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I think much of it has to do with 1) Ford/GM/Dodge pushing the high-end trucks, and 2) the dealers ordering more high-end trucks.....all because that's where the money is. Folks go to shop trucks on the lot and the vast preponderance of models to choose from are loaded luxo-barges. You think most consumers are gonna want a base XL with rubber mats and fabric seats after seeing the King Ranch leather edition? I'll admit that even I lust after the pretty interiors, but I bought an XL with the 101A pkg because I can't bring myself to pay the bloated prices. It does all I need it to and is still as nice or nicer than other vehicles that I've owned thru the years.
This thread reminds me of having lunch with my mom telling me about the soda pop she used to pay 5 cents for...
Only a matter of time before one of the old guys like me tells you about how we paid $0.249 per gal for gas...occasionally under $0.20 a gal during gas wars. Get everybody in the car to throw in fiddy cents and ride all night long...
Only a matter of time before one of the old guys like me tells you about how we paid $0.249 per gal for gas...occasionally under $0.20 a gal during gas wars. Get everybody in the car to throw in fiddy cents and ride all night long...
Well, back in my day when I was a broke teenager I paid about a buck a gallon !!!
I think much of it has to do with 1) Ford/GM/Dodge pushing the high-end trucks, and 2) the dealers ordering more high-end trucks.....all because that's where the money is. Folks go to shop trucks on the lot and the vast preponderance of models to choose from are loaded luxo-barges. You think most consumers are gonna want a base XL with rubber mats and fabric seats after seeing the King Ranch leather edition? I'll admit that even I lust after the pretty interiors, but I bought an XL with the 101A pkg because I can't bring myself to pay the bloated prices. It does all I need it to and is still as nice or nicer than other vehicles that I've owned thru the years.
I think there's a lot of truth to that. Isn't the average profit on half ton trucks in the USA around $10k? With the average price paid right around $50k, that's a 20% profit which is stinking huge!
I'd love to see the breakdown of profit by trim level, I'm sure the manufacturers are absolutely raping those that buy King Ranch and Platinum/Limited trucks.
I think another factor is the invention of the crew cab. Once trucks started coming with 4 full doors and the ability to seat as many people as a car, the crew cab truck became the family car for many previous mini-van families. The truck is much more flexible than the mini-van. Once the mini-van families started migrating to trucks, the comfort options and accessories followed.
Though I will never be able to comprehend massage seats in a truck lol
This ^^^
Trucks and SUV's have and continue to replace sedans. They work perfectly well as family vehicles, so families buy them.
The truck manufacturers (including Ford) still offer basic trucks. What has changed is that they have added many levels above basic for people that want a nicer truck. All these trucks, every trim, can still do truck stuff.
As far as consumerism and how it relates to trucks, well....I prefer to let folks do what they are going to do. If someone buys more truck than they can afford....then without the higher trims, they probably would have just bought an SUV or sedan that they couldn't afford. Some people have trouble managing their finances. The OP mentioned larger homes and large TV's...again, it all goes back to what someone can afford or is willing to go into debt over. Consumerism is real, most of guilty of it to varying degrees, but it is still a personal choice. I won't tell anyone what to do with their money....Just don't ask me to bail you out of the hole you dug! On the other hand, if you can afford it, I don't care what you spend your money on because it is your money.
I bought my first new in 85 ordered it f250 4x4 351,4.10 locker, air ,cruise that's all I need 14.5 k those were the days but my new rcsb 2wd 5.0,355 locker 28.2k 33years later ,bought a hippy van brand new in 76 for 5500 .dealerships today everything is 4door back then you had to order it
As an owner of both a crew can and a minivan, I completely disagree. We bought my truck back when my wife still had a Honda CR-V with the mindset that the truck would be the family hauler, and my crewcab certainly was better than the CRV. But my wife decided this past year she wanted a minivan, and I gotta say her Sienna is much more versatile than the truck as a family vehicle. Access is easier for both putting kids in carseats and letting the kids climb in themselves. The front seats are more comfortable than my F150's. Having a low, large trunk is better than my high bed, even with a hard cover on it. In a pinch the seats fold down, I could even load full sheets of plywood or drywall if I needed too. The only downside is not having a bed, but I plan on adding a hitch so I can pull my trailer for trips to the lake when we're hauling kayaks and the stand up paddleboard. We've got a 4th kid on the way, so my truck won't even fit the entire family soon unless I sold it and got one with a front bench seat.
Honestly, the minivan has tighter handling and better steering response than my truck and more than enough power to chirp the tires, so I don't even mind driving it when we all go out.
I guess flexibility is relative to your interpretation. Going to buy a new washer, furniture, or fridge, can you put it in a mini van? If I am going camping or skiing I would much rather have my truck than any mini van. While i believe that mini vans may be better suited to certain applications than a truck, I can't think of anything you can do in a mini van that you can't do in a truck. I can think of many many things you can do with a truck you cannot do with a mini van.
You are replying as an owner of both a truck and min van. If you could only have one, which would you choose?
I guess flexibility is relative to your interpretation. Going to buy a new washer, furniture, or fridge, can you put it in a mini van? If I am going camping or skiing I would much rather have my truck than any mini van. While i believe that mini vans may be better suited to certain applications than a truck, I can't think of anything you can do in a mini van that you can't do in a truck. I can think of many many things you can do with a truck you cannot do with a mini van.
You are replying as an owner of both a truck and min van. If you could only have one, which would you choose?
I'm going to have a family of 6 at the end of this month, so if I could have only one, it'd be the minivan. I could put either a washer or dryer in the back, but not both at the same time. I'd also only be able to have one passenger. But I could easily get by with just a minivan and rent a truck for the couple times a year I truly need one. I'd need the minivan almost every single day.
Just some breakdown. Wife and I were factory workers hourly for 44 years (retired 5 years ago). We buy for long term ownership. Last truck I bought was in 1995 cost less than $15000 base 4x4 RCSB Ranger, our income combined 35k. 2017 XL listed above paid in cash under 27k, it has nav in the form of Garmin Nuvi passed on, installed Decked Drawers $1100, Exhaust System $400, Wheels and Tires $1300, Tuner $500, Suspension $1900, Stereo $600. With misc. appearance stuff added and such, total around $34000.
I didn't want 4x4, done that been there. Or a fancy interior, bench and vynil floor suit my uses. Performance, sound, appearance, all I consider my user preference over factory offerings installing accordingly. As I only have a 1 car garrage to work with, and that is occupied by a 2016 Edge Sport, the big items were installed commercially, labor included in prices above. I still get dirty with some stuff nothing heavy.
I hunt, fish, backpack, and wilderness, canoe trip, general camping, hiking, Also attend 3-4 historic and vintage road races each year and never lost interest in automotive fun. This fits me perfectly, comfortably, economically. So much I put 20000 miles on the odometer first 14 months, prior driving averaged 7000.
Factor in economic updates it is very comparable to our first new vehicle purchased in 1972 in cost and value. But much more reliable now!
In answer to the OP, it is entirely possible to find base model and up vehicles, optioned or owner configured, as desired. The purchaser just needs to spend due diligence to obtain one. That hasn't changed at all. KM
44 years of factory work for your wife and yourself. That takes strength and tons of hard work! I cannot speak for that but I have that history in the family and with it comes rock hard values and the deepest appreciation for what one has. Sounds like you both are free! Cheers to that!
maybe I'm weird, (ok, definitely) But I specifically wanted a moderately optioned XLT. I wanted low-ish weight, and less chance of something going wrong. I have an XLT with the 501A package, and FX4, Sport, tow. I also wanted the Scab rather than a Screw. I got everything I wanted except I had to add an aftermarket remote start, and I only have 3.55 gears, wanted 3.73. But I've been very happy with the truck and have had absolutely no real issues. Just a couple broken windows and I needed a steering module reset after the dealer unplugged something doing an oil change.
I bought my truck new for $38k and financed $28k for 60mo. at 4% interest. That was April of 2016, now it's Feb 2019 and I owe $7k, I plan to pay it off around April or May. Would be sooner, but I paid cash for an ATV and a Harley last year, and bought a dozen cows. I had initially wanted a Raptor or Super Duty, but the need wasn't there. And I didn't really want an Ecoboost Raptor, even though they are awesome. (I had never owned a V8 and wanted to get one before they were gone)
I'm a 28yr old "millennial" making $78k/yr designing multi-million dollar machines. Sure, I could have bought a Plat or LTD. But I knew I would be needing an ATV, and I knew I would be wanting to upgrade my Harley...
Last edited by SixShooter14; 02-08-2019 at 05:04 PM.
02-08-2019, 10:54 AM
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