My 2014 E.B. Limited cost approximately 9 times what my 1970 Boss 302 Mustang did. Set aside the difference in performance, my new Limited is way more than 9 times the vehicle my '70 Mustang was technology and quality wise.


In a way it really depends on how you look at it. Would I trade my new Limited for a 44 year old 1970 Boss 302 Mustang? Only from a investment stand-point. Of course I miss being able to work on my own vehicle. And yes it was easier to fix but from the viewpoint of workmanship, technology and in-service mileage I wouldn't trade.

 

I bought a brand new '87 F150 RCLB XLT Lariat in March of 1987, my first year as a teacher/coach. It stickered for around $13,000. My gross salary was around $23,000. That truck was equipped very similarly to a '15 RCLB XLT with 2.7 Ecoboost (mine had 5.0 which was 2nd engine from bottom, same as 2.7 now) with the 300A package (base model).

The truck I just built stickers for around $32,000. At that same ratio the equivalent salary would be $56,000. A first year teacher/coach in my school district would make about that amount.

 

Well said.

 

I was watching a GM commercial last night, you know, the one where they say it's an Audi, no it's a BMW, etc. And it hit me. The car makers are building these vehicles for the younger upcoming crowd and that makes perfect sense. This is the group of buyers that will propel the auto industry into the future.

 

Didn't Ford do the same thing in the 70s with the Granada?

 

Makes sense since there are a lot of people in my generation that if I recall out number those in the baby boomer generation. But a lot of the vehicles they are making now look kind of ugly. Of course I kind of like the original style of the Power Wagon from years of old. Plus a lot of future jobs will be paying a lot more money so they can afford these $70K+ brand new vehicles or take out a 10 year car mortgage.

 

We have a kid I work with who drives a big truck with tires on every day. I have no problem with that, I like trucks. But another guy said "You know Dougs (me) Fiesta does everything your truck does right?". Both are really just used to go to work and back. I do use my Fiesta for picking up 200lbs of chicken feed more often than he has anything in the bed of his truck. My Fiesta was less than $15k new. Crank windows, manual trans, somehow still has bluetooth.

Now I haven't sold a single Fiesta S to anyone else. I had to dealer trade to get mine in, and there were no white manual hatches closer than 2 hours away. Society has shifted far away from simple cars or trucks, yet most of them view their car as little more than an appliance. I find it quite paradoxical.

IMO the best truck on our lot had gotten old and another dealer ended up trading for it. It was a ruby red F250 with tan interior. RC, 8' bed, 6.2 gas XLT 4x4. Sticker was right around $40k. Hardly anyone every looked at it because of the cab. People refuse to buy a vehicle for 99% of the time. They want a big SUV, not for the kids, but because sometimes they drive the dog 30 minutes away to go for a run that 1% of use. I fully encourage folks to have the option to get what they want and all, but the requirements of standard features and size keep pushing up the price. I had a customer shocked that you could get a truck without a button to unlock it while he walked up. He felt in 2015 that should be standard. Thanks pal, folks like you drive the cost of all the basic vehicles up because you don't want to "feel" like your paying for an option.

*end rant*

 

Of course, you could probably use a horse and buggy instead of that super fancy Ford fiesta. You really don't need an engine, windows, the ability to go over 45 MPH either .

We live in a world of wants. Not needs. If we only used what we needed, we would be pilgrims.

 

You're right in theory but from a practical stand point we would be better off in more way than one.

 

A couple of observations.

First, just plain old inflation will more or less double the cost of everything every 13 years or so. In the early 70s, the inflation rate was fairly high, so it's not a linear progression. However, if you just take a hypothetical $5000 "truck" bought in 1970, to get a roughly equivalent value through the years (using my double it every 13 years formula)..Second, and this is a biggy. I don't know about the rest of you, but my 2015 F-150 is not like my Dad's F-150 from back in 1970 (by a long, long shot). It's a crew cab, has better gas mileage, pollutes a fraction of what Dad's truck did, and is far, far. far more comfortable. Heck, my dear old Dad would think he was sitting in his parlor as we cruise effortlessly down the interstate.

So we're not talking apples to apples by any means. I would argue that you can't take the cost out of context from the product (or the era).

 

Plus the body's last a lot longer now than they did back then, but these new ones are a huge PITA to work on. So the older trucks still have a place in the world, easy to work on, still fun to drive and you can use it for off roading and keep your new truck nice and clean! But I'll take work boots over high heels any day and everyday twice on Tuesday.

 

Cars do really seem expensive anymore but the thing about capitalism, is once they are actually priced too high they will stop selling. A lot goes into determining the price point and from the looks of it cars are priced right.

I keep hearing that iPhones are too expensive yet they have sold 700,000,000 of them.

 

Those phones go for about $1500 on Craigslist. If going by that chart if trucks reach $80,000 (plain Jane), its either from extreme inflation or they went off the deep end. They'll still sell just not in the high volume they are now. But by then you can have a 30 year mortgage on the truck so everyone could afford it.

 

My parents 1800 square foot 3 bedroom brick house with a 2 car garage cost about $14,000.00 in 1960. The same house would be around $250,000.00 today.

 

I'd give you the argument if you said a Honda Rebel 250 (though I look like an Ape on one). There is a value to time. I could find a job closer to home, but thats also increasingly challenging, and health care.... My street is 45 mpg, and less than a mile up the road is 55.