By chance I had my Gainesville FORD cap on when I visited them. The salesroom was like a ghost town, the salesmen, loitered like tourists. They didn't have E-Series or Focus brochures & didn't seem to be interested in selling me a Focus, new or used, using my Cream Puff F150 as a trade in. I was unfortunate enough to draw a bumbling salesman who looked like he was in HS & who knew next to nothing. Stood around chatting w/4 other experienced salesmen. Their overflowing light truck inventory jammed the lot like an Army depot. There were rows & rows of Gas Guzzling behemoths lined up like tanks awaiting an invasion. They had a grand total of 2 new & 4 used Focus. None of the 5 FORD salesmen I spoke w/took my name & number. I don't like the 4 door Focus & that's all they had, a used ZX3 had sold this week & wagons are hard to find. They don't like F150s these days, they're like the perverbial albatross. Customers anxious to unload Gas Guzzlers & the economical Focus in very short supply, doesn't leave much to talk about. Wonder how often the opposite occurs?

It looks like FORD will be quietly crushing large numbers of unsold Gas Guzzlers to make room & go for the tax loss. At the other end of the spectrum, even POS high mile Geo Metros are drawing major interest & commanding ridiculous prices!

 

this is not the time to panic. it's time to crunch the numbers regarding trading in a 'cream puff' F150 (it maybe even be paid for or close to being paid off) for half a car because it gets better mileage. I did the math, and realized I can buy a lot of gas (well, not a lot at $4.00/gal) for what the monthly payment will be on a POS little car. which by the way - are now selling at premium prices. things like annual miles driven, size vehicle needed and annual costs should be considered before jumping ship.

 

Thats why i got a motorcycle last year, I get to keep my nice truck, I get to ride a bike, i get good gas miliage, and its fun as hell, Of course i bought a CBR 954rr, so that helps a bit...

But you can get into a nice motorcycle for less that 3500 that gets 40-45 mpg...maybe its an option

 

I can conclude after reading this and your "Cruise Recall" story that for some reason Ford dealerships, and many others, surely mistreat you. And to think the salesmen ignored you and none of the 5 even took your name and/or number ............. This is just unimaginable! mmmmmmm

 

I'm not in a position to "panic". This 'cream puff' was a gift, I'm old fashioned & never borrow or wait for things to be "paid off". Even bought my house on 17 acres w/personal check. I strongly suspect my 'cream puff' F150 is worth significantly more than the "POS little car" that I want.

I've always had E150s & need a tow vehicle for my boat & car hauling trailer. My enthusiasm for this F150 is strictly limited, overall its been a major disappointment & was not my choice, it was my Dad's choice. I'd trade it for a Club Wagon in a heart beat, but these E150s prove to be extremely hard to find, equipped the way I want one. My daily driver is a POS minivan that was 'modified' by a 68,000lb gross Mack dump truck. Since I haven't found the Club Wagon I thought I'd switch gears & look for something to replace the minivan instead. My enthusiasm is to find someone who wants, needs, & can use my 'cream puff' 4X4. Still have my '92 Chateau to tow with.

There is no "jumping ship" to be considered here. My plan is to jump onboard a fuel efficient Focus in the 35-40 MPG range. As far as "crunch the numbers" is concerned a 10 YO F150 w/only 12,000 miles on it happens to be a bit of a wild card. It has the mileage of a typical 1 YO, but the low insurance rate of a rusty 100+K beater. Any late model you finance requires collision.

This is the time to realize gas prices are never going to go down, the hand writing has been on the wall for decades. Speculators are already talking about $200/barrel oil & the spectre of $10-$12/gal gas is only a hiccup away.

 

Your assumptions have once again lead you to "conclude" falsely. In reality, I had the undivided attention of 5 of the Stealership's salesmen. Your conclusion that the "salesmen ignored" me could not possibly be further from the truth. They had nothing to do & we happily chatted for over an hour, but that doesn't mean they wanted another Gas Guzzler parked on their lot. They recommended Autotrader & other online ads.

The point I was making is that they have a gross surplus of Gas Guzzlers virtually nobody wants to buy & suffer the frustration of lacking the fuel efficient models customers demand. I did not feel mistreated at all. My attitude was that the FORD stealership, if anyone, could sell my Cream Puff 4X4 & I was prepared to sacrifice in order to unload it & move into a fuel efficient Focus. The fact that they can not stock the Focus meant there were no 2 door or wagons around. I'd known it was bad, but the chorus of salesmen did a 5 part harmony on just how bad it really was. What was "just unimaginable" is the huge number of Gas Guzzlers gathering dust in this pickup addicted FORD friendly region. "mmmmmmm" indeed!

 

Good luck with that. I call them Murdercycles.

Sorry, but I've seen far to many people destroyed by motorcycles & would sooner walk or ride a bicycle. Besides, there's no good reason why the average car isn't getting "40-45 mpg". I strongly resent that automobile insurance premiums subsidize motorcycle accident claims. I advocate a pay as you go policy that would force motorcyclists to pay based on their extraordinary risks. IMO it is patently absurd to require airbags, seat belts & padded dash/knee/door protection, etc, then argue about helmet laws.

The option I'm looking at are efficient cars in the 35+MPG range w/good safety records. You could not give me a motorcycle, I've witnessed way to much carnage b/c of them.

 

ya, theres is a higher risk... alot of accidents are from stupid kids on bikes as well.. same as cars, the same thing could be said about certain cars on the road...

 

Well Club my friend, I can assure you that all here wish you the best of luck in swapping in your cream puff F150 on the Club Wagon of your dreams ...........

 

I'm with BURNSTOUGHFORD. I got me a 50 mpg Harley for riding to work and I still get to drive my "gas guzzling behemoth" F-150 when I need to. Maybe it's just me, but I'd speculate that the folks who are screaming for seat belts, airbags, padded protection, etc., etc, etc, ain't the same crowd that argues about helmet laws.
I guess that if it was me-and the sight of all of those unwanted vehicles disturbed me so deeply-and the certainty of $10-$12/gal gas was looming-and I resented paying high insurance premiums because of the recklessness of others- I'd park my stuff and start walking. And I'd definitely make it a point to avoid walking past the dealership lot. That would probably relieve a lot of my stress and make me less irritable.

 

Here in crazy california, Im seeing more and more guys on two wheels commuting - not motorcycles - but bicycles, scooters and those quasi-motorcycle things. I dont think the motocycles are as dangerous as you may think - just assume everyone does not see you and youll eliminate most of your accidents.

The other day I saw the new smart car - those tiny euro things that are selling for 11-15k. Pretty cool but not practical to haul the family.

Im with the other guys, Ive dont the math, Im keeping the F150 and limiting driving with it by taking more fuel efficient car and/or bicycle. Basically at 10k miles a year I put on the truck and assuming Im leasing $200/month on a corrolla, Id only be $50 bucks ahead before paying higher insurance, taxes etc. (not to mention any residuals)...

 

Speaking of "quasi-motorcycle things" I've seen 2 real mutants.

First was a motorcycle that had a pair of faired in 'training wheels' permanently attached to either side of a regular looking rear wheel. Today I saw a motorcycle w/2 side by side front wheels that looked like even more of an abomination. Sorry, no even interested in dirt bikes.

My minty F150 sat so long a Carolina wren built a nest in it's mouth!

 

Could've been the BRP Spyder.

 

I actually did the research on the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (might have the words switched) website before I re-entered the motorcycle group about 5 years ago. Most accidents occur after 12 midnight, with alchohol involved, and in age groups below 21 and over 55. I actually don't meet any of those categories (yet).

When I got my first bike years ago, I swapped it for a Jeep J4000 pickup (that was a beast!). I had never ridden a motorcycle before and the guy gave me two pieces of advice. First, if you ever think you have tame dthe tiger, get off immediately. Second, if you want to go fast, go out on the highway.

Since I've been riding again I have found the motorcycle to be quite safe. Part of that is my age - I'm older and smarter now and actually just enjoy the wind in my face and the time to be alone without needing to go fast. The other part is that I typically ride on rural roads and stay out of cities and off of interstates.

There's no doubt that the lack of physical material around you creates a different situation than driving a car/truck, but it is not necessarily apples to apples. On the plus side, you can't text message while you are riding so a bunch of the 16 year olds out there might actually be safer on a motorcycle. Also, there is little to distract you from thhe job of driving - no radio, no cup holders, etc (unless you get the Goldwing like bikes).

And as for insurance, that industry is so screwed up we are all paying for each other regardless of how you slice it. We are probably paying for the earthquake in China, we definitely paid for Katrina, and we will continue to pay for anything that threatens to cut into the profits and earnings of the insurance industry.

I think the motorcycle route is a great way to keep your gas guzzler, keep the environment clean (much smaller cc engine), and enjoy the backroads of life.

 

Just watch out for dogs, deer & soccer moms! Oh that's right, you have your own soccer mom! Just a figure of speech!