Didn't know buying a truck was so hard

[paulfun9]

I just don稚 understand what makes people think thier truck should ride good and haul almost nothing, just buy a car folks!

she looked at the fords and even test rode one. Liked the salesman as he wasn稚 playing games like most do. Thought about it for 2 days then went in to finalize the deal on one and that salesman had been fired for some reason. The new salesperson was a total dumb *** and didn稚 want to listen to the customer, kept trying to talk her into different more expensive trucks. She made me proud as she told him in some very mean words just how stupid he was and walked out. She had a check in her pocket for the truck she test drove and wanted to take it home, not play games and buy the most expensive truck on the lot.
Anyway she still hasn稚 replaced her 2500 and just seems to have lost interest in doing so.

 

[ultrarunner]

Vote with your feet is how I feel...

 

[Raiz]

Buying a used good truck.... man I found one with 200k miles and they were asking the moon!

 

[two_bit_score]

Saw an F250 King Ranch advertised the other day on a franchised new car dealers lot that had 350k and had dents all over it that you could see in the advertisement photo. At the time they were wanting almost $30,000.

I felt like going in and letting them check a credit report and telling them I wanted the in house financing and all and then when it came to the deal writing what it was really worth $12k max down on the pad, circling it and then sitting back in the chair. Anything other than yes sir and I walk out.

It’s just crazy what these dealers are getting people to pay for trucks these days.

 

[Jstpssng]

I looked at a use F350 at a dealer last year for around 15K. It had holes rusted through the sheet metal and never would have lasted another year. The running gear may or may not have been strong; but what good is that when the body's rusted out around it?

I always marvel at people who think that we all should use a vehicle the same as they do. Just because I don't haul gravel and firewood on a regular basis, or haul heavy payloads doesn't mean I could use a car. I drive 50k miles per year, often on unplowed roads or on gravel at 50+ mph. I like that it doesn't ride like an 8N Ford. In winter my snowsled is in the back most of the time. My 1/2 ton truck rides better than those of 30 or even 20 years ago, yet has more payload and towing capacity than a 3/4 ton of the same vintage. For a while I had an '87 GMC "Heavy half"... it rode like a buckboard. In winter there were times when I had to slow to 10 mph on the rough roads we have. My dog got so that she wouldn't even get into the truck it rode so badly; and she traveled all over 4 states with me. Yet my Colorado has about the same payload and towing capacity.
I like getting done at the end of the day after driving 250 miles and not having my back so kinked up that I have to crawl to the house.

 

[daugen]

Lot of helpful ideas here.
Two of my closest friends both own relatively new Ridgelines. Neither tows more than a one ton trailer.
Both love the fact the truck is so comfortable. Remember when Ford tried to do this concept with an Explorer
and a tiny pickup bed? That sure didn't do well, versus Honda who has done all the market research and is giving the truck owner
who does not haul heavy loads a legitimate alternative. Plus it's a Honda so you know it's well made.

Always used to be test of a "real" pickup was you could lay a 4x8 sheet of plywood down flat in it.

I've owned two new Rams in the last 8 years, a diesel dually and a loaded 1500 hemi with air bag suspension all around.
Both were great trucks and the hemi with that air bag suspension was like driving a big SUV.
Now I'm looking at a tow truck for an rv and since I want a large fifth wheel trailer, I'm sure not thinking about
a Ridgeline. Different tool for different purpose.

For me it's wondering whether I want a maxxed out F150 hybrid that allegedly will tow 14K, or a typical F250 diesel that will tow the moon.
On a 14k rv, clearly I need the bigger truck.

Dealing with car dealers is so hit and miss. I bought a new Subaru Outback from a dealer in Greenville NC that made the purchase and maintenance of that car
both easy and pleasant. I think this is one of the reasons Subaru is so successful. They seem to have more intelligent, and dare I say it, honest..., folks working there.
And yes they discounted. Not much...not like a brand new 70 grand truck.

My biggest problem is buying an expensive new truck and getting anything less than 10 grand off right up front.
Otherwise your cost of ownership/cost per mile is jacked up paying for excessive dealer profit.

With a CFP background I have a good head for money. And I don't buy anything extra when I get in front of the
F&I guy. I told the Audi dealership last time I was a no no no guy. They looked at me funny and I said that's what I tell
the F&I guy whose sole purpose is to double the dealership profit by selling you registered window glass...
Unless you have 0 percent financing to offer me, not much else you have I want.

car guru? I'll look that up. Knowledge is power, I like to go in with printouts...

 

[arrow]

The half ton "pick up truck" has become the new minivan of the ages with most of the design aimed at hauling people w/o the stigma of "you drive a mini van?"
I sold Rams in the 90's-20's.
The manufacturers inflate prices at the beginning of the year to catch the "I gotta have that new truck" people. When the stock builds up, they put on the "deep discounts" which are where the truck should have been priced in the first place.
Makes it seem to the general public that they're getting a "great deal". Of course people rush to the dealerships and snatch up the stock.
It's all just a pricing hoax including the "0%" scam.

 

[arrow]

It’s just crazy what these dealers are getting people to pay for trucks these days.

Absolutely and only because "they can." You are paying for pensions, litigation, workers health care programs, federal regs and "diversity training".
The last car show I did was in 2006.

There was a crew cab Ram (then called Dodge Rams) with an 8' bed with a sticker of $44,000. I said to myself: "they'll never sell these at these prices".

 

[metalbender]

Strikes me as being a rip-off on the new trucks when they can "DISCOUNT" them by 10-15 k. Years ago at the Ford dealership, the window sticker was known as the giggle price

 

[dodge man]

I saw a 3/4 ton Ford diesel with some kind of aftermarket add on package. You know the kind, a big lift and other doo dads to justify adding a bunch of $$$. A can’t remember the exact cost but over $90,000. You can by a decent house in my area for that.