I'm not disapointed in the trucks; I feel they're great trucks. Read and you discover why I'm disappointed...

I found out today that the company I work for lets me take part in the Ford X-Plan, which is a discounted purchase program.

I have a 98 F-150 4x4 XLT that I LOVE. I only pay 260$/mo. But, I started to look at the newer ones today as I got an oil change, and started pricing them on Ford's website.

I nearly gagged on the prices! My same truck, EVEN WITH the X-Plan, I couldn't price under 34,000$'s! That's roughly 475$'s a month with good financing and 7years of car payments!

I guess it's just the shock factor of not buying a vehicle in so long, but, how on earth are people affording 500-700$/mo payments on new vehicles? Maybe I don't make enough money, or maybe I'm just too tight, but, if this is as cheap as they can get a good moderatly loaded pickup, I'm going shopping for used if I even decide that a newer used truck is worth trading in my baby, and Ford can forget about me EVER buying a new vehicle. I imagine that the other manufacturers are just as expensive if not higher, but, man, 34,000$'s for a vehicle?

I bought my current truck used, and for less than half that, and I've please as punch. What honestly would make me want to triple my payments if I financed a new one for 3 years? And why would I want to make a 500$/mo payment for 7 years just to lower my payment?

Sorry Ford, you may get my business in the future on one of your used vehicles, but, you're not ever gonna see me driving away in a new vehicle.

/grip-and-rant

 

Those are the times we live in now. Try shopping for a house in NY. Talk about sticker shock!

 

Wow, I priced out a 04 f250 xlt crew ccab for 33k That must be some truck you picked out

 

Buy used????

Let me tell you a story.

I started out looking for a used truck and here is what I found.

Price any truck 2-3 years old and it will cost you just the same as a new truck.
Since most 2-3 year old trucks are out of warrenty, if you pay for any extended warranty then for sure the price will be almost the same.

Based on the fact that the newer vehicles have a number of improvements, it is worth any extra cost.

Check CarMax and some of there prices on used trucks are about the same if not more than some new trucks especially when adding in rebates.

 

My dad always told me never to buy a new vehicle regardless of the brand especially if it's a new design. I'll just stick with used

 

There is nothing like the smell of a new car

 

I bought my 02 truck in the summer of 04 for 25k out the door, it has options on it that I couldnt afford on the on the new truck (simmiliar) that I priced out at 32k + TTL

 

kc5deb, yeah, pricing vehicles out can lead to sticker shock, but lets be fair. I assume your current truck is a SuperCab and the one your are pricing out is a SuperCab? Are you quite certain that the one you are looking at does not have just a few more bells and whistles? Stay out of a Lariat and I am betting you can get a 4x4 SuperCrew for under $31000 before any rebates. Bottom line, they keep adding options to these things make them look way more expensive than they ever were before.

Last July I was still driving my 1995 F150 XL. It was about as stripped as you could buy. 2wd, 302/manual, reg cab...other than the 302, about the only option on it was A/C. I paid $11,700 for it when it was about 8 months old and had 19,000 miles on it.

It was retired when I purchased my 2004 F350 from Van Bortel. After all was said and done, I paid about $26,500 for it before tax. I could say that trucks more than doubled in price since I last bought one, but that isn't quite the case. This truck is a F350 crew cab. It is a 4x4. And has a V10 with an automatic. Plus I added quite a few options to it that the other truck did not have. And even though this truck is an XL too, XL's have come a long way since 1995 The 95 did not even have a headliner...it was stripped. My F350 XL is quite well equipped.

Now let's see. 9 model years later, new vs. used, F350 CC 4WD V10 Auto vs. F150 RC 2WD 302/manual for only $15,000 more? I think I got ripped on the 1995 truck ten years ago

Just be fair when comparing. I looked back to see some of your earlier posts and it looks like you bought your curent truck when it was 6 years old. Heck, I bought my Bullitt Mustang for a great price in 2001, X plan actually, I think it was $25,1xx with tax. A lot of guys paid sticker for them. Less than 4 years later, you would be lucky to get $14,000 for one with under 40k miles and in pretty good shape. And lucky to get probably $11,000 for it on trade.

 

Im not really sure what xplan is, but assuming it is near invoice, 34K is pretty high end truck esp if its not a crew cab.

 

I am also shocked at how expensive these trucks are. I love fast cars too and I could get a very nice sports car (BMW,Audi) for the same cost of the truck. But if you need a truck for towing or hauling, you just need one. I know guys at work that will never buy new again. I am very particular of what will be on my truck so I am going to have to buy new and order. What really kills me is how horrible of an investment these vehicles are, no matter new or used. Just think though, it could always be worse.

 

It always leaves me wondering, I see these huge houses and expensive cars. What do these people do, and can I get in on it

 

Yeah, kind of hard to tow a 5th-wheel or a backhoe with a TT or 530i...

Stop thinking of vehicles as INVESTMENTS!! They're an expense; people expect a return on their investment. The return on a vehicle is what it does for you. But to look at what you spend and what you get when you sell it, that's frustration you don't need.

 

Yeah, one of my friends was trying to convince me to buy a car and then put a hitch on it to tow jet ski's. No frame=no towing. Another of my friends wants to buy a Subaru WRX and put a hitch on that! This is what trucks are for! Buy one!

You're right about cars not being an investment, another word escaped me at that moment. I love cars and trucks, but they are such an expense and it is hard when the return on that expense isn't quantifiable.

 

I feel the same about outrage prices on new trucks. I opted for a used truck to ease with the initial depreciation hit. Of course, the value goes down every year, but we try to minimize the loss as much as we can afford. Some guys can afford new ones, which is great and helps the Ford with their operating expenses and profits. I rather leave to someone else to absorb the big chunk of depreciation. Fortuately, the used 97-2003 are one of the highest rated full size pickup on the market, so they still make an excellent used pickup.

 

I completely agree that a vehicle is NOT an investment. There is no way you can buy a new vehicle, and sell it for more than you've spent total in gas, maintenance, payments, etc. Ok, maybe if you bought a new 68' hemi cuda in 1968, garaged it, maintained it, and kept it in mint condition, then sold it today. But, that's a different post

I've decided I'll keep my baby for sure. She still shines up after a washing, and the more I think about it, a 98 XLT 4x4 with only 87,000 miles is still a dang good pickup, and should last me at least another 100,000 miles with normal problems. Unless I can find a truck that is as good (all the bells and whistles that mine has) or better for a payment of 400/mo for 4-5 years, then I'm not going to think about getting rid of mine.

It is nice to see that there are some others out there that feel the same way about prices being so high on new vehicles. I'm the same way; "how do they do it, and how do I get on board".