I Am Sorry, But . . .

[FeatherFam]

We went to test drive a 2018 F150. It was nice, I guess. But, really, do you guys actually think these vehicles are worth half of their price? What a big rip off. We are all getting reamed. We will stick with our paid for RAM for now. I mean, I just cannot believe we are all buying this junk. Sure, they had lots of plastic fancy dance and techno crud, but come on - We have all lost our minds. Most of the crud I could not care less about. Man, am I missing my '71 C10, '72 Gran Torino, or Dad's '68 Polara (What a Hoss!). Seriously. My dad made $6-8K/yr with an 8th grade education, and he bought homes, new cars, travel trailers, and took all of us seven kids camping and out for a frosty top on summer nights.

I can hear the Hag. Correction, I need to hear the Hag:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu_8M2L6kHY

[FeatherFam]

And This:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxLtXJzo3Ew

[Sundancer330]

Yes they are expensive but I feel a better quality and value than the TT we all buy. I was looking at local dealers online a few weeks back and the deals now are great. A nicely optioned F150 that retails for 52K is now offered for 38K, still an expensive monthly payment.

[Midnightmoon]

Yep. I agree with you 100%. These new ones are over priced beyond imagination and are filled with gadgets and gizmos that are nice but absolutely unnecessary.

With that said, I struggled for months trying to determine what to do with my vehicle situation. However, I have to go to work and we do have places that we need and want to go. I loved having older paid for vehicles. But, when they are down for major repair, sometimes you have to make a choice even if you don't want to.

I have a new attitude with this 2018 F150 that I have now. I am going to run the blue blazes out of it for a couple of years. I'll maintain it, keep it in good condition, but in no way do I plan on keeping it 10, 12 years or more like I have in the past. Once the warranty is up, and God willing I can afford it, it will be gone and another new one will be in its place.

Sit back and enjoy your current truck. It sounds like you are looking because you want something new and not because you need it. That's a great position to be in and remember, it only takes an hour at the dealer to get a new one when the time comes.

[FeatherFam]

$52K, DW and I said to each other: "Hmm, one-third our home's value and a year's salary." They can "mark them down" all they want. Until they cut the price by 60%, they are not worth it. Sorry, we all live in this economy, but when you know better times, it is really hard to swallow this in addition to all of the other decay.

Forgive me boys, I need to step aside now and remember being seven years old walking my four year old brother to the store to get bread and milk for Mom. We were totally safe and content - the neighbor moms and dads waving to us by name (alongside the vineyards and walnut groves and under the (then) blue San Joaquin sky) - with the thrill-making quarter, she gave us to buy two treats, a thumb-polished ransom in the pocket of my hand-me-down shorts. Sometimes I wish that all I knew was the devolving muck of this day. Then I would not experience this sense of loss. Thanks for giving me this "campfire" space, JOF.

[Woodworker]

That's why I bought the Ram Tradesman. I didn't need all the bells and whistles and saved close to $20,000 because of that. Same plastic door panels all of my trucks have had, same plastic dash as all my other trucks had. Body panels sure aren't the steel they used to be though. I priced the new Tradesman just for kicks while gettin my oil changed and they were $40,000. Guess I'll be buried in this one

[jbrnigan]

The "good ole days" were just that........

[Siamese]

We've gotten used to today's higher quality vehicles as compared to the trash that Detroit was putting out in the seventies. You miss your 72 Gran Torino? Ugh...we had a Torino wagon, and not near the quality of today's vehicles. In the sixties and seventies, a ten year old car was a rusted out wreck, and even in their prime, required more service than today's vehicles.

Detroit was turning out vehicles that were simply shameful.

I'm loving my F-150. Requires very little maintenance, has an incredibly powerful v6 mated to a 10 speed automatic that pretty much reads my mind when it's in tow mode.

Sounds like you're looking at the past through rose colored glasses.

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by FeatherFam

$52K, DW and I said to each other: "Hmm, one-third our home's value and a year's salary." They can "mark them down" all they want. Until they cut the price by 60%, they are not worth it. Sorry, we all live in this economy, but when you know better times, it is really hard to swallow this in addition to all of the other decay.

Forgive me boys, I need to step aside now and remember being seven years old walking my four year old brother to the store to get bread and milk for Mom. We were totally safe and content - the neighbor moms and dads waving to us by name (alongside the vineyards and walnut groves and under the (then) blue San Joaquin sky) - with the thrill-making quarter, she gave us to buy two treats, a thumb-polished ransom in the pocket of my hand-me-down shorts. Sometimes I wish that all I knew was the devolving muck of this day. Then I would not experience this sense of loss. Thanks for giving me this "campfire" space, JOF.

I absolutely agree about the cost of vehicles these days...insane.

However I really wanted to comment on the “good ole’ days”.

I was born and raised in the San Joaquin valley. Left for 15 years, lived in the Bay Area, and came back to the valley looking for the good ole days. It’s certainly not the same today as it was 40 years ago, but this morning I sent my 11 y/o on her bike about a mile to the corner market to get a gallon of milk with out a second throught. We live just outside of town, so about 1/2 that trip was riding past a walnut orchard. Today is 85* and th le sky is as blue as ever — not the gross grey the settles in all winter and the “dirty blue” we get late summer through nut harvest.

Maybe I did find the good ole days 😃

[Midnightmoon]

Back in the day, I had a '70 Nova that I had done some modifications to. It was really the first car that I played with and did everything wrong. Too much cam, too big of a carb, etc. It would overheat in traffic, I had to run the highest octane gas I could find and use lead additive, it would stink, get vapor locked at times and wouldn't start when it was hot out, or too cold, or when it would rain, etc. But I thought it was the baddest thing on the road at the time.

Now in 2018, a factory stock 4cyl Camaro or Mustang would walk all over it, get 3x the fuel mileage, and idle all day long with the AC on.

These new trucks are no exception. They perform heads and shoulders above what units from just a few years ago could do. Unfortunately they cost more than our house and should come with a sticker on the hood saying "No User Serviceable Parts Inside". It takes a little while to wrap your head around what they cost and that they are basically tied to the dealer with a long umbilical cord. I know I struggled with it for almost a year before I could pull the trigger. That doesn't mean that holding on to an older one is wrong or buying the latest and greatest is the best choice for everyone. It's just that things are different now and those of us that are middle aged or older are struggling with the changes. The younger crowd today will never know what it was like for us years ago.

[Woodworker]

These days that would be considered child abuse. Nuff said on that tho. Good for her to have that freedom!!

Originally Posted by clubhouse

I absolutely agree about the cost of vehicles these days...insane.

However I really wanted to comment on the “good ole’ days”.

I was born and raised in the San Joaquin valley. Left for 15 years, lived in the Bay Area, and came back to the valley looking for the good ole days. It’s certainly not the same today as it was 40 years ago, but this morning I sent my 11 y/o on her bike about a mile to the corner market to get a gallon of milk with out a second throught. We live just outside of town, so about 1/2 that trip was riding past a walnut orchard. Today is 85* and th le sky is as blue as ever — not the gross grey the settles in all winter and the “dirty blue” we get late summer through nut harvest.

Maybe I did find the good ole days [emoji2]

[jloco]

I never thought I’d see the day they’d be so over priced. Such a ripoff! Luxury trucks are the new fad. Most on the lot are loaded with gadgets.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

I don't know...part of the reason I bought my Ram was the heated seats and wheel! I LOVE it! The 8.4" touchscreen is awesome too! I just drive it until it tells me to do an oil of fuel filter change. Nothing like going 15k on both without even thinking about it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by LiftedAWDAstro

I don't know...part of the reason I bought my Ram was the heated seats and wheel! I LOVE it! The 8.4" touchscreen is awesome too! I just drive it until it tells me to do an oil of fuel filter change. Nothing like going 15k on both without even thinking about it.

Where I live, a cooled steering wheel seats and cooled seats would make more sense.

[cabinetmaker]

Yep, prices have sure gone up! Worth it? Better now? Safer now? If you need one for work or towing get your wallet out!

[PlayersZ28]

The fifth wheel I drag down the road behind my truck cost the same as the truck in front of it. I'd just like it to have 1/4 the quality and reliability of the truck. At least if the truck has an issue the dealer 20min away has a skilled repair person that can fix it and I get a loaner while they do so.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by LiftedAWDAstro

I don't know...part of the reason I bought my Ram was the heated seats and wheel! I LOVE it! The 8.4" touchscreen is awesome too! I just drive it until it tells me to do an oil of fuel filter change. Nothing like going 15k on both without even thinking about it.

Same here - I love the heated seats when we are on longer trips. I use them from time to time even during the summer as they help keep my lower back from getting stiff. Actually used them a couple of times today on the way down to Kanab. And I like the fact that when it's below freezing I can hit the remote start in the morning and a few minutes later when I get in the seat and steering wheel are nice and toasty. Nothing wrong with that.....

I also use the oil life meter to determine when it needs a oil change, though it's nowhere near 15K for the Hemi. I've found when I'm towing I actually get a bit more life out of the oil - around 8K miles between changes compared to off-season when I'm just commuting a few miles to work and then it's around 5-6K.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by cabinetmaker

Yep, prices have sure gone up! Worth it? Better now? Safer now? If you need one for work or towing get your wallet out!

My '79 Chevy is a 2x4 short bed and I think it was $5200. Of course, it didn't have air.

[Murff]

This is a great thread!!!

Many varied opinions and no real arguments with respect for one another.

Thanks!

Murff

[bono]

They are overpriced, because people want to buy them.