Buying a new truck ? Times have changed.

[Torvy]

Ford is right to say the dealership model doesn't work for them any more and the Franchise System in place, doesn't work in an Internet World.

The Automobile Dealers Association is one of, if not the strongest lobbying special Interest in the US. The system will be hard to change. Unlike lobbies people hear about more often, the dealers tend to lobby at the state, rather than national level.

I'd rather have OEM test drive centers and order directly from the manufacturer. There are some very reputable dealers, but part of my previous life was investigating the bad ones. In my world, dealerships would effectively be for maintenance and repairs and for used cars. The problem is that the OEM would not likely pass along the savings.

 

[2manyrocks]

One problem for Ford and other manufacturers is that they need the dealers to provide warranty service unless Ford can find some other method of providing warranty service without their dealer network. I suspect warranty service or any kind of service for hybrid vehicles will become even more problematic because not everyone has the tools and training to service the newer hybrid vehicles.

I believe car makers and dealers are nuts if they think their profitability depends on selling the most profitable vehicles without selling cars that are actually affordable for the mainstream.

 

[Jstpssng]

I believe car makers and dealers are nuts if they think their profitability depends on selling the most profitable vehicles without selling cars that are actually affordable for the mainstream.

They're doing OK at that so far. Ho many people do you know who drive vehicles they can't afford; then when it starts giving them problems they roll the balance of the loan up into that of a new vehicle?

 

[dodge man]

Here’s one for you, 68 Road Runner, they had the original invoice, about $2600.

 

[Eagle1]

Sweet wish I would have taken care of my 440 charger. Still have fleet of Mopars around here.

 

[JasperFrank]

I want a truck. A mid-sized truck with 4WD and an automatic transmission and an iron proof motor and frame. I want NOTHING ELSE that isn't required by law. I want it to be serviceable with common tools, so I CAN FIX IT. I don't even care if it has A/C, or a radio.

This is not how the industry went.

It is obscene to me that the industry went with 30 to 100 thousand dollar trucks filled with options I don't want.

It seems I am a voice in the wind, because the US manufactures just keep adding features no one is asking for.

Ford. Build me a minimal. mid-sized, truck I can work on.
I will buy it.

 

[Eagle1]

SIngle cab, maybe extended but I have no use for a quad cab with a short bed.

 

[ultrarunner]

Buy right and you don't have to worry about depreciation.

Never sold a car for less than I had in it but my one and only new car I have to keep to not break my streak.

Always liked convertibles and would trade in them... buy in fall/winter and sell in spring...

The Suzuki I use all the time was a $1000 purchase in 1998...

My former boss has done what I could not... he buys new and still makes a bundle... his brand new 2006 Ford GT cost 160k and 5 years later sold 210k

Done similar with the new Corvette... 70k becomes 100k

 

[Jstpssng]

I want a truck. A mid-sized truck with 4WD and an automatic transmission and an iron proof motor and frame. I want NOTHING ELSE that isn't required by law. I want it to be serviceable with common tools, so I CAN FIX IT. I don't even care if it has A/C, or a radio.

This is not how the industry went.

It is obscene to me that the industry went with 30 to 100 thousand dollar trucks filled with options I don't want.

It seems I am a voice in the wind, because the US manufactures just keep adding features no one is asking for.

Ford. Build me a minimal. mid-sized, truck I can work on.
I will buy it.

You can get what you are asking for, although the current supply chain makes it difficult. If not for that, a full sized 4WD work truck will cost you around 33K. Industry isn't what's making that difficult; it's people who are willing to pay ridiculous prices because they think they need all of those options. Think about it; if you had two items and could sell only one of them, which would you sell; that which will make you $50, or the one which will make you $500?

The industry isn't why you can't work on a lot of things now. However, you also don't need to. I remember when the u-joints failed in my father's '75 Power Wagon with only 13,000 miles on it. He rebuilt it himself, because the warranty had run out. Now a similar repair would be covered up to 60,000 miles. In that time his old Power Wagon would have needed 3 sets of plugs, wires, distributer cap and rotor button. Also 6 sets of points and condensor. The timing would have been set multiple times. 20 oil changes, valves adjusted, probably valve guides replaced. Alternator and starter AT LEAST once. If something

 

[2manyrocks]

They're doing OK at that so far. Ho many people do you know who drive vehicles they can't afford; then when it starts giving them problems they roll the balance of the loan up into that of a new vehicle?

I've seen many people file chapter 13 to lower the interest rate on their high interest car loans and refile a new chapter 13 about the time they needed to get a newer ride.

There was a time when VW was able to sell a lot of VW Beetles because the price was relatively affordable and the Beetle provided basic, dependable transportation relative to the cost of other economy cars of that era. Toyota, Datsun and Honda made serious inroads into the US car market by offering dependable, reliable and affordable cars, too.