One word - VALUE

I need a truck. I do truck stuff. Hauling, towing, etc.

My truck is not an everyday driver, so I do not need anything fancy. Just a truck.

My prior knock-around truck was a 2013 F150 regular cab, short box. A stripper. No options except cloth seats. No PW. No PL. No cruise, Ford's anemic 3.7L six cylinder (400 lbs of gravel in the bed slowed the truck noticeably).

I bought the 2013 F150 months after the 2014s were out, so it was a dealer leftover. MSRP was $26k + change. The best deal that I found was $19.5k + TT&L and I had to go to Houston (3-4 hours away) to get it because none of the dealers in the Dallas area were even close to that price.

I sold the 2013 F150 last February and have been using my old 1982 F100 to run errands from time to time. Being a 1982, it is not exactly advanced technically.

A relative passed and left me some money, so I thought that maybe I could afford something a little newer.

A few weeks ago, I start looking for a new truck. Another stripper. Trucks comparable to the 2013 F150 are now running $22k-$23k in my area. I guess times are good for Ford dealers.

At the beginning of November, Nissan jumped the rebates on the Titans to $7k. And that is any Titan. Any model. Any trim.

A local dealer has a stripper Titan. Only options are floor mats and mud flaps. MSRP is $31,130. So I get rebates of $7k off of that and the dealer is taking another $3600 off. Advertised price is $20,500. Only $1K more than I paid for my 2013 F150 three years ago.

So what did I get with the Titan?

A nicer interior with nicer seats.
PW
PL with remote
Push button start
8' bed
Cruise control
A big honkin' 5.6L V-8
9300 lbs tow capacity
7 speed automatic.

What a value.

I might have Ford blue in my blood, but my money is still green.

 

In 2009, the rebate was 11 grand.

Prices have gone up considerably. In 2004 a loaded Titan 2WD LE Crew Cab had an MSRP of 33 grand. The only options were 4WD, navigation and a sunroof.

Titan sales have tanked. In 2004, 93,000 were sold, that figure dropped to 85,000 in 2005, dropped to 69,000 in 2006.

Over the past few years, only about 25,000 have been sold yearly. At one time, Carlos Ghosn, the prez of Renault, planned to drop the Titan due to poor sales.

In 1999, Nissan was close to bankruptcy, Renault stepped in and bought at least 33% of Nissan, which by Japanese Corporate Standards, gave Renault a controlling interest

Problems: Brake judder and Dana 44 rear axles on the first generation.

Best website: titantalk.com

 

But it's still just a Nissan. You'll pay again when it's time to sell.

 

I don't blame you Ford has not exactly been impressing me in many areas over the last 6 years or so. If I was buying a van today it would be a Nissan. Only company that didn't turn their vans into eurotrash puddle jumpers.

 

OK. So I paid $3k less for the truck, but say that in 5 years, the truck is worth $3k less.

Maybe in the end, it is a wash. But that $3k has been in my pocket for the last 5 years, not in the dealer's pocket.

And I did not have to pay car loan interest on the $3k.

 

My Titan is not exactly opulent inside, but the quality of the materials and fit and finish are maybe 1/2 step up from my F150.