I didn't want all that electronic stuff either, just more to go wrong. It just needs to haul what I need and get me there and back and wallow in the mud sometimes.
I keep mine and put a lot of miles on them.expensive as they are you have to hang onto them a long time, bought the ford new in 88 and the dodge used in 2001
I'd assume the guy got it for quite a bit off of sticker. If he got ~10k off, the depreciation is much less. I'd wager that he got more than 10k off of sticker. Then there's the miles he put on. How many miles? Manufacturers make bank on their trucks. They also bank on the buyers that don't do their homework and allow the manufacturers to bring home even more cash by not negotiating money off.
A guy at my church bought a brand new Chevy or GMC last year. Gas , 3/4 ton 4 wd 6 pack. He knew exactly what the max he was going to pay all in, what his down payment was going to be And the deal he wanted before he went to town truck shopping. He got it for $28 K iirc. Nice looking , brand new truck. Not fancy , but a nice respectable looking brand new truck. He's real good at making deals. I figure he got his money's worth. Truck does everything he wants it to. There are deals out there if a guy will hunt them up. I disagree with the thot that most guys would be well served with a 1/2 ton. A 3/4 ton feels real soft to me once I get a load of wood on it
A lot of those shiny new pickups people are paying so much for now are made in Mexico. At least some of the Ram, Silverado, Sierra, and Tacoma pickups are made south of the border. Powerstroke diesel engines too.
The department of labor disagrees with you. Spending Habits by Generation | U.S. Department of Labor Blog The unions make it hard to profit. Have you seen an assembly plant? It's not skilled labor, it(most positions) doesn't take an education. Why pay more so some union worker can be grossly overpaid. People used to think foriegn cars were sucky(Japan) when they were actually building a much less flawed product than we could dream of.(70s-80s)
The issue regarding the price of new/newer trucks (or cars, for that matter) is one of the big reasons I love living in the PNW; no rust. Over the past decade, my trucks have been from 2003, 1994, 1993, 1992, and 1987; no rust. Back "home", in Michigan, this is unheard of. I love seeing all of the early-mid nineties era (or much older) Ford and Dodge trucks on the road out here, looking only a few years old. When I visit MI, it's a bummer to see so few of those trucks still on the road, and if they are, then they're certainly rusty. Did I mention that we have no rust out here?..
go ahead just rub it in , I can ship ya some nice calcium chloride to spray on your rigs so you won't feel left out.
HA!!! All you Midwesterners and northeast folks should come out here for a GTG. Then, you can all buy used, rust-free trucks while you're out here.
I've seen cars and trucks here from out of state and they are covered in white lookin stuff, I reckon that is what rust them up?
Ram production is being brought back to the US from Mexico. Iirc, it was only the 2500 and 3500 rams built in Mexico. Ford's are built in the USA, and GM trucks are made in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Of course, all vehicles have globally sourced components.
My job (consulting engineering) has given me the opportunity to work in many auto plants, Ford, Jeep, GM, BMW and Honda. By far, Honda runs the tightest ship IMO! I drive Fords, because I get A/Z plan pricing, not to mention Honda does not make a truck...If any of you think a Ridgeline is a truck, Pm me! Forgot what my point was...damm Blue Smoothies!
I did buy a Cali truck. 1996 F250 X cab 7.3L 4X4 Zero rust!!!!! I'm a mechanic, so I can keep em running a looooong time if I can keep the rust off. That truck gets parked at first snow & brought back out in Spring.
