Are Simple/cheap pickup trucks gone forever?

[NWSharpshooter]

Isn't 0% interest a scam? I mean if you take a note on a car at 3%, dealer financed (to 'gain' any incentives) you aren't going to be able buy the same vehicle at the same price, off the lot. No way in hell. They build the finance charge into the sales price.

With today's interest rates you have to give up the incentives to get 0%. Up until about 2016 the auto makers were trying so hard to move units and the interest rates were so low that you could pick up the 0% AND the incentives. My wifes 2014 escape we purchased at invoice, then took all the incentives and financed it at 0%. Those days seem to be long gone...at least while we have a decent economy.

The other thing I do is prequalify for financing before I ever start looking. I go in and am honest with them and tell them that I can get X% from bank X. If they can beat it I will take their financing, otherwise I will bring a check. 9 times out of 10 they beat the prequalified financing.

I do most of my negotiating via text or email while I have the car in my possession on a BCA (borrowed car agreement). As I said earlier, it usually takes about a week, sometimes two or three.

 

[palmettomoon]

With today's interest rates you have to give up the incentives to get 0%. Up until about 2016 the auto makers were trying so hard to move units and the interest rates were so low that you could pick up the 0% AND the incentives. My wifes 2014 escape we purchased at invoice, then took all the incentives and financed it at 0%. Those days seem to be long gone...at least while we have a decent economy.

The other thing I do is prequalify for financing before I ever start looking. I go in and am honest with them and tell them that I can get X% from bank X. If they can beat it I will take their financing, otherwise I will bring a check. 9 times out of 10 they beat the prequalified financing.

I do most of my negotiating via text or email while I have the car in my possession on a BCA (borrowed car agreement). As I said earlier, it usually takes about a week, sometimes two or three.

I definitely went to USAA for a pre-approved loan and my local bank. So far the Ford dealer hasn't offered anything close to 2.58% on a 36 month note. If I take the incentives for buying their loan I'd just immediately sell it my local bank or USAA.

 

[MRH]

Ford has reintroduced the Ranger. I saw one the other day for $44k.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

I definitely went to USAA for a pre-approved loan and my local bank. So far the Ford dealer hasn't offered anything close to 2.58% on a 36 month note. If I take the incentives for buying their loan I'd just immediately sell it my local bank or USAA.

I've done that a time or two as well.


I have certainly gotten screwed before too. Hell that Red F-150 I bought was actually the second F-150 I bought that week. I bought a Grey 2016 3.5L Ecoboost F-150 the day before. Signed the paperwork, got home and was all excited until I realized that in 2016 Ford made a naturally aspirated 3.5L v6 and it was the weakest engine you could get in my truck. I ran outside, popped the hood and realized I had bought the wrong engine. It was no ecoboost. There was no way I was going to tow anything with that thing.

I panicked and was at the dealership the next morning at 7am knowing full well that legally they didn't have to do anything for me. They could have easily told me to kick rocks and enjoy my new truck that was essentially useless to me. Thankfully they were understanding of my mistake and rolled the deal back.

 

[galvatron]

The magazine article was lying then. They made it sound like high school graduates were performing light shift work for $80K+ per year.

I've never worked in a plant or a factory so I have no idea.

Hood liners, now that was gravy job... Flimsy hood liner 4 plastic pins and the gasket along this cowl.
Alternate pulling from parts bins between you the person on the other side of the car/line. Fling the liner across over the engine, hold it up, pop 4 pins on your side. Fling the cowl seal across, tap it down with a hammer..... repeat every 53 seconds

 

[palmettomoon]

.....Thankfully they were understanding of my mistake and rolled the deal back.

I usually think of this scene in the movie "Cutters" when talking about undoing a car deal....
LOL!

 

[MRH]

Obviously not full sized, but Frontier is the low priced leader.

https://www.autobytel.com/top-10-cars/least-expensive-cars/trucks/

Actually this list has good prices, by today's standards, for several nice trucks.

My Ram wasn't cheap. It's a pretty nice ride but not worth the price. None of them are worth the price. I think it is funny when a salesman says, "a vehicle is your second biggest investment besides your home.." In my way of thinking a vehicle isn't an investment at all. If so, it is a very poor investment. No return, and a continuous loss. What kind of "investment" is that? Give me a piece of **** that gets me from point A to point B and I will buy more real estate for my "second biggest investment".

 

[Justin87]

Actually this list has good prices, by today's standards, for several nice trucks.

My Ram wasn't cheap. It's a pretty nice ride but not worth the price. None of them are worth the price. I think it is funny when a salesman says, "a vehicle is your second biggest investment besides your home.." In my way of thinking a vehicle isn't an investment at all. If so, it is a very poor investment. No return, and a continuous loss. What kind of "investment" is that? Give me a piece of **** that gets me from point A to point B and I will buy more real estate for my "second biggest investment".

Amen! They make new cars every single day. They ain't making no more land

 

[palmettomoon]

Actually this list has good prices, by today's standards, for several nice trucks.

My Ram wasn't cheap. It's a pretty nice ride but not worth the price. None of them are worth the price. I think it is funny when a salesman says, "a vehicle is your second biggest investment besides your home.." In my way of thinking a vehicle isn't an investment at all. If so, it is a very poor investment. No return, and a continuous loss. What kind of "investment" is that? Give me a piece of **** that gets me from point A to point B and I will buy more real estate for my "second biggest investment".

LOL, you are right. It sounds about like democrats in congress talking about "investments" (i.e., spending like a drunken seller on leave at Navy Pier who took out a huge payday loan)

If I hear that I'm going to axe the salesman, "Define an investment for me please."

 

[MRH]

I'm sitting here looking at brand new Ford Fiestas for $12k...37 mpg...Looking pretty good right about now!