times you can roll the loss into the payment of another vehicle before you're swinging above your weight class...and you end up owing twice as much as the new car is worth. That would have to be a terrifying feeling, I can't even fathom that thought process. If you're broke, be broke...no shame in a shitbox, but that's probably why they're broke.
 
UTfball68 said:
My real question is, who dafuq are these people buying $100k vehicles, and what do they do for a living, because I wanna grow up to be them while I'm over here stressing about whether I wanna spend an extra $5k for a slightly nicer 3 year old vehicle.
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People don't own those vehicles, banks do. 84 month loan and ZERO $ in their 401k.
 
UTfball68 said:
If you're broke, be broke...no shame in a shitbox, but that's probably why they're broke.
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Lot's of my coworkers have 60+ month loans. When asked why they would do such a thing, the main answer I get is : "cars are so expensive these days, that's the only way I can afford something nice".

Never they'll consider driving a shitbox to save money.
 
Bebop said:
Lot's of my coworkers have 60+ month loans. When asked why they would do such a thing, the main answer I get is : "cars are so expensive these days, that's the only way I can afford something nice".

Never they'll consider driving a shitbox to save money.
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I get it. Every now and again me (CFO/COO) who drives a 13 year old lincoln, the company president who drives a 7 year old 150 and the majority partner who drives a 5 year old explorer, talk about putting on a financial clinic for the employees, usually after we look at the parking lot. Maybe everyone else is better with money than us, everyone is entitled to spend where they so choose, vehicle driven is not indicative of the quality of person, but damn...I must be paying everyone too damn well, or they're not eating regularly...because I sure as hell wouldn't want their payments.
 
I’m just sitting here wondering if prices will level off at all. We will be going on two years of people paying ceiling high prices. Surely manufacturers are going to figure out a way to keep the car prices sky high.

Keep supply down even if chips and employees come back?
 
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