Who can afford a new truck anymore?

[buickanddeere]

I can't afford a new truck but before long a new truck will cost less than keeping my old truck on the road.

 

[xcrider08]

I can afford one, but none made that I currently want to replace my 10 year old Taco. Actually wish we'd kept the 1996 Taco, as we liked it far better. This one has nicer mirrors and easier to use tonneau cover.

Where are the hybrids? Where are the all electric ones? Congress needs to get ultra tough and raise the fuel CAFEs on trucks and SUVs to require these (and diesels).

We could do fine with an all electric one.

Ralph

lol,

do fine with electric trucks?? love to see a semi haul the loads it does with an electric motor and go the distance on a battery vs fuel tank.

 

[Sodo]

Hybrid vehicles cost more to design, more to build,more to sell and more to service . I just read about a whole bunch of people saying that vehicles are already too $$$.

This is funny. Pickup goo-gaws cost far more than eco-googaws. Dually fenders cost a lot. And a lot to replace, plus the stuff you tore up with them. And more tires, more fuel. The chrome, the special grille, the lights? What money comes back from a goo-gawed up pickup? Nothing - its a total loss. Hybrid vehicles cost more but the money comes back.

All you get is your satisfaction - which is OK what the heck else are you gonna do with that extra $$ ? :laughing:

Something suggests to me that Ralph uses his pickup for short trips, doesn't haul much weight between opportunity to recharge. I don't get the extension to 18-wheelers but I could be reading more into it than necessary. :laughing:

However I bet a LOT of pickup owners fit the category of buying a truck for use as a car, even if they don't want to admit it. The explosion in 4-door pickups with tiny beds and loads of chrome, creature comforts is proof of this, but they use a lot of fuel for what "work" they are doing.

In august last year I found a "new" at the dealer lot, 2013 F150 4x4 ext cab V8 with locker for $28k. Funny that this is considered a "good deal". I read all over the web about fellas getting towards 20MPG with their modern V8s. Not me I've yet to hit 14MPG. Maybe I need a new "modern" mpg calculator, I'm doing it old-school (miles divided by gallons).

 

[MoKelly]

CNN Money published a list of the top most profitable cars/trucks. The lsit was ranked by profits made by the manufacturer on the vehicle --- cumulative since 1995.

The top 3 slots were trucks --- (1). F-150 at $50 billion, (2). Silverado/Sierra at $40 billion and (3). RAM at $18 billion.

So, not only are trucks expensive --- they are great sellers and quite profitable. Not exactly a combination that suggests lower prices anytime soon.

MoKelly

 

[pohorsky]

I can afford one, but none made that I currently want to replace my 10 year old Taco. Actually wish we'd kept the 1996 Taco, as we liked it far better. This one has nicer mirrors and easier to use tonneau cover.

Where are the hybrids? Where are the all electric ones? Congress needs to get ultra tough and raise the fuel CAFEs on trucks and SUVs to require these (and diesels).

We could do fine with an all electric one.

Ralph

That is the last thing I want government to do, mandate what vehicles companies can produce. As far as hybrids and electric, there was only one feature I considered useful, having 110v outlets on the truck, but I could just as easily use a generator. I can't imagine having an electric truck, something I cannot work on and would be worthless for any longer trip or hauling a big load. Maybe for smaller areas it might be okay, but in the wide open west, too much distance and risk.
Even hybrid trucks, which seem to have been around for at least 10 years, don't even really seem to have a nitch market.
The minute that they are required I expect the price to jump even higher.

 

[Bird]

I can't afford a new truck but before long a new truck will cost less than keeping my old truck on the road.

We have a 2014 Ford Escape, but only because some parts were no longer available for our 2002 Ford Crown Vic and I got rid of it, even though it had less than 80k miles on it. As long as parts are available for our 2001 Ford Ranger with nearly 112k miles on it, I'll keep it.

 

[Sodo]

That is the last thing I want government to do, mandate what vehicles companies can produce.

Gov't would provide tax incentives for companies offering options to buyers that are desirable to some end, such as clean air, and less dependency upon fossil fuels. Its the MFR who decides what vehicle offerings make sense under those conditions.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

The hybrids and electric are not not on the market for a reason. Only the Eco green zealots buy them for status or they sincerely think they are so important that thier green mobile will affect the earth all on it's own and make a difference .

Electric doesn't work because it doesn't work. The huge $$$ battery pack in a Chevy Volt for instance gives the range that 1-1/2 goons of gasoline would.
There just is not the energy storage density in batteries that there is in diesel or gasoline .

Hmmmmm ... We bought a 2010 Prius BECAUSE it gets about 50mpg. It had NOTHING to do with Eco or Status. The Prius has cost us not one cent in maintenance beyond oil changes. We bought an extended warranty that is fully refundable - if it is not used (and it has not been.) The Prius is a GREAT CAR. It is well built, peppier than you would think and we will probably replace it one day with another.

I agree "full" electric cars are not ready for prime time. However, electric motors can produce tremendous pull power and blazing speed and acceleration. Their day is coming. If you doubt the power of electric, just take a look at a modern locomotive.

 

[Yamaha2112]

When prices are so inflated my other vehicle options in ballpark price range include this, Maserati | Models | Ghibli , I'm not buying a new truck.

 

[xcrider08]

I don't think most people that buy trucks to actually use them are looking at the fuel mileage. I know when I bought mine I wasn't concerned with what it was gonna get. I bought it to pull my trailers, toys from point a to b.

Love my gas guzzler!