Trucks are so expensive

2doorpost · March 31, 2014

Crank windows here ! At least easy to reach on this truck.

(power locks and cruise control)

.

Spurshot · March 31, 2014

C'mon guys. I was 34 when i bought my first new vehicle. It was a price leader stripped 1990 Toyota It had a 4 speed stick and plastic seat (1), am fm and ac. I was working as a quality engineer for Boeing and renting an apartment. No kids. My wife was an engineer as well.

We bought a house in 1996. I was 40. I was driving my 1979 El Camino with 350,000 miles on it's third engine and my wife drove the Toyota pickup. Mind you, we were both engineers in aerospace without any kids. In 1999, at 43, I finally could afford a new SLE 4x4. That truck cost $31.5k. I drove that truck for 9 years and had work on it to get 215,000 miles out of it. I was 52, an engineer near the top of my profession in terms of pay, before buying a 2008 fully loaded LTZ when GM was bankrupt and they were clearing out the 2008 because the 2009 had been on the lots for months. I got $12k off sticker, but had to settle for a truck I now have and have wanted to sell since I bought it. Yeah, now I'm buying a $50k truck (-$7k for incentives and wheeling-dealing) at 58 years old and no kids. My point is; it ain't easy for everyone to buy a $50k truck, much less a younger working person that hasn't peaked in his career. Certainly, a bank will let you hang your petunia out pretty dang far and maybe you could get a 50k truck financed. But people have to get real and live within their means.

You want to drive a $50k truck? Get a great career, don't have kids, marry a gal with a great career, and get old. Or become a drug kingpin.

Edited March 31, 2014 by spurshot

KARNUT · March 31, 2014

Getting older or smarter means you can but you don't. Ill take mine for thirty thank you.

Rocky5000100 · March 31, 2014

The big thing to me is the huge markup on options and accessories. Don't buy more than you absolutely have to from the dealership.
I bought a 2WD RCSB WT, only options being the locking diff and mud flaps (didn't even want the flaps but they were there).

I would have paid the $800 or so for the convenience package, but all the RCSBs around that had it were LTs or LTZs for $3-10k more with options I didn't want, and wouldn't pay for.

I would have even preferred the vinyl seats instead of cloth, but those were nowhere to be found. (If you're local and have vinyl and want cloth, PM me )

I paid just under $18k for mine, plus local taxes came to about $19,200 (employee pricing + incentives + $800 trade-in).

The other stuff that I do want, I'm adding myself for much less than getting them through GM. My wheels+tires were only $1200, plus I sold my factory ones for $600.. BedRug was $325 shipped on eBay (it's $490+tax at my local dealer). Doing a semi-DIY hard folding tonneau for about $300. Keyless entry and remote start is $200 installed at Best Buy (<$80 if you DIY, but I don't like messing with wiring).

This. For example, I think the chrome exhaust tip is a $150 option? The same one can be bought online for $70. I may be wrong on the price, but same idea.

Another big upgrade is the navigation feature. I would rather use my smartphone, which has maps updated regularly. Imagine using a car navigation system in a car that's 10 or 15 years old? Its going to be so slow compared to your mobile device. That's a $750 savings right there.

Rock1500 · March 31, 2014

I don't think you can buy a Chevy truck with crank windows anymore. Everything is power windows.

Can you buy a car of any kind anymore without power windows?

Yes you can actually...... there is a real low end model that comes with that. Ill have to find it.

diannabill · March 31, 2014

Yes you can actually...... there is a real low end model that comes with that. Ill have to find it.

Yeah, a couple of guys a few posts up have 'em. I didn't know they were even available. Now where can I get ahold of my old push button AM radio. JUST KIDDING!!!!! I can't go back.

TexasDevilDog · April 1, 2014

Don't understand the negativity and discontent about those buying new trucks from those that cannot afford them. The prices of everything has gone up, not just trucks. It's simple, you do not buy what you cannot afford. If a person is making the same or similar to what he or she was making 20 years ago, then yes your buying power has been limited. The house next door has been foreclosed twice and both times it was people biting off more than they could chew.

I spoke to the last couple and their response was "if you can live here, why can't we" If that isn't a sense of entitlement, I do not know what is.

Edited April 1, 2014 by TexasDevilDog

Rock1500 · April 1, 2014

I spoke to the last couple and their response was "if you can live here, why can't we" If that isn't a sense of entitlement, I do not know what is.

And that is the heart of the problem. It is not just here in america but in alot of other places as well.

Inacanyon · April 1, 2014

What's funny is the people that are complaining are referencing the cost of the ltz. How about a WT or stripped lt? They are still awesome trucks, lightyears ahead of top models from the tbi years. If you want prices similar to 20 years ago give up the leather, heated seats, and 8" screen. Trust me, you will survive, and still have a great truck

In Feb the incentives were double cab 4x4 all star for 30000. that's before negotiations. I think that's pretty dam good.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Edited April 1, 2014 by disc0monkey

Hootbro · April 1, 2014

What's funny is the people that are complaining are referencing the cost of the ltz. How about a WT or stripped lt? They are still awesome trucks, lightyears ahead of top models from the tbi years. If you want prices similar to 20 years ago give up the leather, heated seats, and 8" screen. Trust me, you will survive, and still have a great truck In Feb the incentives were double cab 4x4 all star for 30000. that's before negotiations. I think that's pretty dam good. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Agreed, that is why I purchased my WT versus higher end model even though I could afford it. The standard features on my WT with convenience package would be consider a high optioned truck compared to 20 plus years ago.

The higher end trim and option packages are niceties and not necessities plus it is less crap to have and break.

KARNUT · April 1, 2014

People forget that a lot of the cost on our rides are from good old Uncle Sam. The new one is back up cameras. Pretty soon school buses are going to look like landing strips.Planes will be landing on them.

BIGDOGx · April 1, 2014

Well regardless like clock work the 2015's are going to start showing up soon and you can count on it that large cash amounts will be placed on the hoods of 2014 models to clear space.

'01LS1 · April 1, 2014

Well regardless like clock work the 2015's are going to start showing up soon and you can count on it that large cash amounts will be placed on the hoods of 2014 models to clear space.

Thinking the planned model year change over was set for early September. It has been awhile since reading that though. Just do not want someone thinking the 2015's will be on the ground as early as the 2014's rolled out.

Spurshot · April 2, 2014

To me, I feel my nearly fully loaded truck cost is in line with my salary a this time in my life. I bought and drove a lot of used cars in my day. Some of them were not so nice. I drove a Pinto for many years so I could own a small aerobatic airplane of modest cost. But they all fit my earnings at the time. As others have stated, a person should stay within his means.

Todd66 · April 2, 2014

Agreed, that is why I purchased my WT versus higher end model even though I could afford it. The standard features on my WT with convenience package would be consider a high optioned truck compared to 20 plus years ago.

The higher end trim and option packages are niceties and not necessities plus it is less crap to have and break.

100 % agree...my last NEW purchase was a 2005 FX4 loaded crew cab etc etc $31,500...today that truck is 47,500...today .at 47 yrs old for some reason I have a different perspective on what truck I need ...so I went to my local GMC / Chevy dealer during the March incentive month...yes I started with the crew cabs V8's loaded you know the one's and I literally for the first time in my life got sticker shock , now I understand 50-75K dollar vehicles you know caddies, BMW's, lexus etc etc but I never envisioned 50K for a pick-up truck excluding dualies with diesels..so you can imagine I was ready to walk away and go look at the used market. But as I was walking away I checked out the Reg. cab, V6 sierra WT which had a convenience pkg, and towing pkg. and a few other odds and ends stickered 29,680K and during the sale was down to 25,600K. after test drive and some online researching I went for it 285 HP, 7000lb tow cap cruise nice radio etc etc ...as Hootbro said this truck is light years ahead of anything remotely considered a W/T 5-10 years ago ..to be honest after driving it for the last two weeks I wouldn't even consider it a W/T ... just my .02